Widgets. How to install a widget. What is a widget? What is a gadget and what is a widget

Active users of the Internet, computers and mobile devices often ask the question: “What are widgets?” Many, without knowing it, encounter them many times a day. When visiting websites, you can often see small blocks on your computer monitor containing information about the weather, exchange rates and much more. Similar mini-applications can be installed on the screens of various devices.

What do you mean by widgets?

The concept of “widget” is used incorrectly in many cases: it refers to ordinary sidebars on web resources. While programs belonging to the category of widgets are called gadgets or something else. Both cause confusion. Even though the word “widget” sounds modern, it was first used back in 1926. At first it was indeed synonymous with gadget and meant some kind of device, but today it is no longer associated with any devices.

What is a widget in the modern sense?

Nowadays this word refers to a certain category of auxiliary applications that are small in size and have a small set of functions. They act as graphic modules and are placed in the workspace of the main programs: browsers, operating systems, search engines, etc. They can serve to solve everyday problems, provide quick access to useful information, be entertaining, or simply decorate the screen. Some widgets only work when the Internet is connected, while others work offline.

Main types of widgets

The described applications can be designed for the desktop (desktop widgets) or for Internet pages (web widgets). Thanks to the ability to use widgets in Internet browsers and directly in operating systems, the prospects for their implementation in the everyday life of programmers and ordinary users are expanding. The developer can place visual applications on resource pages. And the user has to interact with them. In addition to graphic ones, there are simple text widgets that are purely informational.

What type of application does it look like?

The widget can take various forms:

Yandex allows you to install applications that display a clock, news feed, traffic information and a search bar. They are supported by popular operating systems and browsers.
In previous versions of Windows, widgets are located on the desktop, and in G8 there is a special area for them. There may be clocks, calendars, mini-games, links to news, or user-customized resources.
Some Apple OSes have a separate layer for widgets, called a dashboard. It becomes visible when you press F12.
The Opera browser has come a long way: widgets based on it are placed on the desktop and function on any device equipped with a desktop or mobile browser from this developer.

Learn more about desktop widgets

A mini-application that can be launched from the main screen on a specific operating platform is called a desktop widget. They can be installed from various sources: found in a special section of pre-installed applications or downloaded from the network. Often, widgets can be moved around the screen, their size can be adjusted, and their design can be changed. For example, in the “seven” and some other systems there is a clock widget: it is placed on the desktop with one click and displays the system time. A weather forecast application on any system will work properly only when the network is connected. What is a widget in terms of functionality? In most cases, it is used to quickly obtain information without opening a browser or some section of the computer, but it can also be represented as a mini-game.

Features of Web Widgets

A mini-application that is embedded into a website page is called a web widget. It can be a window leading to another service: in this case, a separate page will be loaded into the widget area. Thus, maximum functionality is achieved within a single web page by combining several options and even different resources. Web widgets are often called gadgets, modules, snippets, and browser extensions are sometimes included in their category.

What are web widgets?

Browser mini-applications are divided into two groups:

Interactive - allowing you to interact with yourself, for example, enter information about the desired route on the map or send a short message.
Non-interactive (informers) - containing content that is displayed regardless of user activity. In the form of such a widget, for example, a certificate of current exchange rates can be provided.

Installing a browser widget

As a rule, installing a graphical application is not a problem and can be done in a few clicks. This process roughly looks like this (using the Opera widgets as an example):

Download and install a browser that supports widgets. It could be Opera, starting with version 9 beta, or one of the modern alternative Internet browsers.
The browser starts, pressing F4 opens the access panel to widgets, bookmarks and notes. This feature makes it easy to manage mini-applications.
Clicking on Widgets loads a list of widgets available for installation.
Clicking on Add opens a list of available applications with descriptions and illustrations.
Having chosen the widget you like, you need to add it and wait a few seconds until the installation is complete.

Useful widgets for Chrome

In the Chrome browser, widgets are often associated with extensions because their access buttons are located on the toolbar and can be used while viewing any page. Examples of useful extensions:

Chrome Nanny - helps fight wasted time online. Settings allow you to prohibit access to certain sites during working hours, limit your stay on VKontakte to 15-20 minutes, etc.
Zoomy - optimizes text for the user’s screen, stretching it to the required distance.
Torrent Turbo Search - helps you search for the necessary materials on file hosting services and in torrent directories. Covers many resources, including The Pirate Bay. There is an option that allows you to search only on Russian-language resources.
iReader - with one click of a button, opens a new window containing only the text from the loaded page. Advertising and other distracting details are completely absent.
Loomnit - allows you to share links, texts, images and files without leaving the browser. One click opens a window where the selected content is added, and a second click provides a short link for sharing.

