How do you make the Application window open when the dock icon is clicked?

Question

I'm surprised this doesn't happen automatically, but I would like my applications window to open automatically when the Dock icon is clicked.

Just to clarify, when i open the app, the window automatically opens, but when I click the cross for the window but leave the App running, the window won't open when i click the dock icon.

Answer 1

A document based application will automatically open a new untitled document when the app becomes active, so I am assuming you are referring to a non-document based app.

Implement the applicationDidBecomeActive: method in your application delegate and open/show the window.

Edit:

Some information on Delegates.

Some information on Opening and Closing Windows and the NSWindow API

Answer 2

Implement - (BOOL)applicationShouldHandleReopen:(NSApplication *)theApplication hasVisibleWindows:(BOOL)flag in your app delegate. Check the documentation for the details of the return value.

Document based apps and non-document based apps behave slightly differently. If there are no open windows when the dock icon of a document based app is clicked then it will create a new document. If there are no open windows when the dock icon of a non-document based app is clicked then it will do nothing.

Answer 3

This is what I'm doing to get the main window of a non-document based app back to screen once it has been closed. I know this might not be the right way to do it but It's working for me so far.

Implemented this on the AppDelegate, window is defined as instance variable of the same object.

- (BOOL) applicationShouldOpenUntitledFile:(NSApplication *)sender
{
    [window makeKeyAndOrderFront:self];
    return NO;
}

If anyone has a better solution please reply. Thanks!