Pro Web Gadgets: Across iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, iGoogle and More

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.