Platypus 5.2

Last updated March 3rd, 2017
by Sveinbjorn Thordarson

What is Platypus?

Platypus is a Mac OS X developer tool that creates application wrappers around scripts. In other words, it generates native applications that execute a bundled script. Interpreted scripts can thus be run transparently from the graphical window environment, integrating seamlessly with the standard OS X user interface.

Platypus is written in Objective-C / Cocoa and is free, open source software distributed under the terms and conditions of the BSD license. The source code is available as a separate download on the Platypus website and is also available on GitHub.

While Platypus is free, it is the product of countless hours of work spanning well over a decade. If you find Platypus useful, please make a donation to support further development.

How does Platypus work?

Platypus creates a Mac OS X application bundle (.app) which contains an executable file and your script. When the application is launched, the executable file gets the script interpreter and other settings (authentication requirements, interface type etc.) from configuration files within the bundle. The script is then executed according to those parameters. Script output can subsequently be presented to the end-user in a variety of ways, ranging from progress bars and menus to windows showing text output.

The Platypus application and any applications it generates require Mac OS X 10.7 or later and are 64-bit Intel binaries. If you want to target 10.6 and/or 32-bit systems, version 4.9 continues to work just fine. If you want to target 10.4 and PowerPC users, you can use version 4.4.

How do I use Platypus?

Using Platypus is simple enough. You type in a name for the application in the App Name field and then locate your script via a navigation dialog by pressing the Select button (or alternatively, drag the script or type in the path manually). You can then create an application by pressing the Create button.

Platypus has a number of features that are explained in detail in the documentation. If you are offline, you can view documentation by opening Platypus and selecting Platypus Documentation from the Help menu. The documentation is quite detailed and includes step by step tutorials, examples, an FAQ section, and explanation of advanced features.

Platypus has a command-line interface counterpart, platypus, which can be installed from the Preferences into /usr/local/bin/platypus. The man page for the command line tool is available both from the terminal and as an HTML document accessible from the Help menu.

Version History

03/03/2017 - Version 5.2

Platypus apps can now register as URL scheme handlers and receive opened URLs as arguments to script
Platypus apps can now accept dragged URLs
Platypus apps that accept dropped files now have an Open Recent menu
New syntax to create submenus in Status Menu interface type
Relative paths are now supported in Platypus Profiles, but only through manual editing. Platypus app and CLT still generate Profiles with absolute paths.
Platypus now warns about about identical file names in bundled files
Droplet apps now quit when their window is closed
Updated and improved example profiles demonstrating new features
Text in Platypus apps now has a minimum font size
The Platypus Profile format has changed slightly in this version, but old formats can still be read
Fixed annoying issue where status menu would render before receiving all script output
Fixed performance issue with printing many lines to text window. It is now very fast again.
Fixed issue where loading certain Example profiles would cause Platypus to crash
Fixed bug where "Use as template" was shown when Status Item mode was "Text"
Fixed bug where command line tool failed to infer app name from script filename, resulting in "(null).app"
Fixed bug where files that had been moved were not colored red in Bundled Files list
Fixed bug where valid menu items were disabled in Action menu
Fixed issue with console spamming due to missing CFBundleTypeRole. Now always "Viewer".
Fixed bug where text settings were not properly loaded by the GUI
Fixed bug where bundling files with the -f flag didn't work in the command line tool
Fixed issue where status menu settings would not be restored to defaults on clear
Fixed bug where the command line tool would erroneously try to validate whole argument strings instead of individual UTI strings
Fixed bug where suffix editing buttons remained enabled when they shouldn't be
Got rid of text encoding settings. Platypus now uses UTF8 for everything, and you should too.
Got rid of "Secure bundled script" option, which was useless bullshit anyway
Fixed issue where main application window would not remember its last position
Updated documentation & man page
Various minor interface refinements

