Introduction
In this article, I have described the steps to
create a Windows Gadget. I have demonstrated the article with an example of a
digital clock gadget.
Gadgets are small applications which are hosted on the Windows Sidebar. Windows
Gadgets are simply made up of HTML and JavaScript code. User-created gadgets are stored in the following folder:
C:\Users\<current
user>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Sidebar\Gadgets
Every gadget is stored in its own folder under the above mentioned folder. The
folder name should be the same as the gadget name followed by the .gadget
extension. Every gadget has two files associated with it. One is an HTML file
with embedded JavaScript code to provide the functionality of the gadget. The
other file is an XML file called gadget.xml and is also known as the gadget
manifest.
Example Code
In the HTML file, the style element is used to
specify the layout and format of the gadget. The script element is used to
specify the content and working of the gadget. Finally a span element is used to
display the gadget.
Following is the HTML/JavaScript code for
our digital clock gadget (DigitalClock.html)
<html>
<head>
<title>Digital
Clock</title>
<style>
body
{
margin: 0;
width: 130px;
height: 65px;
}
#gadgetContent
{
width: 130px;
top: 24px;
text-align: center;
position: absolute;
font-family: Verdana;
font-size: 10pt;
}
</style>
<script
language="javascript">
function showtime()
{
var now=new
Date(); // Find
current date
var h=now.getHours();
// Find current hour
var m=now.getMinutes();
// Find current minute
var s=now.getSeconds();
// Find current second
h=(h<10)?"0"+h:h;
// Convert hour to 2 digits
m=(m<10)?"0"+m:m;
// Convert minute to 2
digits
s=(s<10)?"0"+s:s;
// Convert second to 2
digits
gadgetContent.innerHTML="<h2><font color='red'>"+h+":</font>
<font color='lime'>"+m+":</font><font
color='cyan'>"+s+"</font></h2>";
// Set time on the span element
setTimeout("showtime()",1000);
// Display time after every
one second
}
</script>
</head>
<body
onload="showtime()"
bgcolor="black">
<span
id="gadgetContent"></span>
</body>
</html>
The gadget manifest file is an XML file which
describes the properties of the gadget.
Following is the code of the gadget.xml file:
<?xml
version="1.0"
encoding="utf-8"
?>
<gadget>
<name>DigitalClock</name>
<namespace>Example.Azim</namespace>
<version>1.0.0.0</version>
<author
name="Azim">
<info
url="www.example.com"
/>
</author>
<copyright>Azim</copyright>
<description>Digital
Clock</description>
<hosts>
<host
name="sidebar">
<base
type="HTML"
apiVersion="1.0.0"
src="DigitalClock.html"
/>
<platform
minPlatformVersion="1.0"
/>
<permissions>Full</permissions>
</host>
</hosts>
</gadget>
Perform the following steps to add the gadget to
the sidebar.
C:\Users\<current user>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows
Sidebar\Gadgets
-
Copy the files DigitalClock.html and
gadget.xml into the DigitalClock.gadget folder.
-
Right click on the sidebar and select Add
Gadgets option.
-
Select the DigitalClockgadget.
Note: I have attached the DigitalClock.html and
gadget.xml files along with this project.
The following figures show how to add the gadget to the sidebar.
![image1.jpg]()