How do I create a Google Gadget widget?

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

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 and 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.