# ActionBarSherlock - A Love Story (Part 3)

DevFeed: [ActionBarSherlock - A Love Story (Part 3)](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/actionbarsherlock-a-love-story-part-3-20912.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://jakewharton.com/actionbarsherlock-a-love-story-part-3/>)

Published: 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [Jake Wharton](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/jake-wharton.md>)

Topics: [Android](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/android.md>), [Library](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/library.md>), [Google](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/google.md>), [API](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/api.md>)

Tags: [android](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/android.md>), [api](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/api.md>), [google](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/google.md>), [library](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/library.md>), [plugin](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/plugin.md>), [release](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/release.md>)

## AI overview

This article discusses the upcoming ActionBarSherlock v4 for Android, including its deprecation window for v3 users, unified custom implementations, standalone support-library packaging, changes related to Android 4.0, revised base activity and fragment support, static action-bar attachment, and full API access.

## Source excerpt

I am talking, of course, about version 3 and version 4, respectively. And I'm also lying a bit because I won't just be abandoning the 3.x users either. I'll give you a two-month deprecation window from version 4's release. Because... ActionBarSherlock v4 is coming and it is awesome. Now I realize that I am a bit biased, but let me explain how this version is the first version that I think I will be truly proud of. No more shuffling between native and custom implementations. Google's support library operates in this way in that it makes no attempt to use any native implementations even if they exist. It is far easier and more stable to keep all of the functionality in the library. Plus, the Android 4.0 action bar has been designed to accommodate every conceivable screen size that the platform can run on so why should we continue bothering to switch to the native implementation? Additionally, this change became more and more of an apparent need rather than a choice due to changes in Android 4.0's MenuItem interface. The support library classes are no longer included in the core of the library. Though somewhat ironic based on the last point, the decision to allow the library to stand alone was made in order to accommodate developers who were uncomfortable using a custom built version of the support library (or who even didn't use it at all). A version of the support library will be provided as a plugin .jar that has been modified to add ActionBarSherlock support. The changes to the library will be kept at a minimum and will not include any unrelated fixes. File bugs on b.android.com for that, please. WARNING: This means that if you are using FragmentMapActivity or using fragments in SherlockPreferenceActivity you WILL have to change your implementation or create your own versions of these base classes. I will no longer be maintaining support for these. Extending from a custom base activity is no longer required (but still recommended). Similar to how ActionBarSherlock v1