06/02/2016 - Version 5.1

New Build All Examples feature
App windows now remember size and position between launches
Various user interface improvements
Smarter handling of dropped files
Smarter automatic app name generation from script name
Output string "----\n" in Status Menu interface now creates menu separator item
Uniform Type Identifiers and Application Bundle Identifiers are now validated
Uniform Type Identifiers are now used for default file types in Drop Settings
New template processing option for Status Item icon
New examples
Added support for multiple file arguments when bundling files using command line tool
Fixed issue where MainMenu.nib was stripped and thus not editable using XCode
Fixed critical issue with Web View and Droplet interface types
Fixed issue where showing the Preferences window lagged due to icon fetching on main thread
Fixed issue with window behaviour during resizing in Progress Bar interface

29/11/2015 - Version 5.0

This is a major update to Platypus with lots of new features
Modernised user interface with high-resolution icons and interface assets
Added support for Uniform Type Identifiers (UTIs) in Drop Settings
Added NOTIFICATION: syntax, which sends a notification to User Notification Center
Added ALERT: syntax, which triggers a modal alert dialog
Added MENUITEMICON: syntax, which sets menu item icon in status item menus
Dropped text input (NSPboardText) is now passed to script via STDIN, not as an argument. This allows differentiation between dropped text snippets and dropped files in applications that are made to handle both.
The built-in editor has been much enhanced, with line numbering, configurable text size, word wrap and other improvements
Parsed commands are now removed from script text output
Documentation completely overhauled and expanded
New "Use System Font" option for status menu items
Symlinks now resolved when adding files to Bundled Files list
Folder sizes are now calculated much faster (and asynchronously) when added to Bundled Files list
Arguments window now highlights arguments and argument groups in command preview field
Previewing status item menu now shows actual script output instead of placeholder text
Many new examples
Command line tool now supports --long-options
Author name argument is now used to generate default bundle identifier in command line tool
Finder now refreshes display of overwritten applications
Status menu items can now only have a title or an icon, not both, due to changes in Mac OS X
Show Shell Command window now shows install status of command line tool
Syntax checker window now shows the command invoked when checking script syntax
App size estimation is now more accurate
Font size in "Web View" interface" can now also be increased/reduced
New contexual menu button for icon view
New "Copy icon path" option in icon contextual menu
Platypus-generated apps now remember font size set by user
Fixed issue with generating icon from images on retina macs (IconFamily)
Fixed issue with broken icon image alpha channels (IconFamily)
Fixed issue where a status item menu would display an empty menu if clicked repeatedly
Fixed issue where dropping text on an app wouldn't work with "Remain running after initial execution" off
Fixed issue with Open... menu item and file types in ScriptExec
Fixed issue where process number arguments in the format -psn_0_* were passed to script
Fixed issue where command line arguments for ScriptExec were being passed incorrectly to script
Many, many minor bugfixes, tweaks and improvements
Codebase migrated to modern Objective-C syntax. Built with XCode 7 and now requires Mac OS X 10.7 or later and a 64-bit Intel system. Older versions continue to work just fine on 32-bit 10.6 systems, and version 4.4 still works on PowerPC. But it's time to leave the past behind. It's been 9 years since the last 32-bit Mac was released.

09/03/2015 - Version 4.9

Users can now manually increase/decrease the font size in Platypus-generated apps
Status menu items can now be selected. This will run the script again with the menu title as an argument.
Arguments can now be passed to Platypus-generated apps via the command line
In Progress Bar interface, it is now possible to use DETAILS:SHOW and DETAILS:HIDE to toggle details field visibility
New feature: If script prints "QUITAPP" to STDOUT, the wrapper application will quit.
Platypus now remembers app creation dialog settings such as "Optimize Nib"
Platypus now remembers opened Profiles in the Open Recent menu
It is now possible to add a custom MainMenu.nib to bundled files which overwrites default
Extended and improved documentation
Built with XCode 6, now requires Mac OS X 10.6 or later
Fixed a bug where "Provide as a Service" failed to be read from saved profiles
Fixed bug where a custom bundle identifier in a saved Profile would not be loaded
Fixed bug where the Create button would remain greyed out even though all requirements were satisfied
Fixed bug where progress indicator would keep animating after execution in Progress Bar interface type
Fixed bug where command line tool complained about valid .icns filenames
Fixed bug where command line tool would always create XML property lists instead of binary ones
Refactored all deprecated method calls
Various minor interface refinements
Improved documentation

