Sherlock (software)

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Sherlock

Sherlock 3.6, Movies channel
Developer(s)	Apple Inc.
Final release	3.6.2 (179)
Mac OS X (prior to Leopard)
Type	File manager Search engine
Website	www.apple.com/lae/sherlock/

Sherlock, named after fictional detective

Sherlock search plug-ins could also be used (with minor modifications) in Mozilla's browser suites. These plug-ins were, appropriately enough, known as Mycroft project plug-ins (named after Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock Holmes' older brother). Among some of the changes made in the Sherlock file format were the separation of the automatic update element (which formed part of the <search> element) and the icon (provided in a separate file in Mozilla and part of the resource fork in Sherlock).

Sherlock 3 channels

The Sherlock 3 search plug-in was a web application, which was downloaded on the fly from a server to ensure the most current version. As information on the internet is subject to change so quickly, this was one way for Apple to guarantee the up-to-date version. A channel consisted of a web directory with an index. This usually pointed to a sub-directory (usually called "Channel") which contained the code XML, any Script XML, and localized lproj directories (nib file and Localized Text Resources as a plist).

The channels included by default were:

• Internet
• Pictures
• Stocks
• Movies
• eBay
• Flights
• Dictionary
• Translation
• AppleCare

Current status

As Sherlock was never released as a

Advocates of Watson made by Karelia Software, LLC claim that Apple copied their product without permission, compensation, or attribution in producing Sherlock 3.^{[citation needed]} Some disagree with this claim, stating that Sherlock 3 was the natural evolution of Sherlock 2, and that Watson was obviously meant to have some relation to Sherlock by its very name.^{[citation needed]}

Sherlocked as a term

The phenomenon of Apple releasing a feature that supplants or obviates third-party software is so well known that being Sherlocked has become an accepted term used within the Mac and iOS developer community.^[2][3][4]

Versions

• Sherlock – introduced in Mac OS 8.5.
• Sherlock 2 – shipped with Mac OS 9, new interface, more plug-ins.
• Sherlock 3 – shipped with
  Mac OS X
  .
• Sherlock was replaced by
  Dashboard for other functionality, but remained as a stand-alone program with its channels. It was completely removed in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
  .

• OpenSearch

References