How do I create a Google Gadget widget?

You can create a Google Gadget™ widget to extend your application and simplify certain tasks.

About this task

You can start the configuration wizard to create a new Google Gadget™ widget. Find Google Gadgets to configure by searching in Google on the phrase Google Gadgets for your Webpage to open a directory of available gadgets. Note that Google Gadgets that are classified as Google Desktop Gadgets behave are treated as Web page gadgets by the widget creation wizards..

  • Start the wizard using the Getting Started with Widgets toolbar button.

    Use this method to browse a gadget directory and find a gadget.

  • Start the wizard using the Configure a Widget from the Current Context toolbar button.

    Use this method if you already know the exact URL at which the target Google Gadget™ XML resides. If you want to browse for a Google Gadget™, or you do not know the gadget's URL, use the Getting Started with Widgets toolbar button instead to open and browse a gadget directory and find the needed gadget.

For this example, use the Getting Started with Widgets toolbar button to start the configuration process by browsing a gadget directory.

Note: If you are using HCL Notes®, enable the embedded Web browser using the File > Preferences > Web browser > Use the browser embedded in this client menu sequence.

Procedure

  1. Click the Getting Started with Widgets toolbar button to start the wizard.
  2. Click Google Gadgets and then click Next.
  3. Click Browse the Google Gadget directory, read the explanatory text, and click Finish to open and browse the http://www.google.com/ig/directory?synd=open site.
  4. Type weather in the Google search bar and click Search Google Gadgets to open http://www.google.com/ig/directory?synd=open&hl=en&gl=&q=weather.
  5. Scroll to the theWeather gadget and click to open http://www.google.com/ig/directory?synd=open&hl=en&gl=en&url=http://www.notkewl.com/myWeather/myWeather.xml.
  6. Click the Configure a Widget from Current Context client toolbar button, click Google Gadget: Add a Google Gadget, and click Next.
  7. Read the terms of service and click Next.
  8. Specify a widget name or accept the default.
  9. Specify what you want to do with the widget and click Next. For this example, choose Wire as an action and click Next.

    Options are as follows:

    • Wire as an action

      This opens the Wire an action to configure a widget dialog, enabling you to wire a new or existing content type to a widget property.

      Note: Clicking this option opens a list of available widget properties that you can configure to be wireable. To configure one property as wireable, select it in the list. To configure more than one property to be wireable, open the Advanced tab.
    • Display as a Panel

      This adds the widget in its current form as its own sidebar panel and as a widget in the My Widgets sidebar panel.

    • Just configure a widget for now

      This adds the widget in its current form to the My Widgets sidebar panel, where you can then publish it to the catalog.

  10. Depending on the source context, you can specify additional options on the Advanced tab as follows and then click Next to open the Wiring an action to configure a widget dialog. For this example, just click Next.
    • Configure – Enable to make the property wireable. All Google Gadget properties must be wireable, so they are all selected by default.
    • Require – Enable to require that the field must be used in the action.
    • Display name – Use the default or specify a new name.
      Note: Each Display name value appears in the Widget property field on the Wire an action to configure a widget wizard page.
    • Default value – Specify a default value or specify if a default value can be used.
  11. The Wire an action to configure a widget dialog prompts you to specify whether to use recognized content or other content, specify the content (type) and then wire a Content property to a Widget property. Entries in the Content property field are derived from the selected content (type), which is the field next to the New Recognizer button. Entries in the Widget property field are derived from the fields you selected on the previous Configure a widget dialog.

    On the Wire as an action panel, do the following for this local weather widget example and then click Next. See How do I wire a widget action for related information.

    1. Accept the default name of theWeather.
    2. Enable Recognized content as the content to use.
    3. Select Address under the Recognized content field.
    4. Select address.zip in the Content type property field.
    5. Select Zip: Location Code in the Widget property field.
    6. Click Sidebar Panel as the results display method.
  12. Click Next to view the Test and Publish panel instructions and then Finish to create the widget and close the wizard.