Make a NSAlert the topmost window?

Question

I've created the main window in my application to have these settings:

[self setLevel:kCGDesktopWindowLevel + 1];
[self setCollectionBehavior:
     (NSWindowCollectionBehaviorCanJoinAllSpaces | 
      NSWindowCollectionBehaviorStationary | 
      NSWindowCollectionBehaviorIgnoresCycle)];

It's a very custom window that sort of floats above the desktop.

In addition, it's a menu-bar application (LSUIElement).

Alright, so I need to display an alert if something isn't right. Here's how I'm doing it:

NSAlert *alert = [NSAlert alertWithMessageText:@"" 
                                 defaultButton:@"" 
                               alternateButton:@"" 
                                   otherButton:@"" 
                     informativeTextWithFormat:@""];
[alert runModal];

Of course I have filled in the buttons and other text.

Here's my problem: When my application is not currently the key application, and this alert pops up, it's not a key window. Like this:

See how the window isn't selected? Is there any way around this without changing my whole app window level? Thanks!

Ulm

Answer 1

Have you tried activating your application in the code that displays the alert?

[[NSRunningApplication currentApplication] activateWithOptions:0];

If passing 0 doesn't work, you can pass NSApplicationActivateIgnoringOtherApps as your option, but Apple recommends against it unless really necessary (see docs for NSRunningApplication).

---

Update: You have activate before running the alert. This works for me in a new app with LSUIElement set:

- (void)applicationDidFinishLaunching:(NSNotification *)aNotification
{
    NSAlert *alert = [NSAlert alertWithMessageText: @"Blah"
                                     defaultButton: @"Blah"
                                   alternateButton: @"Blah"
                                       otherButton: @"Blah"
                         informativeTextWithFormat: @"Blah"];

    [[NSRunningApplication currentApplication] activateWithOptions:NSApplicationActivateIgnoringOtherApps];
    [alert runModal];
}

Previous

Unfortunately doing so still doesn't fix the problem. – Ulm

Did you add it before or after the runModal call? runModal blocks so you have to put the NSRunningApplication call first. See updated answer. – Previous

[NSApp activateIgnoringOtherApps:YES] is shorter – Burseraceous

If this still isn't working for you, make sure it's the line right before [alert runModal]. – Laryngology

Answer 2

If you want to support 10.5 also. you can use

[[NSApplication sharedApplication] activateIgnoringOtherApps:YES];

Hexagram

Answer 3

Forcing an application to move forefront is a rather bad idea. One would probably prefer to make the alert floating over everything using the dedicated NSPanel property 'floatingPanel':

NSPanel* panel = static_cast<NSPanel*>([alert window]);
panel.floatingPanel = YES;

Decile

Answer 4

If you need to ensure the NSAlert is topmost use:

alert.window.level = NSFloatingWindowLevel;

Otherwise, if you want the default button to be highlighted, use (as others have suggested):

[[NSApplication sharedApplication] activateIgnoringOtherApps : YES];

Conservancy