This document discusses how to create desktop applications in Pharo that integrate well with operating systems. It presents a plan to take an existing Bloc+Toplo game application, add OS integration features like menus and notifications, package it using the Pharo Embedded Support library, generate scripts to automatically build installers, and run the scripts in a CI pipeline to distribute the application for Windows and macOS. Examples of OS integration libraries and an open source project demonstrating this process are also referenced.

1. Pablo Tesone - Pharo Consortium
ESUG 2023
Applications in
Pharo
Come to the Desktop Side

2. 2
Pablo Tesone
Pharo Consortium
Engineer
• 24 years trying to code
• 13 years of experience in industrial applications
• 9 Years working on Pharo
• PhD in Dynamic Software Update
• Interested in improving development tools and the daily
development process.
• Enthusiast of the object oriented programming and their tools.
It’s a me, Pablo!
@tesonep

3. 3
Desktop Applications
Our Objective Today

4. Desktop Applications
Our Objective Today
• We want:
• Multiplatform Applications
• Seamless Operating System Integration
• Packaging and Installation
• Automatic Process / CI integration
4

5. We want to develop in Pharo
• Cool Tools
• Iterative Process
• Fun & Addictive
5
We want Pharo Everywhere

6. Because Pharo has a Rich Ecosystem
• Tools
• Frameworks
• Language Support
6

7. Because Pharo has a Rich Ecosystem
• Tools
• Frameworks
• Language Support
7
We want to take
advantage of
them!!!

8. A broad spectrum of Applications
And Pharo is
fi
t for it
8
Native
Applications
Custom UI
Apps

9. A broad spectrum of Applications
And Pharo is
fi
t for it
9
Native
Applications
Custom UI
Apps
Spec + GTK Bloc + Toplo
Spec
Cairo / Alexandrie

10. A broad spectrum of Applications
And Pharo is
fi
t for it
10
Native
Applications
Custom UI
Apps
Spec + GTK Bloc + Toplo
Spec
Cairo / Alexandrie
Let’s Automate
the Packaging
and Installer

11. An Example Application
• Let’s take a nice
game using Bloc +
Toplo
• Takuzu (puzzle
game similar to
Sudoku)
11

12. An Example Application
• Let’s take a nice
game using Bloc +
Toplo
• Takuzu (puzzle
game similar to
Sudoku)
12
Thanks Enzo
Demeulenaere

13. An Example Application
• Let’s make it look
like a Nice App
• Let’s package it
and have a nice
installer for it
• We are going to do
it for Windows and
MacOS
13

14. What we want (1/3)
Custom Icon and Branding
14
Executable Metadata

15. What we want (2/3)
OS Integration
15
Installers

16. What we want (3/3)
Custom Error Handling
16
Cheap and automatic!!!

17. The Plan
1. Load our application code
2. Add OS Integration (e.g., menus, noti
fi
cations,
etc)
3. Load Pharo Embedded Support Project
4. Generate Scripts to automatically build and
create installers.
5. Run them in our CI and distribute them
17

18. 1. Load our application code
2. Add OS Integration (e.g., menus, noti
fi
cations,
etc)
3. Load Pharo Embedded Support Project
4. Generate Scripts to automatically build and
create installers.
5. Run them in our CI and distribute them
The Plan
18
1. Load our application code

19. 1. Load our application code
2. Add OS Integration (e.g., menus, noti
fi
cations,
etc)
3. Load Pharo Embedded Support Project
4. Generate Scripts to automatically build and
create installers.
5. Run them in our CI and distribute them
The Plan
19
1. Load our application code
Easy, we just use
Metacello

20. The Plan
20
1. Load our application code
2. Add OS Integration (e.g., menus, noti
fi
cations,
etc)
3. Load Pharo Embedded Support Project
4. Generate Scripts to automatically build and
create installers.
5. Run them in our CI and distribute them

21. Add OS Integration
The Plan
21
Great Existing Libraries
OSX
Objective C Bridge
Windows
Pharo-OS-Windows
Pharo COM Support

22. Thanks!!!
Add OS Integration
The Plan
22
Great Existing Libraries
OSX
Objective C Bridge
Windows
Pharo-OS-Windows
Pharo COM Support
Esteban Torsten

23. Add OS Integration
OSX Examples in Action
23
Menus
Noti
fi
cations

24. 1. Load our application code
2. Add OS Integration (e.g., menus, noti
fi
cations,
etc)
3. Load Pharo Embedded Support Project
4. Generate Scripts to automatically build and
create installers.
5. Run them in our CI and distribute them
The Plan
24

25. Load Pharo Embedded Support Project
• A library that provides:
• Custom error handling
• Command Line Handlers
• Generators for automatise the packaging
25

26. 1. Load our application code
2. Add OS Integration (e.g., menus, noti
fi
cations,
etc)
3. Load Pharo Embedded Support Project
4. Generate Scripts to automatically build and
create installers.
5. Run them in our CI and distribute them
The Plan
26

27. Generate Scripts
Automatically build and create packages & installers
27
OSX

28. Generate Scripts
Automatically build and create packages & installers
28
OSX Bash Script

29. Generate Scripts
Automatically build and create packages & installers
29
OSX Bash Script
Installable
DMG
App
Package

30. Generate Scripts
Automatically build and create packages & installers
30
Windows
PowerShell
Script
Installable
MSI
Executable
CMake
Script

31. Generate Scripts
Automatically build and create packages & installers
31
Windows
PowerShell
Script
Installable
MSI
Executable
CMake
Script
Thanks!!!
Christophe Guille

32. 1. Load our application code
2. Add OS Integration (e.g., menus, noti
fi
cations,
etc)
3. Load Pharo Embedded Support Project
4. Generate Scripts to automatically build and
create installers.
5. Run them in our CI and distribute them
The Plan
32

33. Run them in our CI and distribute them
Let’s run in the CI
33
Run in Github Action:
• Get a Pharo Image and load our code
• Generate the Scripts and execute them
• Upload Artifacts
• Available for OSX and Windows

34. Run them in our CI and distribute them
Let’s run in the CI
34
Run in Github Action:
• Get a Pharo Image and load our code
• Generate the Scripts and execute them
• Upload Artifacts
• Available for OSX and Windows

35. Run them in our CI and distribute them
Let’s run in the CI
35
Run in Github Action:
• Get a Pharo Image and load our code
• Generate the Scripts and execute them
• Upload Artifacts
• Available for OSX and Windows
Thanks!!!
Christophe Cyril Stef

36. Our Complete Example
Available on Github
36
tesonep/Takuzu
• Windows and OSX Example
• Github Actions
• OSX Integration
• Embedded Windows App
• Bloc Application

37. • Windows and OSX Example
• Github Actions
• OSX Integration
• Embedded Windows App
• Bloc Application
Our Complete Example
Available on Github
37
tesonep/Takuzu
Open to Improve
and to copy

38. Future Plans
Everything is Open
38
tesonep/pharo-vm-embedded-example
• Adding UI to generate script
• Support for Minimal Images
• Moving generators outside the image
• Adding support for signing / notarisation
• Documentation / More Examples

39. Applications in Pharo
Thanks so much!!!
39
tesonep/pharo-vm-embedded-example
tesonep/Takuzu
Custom Icon and Branding
Metadata
OS Integration
Error Handling
Installers
Automatizable