macOS: Use system API to open links

[mitchellh]

Discussed in #5200

^{Originally posted by sindresorhus January 18, 2025}
Currently, it uses the open command. The problem with using that is that it makes it impossible for browser pickers apps to detect that the link is opened from Ghostty, because by the time the app checks for the source app, the open command has exited. It should also be slightly faster to use the system API: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appkit/nsworkspace/open(_:)?language=objc

I'm referring to: https://github.com/ghostty-org/ghostty/blob/72d085525b22d66468c5969a4d507a0fa68d4a04/src/os/open.zig#L32C9-L41C11

---

Specifically, Velja uses the source app to let users create advanced rules for which browser to use depending on the source app.

[shaps80]

Given this is a native app we could actually use SwiftUI's openURL from the Environment. This also ensures future compatibility with iOS too. This also simplifies URL overriding (if required) in SwiftUI.

Specifically I'm referring to:
https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swiftui/environmentvalues/openurl

[matthebrown]

I was interested in taking a crack at this feature but was looking for some more clarity on the required changes. Would the approach here involve invoking the NSWorkspace.open method from the existing open.zig file like below? Or are we talking about handling links in the native SwiftUI?

const NSWorkspace = objc.getClass("NSWorkspace");
const shared = NSWorkspace.msgSend(objc.Object, objc.sel("shared"));
 _ = shared.msgSend(bool, objc.sel("open:"), .{ url });

[shaps80]

@matthebrown personally my preference would be the safer high-level APIs provided by SwiftUI.

Was there any reason specifically you wanted implement it using older Obj-C msgSend APIs?

[matthebrown]

That makes sense, I'm just a little unsure what to do with this existing logic in open.zig. I guess we need to keep it as-is since it's also used to open text.

[jcollie]

Perhaps we need to convert opening URLs into an apprt action. That way it would be easier for each apprt to implement native experiences, plus make it easier for macOS to use native Swift code to implement the action.

[mitchellh]

I think converting this to an apprt action makes sense. The open.zig logic predates apprt actions and the previous callback system was relatively limited, so I think given the current state of things an action makes sense.

[shaps80]

FWIW I agree, I like the idea that it allows each platform to handle things more appropriately as well 👍