conda-build supports an app: section in meta.yaml that allows packages to appear in Anaconda Navigator's app launcher. Currently, rattler-build does not have an equivalent feature: https://www.anaconda.com/docs/tools/anaconda-navigator/tutorials/nav-app

Use Case

Packages like JupyterLab, Spyder, and other GUI/web applications use this to be discoverable and launchable from Navigator. Without this, packages built with rattler-build cannot appear in Navigator even though they work perfectly as conda packages.

In conda-build's meta.yaml:

app:
  entry: myapp launch
  icon: myapp.png
  summary: My application description
  type: web  # or "desk" for desktop apps

This adds the following fields to the package's info/index.json:

{
  "app_entry": "myapp launch",
  "app_type": "web",
  "icon": "myapp.png",
  "type": "app",
  "summary": "My application description"
}

Navigator reads these fields to populate its app launcher.

Proposed Solution

Add support for an app: section in recipe.yaml:

app:
  entry: myapp launch
  icon: myapp.png
  summary: My application description
  type: web

• conda-build app section: https://docs.conda.io/projects/conda-build/en/latest/resources/define-metadata.html#app-section
• Navigator app discovery: https://docs.anaconda.com/navigator/

Or since this would require a spec change, would pulling from extra be a OK work around?