07/07/2013 - Version 4.8

New "Prompt for file on launch" option
Redesigned Drop Settings sheet
Fixed issue where version would not appear in Get Info in Finder (missing CFBundleShortVersionString)
Generated apps have NSHumanReadableCopyright defined again
Extensive updates to documentation
"Provide as a Mac OS X Service" no longer enabled by default
Removed all support for file types. They are ancient crust now mostly ignored by Mac OS X and should no longer be used.
Improved uninstall script
Fixed issue where a generated icon file referenced in a Profile could be overwritten
Documentation files now open in default browser, not in default .html handling app
Fixed broken nib optimization. Platypus now correctly detects XCode 4 installs.

27/02/2012 - Version 4.7

New "Uninstall" menu option, which removes all traces of Platypus on a system
New update mechanism using the Sparkle framework and appcasting
Command line tool now supports reading script from STDIN
Command line tool now supports XML plist option
Migrated away from all deprecated Mac OS X API calls
Minor interface tweaks
Fixed bug where script permissions could be erroneously set, resulting in execution failure
Fixed bug which caused Platypus to crash when creating Droplets
Fixed bug with icon missing on "New Script" if CLI tool wasn't installed
Fixed bug with enabled an empty menu item when no profiles were in Profiles list

26/01/2012 - Version 4.6

"Open" and "Save" menu item option for Platypus-created apps
Applications can now be set as Services for text or file handling via Services menu
Configurable document icon for Platypus apps
New option to set custom arguments for script, not just interpreter, under "Args" (previously "Params")
Command line tool now supports dumping profile property lists to stdout (see man page)
Additional interpreter presets: zsh and tcsh
Extended documentation and FAQ
New "Edit" button and contextual menu item for Bundled Files List.
New FastDMGMounter example
Platypus now defaults to using binary-format property lists. This can be set to XML in create panel.
Status Bar apps now gracefully remove their status bar item before exiting
Removed app path as first arg option, it's unnecessary and confusing. App path == $CWD/../..
Various interface refinements
Migrated all images to optimized PNGs for smaller file sizes
Now using LLVM for builds instead of GCC, which makes for smaller code size
Changed "New Script" preset contents to be a "Hello, World" example in the selected language
Fixed bug with script path text field tab autocomplete
Fixed bug in shell command generator which errenously inversed the logic of the -R flag
Fixed bug which caused crash when editing file in Bundled Files list using built-in editor.
Fixed bug where text font settings would not be applied
Fixed bug with contextual menus in Arguments window
Fixed bug where custom image data application icons failed to be created
Fixed bug where "Icon" display mode status item would erroneously display a default title
"Run in background" applications no longer set themselves as front process with interface type "None"

