Do OS X applications written in Mono have the same features as MonoTouch?

Question

What I mean by this is:

• MonoTouch integrates and binds to Interface Builder and the full Cocoa Framework.
• MonoTouch applications compile with the runtime, so there is no JIT, and no runtime needs to be present on the host OS.

Can OS X applications written in Mono take advantage of these MonoTouch features?

Answer 1

The new "MonoMac" is a wrapper to the native Cocoa libraries, just like MonoTouch, and integrates with Interface Builder.

I don't know if you can do full AOT to get rid of the JIT (since there's very little point on a full computer), but a runtime will be required just as it is for MonoTouch. What it comes down is whether the runtime is separate or bundled with your application like MonoTouch.

I think with today's Mac App Store announcement, you will see Mono move towards making Mac bundles that are full contained easier.

http://www.mono-project.com/MonoMac

http://tirania.org/blog/archive/2010/Oct-20-1.html