Professional Documents
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Widgets
Widgets
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WIDGETS
2
What is a widget?
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
Gmail
news
Weather
Desktop Widgets
Sidebar
Scratch Pad
Widget
News
Widget
Desktop Widget Engines.
• 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.