Blog Widgets

Widgets are tools used to arrange and rearrange sidebars to the user’s satisfaction without the need to touch a line of code.  They are called widgets because they allow the user to move things or widget around, in and out of the sidebar.  It may be a category list, the most recent comments or a link to the admin pages.  One widget allows the user to type whatever he/she wants in the sidebar such as some HTML or Java Script Code.

Widgets in a larger context are essentially an engine that is a full screen application while individual widgets are windows, views or pallets within this application.  It is possible to develop a collection of widgets that interact like frames or views to provide additional functionality even if each is self contained and useful on its own.  In this sense, the widget engine becomes a collection of widgets containing abstracted data from a variety of sources.

Functionality beyond the basic things such as “display this” or “put it over there” cannot be solved with a single widget.  Building a single widget with wide functionality would probably result to quite a big one which might not be very easy to use.  Individual widgets are simple and useful but functionality is leveraged when they interact.

Spicing up the sidebar of a blog with some content or functionality from another site is possible.  Adding a widget can be as easy as browsing the widget gallery and choosing the widget that is right for the blog.  It can then be configured at the widget provider‘s site and then have it posted to the blog.