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Create fully customised widgets for your website

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A friend has just passed on a brilliant web link which I’ve finally got around to playing with today

It’s called Widgetbox and it’s one of these wonderful, free, web 2.0 style websites which does pretty complicated stuff very easily and intuitively.

Previously I’ve used Google Gadgets for my widgets and been very happy with it.

However, Widgetbox gives Google Gadgets a run for its money.

With Widgetbox, you can create your own widget or use someone else’s widget.

The widgets you create are automatically made available on the site, so it also becomes a way of getting your site ‘out there’ and bring it to the attention of a new audience.

You can use it for your blog, your social networking profile or your website, and it bolts into all the most popular sites.

Using other peoples’ widgets

You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to using other peoples’ widgets, and it’s as simple as searching for what you want, locating a decent widget, telling Widgetbox which site you’re going to cut and paste the HTML to, then copying that HTML over to your site.

So, for instance, I’ve been looking for a useful feed of web design blogs to add to this site.

The code looks like this:

<object classid=”clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000″ codebase=”http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave
/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” width=”400px” height=”343px” id=”InsertWidget_2453cbcc-c3da-4a0e-84e7-2dbb20c67e2c” align=”middle”><param name=”movie” value=”http://widgetserver.com/syndication/flash/wrapper
/InsertWidget.swf”/><param name=”quality” value=”high” /><param name=”wmode” value=”transparent” /><param name=”menu” value=”false” /><param name=”flashvars” value=”r=2&appId=2453cbcc-c3da-4a0e-84e7-2dbb20c67e2c” /> <embed src=”http://widgetserver.com/syndication/flash/
wrapper/InsertWidget.swf” name=”InsertWidget_2453cbcc-c3da-4a0e-84e7-2dbb20c67e2c” width=”400px” height=”343px” quality=”high” menu=”false” pluginspage=”http://www.macromedia.com/
go/getflashplayer” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” wmode=”transparent” align=”middle” flashvars=”r=2&appId=2453cbcc-c3da-4a0e-84e7-2dbb20c67e2c” /></object>

Added properly to this page, the widget looks like this:

Notice the ‘Get Widget’ tab at the bottom … it’s really easy for other people to spot your widget then grab it for themselves.

This is something that’s not so easy using Google gadgets, take a look at my earlier Google Gadgets post and give it a try!

There’s lots and lots of fun stuff to look at too - take a look at this widget by way of an example:

Making your own widget

So it’s easy enough to use other people’s widgets, how about making your own?

Well, it’s a breeze I’m pleased to say.

You need to sign up for a free account first.

Next, you click on the ‘Make a widget’ button.

From there, you select where your widget will end up and what it will look like:

- Flash file?

- HTML or Javascript?

- Web page?

- Blog feed?

- Widget?

The rest is completely intuitive, with Widgetbox prompting you at every turn.

To create the widget below, all I had to do was tell Widgetbox the URL of my blog feed and the correct image to use:

When I discover new websites like this, i always wonder why it took me so long to find them.

It’s a wonderful site, extremely easy to use and adaptable to whatever your web intentions are.

Now for a quick game on the ‘Bubbles’ widget!