Creating Vista Gadgets Using HTML, CSS and JavaScript with Examples in RSS, Ajax, ActiveX (COM) and Silverlight

by Lal, Rajesh

• ISBN13: 9780672329685
• ISBN10: 0672329689
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-05-05
• Publisher: Sams Publishing

Summary

Readers learn to create innovative and killer Windows Vista Sidebar Gadgets.

Author Biography

 Rajesh Lal is an author, technology evangelist, and solutions engineer specializing in web technologies. He has received numerous awards for his articles on Windows Vista and Sidebar Gadgets and is a frequent contributor to Windows Vista Magazine and Code Project website. With over a decade of experience in the IT industry, Rajesh enjoys taking an objective and pragmatic approach to developing applications using Microsoft technology. He has a master’s degree  in computer science and holds both MCSD and MCAD titles. To visit his Vista Gadget blog, go to www.innovatewithgadgets.com.

Table of Contents

Introduction
What's in the Book	p. 1
The Foundation	p. 1
Developing a Gadget	p. 2
Advanced Samples	p. 2
Special Features and Notations	p. 2
Supporting Website	p. 3
The Foundation	p. 1
Innovate with Windows Vista Sidebar Gadgets	p. 7
Introducing Gadgets and the Vista Sidebar	p. 7
Windows Sidebar	p. 8
Technology Behind Gadgets	p. 8
Brief History of Gadgets	p. 9
Innovate with Gadgets	p. 10
Types of Gadgets	p. 12
Information Gadgets	p. 12
Application Gadgets	p. 13
Utility Gadgets	p. 14
Fun Gadgets	p. 14
Gadgets in Depth	p. 15
What Gadgets Are Not	p. 15
Different Views-The Three Hats of the Gadget	p. 16
Opacity Level and Always on Top Property	p. 17
Using Flyout for More Information	p. 18
Customization	p. 18
Multiple Platforms for Gadgets	p. 19
Meeting Points for Different Gadgets	p. 20
The Development Platform	p. 21
Gadget Ecosystem	p. 21
Other Desktop Gadget/Widget Platforms	p. 22
Gadget Comparison Chart	p. 26
The Architecture	p. 29
Gadgets Overview	p. 29
The Manifest File gadget.xml	p. 31
User Interface and Presentation	p. 32
Cascading Style Sheets	p. 32
Core Functionality of the Gadget: JavaScript	p. 34
Resources, PNG, and Other Files	p. 34
Technology Behind Gadget Development	p. 35
MSHTML Component, the Core of the Gadget	p. 36
Standard Web Technologies	p. 36
Sidebar Gadget as an HTML Application	p. 37
Gadget Object Model	p. 38
ActiveX Technology	p. 38
Gadget Object Model	p. 39
User Interaction and Sidebar Events	p. 40
APIs to Access the File System	p. 42
Core Features to Interact with the System	p. 44
Communication and Other APIs	p. 44
Sidebar Gadgets: The Road Ahead	p. 46
An Approach to Design	p. 49
Design Considerations	p. 49
Putting Information First	p. 50
Constructing the Right User Interface	p. 53
Usage Patterns	p. 57
Gadget Behavior	p. 60
Challenges for the User Interface	p. 63
Standard Dimensions	p. 64
Gadget Page When Docked	p. 64
Undocked Gadget	p. 65
Settings Page	p. 65
Flyout Page	p. 65
Other Interface Guidelines	p. 66
Visual Themes	p. 67
Title	p. 67
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Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Introduction IntroductionWith the broadest ever worldwide release of a PC operating system, in 2007 Windows Vista opened the door to an era of gadget development. Gadgets, which reside on the Windows Vista Sidebar, are small, lightweight, and can be very useful applications. The Sidebar is a brand new platform for innovation and it gives users a unique way to interact with information.This book is for people who want to create feature-rich and professional-looking Vista Sidebar gadgets. It's a guide for designers, developers, and anyone else who has a basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and wants to leverage this new and innovative platform. It's for anyone who wants to create a gadget for his company, or for a programmer with a great idea to implement on a Sidebar gadget platform, or even for a hobbyist programmer, who wants to try his hand on a gadget platform. This book is intended to give you ideas forwhatyou can do with this new platform andhowyou can do it. What's in the BookThis book starts with a brief background on gadgets, and then gives a broad and clear view of the architecture of gadget development. Gadget design considerations are an important part of this book and they go side by side with almost all the chapters that deal with gadget development. Once you've read up on the concept and scope of gadget development, the book helps you create a gadget called MyBlog. During this process the text elaborates on the architecture, design constraints, and implementation details for the gadget and then details some standard practices applicable to all gadget development. The last section deals with more advanced gadget examples that utilize .NET, XML, XHTML, CSS, Ajax, and Microsoft Silverlight.This book is divided into three broad sections. Section 1: The FoundationThe four chapters in this first section give a thorough background of Sidebar gadgets. The section explains the types of gadgets, the architecture, and the technology behind the gadget development. The "Approach to Design" chapter helps you know the difference between a merely good-looking gadget and a one that is professional, rich, and worth the space it takes up on the user's desktop. The last chapter discusses the revenue model of the gadget: what you need to know to sell your gadgets. Section 2: Developing a GadgetThis section walks you through the standard development process of a gadget. It details the creation of the basic MyBlog Gadget, which makes use of an RSS/Atom feed. It also goes through best practices with the user interface, design guidelines, and common assumptions. The later chapters improve on the basic gadget based on standard practices and also deal with deploying and distributing a gadget. Section 3: Advanced SamplesThe section deals with advanced samples. You will be able to create advanced gadgets such as a Site Statistics Gadget, a Radio Gadget, and a YouTube Video Gadget. All the samples follow standard patterns, making it easier to switch between the features and functionality you want, when you want. You will also learn how to use ActiveX COM for creating a utility gadget with a sample .Net Most Recent Used (MRU) Gadget. The final chapter shows you how to create a gadget with Microsoft Silverlight. You will also see how, in just a few minutes, to create a Sidebar gadget with Microsoft Popfly.If you are a relatively new gadget developer, I would suggest you to start with the first section. If you have basic background knowledge of gadgets and you just want to start with the step-by-step practical approach to gadget development, you can directly start with the second section, "Developing a Gadget." The third section, "Advanced Samples," is for people who have developed a gadget and want to go beyond the basi