Spotlight (software)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Spotlight | |
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 Screenshot of Spotlight performing a search for the word Microsoft. |
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| Developer: | Apple Computer |
|---|---|
| OS: | Mac OS X |
| Use: | desktop search |
| Website: | Apple.com/…/spotlight/ |
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 well as specific words in documents. It also allows the user to narrow down searches with creation dates, modification dates, sizes, types and other attributes.
Indexes of filesystem metadata are maintained by the Metadata Server (which appears in the system as the mds daemon). The Metadata Server is started by launchd when Mac OS X boots and runs continuously in the background. It is fed information about the files on a computer's hard disks by the mdimport daemon; it does not index removable media such as CDs or DVDs.[1] Aside from basic information about each file like its name, size and timestamps, the mdimport daemon can also index the content of some files, when it has an Importer plug-in that tells it how the file content is formatted. Spotlight comes with importers for certain types of documents, for example Microsoft Word (DOC) and Portable Document Format (PDF) documents, and Apple publish APIs that allow developers to write Spotlight Importer plug-ins for their own file formats.[1]
The first time that a user logs onto the operating system, Spotlight builds indexes of metadata about the files on the computer's hard disks.[1] It also builds indexes of files on devices such as external hard drives that are connected to the system. This initial indexing may take some time, but after this the indexes are updated continuously in the background as files are created or modified. When the system discovers that files on an external drive have been modified on a system not running Mac OS X v10.4, it will re-index the volume from scratch.[1]
Within Mac OS X v10.4, Spotlight can be accessed from a number of places. Clicking on an icon in the top-right of the menu bar opens up a text field where a search query can be entered. Finder windows also have a text field in the top-right corner where a query can be entered. Both of these text fields immediately start listing results of the search as soon as the user starts typing in a search term, returning items that either match the term, or items that start with the term. The search results can be further refined by adding criteria in a Finder window such as "Created Today" or "Size Greater than 1 KB".[1]
The Mac OS X v10.4 also includes command line utilities for querying or manipulating Spotlight. mdimport, as well as being used by the system itself to index information, can also be used by the user to import certain files that would otherwise be ignored or force files to be reimported. It is also designed to be used as a debugging tool for developers writing Importer plug-ins. mdfind allows the user to perform Spotlight queries from the command line, also allowing Spotlight queries to be included in things like shell scripts. mdls lists the indexed attributes for specific files, allowing the user to specify which files and/or which attributes. The indexes that Spotlight creates can be managed with mdutil, which can erase existing indexes causing them to be rebuilt if necessary or turn indexing off.[2]
Although not widely advertised by Apple, Spotlight can perform boolean searches. By default if you include more than one word, then Spotlight performs the search as if you including an "AND". If you place a '|' between words, Spotlight performs an OR query. Placing a '-' before a word tells Spotlight to search for results that do not include that word, i.e. a NOT query.[3]
[edit] Leopard additions
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This article or section contains information about scheduled or expected future software. The content may change dramatically as the software release approaches and more information becomes available. |
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With the next version of Mac OS X, version 10.5 (Leopard), Apple plans to introduce some additional features. With the current implementation of Spotlight, users can only search devices that are attached to their computers. With Leopard, Spotlight will be able to search networked Macs (both client and server versions) that have file sharing enabled. A feature called Quick Look has been added to the GUI that will display live previews of files within the search results, so applications don't have to be opened just to confirm that the user has found the right file. The syntax has also been extended to include support for boolean "AND", "OR" and "NOT" keywords.[4]
Also while Spotlight was not enabled on the server version of Tiger,[5] it will be on the server release of Leopard.[6]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
Applications
Address Book • Automator • Calculator • Chess • Dashboard • Dictionary • DVD Player • Finder • Front Row • Grapher • iCal • iChat • iSync • iTunes • Mail • Photo Booth • Preview • QuickTime Player • Safari • Sherlock • Stickies • TextEdit
Utilities
Activity Monitor • AirPort Admin Utility • Audio MIDI Setup • Bluetooth File Exchange • BOMArchiveHelper • Classic • ColorSync Utility • Console • Crash Reporter • DigitalColor Meter • Directory Access • DiskImageMounter • Disk Utility • Font Book • Grab • Help Viewer • Image Capture • Installer • Internet Connect • Keychain Access • Migration Assistant • NetInfo Manager • Network Utility • ODBC Administrator • Printer Setup Utility • Software Update • System Preferences • System Profiler • Terminal • Universal Access • VoiceOver • X11
Technology & User interface (future features italicized)
⌘ • ⌥ • Apple Advanced Typography • AppleScript • Aqua • ATSUI • Audio Units • Bonjour • Boot Camp • Carbon • Cocoa • ColorSync • Core Animation • Core Audio • Core Data • Core Foundation • Core Image • Core Video • CUPS • Darwin • Exposé • FileVault • icns • Inkwell • I/O Kit • Keychain • Mach-O • OpenGL • Preference Pane • plist • Quartz • QuickTime • Rosetta • Smart folders • Spaces • Spotlight • Time Machine • Uniform Type Identifier • Universal binary • WebKit • Xgrid • XNU
| Apple Inc. software | |
|---|---|
| OS: | Mac OS X • Mac OS 9 |
| Consumer: | .Mac • iLife • iTunes • iWork • AppleWorks |
| Prosumer: | Final Cut Express • Logic Express |
| Pro: | Aperture • Final Cut Studio • Logic Pro • Shake |
| Bundled: | Front Row • iChat • Photo Booth • QuickTime • Safari • TextEdit |
| Server: | Apple Remote Desktop • Mac OS X Server • WebObjects • Xsan |
| Discontinued: | HyperCard • MacDraw • Mac OS • MacPaint • MacProject • MacTerminal • MacWrite |
| Desktop search software |  |
|---|---|
| Apple Spotlight • Beagle • GNOME Storage • Google Desktop Search • Windows Desktop Search |