Developing your own widgets

What is a widget from a developer's point of view? This is a regular application that is written in HTML, JavaScript or a more advanced JavaScript API that allows you to manage and save parameters. The widget can be written in any of the server-side languages that result in HTML (for example, PHP). Programmers classify these applications in their own way, distinguishing between them stand-alone and server-based. The first category involves placing the application in a single XHTML file, while allowing the use of styles and scripts from third-party resources. The second group includes widgets whose bodies are completely loaded from third-party resources. The section of the server widget is empty; instead, the address from which the download occurs is written in the src property. The widget can be created from scratch or you can use a special template (constructor).

Today, almost everyone has a computer or laptop, phone or tablet. And here it doesn’t even matter what a person uses his or her computer for, but the important thing is that these devices are useful. They make it easier to work with documents, provide access to useful information on the Internet, and, finally, they simply allow you to relax in your free time and play games. Moreover, each of them supports widgets. What is it and what types of widgets are there? What is their purpose and scope of application?

Widget Definition

In fact, this is not a specific term that you will need serious knowledge of computer technology to understand. Let's look at everything "on the fingers", that is, in simple language.

A widget is a small program that performs a particular function. They are usually very helpful. They can decorate the desktop of a computer or any other device, even a phone.

There are widgets with different functionality, for example, Yandex has its own:

news;
watch;
weather;
traffic jams and many others.

They are available for operating systems of the Windows family, and can also be built into, for example, Opera or Chrome. Each widget performs its function without burdening the user with unnecessary information for better perception.

By the way, earlier, in Vista OS, such mini-applications were called gadgets. But gadgets are still something else. This word most often refers to some kind of device. For example, the same cell phone. But a widget is a program, that is, an application, code that does not have a physical shell.

Here are some examples of widgets from Yandex:

Widgets from Yandex on Windows

Widgets from Yandex in MacOS

The full list can be viewed at the link: widgets.yandex.ru.
However, other companies are also working in this direction. There are many developers around the world who produce useful programs. For monitoring the weather, stock prices, computer load, network usage (incoming and outgoing traffic), release of new films in cinemas and many others, whatever your imagination allows. Most widgets for computers have their counterparts for phones on Android, Windows Phone and iOS, however, there are also specialized ones that are suitable only for mobile devices, for example, buttons for turning Wi-Fi on and off, GPS, screen auto-rotate, and so on. They are simply not needed on a computer.

Widgets on websites

The situation with them is similar, but instead of the desktop, we are talking about websites. For example, now popular likes from VKontakte, Facebook or the “tweet” button. Yes, these are also widgets.
This is what they look like, you all know them very well:

They are embedded in the page code, as in the case of the desktop, and perform their small function.

As another example of widgets for a website, let’s take the same VKontakte. There are comments here, so they can be easily embedded in almost any website. The beauty is that you don’t even need to know programming, you just need to copy the code that VKontakte gives us and paste it into the right place on the site, for example, after the body of the article.

Now you know what widgets are and what types they come in (for the desktop, for the website, for the phone, and so on). Show this article to your friends and acquaintances if they have any difficulties. Ask any remaining questions in the comments, and we’ll figure it out together.

One of the first concepts that we come across when we begin to master our first Android tablet or phone is a widget. What is a widget?

A widget is a small program, or part of a program, that is located on the desktop of a device and is designed to display information, control the device’s equipment, and at the same time can launch another program of which it is a part.

For example, there are widgets that can be used to display information such as processor load, battery status, current weather information, and more. There are widgets with which you can quickly turn on or off GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, speakers and control other equipment of your Android device. There are widgets such as weather widgets, which display information about the current weather and weather forecast on the screen, and which can call the weather application of which they are part.

Widgets can have different sizes - from a minimum size of 1x1, in the style of a regular shortcut, to full screen.

As you can see, everything is very simple - a widget is a program that “lives” on the screen of your tablet or phone and allows you to control it, receive the necessary information, and so on.

Now let's figure out how to add a widget to your desktop. It is not enough just to install a widget on your device like any other application; it also needs to be placed on the desktop.

In Android version 3.0 and higher, you can add a widget using fairly simple manipulations:

1. Click on the cross icon located in the upper right corner of the screen

2. In the window that opens, at the bottom of it you will see lists of widgets, application shortcuts, wallpapers and other things installed on your tablet or phone. At the top of the window there is a list of desktops.

3. Tap on the words “Widgets” and select the desired widget from the list below (the list can be scrolled right and left). The widget will be placed on the current desktop.

