feat(macos): introduce native macOS edition (SwiftUI) with modern mod management

[kxgcayh]

Summary

This pull request introduces StardropMac, a native macOS mod manager for Stardew Valley built with Swift and SwiftUI. It resides independently in the StardropMac/ directory, leaving the existing C# / Avalonia codebase completely untouched while sharing the exact same configuration files, profiles, and data directory structure.

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Why a Native macOS Version?

While Stardrop already offers a cross-platform build via Avalonia (.NET / C#), running a desktop application on macOS through cross-platform UI frameworks comes with inherent platform limitations:

1. True AppKit / Cocoa UI vs. Canvas Rendering:

   • The Avalonia version renders UI controls on a custom Skia canvas rather than using native AppKit/Cocoa widgets.
   • As a result, standard macOS conventions such as trackpad kinetic scrolling, rubber-band bounce physics, CoreText subpixel antialiasing, native dropdowns, and modal window sheets are either emulated or behave like Windows desktop controls.
   • StardropMac uses native SwiftUI and AppKit components, behaving identically to first-party macOS applications (such as Finder or Xcode).

2. Performance, Startup Time, and Runtime Overhead:

   • The native Swift binary compiles directly to machine code for both Apple Silicon (arm64) and Intel (x86_64).
   • It eliminates the requirement for the .NET runtime bundle, resulting in instantaneous cold launches, lower idle memory consumption, and zero runtime dependencies.

3. Deep macOS System Integration:

   • Window layout follows Apple Human Interface Guidelines using NavigationSplitView with translucent sidebars.
   • Menus are wired directly into the global macOS system menu bar with standard macOS keyboard shortcuts (⌘,, ⌘O, ⌘R, ⌘U).
   • Deleting mods integrates with FileManager.default.trashItem, safely sending files to the macOS Trash Bin (~/.Trash) rather than performing unrecoverable disk deletion.
   • Supports native macOS drag-and-drop archive installation directly into the window.

4. 100% Data and Profile Compatibility:

   • StardropMac is not an isolated fork with proprietary formats. It reads and writes the exact same Settings.json, Profiles/*.json, and Notion.json (using AES-256-CBC obscurity matching Stardrop's C# implementation) in ~/Library/Application Support/Stardrop/Data/.
   • Users can seamlessly switch between the C# Avalonia build and the native macOS app without migrating or losing their configuration.

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Key Features

• Native Architecture: Built using Swift 6 and SwiftUI targeting macOS 14+ (Sonoma and Sequoia). Zero impact on existing C# project files.
• Mod Separator System: MO2-style visual separator banners with collapsible sections, reordering, and bulk enable/disable actions.
• Batch Mod Selection and Quick Toggling:
  • Contiguous selection with Shift + Click and Shift + ↑ / ↓.
  • Multi-selection toggles with Command + Click and Command + A.
  • Batch enable/disable with Spacebar.
• Mod Archive Installation: Drag and drop archives (.zip, .7z, .rar, .tar.gz) or uncompressed folders into the app with automatic manifest discovery and config.json preservation.
• Deletion Safety and Dependency Warnings: Right-click and sidebar mod deletion with dependency checking that warns users if deleting a mod breaks enabled dependents.
• Nexus Mods Integration & Endorsements: Account API key validation, Premium detection, endorsement status display, and native endorse/abstain toggling.
• SMAPI Protection: Manifest parsing safeguards core SMAPI components (ConsoleCommands, SaveBackup, ErrorHandler) against accidental disabling or deletion.
• Profile Management: Profile switching, cloning, and symlink staging into Selected Mods/ for SMAPI launching.
• In-App Config Editor: Direct config.json editing with syntax validation.
• Automated Packaging: Includes standalone build scripts for application bundles (build-mac-app.sh) and compressed disk images (build-dmg.sh).

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How to Test

1. Navigate to the StardropMac directory:

   cd StardropMac

2. Build and run via Swift Package Manager:

   swift run

3. Or package the application bundle:

   ./build-mac-app.sh
   open build/Stardrop.app

4. Verify that existing Stardrop profiles and settings in ~/Library/Application Support/Stardrop/Data/ are loaded properly.

[Floogen]

Hello!

While I agree there are some benefits in utilizing Swift, I don't believe they outweigh the cost of having to maintain two separate codebases for cross-platform support (which is one of the reasons I went with Avalonia). Stardrop currently already enjoys cross-platform support and I believe some of the more outstanding compatibility issues will be resolved after migrating to the latest Avalonia version.

My project is open source, so please feel free to maintain your own fork!

[kxgcayh]

Thanks for your response, so I can upload it on nexus?

[Floogen]

As Stardrop is open-source, you are free to do as you like so long as you follow the project's license. I am fairly sure you will need to upload it under a different name (i.e. not Stardrop) for Nexus Mods, as they have their own rules.