11/12/2011 - Version 4.5

Upgraded to XCode 4 for builds. Platypus and generated applications now require Mac OS X 10.5 or later
Dropped PowerPC support. All binaries are now 32-bit/64-bit Intel only
New Examples menu with a number example profiles, scripts and presets demonstrating Platypus features
Support for accepting dragged text snippets as arguments to script
Platypus now displays a progress bar with status messages while creating applications
New "Create app on script file change" option, which automatically creates and launches a Platypus application when you save changes to script.
Due to popular demand, "droppable" apps now run script on launch, not just when files are dropped
"Open in Editor" option for bundled files
Interface refactored to be always in what was previously "Advanced mode"
Better handling of icons for apps
More accurate estimated final app size
New "Launch app on creation" option in Platypus, to facilitate development workflow
"Runs in background" windows now come to the front on launch
Improved application icon and preset icons (512x512px representations)
Updated man page for command line tool
Open Recent menu uses Apple's API
Main window no longer accepts locally dragged and dropped icon files
Icon view no longer erroneously recognizes locally originating drags as valid
Revised and extended documentation
Fixed a text encoding bug with "Secure" scripts
Fixed text encoding bug in built-in text editor
Fixed bug in drag and drop handling in Platypus application
Removed environment editing and signature settings [redundant and obsolete, respectively]
Removed English.lproj from created apps. It's not need with current lack of localization support.
Fixed bug in drag and drop on Web View
Updated to IconFamily 0.9.4
New FAQ section in the documentation which addresses common questions and issues
Fixed a bug where droplet apps would lock up on cancelled authentication
Fixed bug in command line tool where nib parameter was ignored
Platypus no longer embeds icon data in profiles, which results in smaller file sizes
A variety of other small bug fixes all over the codebase
Platypus now identifies .command files as shell scripts
Additional interpreter pre-set options (/usr/bin/env and /bin/bash)
Command line tool now no longer requires destination path parameter, defaulting to [name-of-script].app as destination ackage
Platypus now recognises more script type suffix variants (e.g. rbx, objpy, osacript, etc.)
Command line tool now defaults to compiling nib file (can be disabled with -l flag)
Command line tool is now more intelligent about automatically detecting script type, interpreter, autogenerating bundle identifier, etc.
Command line tool parameters change from '-c scriptPath [appName]' to 'scriptPath [appName]'
More intelligent automatic app name generation based on script filename

17/08/2010 - Version 4.4

New interface type: Droplet
Development mode now also creates symlinks to bundled files, not just the script
New high-resolution 512x512 icon presets
New "Default Text Encoding" option in Preferences
STDOUT and STDERR are no longer captured in interface type "None"
Platypus apps now use the Apple-recommended, more secure temporary location for secure scripts
More text encoding options
Show Shell Command option is now more intelligent about creating a terse, efficient shell command without superfluous parameters
Various small bug fixes and optimizations in Platypus app binaries
Updated and improved code for executing script with privileges
Updated and improved output parsing in Progress Bar interface type
Fixed documentation so that it uses external images instead of data URLs
Fixed bug where Platypus would incorrectly claim to be unable to create Platypus application support folder
Fixed bug where background color from text settings would not be applied to the text view in Progress Bar interface type
Fixed bug where syntax checking would work incorrectly with Perl scripts
Fixed bug when interface in a Platypus app would lock up when dropping files in authenticated execution mode
Fixed various bugs in Progress Bar interface type
Fixed bug in interface type "None" where app would fail to quit on script termination
Fixed small memory leak when applications were created

25/07/2010 - Version 4.3

New interface type: Status Menu
Generated apps now have editable nib files
New "Optimize Application" option which strips/compiles nibs and removes unnecessary files from generated application bundle
Current working directory is now set to .app/Contents/Resources in scripts running with Admin privileges
Auto-scrolling of output in Web View interface
Drag and drop now works properly in Web View windows
Various interface refinements
Updated sample scripts
Updated documentation and command line tool man page
New high resolution app icon, icon presets and improved document icons
Platypus text output now defaults to UTF8 instead of ASCII
Command line tool has a plethora of new options
Fixed bug where command-line generated apps would have black background and foreground in text interface
Fixed bug where apps would fail to register dropped files on launch
Fixed bug in command line tool install script
Fixed bug with suffix and file type validation
Fixed text-encoding bug with secure bundled scripts
Fixed bug where apps would default to interface type "None" on invalid interface settings
Fixed bug in secure bundled script w. droppable option
Now warns when attempting to load a profile generated by an older version of Platypus

18/05/2009 - Version 4.2

Droppable Platypus apps can now execute script again when new files are dropped
Text settings now available for Progress Bar interface type
Command line tool now supports setting text view properties such as font, color and encoding
Command line tool has achieved feature parity with GUI application
Command line tool now correctly handles relative paths
Change in profile format to make it more transparent and human-readable/editable
"Show Shell Command" now shows all parameters for command line app
Platypus apps now default to remaining open after execution
Secure bundled script option now correctly excludes Development Version save option
Fixed bug from 4.1 where text settings failed to be applied
Fixed memory leak and bugs in privileged execution mode
Fixed bug in path text field autocompletion
Updated documentation to reflect recent features
Minor interface tweaks and fixes