In addition, you can simply drag the desired widget onto any of the desktops.

In earlier versions of Android, installing widgets on the screen is done a little differently:

1. Press and hold with your finger on an empty area of the tablet or phone screen.

2. In the menu that opens, select “Widgets”

3. A list will open with widgets installed on the device.

4. Select the desired widget from the list by tapping on it, and it will be placed on the screen of your device.

Widgets can be moved around the device screen. To do this, you need to press and hold your finger on it, and then move the widget to a new position. In Android 3.0 and above, you can resize some widgets. To do this, you need to select the widget on the screen with a long tap on it, and then change its size by pulling the frame in the place indicated by the diamond-shaped icon.

What do you mean by widgets?

What is a widget in the modern sense?

Main types of widgets

What type of application does it look like?

The widget can take various forms:

Yandex allows you to install applications that display a clock, news feed, traffic information and a search bar. They are supported by popular operating systems and browsers.
In previous versions of Windows, widgets are located on the desktop, and in G8 there is a special area for them. There may be clocks, calendars, mini-games, links to news, or user-customized resources.
Some Apple OSes have a separate layer for widgets, called a dashboard. It becomes visible when you press F12.
The Opera browser has come a long way: widgets based on it are placed on the desktop and function on any device equipped with a desktop or mobile browser from this developer.

Learn more about desktop widgets

Features of Web Widgets

What are web widgets?

Browser mini-applications are divided into two groups:

Interactive - allowing you to interact with yourself, for example, enter information about the desired route on the map or send a short message.
Non-interactive (informers) - containing content that is displayed regardless of user activity. In the form of such a widget, for example, a certificate of current exchange rates can be provided.

Installing a browser widget

As a rule, installing a graphical application is not a problem and can be done in a few clicks. This process roughly looks like this (using the Opera widgets as an example):

Download and install a browser that supports widgets. It could be Opera, starting with version 9 beta, or one of the modern alternative Internet browsers.
The browser starts, pressing F4 opens the access panel to widgets, bookmarks and notes. This feature makes it easy to manage mini-applications.
Clicking on Widgets loads a list of widgets available for installation.
Clicking on Add opens a list of available applications with descriptions and illustrations.
Having chosen the widget you like, you need to add it and wait a few seconds until the installation is complete.

Useful widgets for Chrome

In the Chrome browser, widgets are often associated with extensions because their access buttons are located on the toolbar and can be used while viewing any page. Examples of useful extensions:

Chrome Nanny - helps fight wasted time online. Settings allow you to prohibit access to certain sites during working hours, limit your stay on VKontakte to 15-20 minutes, etc.
Zoomy - optimizes text for the user’s screen, stretching it to the required distance.
Torrent Turbo Search - helps you search for the necessary materials on file hosting services and in torrent directories. Covers many resources, including The Pirate Bay. There is an option that allows you to search only on Russian-language resources.
iReader - with one click of a button, opens a new window containing only the text from the loaded page. Advertising and other distracting details are completely absent.
Loomnit - allows you to share links, texts, images and files without leaving the browser. One click opens a window where the selected content is added, and a second click provides a short link for sharing.

Developing your own widgets

Articles and Lifehacks

A mobile phone has become an integral attribute in modern society, so it is useful for everyone to know what a widget is on a mobile phone. The word widget comes from colloquial English and means some simple but necessary little thing.

The essence of the concept and purpose of the widget

A widget is an independent mini-program or part of a program that performs a given simple function. Functions can have service (display battery status, processor load) and informational (show time, weather, current exchange rates) purposes. There are control programs that are responsible for turning on and off speakers, Wi-Fi, and the operation of other equipment.

In addition to the undoubted benefits of widgets, they decorate the device interface. Although the same information that these programs provide can be found in the browser and on various sites, using such mini-programs saves a lot of time.

Benefits of using widgets on your device

Every mobile phone owner needs to know how to use these widgets to their advantage.

Phone owners can select individual blocks of mobile browsers based on their interests and quickly receive the information they need. Individual ones have been developed for each mobile phone model. Using applications ensures ease of use and traffic savings. At the same time, working with programs does not prevent the phone from performing its basic functions.

If for computer owners, a widget is a beautiful addition that saves time, then for those who know and use them regularly, the use of mini-programs becomes a necessity. It is much more convenient to just look at the display and find out exchange rates than to waste time searching in a mobile browser.

Installing useful programs is not difficult. All you have to do is go to the widget settings on your device and select the required program options from among the variety of offers. The phone owner will also be provided with assistance in installing them.