I am reaching out to seek guidance on a unique structural aspect of my application, which is divided into two distinct components: a “Manager” app and a “Worker” app. The Manager app serves as the control center, facilitating the commencement, termination, and data handling of multiple instances of the Worker app, each operating with its own dataset. Due to the inherent functionality and structure of my application, consolidating these components into a single App executable is not feasible.
To address this, I am considering the creation of a ‘nested’ app configuration with the following steps:
- Compile an app bundle specifically for the Manager app.
- Compile a separate app bundle for the Worker app.
- Embed the Worker app bundle within a subdirectory of the Manager app’s bundle (e.g., within Contents, Frameworks, or another appropriate location).
- Ensure that the entire Manager app bundle is sandboxed, with data modification and storage strictly confined to designated locations.
- Facilitate communication between the Manager and Worker apps using XPC, local HTTP, or other suitable Inter-process Communication (IPC) methods.
By initiating the Manager app, users have the capability to launch multiple instances of the Worker apps, visible as separate icons alongside the Manager app icon in the dock.
I am considering submitting the complete Manager app bundle for Mac App Store review and have several inquiries regarding this approach:
- The review documentation provides ambiguous information on the acceptance of nested apps. If all specified guidelines are adhered to, would the Mac App Store consider approving an app structured in this manner?
- Should this approach be deemed unacceptable, can you provide specific reasons for potential rejection by Apple?
- In the event of non-approval, are there alternative methods to obtain review approval without significantly altering the app’s architecture?
I hope I come to the right place. Any help will be much appreciated. Thanks.