OS X "Services:" What the???

D

dani0100

Registered
Alright, I've been trying to figure this out for along time and am totally stumped. OS X has a "services" submenu in the application menu of every OS X application. Within the "Services" menu there are sub-menues like "Disk Copy," "Grab," and "Email."

My understanding is that you're supposed to be able to use these "services" to do things like send text clippings to an email recipient, or a screen capture to an image editing program, etc., etc.

HOWEVER, never under any circumstances have I ever seen any of the options not "greyed out" so that you could actually select and use them in the Services menu. I.e., you can see the options, but you can select them.

WHAT'S THE DEAL??? Can you ever use these services? I know you're not supposed to be able to use them in any program (the program would have to be programmed to be aware of the services menu), but I have never, under any circumstances, not even in the finder, been able to do any of the things in the Services menu. What gives?

Thanks for any tips,

Miguel
 
AFAIK, the Services are only available to Cocoa apps.
I'm sure they must be programmed to use them as well though.
 
Services only work in Cocoa applications and Mach-O Carbon applications (these are carbon apps that use a special Mac OS X API to get access to Services).

Here's an example of how to use a service:

Open up a file in TextEdit. Now type a fake e-mail message to someone. Now select all of the text, go up to the "TextEdit" menu, go to the "Services" submenu, go to "Mail", and then select "Mail Text". Now Mail.app will open a new e-mail message with the selected text as the e-mail message.

To use services, you must be using a services aware application (Cocoa apps or Mach-O carbon apps), and you must have something selected.

If you notice in the attached screenshot, services can be very helpful... I have some great ones to search a selection on google or define it in OmniDictionary. You need to get used to using them, but they rock!
 

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Thanks for the tips. Unfortunately, it looks like Services are of no use in any of the Microsoft applications, which would be a place where it seems like they would be very useful.

So, I've got some followup questions...

(1) which of your favorite X applications employ Services?

(2) is there a place you can download services that extend application that don't by default include things in the Services menu? For example, there was a lot of stuff in the Services menu screen grab that an earlier poster attached to his post. Is there someplace to get those extensions to the Services menu?

Thanks!

Miguel
 
How can I know if an app is programed with cocoa or what??
I think services sucks. They should have been designed to work within any application!!! What the %$&·$!!! :mad:
 
Services can (theoretically) work with almost any OS X app. The problem is, the vast majority of Carbon apps would have to have major rewriting to enable them to do so.
I find myself using Services most often while in OmniWeb. It is soooo convenient to be able to highlight an interesting item and email it to a friend, or paste it into a TextEdit doc.
:D
 
I agree that it's very annoying that Services can't work with all applications, but I'm pretty sure that if Carbon applications are coded correctly, they CAN take advantage of Services.

It's a shame that Microsoft didn't take advantage of them. Oh, well. It's nice to know that they're there, though -- it's guaranteed that Services will become more prominent as time goes on.

Services is kind of like AppleScript -- a powerful feature that's not often taken advantage of.
 
Originally posted by simX
it's guaranteed that Services will become more prominent as time goes on...
Click to expand...
Originally posted by jnuneznyc
Services is like the Control Strip! At first no one wrote for it.
Click to expand...
Yeah? That's what they said about OpenDoc and CyberDog too...
 
ok True but there are tons of stuff in the computing world that no one ever takes advantage of... OpenDoc, PowerTalk, QuickDraw QX, Publish and Subscribe and more but Services isn't a hinderance or stupid like Microsoft Bob!

Crap... I'm old!
 
Originally posted by jnuneznyc
ok True but there are tons of stuff in the computing world that no one ever takes advantage of... OpenDoc, PowerTalk, QuickDraw QX, Publish and Subscribe and more but Services isn't a hinderance or stupid like Microsoft Bob!

Crap... I'm old!
Click to expand...

Microsoft Bob! I had forgotten about that one. Gee, thanks A LOT! :)
 
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