Stickies is an

application Application may refer to: Mathematics and computing * Application software, computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks ** Application layer, an abstraction layer that specifies protocols and interface methods used in a c ...

for

Apple Macintosh The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and software ...

computer A computer is a machine that can be programmed to carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations ( computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as programs. These prog ...

s that puts Post-it note-like windows on the screen for the user to write short reminders, notes and other clippings. Contents are automatically stored, and restored when the application is restarted. An unrelated

freeware Freeware is software, most often proprietary, that is distributed at no monetary cost to the end user. There is no agreed-upon set of rights, license, or EULA that defines ''freeware'' unambiguously; every publisher defines its own rules for the ...

program with the same name and similar functionality is available for

Microsoft Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for ...

. Similar applications (described as "

desktop notes Desktop notes are computer applications that allow putting Post-it note-like windows on the screen, with reminders, short notes and other clippings. They are typically rectangular and yellow, like their real-world counterpart, but most applicati ...

") are available for most operating systems.

History

In 1994, the first version of Stickies was written by

Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancest ...

employee Jens Alfke and included in

System 7.5 System 7, codenamed "Big Bang", and also known as Mac OS 7, is a graphical user interface-based operating system for Macintosh computers and is part of the classic Mac OS series of operating systems. It was introduced on May 13, 1991, by Apple Co ...

. Alfke had originally developed it in his free time as Antler Notes and intended to release it as

shareware Shareware is a type of proprietary software that is initially shared by the owner for trial use at little or no cost. Often the software has limited functionality or incomplete documentation until the user sends payment to the software developer ...

, doing business as Antler Software. Apple planned to acquire it from him, but realized that they already legally owned it under the terms of his employment. During the transition to

Mac OS X macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac computers. Within the market of desktop and lap ...

in 2001, Stickies was rewritten in

Cocoa Cocoa may refer to: Chocolate * Chocolate * ''Theobroma cacao'', the cocoa tree * Cocoa bean, seed of ''Theobroma cacao'' * Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, pure, liquid chocolate extracted from the cocoa bean, including both cocoa butter an ...

, and is still included in macOS, with features such as transparent notes, styled text, lists, and the ability to hold pictures. The ability to collapse note windows, which is present in all versions of Stickies, is a holdover from System 7.5's WindowShade feature. The window button layout, which is unusual for a modern macOS application, is retained from

Mac OS 8 Mac OS 8 is an operating system that was released by Apple Computer on July 26, 1997. It includes the largest overhaul of the classic Mac OS experience since the release of System 7, approximately six years before. It places a greater emphasis o ...

. In macOS Big Sur, the icon has been changed to look like a stack of sticky notes in a rounded square design.

Features

The Stickies application currently supports the following usage scenarios: * Float above all windows: Press Command-Option-F with a sticky note selected and it will float above any other windows that are visible * Translucent: Press Command-Option-T with a sticky note selected and it will become translucent * Embed other media: Add other media besides text, such as

QuickTime QuickTime is an extensible multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. Created in 1991, the latest Mac version, QuickTime X, is a ...

movies,

PDF Portable Document Format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. ...

s, images, just by dragging them into the sticky note. * Backup data: Stickies keeps all information in a self-contained database. The database can be backed up by copying the file ''StickiesDatabase'', which is located in a user's Library directory ("~/Library/StickiesDatabase") * Search data: Press Command-F to search for words or phrases within a sticky note * Create a note from selection: In a Cocoa-based application (such as the

Safari A safari (; ) is an overland journey to observe wild animals, especially in eastern or southern Africa. The so-called "Big Five" game animals of Africa – lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo – particularly form an impor ...

web browser), select some text and press Command-Shift-Y or use the Services menu to create a new sticky note with the text selection.

References

External links

{{Classic Mac OS Desktop widgets Macintosh operating systems