When building apps for macOS, you might want to add a background color to your icon in the menu bar. This is a great way to make your app stand out and make it easier for users to find your app in the menu bar. To add a background color to your icon in the menu bar, the trick is to find the right view to apply the background color to. Here's how you can do it in Swift. Start, by getting a reference to the status item. Then, get the status item's button. Configure the image to fit the button. // get a reference to the status item let statusItem = NSStatusBar.system.statusItem(withLength: NSSt ..read more

ProxyStat is a macOS utility that shows when you have a system proxy configured. When you enable a system proxy, the ProxyStat icon the menu bar turns orange. <p><picture> <source srcset="/assets/images/2024/02/proxystat-proxy-on.webp" type="image/webp"> <img src="/assets/images/2024/02/proxystat-proxy-on.png" alt="ProxyStat showing an orange icon when system proxy is configured"> </picture></p> When you don't have a system proxy configured, the icon is greyed out. <p><picture> <source srcset="/assets/images/2024/02/proxystat-proxy-off.webp ..read more

Using the Microsoft Graph Python SDK is a convenient way to connect your app to Microsoft 365. Here's how you can easily debug API requests issued from the SDK. Build apps that work with Microsoft 365 Microsoft 365 is a platform where millions of users work together every day. You can create apps that use the data and insights from Microsoft 365 to help them do their work more efficiently and effectively. Microsoft Graph is the API that connects you to your organization's data in Microsoft 365. You can access it using its REST endpoints. If you build an app connected to Microsoft 365 using Py ..read more

Using the Microsoft Graph .NET SDK is a convenient way to connect your app to Microsoft 365. Here's how you can easily debug API requests issued from the SDK. Build apps that work with Microsoft 365 Microsoft 365 is a platform where millions of users work together every day. You can create apps that use the data and insights from Microsoft 365 to help them do their work more efficiently and effectively. Microsoft Graph is the API that connects you to your organization's data in Microsoft 365. You can access it using its REST endpoints. If you build an app connected to Microsoft 365 using .NET ..read more

Recently, I've been looking into Microsoft Graph connectors. Graph connectors are pretty cool and allow you to bring external content to Microsoft 365. Now, why would I want to do that? - you might ask. Good question. Why you should consider Microsoft Graph connectors We often use many different apps that help us work productively. The price we pay for it though, is that the data is locked in each of these apps. To find what you need, you need to know where you stored the information. What makes things worse, is that often search isn't the core feature of these apps, making it hard to find th ..read more

When building apps for Microsoft 365, the first step is to create an Entra app registration. Here's how to do it using Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK. First things first: Entra app registrations In my previous article, I told you about the necessity of having an Entra app registration when building apps for Microsoft 365. I also showed you, how to script creating and configuring an Entra app registration using the CLI for Microsoft 365. If you're using PowerShell you might be more inclined to use the Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK instead, and here's how you can write a similar script using i ..read more

When building apps for Microsoft 365, the first step is to create an Entra app registration. Here's how to do it using CLI for Microsoft 365. First things first: Entra app registrations When you build apps for Microsoft 365, to access data and insights from Microsoft 365, or even just to let users sign in to your app using their work or school account, you'll need an Entra app registration. An app registration registers your app with the Microsoft Cloud and defines settings such as API permissions or authentication flows. You can create an Entra app registration in the Azure portal where you ..read more

If you use the Microsoft Graph JavaScript SDK and need to handle long-running operations, build it as a middleware. Here's how. Why you should consider to use a Microsoft Graph SDK Microsoft Graph JavaScript SDK offers you a convenient way to connect to Microsoft Graph - the API to data and insights on Microsoft 365. The SDK takes care of authentication and other request-related plumbing helping you to focus on building your app. Long-running operations on Microsoft Graph While most operations on Microsoft Graph are instantaneous, there are some exceptions. One example is creating a Microsoft ..read more

Simulate rate limits for any API and verify that your app won't break when it exceeds the API quota. Even cloud has its limits Most cloud APIs come with service limits. Typically, depending on your plan and the API, you get to call the API the agreed number of times in a period. It makes sense. Cloud API providers use service limits to ensure fair use of their APIs and handle the scale properly. Like with any limit though, there's a chance that you'll exceed it. And when you do, your app could break. If built properly, APIs use response headers to communicate information about rate limits. Fo ..read more

Without changing your code, in minutes, see how your app responds to slow APIs. Learn where to improve your app's UI to keep it responsive and deliver a great user experience to your customers. Slow apps are intolerable Do you recall the last time when you used an app that was so painfully slow that you abandoned it? Each time you tried to do something, you had to wait and you had no idea if the app even worked. Do you recall how you felt? One of the biggest grievances that many users have with applications is when they become unresponsive. You clicked a button or ran a command, and nothing w ..read more