15/05/2009 - Version 4.1

New "Development Mode" option makes Platypus create symlink to script instead of copying it to the application bundle
Platypus now tracks and warns of location change of bundled files and script
Profiles menu now updates profile list when displayed
Path autocomplete feature in script path text field
Now parses entire shebang line for arguments to interpreter
Script text output is now directed line by line to the status text field in Progress Bar interface type
Progress Bar interface type now has a little arrow that shows details (i.e. script output) in a text field
Tooltips for many more controls
Additional default external editor presets
Minor user interface tweaks and fixes
Minor optimizations in app size
Command line program can now create profiles
Command line program can now operate in "Force" mode, overwriting files
Fixed bug where secure bundled scripts failed to work on PowerPC-based machines
Fixed memory leak in text window interface
Fixed bug where command line program failed to create icons from images
Fixed bug where command line program failed to parse arguments correctly
Fixed bug where script type was not identified when a script was dropped on Platypus to launch the program
Fixed bug which prevented File Types and App Role from being set in Info.plist
Fixed bug where Platypus would insist on at least one File Type being set in file types and suffixes settings

22/6/2008 - Version 4.0

Now both Platypus and Platypus-generated apps require Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
Interface streamlined and improved
Overhauled entire source code backend.
Optimized binaries of Platypus and Platypus-generated apps. Both are now leaner, meaner and slimmer than before.
New file-based Profiles feature
New application icon and new icon presets for generated apps
New "Web View" "interface type. Scripts can generate HTML which is rendered in a WebKit view in the Platypus-generated application
New option to configure text size, font and color for Text Window interface type
New option to send arguments to script interpreter
New option to disable passing path to app as first argument to script
New "Secure script" encryption method
Command line tool now has complete feature parity with the Platypus app
Command line tool can now load Platypus profiles
Command line tool now installed/uninstalled through Platypus Preferences
New "Estimated final app size" reporting feature
"Show Shell Command" option now correctly adds icon parameters
Fixed bug where "Run Script in Terminal" option failed to escape script path
Fixed bug with reversed LSMinimumSystemVersion property in Info.plist of generated applications
Fixed bug where the same file could be added multiple times to Bundled Files list
Fixed memory leak in Platypus-generated apps where a large amount of text output would cause the application to crash
New and better man page for command line tool
Updated and improved documentation
Updated to latest IconFamily class code for icon generation

25/07/2006 - Version 3.4

The Platypus transition to Universal binaries is now complete. Both the Platypus application and the 'platypus' command line tool (and applications generated using these tools) now require Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later to run on PowerPC processors, and Mac OS X 10.4 or later to run on Intel processors. To create applications that run on versions prior to 10.3.9, you must use older versions of Platypus.
Fixed problem where Platypus refused to launch on certain Mac OS X 10.3.x systems
New options for command line tool: file bundling, verbose mode, suffix and file types support, updated man page.
Updated documentation
A great deal of bug fixes, error checks, tweaks and improvements

24/02/2006 - Version 3.3

Platypus and Platypus-generated apps are now Universal binaries that run natively on both PowerPC and x86 processors
Fixed bug which made the Platypus command line utility generate non-functioning applications

06/05/2005 - Version 3.2

Editing of environmental variables via an interface pane
Platypus apps can now be "loaded" with Platypus, i.e. configuration and script from the app are loaded
Python syntax checking
Icon can be set to a given .icns file so that smaller representations are not lost
Command line tool bug fixed -- it now creates operational applications
Command line tool now supports file bundling
Info.plists in application bundles now contain LSHasLocalizedDisplayName, NSAppleScriptEnabled,CFBundleDisplayName, NSHumanReadableCopyright
English.lproj is en.lproj in accordance with Apple's specifications
Sliding animation when advanced options are revealed
Fixed two small memory leaks

