Merging multiple apps into one app (or instance)

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6 points

Merging multiple apps into one app (or instance)

Basically, i'm trying to create a 'social' app that combines the apps I use for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the default iMessages app.

At the moment I've just made an app in Automator that just launches all the separate apps at once, and have them set out in a comfortable window configuration so I can see/access everything.

Is there a way to somehow combine all these apps into one standalone app or one single instance? Just so I can have one little icon in the dock that manages all the apps (so I can open/quit them all at once just by using the one icon), and so it doesn't take up space on the dock when all the apps open.

Hope that makes sense! Any help would be appreciated.

iMac, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2), 3.06 GHz Intel Core2Duo 6GB 1067Mhz

Posted on Mar 19, 2013 8:47 AM

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Answer 1

Mar 19, 2013 9:21 AM in response to Nick Kenner

You could make it so that when you quit your Automator app it caused all the other apps to quit but there is no way to not have the running apps icons in the dock.

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Answer 2

Nick Kenner Author

Level 1

6 points

Mar 19, 2013 9:35 AM in response to Frank Caggiano

Is there not a way to hide the app icons in the dock?

Also, the Automater app doesn't actually open - it's just a script that causes the other apps to open, so there is no way to 'quit' the Automater app

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Answer 3

Mar 19, 2013 9:53 AM in response to Nick Kenner

Is there not a way to hide the app icons in the dock?

Ok if that is very important to you can make an applications icon not appear in the dock. It requires you to execute a command from the terminal. Note this will always make that applications icon not appear in the dock not just when you run it from your app. Second the applicaiton's menu bar will also be hidden so you will not be able to get to any of the apps functions that you would normally access from there. You will still have access to those functions via keyboard shortcuts.

If this is really something you want to do seeHow to hide an app's Dock icon

As for the quitting problem. You could have a second app that quits the applications. Something as simple as

tell application "AppName"

quit

end

would work for simple cases.

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Answer 4

Nick Kenner Author

Level 1

6 points

Mar 19, 2013 10:02 AM in response to Frank Caggiano

Thanks for the hide info.

Is there a way to configure an app in Automater so that when you run the app a second time it runs a separate string of events? Such as quitting the apps

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Answer 5

Mar 19, 2013 12:08 PM in response to Nick Kenner

No direct way you could check to see if the app is runnig and if so quit it.

You might want to think about moving this to an Applescript. You'll have more flexibility and power in an Applescript over an Automator workflow

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Answer 6

Nick Kenner Author

Level 1

6 points

Mar 19, 2013 10:14 PM in response to Frank Caggiano

I would, except I hardly know anyhting about Applescript. Are there any good related tutorials that could get me started?

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