Write desktop gadgets with ease

Jan 23, 2007 09:28 GMT  ·  By

Google Desktop represents the first Google attempt to expand the power of the search engine into the offline area because it is a downloadable application that can help you organize your files easier. Windows already provides a search function for the local files but Google Desktop is a powerful program that offers even more than a search utility. After the first run, the tool will index all the files stored on your computer and will find your files quicker, no matter their location. Besides the search functions, Google Desktop also enables you to access multiple Google services directly from your desktop.

One of the most interesting features provided by the desktop application is the support for gadgets, tiny tools that can add even more functions to the program. The gadgets require minimal resources and can't be executed as a stand-alone application but they can increase the functionality of the Google Desktop tool. At this time, Google currently offers a lot of gadgets developed by the company but also a huge number of tools designed by developers from all around the world. Christmas Trees, clocks, desktop utilities, search engines and many other tools are all available on the official website of the service.

Because many Google Desktop users are interested in developing their own gadgets, Google responded to the feedback messages by releasing a simple tutorial that can help you design simple tools. Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer posted a message on the official blog to announce the tutorial and to present more details about the documentation.

"Even if you're an experienced developer, you might learn something here. (OK, maybe you won't, but you'll almost certainly have ideas for improving this tutorial or writing new ones, and we'd love to hear from you.) This tutorial covers everything you need to create your first gadget, from downloading the SDK to editing a gadget's code and packaging the gadget so other users can run it. Along the way, you'll add a bit of pizazz to the SDK's Hello World sample, in the form of animated text," the Google employee said.

If you want to read the entire tutorial provided by Google, you should follow this link and read the steps that are suitable for your knowledge.