The Mac App Store Now Requires All New Apps To Play In The Sandbox
June 2, 2012
Growing up, playing in the sandbox was a midday reprieve, a privilege, a pastime. For Apple developers, though, the sandbox can be a nightmare and a punishment. And now, at long last, it's mandatory, too.
Coming off a pair of delays, the final June 1 deadline for Mac App Store sandboxing compliance has come and gone. For better or for worse, any new app submissions (or existing apps' feature updates) must adhere to Apple's ironclad lockdowns. Macworld explains exactly what "sandboxing" means:
Sandboxing refers to compartmentalizing what data and features a specific app is granted access to; apps each can metaphorically play exclusively in their own sandbox, accessing only that data which Apple has granted that app entitlements to see.While this is a new requirement for apps to be sold through the Mac App Store, it's been going on for ages -- since inception, in fact! -- in the App Store for iOS. And, though the move isn't likely to be the most popular decision Apple's ever made for its army of third-party developers, it is extremely consumer-friendly. Just like Apple's strict limitations on access within iOS helps keep that platform malware-, spyware-, and virus-free, the Mac -- at least for users who limit their software acquisitions to its App Store only -- now promises to be markedly safer for the end user. And that means we can all, once again, play in our sandboxes without a care in the world. Can you dig it? Source: Macworld