06/05/2005 - Version 3.1

New minimal, non-intrusive built-in text editor for those who prefer working in one application
It is now possible to set app author name manually
Invalid configuration fields now highlight red as you type
New Dock menu
New "Show Shell Command" menu item
Fixed bug where "Secure" Platypus apps failed to work on read-only volumes
New option to set default bundle identifier prefix in the preferences
New option to set default author name in the preferences
Profiles now correctly register bundle identifier and author name
"Run script in Terminal" command now brings Terminal.app to the front
Fixed bug where window title was not restored after a dialog
Fixed a bug in the command line utility installer
Updated man page for command line utility
Updated Help documentation
More sample scripts
Platypus apps now register their creator in AppSettings.plist
Help now opens with default app for http: protocol, not .html suffix

13/01/2005 - Version 3.0

New "Secure bundled script" option, which checksums, encrypts and hides script
New "Check Script Syntax" feature for shell, Perl, Ruby and PHP scripts
New "Edit Profiles" window for easier Profiles management
New "platypus" command line tool
Fixed a bug where PkgInfo file would not contain application signature
Scripts created with the "New" button list bundled file paths in comment
More complete Info.plist property list in Platypus-generated apps
Several user interface refinements
Several minor speed optimizations
Updated documentation, tutorials, sample scripts and source code comments

29/11/2004 - Version 2.8

New "Import Custom Icon" menu item
New contextual menus for app icon and file list
It is now possible to manually edit an app's bundle signature
Fixed bug where an authorized Platypus app could cause a logout
Fixed bug with loading profiles created in older versions of Platypus

16/11/2004 - Version 2.7

Now possible to create applications that run with privileges *and* have text output
Profiles now store custom application icons
Fixed bug where buttons would not be enabled after a valid profile was loaded
Custom application icons are now correctly labeled
There is now a "Select Custom Icon" menu item
Fixed bug where custom dragged icons would leave the icon image highlighted
File Types and Suffixes list now displays the appropriate icons for entries
File Types editor window is now a sheet
Updated documentation and examples
Various bug fixes and interface refinements
All those who made Platypus possible are now rightly credited

11/10/2004 - Version 2.6

Application configurations can now be saved as "Profiles"
It is now possible to set application version and 4-character signature
Updated documentation to reflect the changes introduced in version 2.5
New "Clear" button for clearing all configuration fields
New "Run script in Terminal" menu command
All dialogs in Platypus are now sheets instead of standard dialogs
Fixed bug where a non-droppable app's bundle identifier would not be correctly set
Several minor bugs and inconsistencies fixed
Several interface tweaks

23/08/2004 - Version 2.5

This is a major update with many important bug fixes and some powerful new features
New interface type: "Text Window", making it *very* easy to create tool wrappers
New application option: "Remain running after completion"
New "Open Recent" menu
New text fields that display the application bundle identifier and total number and size of bundled files
It is now possible to register a droppable application as either an Editor or a Viewer in the Types List
Platypus apps now have a "PkgInfo" file within the application, in accordance with Apple's guidelines
Any application can now be selected as external editor
Platypus now remembers "Show Advanced Options" status between launches
Fixed a bug which caused Platypus apps to behave oddly with the Dock
Fixed a silly bug where Platypus apps would sometimes crash on dual-processor machines
Fixed major memory leak in Platypus apps which had been present from Platypus 2.1
Fixed a minor memory leak introduced in Platypus 2.3

11/08/2004 - Version 2.3

New "Runs in background" option, for creating applications that don't show up in the Dock
Every Platypus app now has a unique bundle identifier (f.e. org.johnsmith.myscriptapp)
New Edit Types window which allows you to set what kind of files your droppable app accepts
New Help menu for instant access to Platypus documentation
Platypus no longer accepts dragged folders as valid scripts
The Bundled Files list is now drag-n-drop aware
The same file can no longer be added many times to the Bundled Files list
Bundled Files list buttons are now auto-enabled/disabled according to selection
Platypus now prompts whether to overwrite when an app by the same name already exists

