Apache shindig - Overview

Shindig is an open source framework from Apache that acts as a container for gadgets. iGoogle is built using this framework.

So what is a gadget:

Gadgets are mini applications (similar to portlet) that are written in HTML, Javascript& XML. Gadgets are iframes that are rendered into your web page. 

Date and time gadget, weather gadget, are all shindig gadgets.

These gadgets can interact with the page, communicate between gadgets.

The developer normally writes the gadget as HTML written within the gadget XML. Gadget server processes these XML and converts them into html snippets and displays them as iframe in the web page.

Types of Gadgets:

§  HTML gadgets

This is a type of gadget where the content of the gadget (html) resides within the gadget XML.

§  URL type gadgets

This is a type of gadget where the content of the gadget resides in a third party server. The URI is given as an attribute in the xml.

What is a gadget Container

It is the context where the gadget is embedded. In developer terms it is the page where the gadget resides. The page has some javascript APIs which inturn interacts with the Gadget server for rendering, communicating etc.,

What you can do using Shindig.

Shindig acts as a container for the gadgets. The gadget can perform the following using Shindig

-          Communicate with other gadgets using pub/sub feature.

-          Communicate with the container using RPC.

-          Communicate with server using gadget.io

-          Obtain open social information using the Open social API. 

How can i develop my own gadgets.

Click here to find out how to create your own gadgets.

Some reference links:

§  Shindig home page: http://incubator.apache.org/shindig/index.html

§  Shindig download URL: http://incubator.apache.org/shindig/download/index.html

§  Gadget Dev guide: http://code.google.com/apis/gadgets/docs/dev_guide.html

§  Gadgets API reference: http://code.google.com/apis/gadgets/docs/reference/

§  Gadgets XML reference: http://code.google.com/apis/gadgets/docs/reference.html#Moduleprefs_Ref

§  Open social specification: http://www.opensocial.org/Technical-Resources/opensocial-spec-v09/OpenSocial-Specification.html

§  JavaScript API Reference: http://incubator.apache.org/shindig/shindig-1.1.x/shindig-features/jsdoc/index.html