Is it worth developing support for OSX 'services' (does anybody ever use it?)

Question

Mac OSX has this feature called (I think) 'Services'. It is available in the menu bar under the filename of the application (e.g. Finder) and then selecting 'Services'. This gives you access to a list of applications that provide 'services'. For example, if you are browsing a website with firefox and you have some text selected on the page, the services list has an entry for Mail > send selection.

I've been using a Mac for almost 3 years and I've literally never used it (but I've known it to be there from the beginning).

So, is it worth for an application developer to provide support for this (i.e. provide some services actions)? Or would it be a waste of effort (because no one, or very few people, uses it) ?

Answer 1

I have used Mac OS X since Developer Preview 2 (and earlier versions of Mac OS before that, though they didn't have the Services menu), and I have never used the Services menu.

I'm sure some people, somewhere must use them occasionally, though I have never seen it. I would say it's likely a waste of effort unless one of your users specifically requests the feature.

Answer 2

I've attempted to use it a few times over the past ten years.

Previously, the menu was cluttered with disabled items, and uselessly disorganized. Actually making a selection was unpredictable, as the few items that weren't disabled were often supposed to be. The appearance of possibly doing something was itself just a bug.

However, it appears to be much improved in 10.6. If you want to provide a universal, context-sensitive service, I'd say go for it. Maybe it will be the killer app for this decade-dormant delivery doodad.

Answer 3

I use them from time to time. But other pretty high profile users seem to think they're the dog's bollocks. So I suspect it depends on your audience.

Only you can judge whether there's the remotest chance your users will care, but I certainly wouldn't rule it out. If your software genuinely does provide a service that would be of benefit beyond its own application context, exposing that as a service definitely seems like something worth considering. You wouldn't neglect copy and paste out of hand, would you?

Answer 4

In 10.6 they are a lot more useful (as Potatoswatter indicates, they are properly Contextual in 10.6, so that it only displays text based services, when you have text selected).

For what it's worth - I've rarely used the Services menu at the top, but have sometimes used them via the context menu - but primarily with Apple's own apps (send to iPhoto, open in Preview). There aren't many third party apps that offer services I find useful.

However, I am aware that some users of journaling/clipboarding software swear by them. WalkyTalky has the right view - if your application exposes a service that is useful (or if you think users would want to regularly select and push data into your app) then adding support would be useful.

(In contrast - if it doesn't, then adding one is just adding to the 'noise' - I have a notebook application that adds a service for every single new notebook created).