Session-3

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WIDGETS

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 What is a widget?

• Widgets are small, specific applications that

you can run on your desktop.
• We keep them small and specific for
convenience and performance reasons.
• A widget can do almost anything from
displaying weather forecast, show new email,
photos, news headlines…etc.
Sample Widgets

4
 Types of Widgets…

• Web Widgets
– A web widget is a portable application installed and
executed, typically on an HTML-based web pages.
• Desktop Widgets
– A desktop widget is a specialized GUI widget intended to
run on Computer desktop.
 Web Widgets..
• A web widget can be few of the following
– No of hits to a particular web site.
– Weather widget.
– Youtube widget.
– News widget.
– Quote of the day
– Daily horoscope
….etc

For more list of all web widgets goto…

http://www.google.com/ig/directory?start=0
 Date and
time

Gmail

news

Weather
 Desktop Widgets

• Desktop widgets are interactive virtual tools that

provide single-purpose services such as showing the
user:
– latest news
– current weather
– time, calendar
– a dictionary
– photo viewers
– a language translator.
Expanded Gadget

Sidebar
Scratch Pad
Widget

News
Widget
 Desktop Widget Engines.

• Within the world of desktop widgets there are

several choices:
– Apple Dashboard
– Microsoft Windows Vista Sidebar
– Google Desktop Gadgets
– Yahoo! Widgets
How are desktop widgets different
from web widgets?
• A desktop widget:
– Lives outside of the browser.
– Access to local resources.
– Potential for offline use and background downloading
– Greater interaction with the rest of the system through
standard desktop interaction.
 Google Desktop Gadgets.

• Google is currently using custom XML file and

object model. Their object model is not based
on W3C standards, but their own custom
creation.
 Google Desktop Gadgets Pros and
Cons.

• Pros:
– Fairly easy to understand if you know HTML
– Not constrained by HTML model.
– Can use either JavaScript or Visula Basic
– Better platform ties: drag/drop support, etc.
– Not very resource intensive.
Google desktop Gadgets Pros and Cons
cont…
• Cons:
– Limited in its abilities compared to other engines,
particularly in presentation layer.
– Interface is filled with update flashes and jerky motions.
– Requires download of entire Google Desktop package to
run.
– No Mac OS X support.
 Yahoo! Web Widgets Pros and Cons

• Pros:
– Easy to write for.
– Powerful design, animation, and interaction facilities.
– Much more application-like environment than DHTML or
Google gadgets.
– Largest addressable audience- Only across OS Widgets
platform- Mac OS X, Win 2000, Win XP and now Window
Vista.
Yahoo! Web Widgets Pros and Cons
cont.…
• Cons:
– Need to learn their own XML language.
– Current version 3.1 consumes a fair bit of
resources.
– Lack of video support.