Gadget Basics

April 10, 2007

I think I’ve covered this topic quite well in my Gadget Information section, but for those of you who’ve missed it (or ignored it) here’s a very brief overview of Vista Sidebar Gadget technology.

• Sidebar gadgets are little HTML applications. They use a combination of JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and supporting media (primarily images) packaged in a Zip or CAB file (renamed a .gadget extension) with a minimum of an XML manifest (gadget.xml) and a docked HTML file. Using the CAB let’s you provide publisher information and digitally sign your file.
• Besides standard DHTML, you can use specialized elements/objects to provide effects like glow, shadow, opacity, rotation, and soft edges. Just remember: g:background, g:image, and g:text. These allow for a richer graphical user experience than you get in the browser or, by extension, Live gadgets.
• In addition to standard JavaScript, there’s a Sidebar gadget API that provides deeper interaction with Windows such as reading files and folders, getting information about hardware, and displaying networking and Windows information. It’s not limited to what you can do in the browser, and you can use ActiveX to loosen security constraints further if necessary.
• The gadgets have three basic states: docked, undocked, and flyout. Docked is size-restricted; the others can be as large as the desktop. Docked is the only required state, but it’s good to develop all three. Flyout mode should be thought of as a “more information” view on what the gadget provides and can drive other resources as needed.
• Sidebar gadgets support the Multilingual User Interface (MUI), including language selection fallback, so you can build globalized and localized gadgets.

It’s all as simple as that really! I’m personally working on getting Flash running from a Gadget, and also solving the lack of Iframe support - so watch this space!

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Posted in misc, microsoft, development