What is actionbarsherlock?

jakewharton/actionbarsherlock — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-06-22

★ 7,063JavaAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5LicenseSetup · moderate

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Android Action Bar
      Old device backcompat
      Single API both versions
    Status
      Deprecated archived
      Use AppCompat instead
      No new development
    Tech stack
      Java Android
      Apache license
      Android 2.x to 4.0
    Use today
      Legacy app migration
      Historical reference
      Study backcompat patterns

mindmap root((repo)) What it does Android Action Bar Old device backcompat Single API both versions Status Deprecated archived Use AppCompat instead No new development Tech stack Java Android Apache license Android 2.x to 4.0 Use today Legacy app migration Historical reference Study backcompat patterns

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Study the source code as a historical reference for how Android backcompat UI libraries were architected before Google's official support libraries.

USE CASE 2

Reference the codebase when migrating a legacy Android app from ActionBarSherlock to the modern AppCompat library.

USE CASE 3

Use as an example of how to write an Android library that provides a single API over two different native implementations.

What is it built with?

JavaAndroid

How does it compare?

	jakewharton/actionbarsherlock	naman14/timber	ogaclejapan/smarttablayout
Stars	7,063	7,050	7,077
Language	Java	Java	Java
Setup difficulty	moderate	moderate	easy
Complexity	2/5	3/5	2/5
Audience	developer	developer	developer

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

This library is deprecated, use AppCompat instead. Only relevant for maintaining or migrating legacy Android codebases.

Use freely in personal or commercial projects, include the license notice but you may modify and distribute the code.

So what is it?

ActionBarSherlock is a deprecated Java library for Android app development, created by Jake Wharton. It is no longer maintained and no further development will take place. The README directs anyone still looking for this kind of tool to use AppCompat instead, which is Google's official supported replacement. When this library was active, it solved a specific problem from the early days of Android development. Android version 4.0 introduced a built-in navigation bar at the top of apps called the Action Bar, which let users access menus, titles, and navigation buttons in a consistent way. Older Android versions did not have this feature. ActionBarSherlock let developers write their app once using a single consistent programming interface, and the library would automatically use the built-in Action Bar on devices running Android 4.0 and above, while providing its own matching implementation for older devices running Android 2.x. This solved a real headache for developers in 2012 who wanted their apps to look consistent across a wide range of Android devices, many of which were still running older software versions. The library became widely adopted before Google released its own official backport solution. The library is licensed under the Apache License 2.0, which is a permissive open-source license that allows use in both personal and commercial projects. Since it is deprecated and no longer updated, it is not appropriate for use in new Android projects. The README explicitly points to AppCompat as the current solution for anyone who needs the same capability.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

I have a legacy Android app using ActionBarSherlock and need to migrate it to AppCompat. Show me the key class and import substitutions I need to make.

Prompt 2

Explain what problem ActionBarSherlock solved before Android 4.0 and how it provided a consistent Action Bar on older Android 2.x devices.

Prompt 3

I am reading the ActionBarSherlock source to understand how it delegates to the native Action Bar on Android 4.0 and above vs its own implementation on 2.x. Walk me through the delegation pattern.

Prompt 4

What are the AppCompat equivalents for the main ActionBarSherlock classes I was using, such as SherlockFragmentActivity and the menu inflation pattern?

Frequently asked questions