More Leopard features

Several more unannounced Leopard features have surfaced on the internet following Apple's release of the preview version. New Leopard features include resolution independence; a new QuickTime framework; full screen mode; more on timeline; possible Carbon improvements; an improved version of Image Kit; grammar checking; multiple clipboards; an iCal overhaul; a new Automator user interface; RSS support; and more, according to a report with additional details on a developer forum post. Apple's website released some minor features earlier this week after the keynote. [Details included]

Resolution Independence

Citing a post on a developer forum, AppleInsider reports that Leopard will allow resolution independence driven by Quartz technology. Resolution independent user interfaces prevent supporting software from assuming that a user's monitor displays 72 dots per-inch, and will reportedly allow users to choose viewing options with more detail alongside the ability to zoom interfaces without changing resolutions.

QuickTime Framework

QuickTime 7.1 is included in Leopard with a significantly enhanced QTKit framework. Improvements include better correction for non-square pixels, support for aperture mode dimensions, and use of clean aperture. Also rumored to be included in the new framework is the ability for developers to included QuickTime capture from sources which consist of cameras as well as microphones, full screen recording, and QuickTime stream recording alongside the ability to capture content to broadcast it as a stream over a network.

Core Animation's Full Screen Mode

Core Animation is designed to provide visual eye candy, and will allow developers to place any Mac OS X interface view into fullscreen mode using a Core Image transition effect. Developers can tell interface windows to use animations when 'resizing,' much like the three dimensional effect Apple displayed while demonstrating Time Machine.

Time Machine developer kit

Apple has offered developers a new programming interface for work on Time Machine that instructs the service to exclude unimportant files from backups. Removing files from the backup will improve performance and streamline backed up data.

Image Kit with RAW support

The Leopard preview features a new "Image Kit" that allows developers to create applications capable of browsing, viewing, cropping, rotating, and picking images. The new kit also packs Core Image filter effects support with an included interface. Additional features include a slideshow interface that allows enhanced applications to display a fullscreen slideshow of images, along with support for RAW images in any Image Kit application.

Carbon Apps

Developers can embed Carbon applications with Cocoa features under Leopard. The interoperability could provide applications like Photoshop and Microsoft Office access to advanced functions previously only available to fully Cocoa applications, according to AppleInsider.

iCal

As seen on Apple's website earlier this week, a new version of iCal will include a "Calendar Store framework" providing access to calendar, event, and task information from iCal with support for integration of third-party applications.

Additional Features

The Mac OS X text engine will reportedly provide users with a system-wide grammar check, smart quote support, automatic link detection, and support for copying & pasting multiple selections. Leopard is also set to improve Automator's User Interface, as well as Apple's Address Book, although details regarding these enhancements are currently unknown.

Leopard also includes Apache 2.0, Ruby on Rails, and Subversion, along with support for script-to-framework programming -- which would give Python and Ruby scripting access to Mac OS X programming interfaces. Also featured are RSS tools for developers offering the ability to integrate RSS functionality such as subscribing, creating parsing, publishing, and syncing feeds with Bonjour.

More features may turn up with Mac OS X Leopard in the hands of eager developers within the next few weeks.

by MacNN Staff