03/05/2004 - Version 2.2

"New Script" button/menu item for creating and opening a script from within Platypus
"Reveal Script" button/menu item for revealing script in the Finder
Incorporated menu items (and keyboard shortcuts) for almost all Platypus actions/options
Buttons and menu items correctly disabled when script path is invalid
Fixed a bug where the last remaining file in the Bundled Files list could not be removed
Files in the Bundled Files list now appear with their icon
Tool Tip labels placed on all interface components
Droplets now identify themselves as Editors instead of Viewers
Fixed bug where files with file/creator types could not be dropped on Platypus droplets
Some minor interface adjustments

27/04/2004 - Version 2.1

Rewrote from scratch the ScriptExec executable that Platypus bundles into apps
Fixed the dreaded "Is droppable" bug where Platypus would crash
Platypus now (again) correctly creates droppable applications
Scripts now properly receive the application bundle's path as first argument $1
Droppable apps now also receive application bundle path as first argument
Dropped files are now passed from $2-$*
Preferences partially implemented - default editor can be changed to presets
Apps that require authentication now also receive app bundle path and dropped files
New menu and menu items for Platypus functions
Two new icon presets, Platypus Plate and Platypus Droplet

17/02/2004 - Version 2.0

Entire application rewritten from scratch in Objective C and Cocoa
Images can now be dragged on "App Icon" to create custom icons for apps
Added Expect and PHP to list of preset interpreters
Added "Edit" button, to edit selected script in TextEdit
An editable file list for bundling files with script into Resources folder of app bundle
Some settings delegated to "Advanced Options", revealed by expanding window

21/11/2003 - Version 1.8

Platypus applications that don't aren't marked 'Is Droppable' now get the path of the app's enclosing folder as first argument ($1, $ARGV[0] etc.). This can be very handy for installers or working with files relative to the app. A sample script that utilises this is included ("AppThatMovesToHomeFolder.sh")

17/11/2003 - Version 1.7

Platypus no longer has problems with spaces in certain paths
Fixed an interface bug where Platypus window would close after Create, although cancelled
Platypus apps with progress bar now really do have a functioning "Cancel" button
Fixed bug where new platypus windows retained former Droppable setting
Some cool sample scripts bundled with Platypus

14/08/2003 - Version 1.6

New option to create droppable apps that pass files as arguments to script (like DropScript)
Fixed a nasty bug where Platypus apps would freeze up after failed authentication
Platypus apps with progress bar now have a "Cancel" button
Minor user interface enhancements in both Platypus and Platypus-generated apps

29/07/2003 - Version 1.5

Platypus apps now remain running while root-privileged scripts finish executing
Invisible files and folders are now shown in Navigation dialogs
Navigation dialogs use newer API calls, support app names longer than 31 characters and are non-modal
Platypus apps can now be set to display a progress bar while running
Platypus apps are now threaded, which means that the interface is responsive while they're running
Some interface tweaks and bug fixes

18/06/2003 - Version 1.4

It is now possible to create script applications that require root privileges
Optimized performance and improved error handling for apps created with Platypus
Platypus now launches faster
Fixed bug where window proxy icon remained unchanged when a custom icon was set
Fixed bug where apps with spaces in their names failed to function
Platypus apps now remain running while script is executing

15/06/2003 - Version 1.3

Script interpreter can now be defined
Shebang line (#!) is now parsed for interpreter
"Open" menu item now works
New windows center correctly on screen
Code optimized and trimmed
Minor interface tweaks

13/06/2003 - Version 1.2

Support for Ruby, AppleScript and Tcl
Drag'n drop support for script path
Now gracefully handles files dropped on Platypus application icon
Better icons - specialized default icons for each script type
Fixed bug where application placement name in Navigation dialog was ignored when creating app

11/06/2003 - Version 1.1

Fixed issue with window redraws
Text fields are now Unicode and displayed in correct font
Support for Perl and Python scripts
Drag'n drop support for script path
Drag'n drop support for custom app icon
Scripts can now be dragged on Platypus to automatically create an app in the same directory
Now warns about inappropriate script suffixes