Pro Web Gadgets for Mobile and Desktop

by Sterling Udell

Overview

The miniature web applications known as gadgets (or widgets) are a key component of the distributed web and an ideal way to publish your content far beyond the reach of your own web site. Packaging web content and functionality into a gadget enables it to be seen anywhere from iGoogle to the iPhone—wherever the user may be, on or off the traditional web. Everyone can access your content without having to visit your web site.

This book is a practical guide to building gadgets that will work everywhere, from handheld devices to any site on the web. The core methodology is to develop a single code base that will run on all platforms, multiplying the syndication opportunities for maximum return on your development investment. Extending this approach is a technique of abstracting key API calls from the various gadget platforms into a single interface layer, implemented in the book as a compact JavaScript class, allowing your gadgets full access to every platform's power without your having to rewrite your code for each.

• Learn the key concepts for successfully syndicating web content via gadgets.
• Build platform-agnostic gadgets that run on all the major web portals.
• Deploy your gadgets to web-enabled handheld devices.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781430225515
Publisher:	Apress
Publication date:	12/16/2009
Series:	Expert's Voice in Web Development
Edition description:	1st ed.
Pages:	350
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Sterling Udell is a freelance web developer who has been programming with Google Maps since before the application programming interface was released. He is a leading Google Maps, gadget, and Mapplet developer, responsible for the software behind a number of the leading sites on the GeoWeb.

Table of Contents

Web Gadget Fundamentals.- Introducing Web Gadgets.- Designing the Core Gadget.- Developing for Multiple Platforms.- Web Platforms.- Netvibes.- iGoogle.- Desktop Platforms.- Windows.- Mac OS X Dashboard.- Opera.- Mobile Platforms.- Windows Mobile.- Symbian S60.- iPhone.- Android.- The Future of Web Gadgets.