 |
|
More Related Stories |
 |
From: $103 to $135 |
|
Apple Software Mac OS X Panther
MAC OS X PANTHER V10.3 RETAIL
From: $101 to $127 |
|
Apple Mac OS X Server v10.4 ""Tiger""
With Mac OS X Server v10.4, Apple has integrated p...
From: $340 to $499 |
| Page (2) of 3 - 07/09/04 |
 email article |
 print
page |
What's behind Dashboard
First, let's look at Dashboard itself in the context of how our esteemed Mr. Hyatt describes it. From a post dated June 30, 2004 (linked for complete context):
[Dashboard Widgets] are Web pages, plain and simple (with extra features thrown in for added measure). Apple's own web site says "build your own widgets using the JavaScript language", but that's sort of misleading. The widgets are HTML+CSS+JS.
And, later the same day:
From a browser geek's perspective, the Dashboard is a collection of HTML sidebar panels liberated from the browser window and placed anywhere on your screen. The "Web pages as widgets" concept is really just a logical extension of the Web sidebar panel metaphor fused with Exposé.
OK, seems plain enough. The backbone of your basic Widget is simply a combination of standard Web technologies, which taken by itself is pretty cool. And considering the growing support in Safari (well, technically, WebKit, since that's what both Safari and Dashboard lean on) for CSS3 features like opacity and shadows, things which could be termed "neat-o" are certainly possible right off the bat with just the HTML/CSS/JS triumvirate. But judging from the Widgets Apple is showing off, there's got to be something else going on under the hood to make these things work. And indeed, there is.
Mo' better HTML
Apparently, Apple is planning some additions to WebKit in the form of several HTML extensions to help make Widgets work. According the July 7th entry, there are four such extensions:
(1) Slider controls. This is not only used by Dashboard but also by Safari RSS, and so this feature cannot be restricted only to the Dashboard.
(2) Search fields. Again, this feature is used by Dashboard and Safari RSS.
(3) The new composite attribute on the img tag. This feature is used only by Dashboard.
(4) The canvas tag. This feature is used only by Dashboard.
My first inkling is to a pull a "look what getting all proprietary did for IE," but it does make for some interesting possibilities, seeing as Widgets aren't really meant to be delivered over the Internet anyway. Slider controls and search fields seems to be relatively self-explanatory, which leaves an extension to the img tag (composite) and a new canvas tag to scratch our collective heads over. The canvas tag apparently provides a HTML-based 2D drawing system, and the composite attribute introduces what else compositing of elements into HTML. Again, interesting possibilities. But where would things like QuickTime or Flash come into the mix?
A new plugin standard
I've got to thank David here, because if he hadn't mentioned anything on Surfin' Safari, I most certainly would have tossed the recent news that Apple has joined a new consortium of companies looking to develop a more modern browser plugin system down the memory hole. But, as mentioned in the July 2 posting:
...We're working with other browser vendors to extend the plugin API to add scriptability... This means you can obviously execute native code from within any WebKit application's Web pages through the use of scriptable plugins.
Curiouser and curiouser. If I'm reading all this correctly, which is far from certain, I'm guessing that this new plugin spec will find its way into the final version of Safari 2.0, meaning that the underlying WebKit, and therefore Dashboard, will have access to these "rich" plugins that the consortium is promising. So, in theory, any plugin that has been updated to work with the new spec could be an integral part of whatever Dashboard Widget wanting to take advantage of plugins. Add in that this new spec would, assumedly, be permitted within the confines of such a Widget to execute native OS X code, Dashboard is looking less and less like a modern version of Desk Accessories and more and more like a proof-of-concept for a very accessible, very flexible application development environment.
Page: Prev Page 1 2 3 Next Page
Related Sites: Creative Mac , Digital Producer , Audio Video Producer , Corporate Media News , Digital Media Designer , Oceania , MacDesignProRelated Newsletter: DMN Newsletter , CMN Newsletter , Pixels Newsletter , Mac Alert Newsletter , Digital Media Net , DMNForums
To Comment on This Article, Click HERE
Most Recent Reader Comments:
Click Here To Read All Posts
Must be Registered to Respond (Free Registration!!!, CLICK HERE)
