CocoaApple

CocoaApple is a software framework and runtime designed to bridge the Cocoa API with cross-platform deployment. It provides a set of modular libraries that replicate core Cocoa concepts such as application life cycle, event handling, and model–view–controller patterns, while adding a portability layer intended to run on macOS, iOS, and select Unix-like systems. The project emphasizes compatibility with Objective-C and Swift, offering a bridging layer that maps Cocoa classes to native implementations on other platforms and supports modern language features.

Originating in the early 2010s as an experimental project by independent developers, CocoaApple aimed to reduce code duplication across Apple platforms. The first public release appeared in 2014 under an open-source license, followed by updates emphasizing API stabilization, performance, and tooling. Governance is described as merit-based and community-driven, with contributions from volunteers and participating companies.

Core components include a UI toolkit, data persistence, an event system, and a graphics abstraction. It offers a rendering backend that can target Metal or canvas backends, a plugin system for platform-specific widgets, and a package manager for dependencies. A declarative API layer atop the core complements traditional Cocoa patterns to aid migration.

Primary targets are macOS and iOS, with experimental support for Linux and Windows through abstraction layers. Development relies on common IDEs and build systems, with automated tests and cross-platform CI to validate behavior.

Reception has been mixed: advocates cite faster cross-platform experimentation and code reuse, while critics note complexity and potential performance overhead. Adoption remains niche, limited to hobbyists, academic projects, and early-stage prototypes.

See also: Cocoa, Swift, SwiftUI, Open source software.