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You are here: MacNN Forums > Software - Troubleshooting and Discussion > macOS > So how to you do the graphics on a Widget?

So how to you do the graphics on a Widget?
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ajprice
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May 4, 2005, 07:04 AM
 
I'm still waiting to receive my Tiger, but from what I understand, Dashboard Widgets can be made, or tweaked, by building script files. So how does the graphics side of it work? Is each widget made up as a little web page type thing and bundled together as a kind of package file? or is there a Widget Interface Builder app with XCode? I'm a graphic designer, and able to do a little with scripts, so I'm just interested in how you make a Widget.

It'll be much easier if you just comply.
     
Big Mac
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May 4, 2005, 07:19 AM
 
Dashboard uses WebCore, so whatever is accessible to Safari should be fair game for a widget. You can also mix some Cocoa into the formula.

"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." TJ
     
ThrillSeeker
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May 4, 2005, 07:39 AM
 
Is there a simple guide available with examples that could be used to make widgets? And how would you examine an existing widget? To see the coding, images used etc. I am guessing im gong to need Xcode?

Thrillseeker
     
Mediaman_12
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May 4, 2005, 08:13 AM
 
Originally Posted by ThrillSeeker
Is there a simple guide available with examples that could be used to make widgets? And how would you examine an existing widget? To see the coding, images used etc. I am guessing im gong to need Xcode?

Thrillseeker
No Xcode required, They really are just small webpages. The display done by HTML/CSS and the data control done by javascript (or whatever else you fancy. You could build the entire thing in Flash if you wanted).
There are a load of examples as part of the developer tools install on the Tiger Disk.
     
dfiler
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May 4, 2005, 08:24 AM
 
Apple has an excellent 74 page widget developers guide. Check their developer site for the pdf.

Widgets are webpages pure and simple... plus an extra background graphic for display while loading. No compiling or tools are required other than a text editor and the images you want on the widget.
     
ThrillSeeker
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May 4, 2005, 08:25 AM
 
Ummm... I was able to find dashboard widget developer's guide: http://developer.apple.com/documenta...ial/index.html

A quick skim read show's that its a good guide.

ThrillSeeker
     
   
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