Sparkle (software)
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|
Sparkle's Test App showing a Software Update window. | |
| Original author(s) | Andy Matuschak |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Sparkle Project (2014–present) |
| Initial release | January 9, 2006 |
| Stable release |
1.17
/ March 2017 |
| Development status | Active |
| Written in | Objective-C |
| Operating system | macOS |
| Available in | Multi-lingual |
| Type | Software update framework |
| License | MIT License |
| Website |
sparkle-project |
Sparkle is an open source software framework for macOS designed to simplify updating software for the end user of a program. Sparkle's primary means of distributing updates is through "appcasting," a term coined for the practice of using an RSS enclosure to distribute updates and release notes.
At the end of 2013, development of Sparkle was ended by the original author, then later picked up by the newly formed Sparkle Project open source group on GitHub in June 2014 as the official continuation of the project.[1]
Programs
It is used in over 100 programs, including:
- Adium
- AppZapper
- BetterZip
- BombSquad
- Bookends
- Cog
- Colloquy
- Corripio
- Cyberduck
- Evernote
- ExpanDrive
- GPGMail
- Hulu Desktop
- iStumbler
- PwnageTool
- Java Runtime Environment (JRE/JavaAppletPlugin)
- Linkinus
- Mactracker
- Mailbox
- MarsEdit
- Merlin
- OmniGraffle
- OmniWeb 5.6
- Overflow
- Paintbrush
- Path Finder
- Peel
- Pixelmator
- Pixen
- Quinn
- Scrivener
- Simple Comic
- SourceTree
- SubEthaEdit
- Syncplicity
- TeamViewer
- TeXShop
- Transmission
- Virtue
- VLC Media Player
- WebKit
- X11.app
- Xcast
- XQuartz
- Xslimmer
Other OS alternatives
There are several open source Windows alternatives to offer similar functionality to Sparkle:
- wyUpdate (BSD licensed) in tandem with the AutomaticUpdater (LGPL licensed)
- WinSparkle (MIT licensed)
There is also a REALbasic implementation of Sparkle that works on macOS, Windows and Linux: RBSparkle.
References
- ↑ Matuschak, Andy. "Sparkle development's moving to a Github org of volunteers.". twitter.com. Twitter. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sparkle. |