Information about Services Menu
The Services menu (or simply Services) is a user interface element in a computer operating system. The services are programs that accept input from the user selection, process it, and optionally put the result back in the clipboard. The concept originated in the NeXTSTEP operating system, from which it was carried over into Mac OS X and GNUstep. Similar features can be emulated on other operating systems.
Since many applications install their entries without asking the user, the OS X services menu tends to clog up with dozens of entries quickly. Most users only will ever use a small subset of the possible options, therefore cutting down and customizing the menu makes it both faster and more pleasant to use.
In the X Window System, any data selected in an application is available to all other programs. Thus the Services menu can be an application which retrieves the current selection, and lets the user choose an action. Missing is the part about returning the processed data back to the originating application. Instead, the service can open a new window to show the results.
Alternatively, the service could replace the current cut buffer with the results of the operation, leaving the user only to perform a paste (since different toolkits implement copy/select and paste commands differently, and probably not under external program control).
Mac OS X
Apple advertises the Services menu in connection with other features of its operating system. For example, it's possible to desktop search for a piece of text by selecting it with the mouse and using the service from Spotlight. Other central services are Grab for taking screenshots, and the system spell checker.Since many applications install their entries without asking the user, the OS X services menu tends to clog up with dozens of entries quickly. Most users only will ever use a small subset of the possible options, therefore cutting down and customizing the menu makes it both faster and more pleasant to use.
Emulation
From the point of view of software, the Services menu is a means of inter-process communication. To the user, it is an interface for executing actions on selected data. The emulation of the Services menu is based on the fact that there are several ways this can be achieved in an operating system. Even in Mac OS X, there is an alternative system called the context menu handler.In the X Window System, any data selected in an application is available to all other programs. Thus the Services menu can be an application which retrieves the current selection, and lets the user choose an action. Missing is the part about returning the processed data back to the originating application. Instead, the service can open a new window to show the results.
Alternatively, the service could replace the current cut buffer with the results of the operation, leaving the user only to perform a paste (since different toolkits implement copy/select and paste commands differently, and probably not under external program control).
References
- Introduction to System Services at Apple Developer Connection
External links
- Services menu emulation
- Service Scrubber OS X utility for customizing the services menu
- ThisService OS X utility that can create a service from either an AppleScript or Shell script
The user interface (or Human Machine Interface) is the aggregate of means by which people (the users) interact with a particular machine, device, computer program or other complex tool (the system).
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An operating system (OS) is the software that manages the sharing of the resources of a computer. An operating system processes system data and user input, and responds by allocating and managing tasks and internal system resources as a service to users and programs of the
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Nextstep was the original object-oriented, multitasking operating system that NeXT Computer developed to run on its proprietary NeXT computers ("black boxes"). Nextstep 1.0 was released on September 18, 1989 after several previews starting in 1986. The last version, 3.
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Mac OS X (IPA: /mæk.oʊ.ɛs.tɛn/) is a line of graphical operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc., the latest of which is pre-loaded on all currently shipping Macintosh computers.
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GNUstep is a free software implementation of NeXT's OpenStep Objective-C libraries (called frameworks), widget toolkit, and application development tools not only for Unix-like operating systems, but also for Microsoft Windows. It is part of the GNU project.
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Apple Inc.
Public (NASDAQ: AAPL , LSE: ACP , FWB: APC )
Founded California (April 1 1976, as Apple Computer, Inc.)
Headquarters 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, California
Key people Steve Jobs, CEO & Co-founder
Steve Wozniak, Co-founder
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Public (NASDAQ: AAPL , LSE: ACP , FWB: APC )
Founded California (April 1 1976, as Apple Computer, Inc.)
Headquarters 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, California
Key people Steve Jobs, CEO & Co-founder
Steve Wozniak, Co-founder
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Desktop search is the name for the field of search tools which search the contents of a user's own computer files, rather than searching the Internet. These tools are designed to find information on the user's PC, including web browser histories, e-mail archives, text documents,
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Spotlight is a system-wide desktop search feature of Apple's Mac OS X operating system introduced in version 10.4. It is designed to allow the user to quickly locate a wide variety of items on the computer, including documents, pictures, music, applications, System Preferences, as
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Grab is an application created by Apple Computer. In Mac OS X, Grab is used to take screenshots of the user's computer. Grab is also present in OS X's progenitors NeXTSTEP and OPENSTEP. It supports capturing a marquee section, whole window, whole screen and timed screen.
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In computing, a spell checker is a software program designed to verify the spelling of words. A spell checker helps a user to ensure correct spelling, while suggesting corrections for wrongly spelled words.
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Inter-Process Communication (IPC) is a set of techniques for the exchange of data among two or more threads in one or more processes. Processes may be running on one or more computers connected by a network.
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context menu (or contextual menu, shortcut menu) is commonly used for menus which pop up when clicking an item in a graphical user interface, offering a list of options which vary depending on the context of the action, the application running, and the item selected.
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X Window System (commonly X11 or X) is a display protocol which provides windowing on bitmap displays. It provides the standard toolkit and protocol to build graphical user interfaces (GUIs) on Unix-like operating systems and OpenVMS, and has been ported to all other
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AppleScript
Developer: Apple Inc.
Latest release: 1.10.7/ 2006-06-30
OS: Mac OS 9, Mac OS X
License: Apple EULA (parts available under APSL)
Website: [1]
AppleScript is a scripting language devised by Apple Inc., and built into Mac OS.
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Developer: Apple Inc.
Latest release: 1.10.7/ 2006-06-30
OS: Mac OS 9, Mac OS X
License: Apple EULA (parts available under APSL)
Website: [1]
AppleScript is a scripting language devised by Apple Inc., and built into Mac OS.
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A shell script is a script written for the shell, or command line interpreter, of an operating system. It is often considered a simple domain-specific programming language. Typical operations performed by shell scripts include file manipulation, program execution, and printing text.
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