DesktopX 3.5 to export Sidebar gadgets!
More options for designers!
Saturday, February 10, 2007 by Frogboy | Discussion: WinCustomize News
Stardock is getting close to releasing the public beta of DesktopX 3.5. DesktopX is a program that enables users to build their own desktops through objects.
Users can export entire desktops (as .desktop files) or export parts of their desktop as mini-applications called widgets.
What sets DesktopX apart from other technologies is the inherent power of the underlying APIs. You can, literally, create anything with DesktopX. It supports ActiveX controls, VB Script, JavaScript, animation, sound effects, The Windows Performance Monitoring APIs and tons of other features that have helped make it quite successful in corporate environments.
With DesktopX 3.5, users will have the added option of exporting widgets as Windows Sidebar gadgets. By default, the only way to make Windows Sidebar gadgets is to mess around with DHTML -- Sidebar gadgets essentially web pages created into a specific form factor. DesktopX 3.5 will allow users who create Sidebar gadgets that are significantly more powerful with a lot less effort.
DesktopX is part of Stardock's Object Desktop suite of desktop enhancement programs.
Screenshot: A user-created desktop.
Screenshot: A user created widget.
Draginol
Reply #2 Saturday, February 10, 2007 7:41 PM
Reply #2 Saturday, February 10, 2007 7:41 PM
There are no new betas available as far as I know.
RomanDA
Reply #3 Saturday, February 10, 2007 8:22 PM
Reply #3 Saturday, February 10, 2007 8:22 PM
Im right there with Carl.. I am looking forward to seeing how powerful this new feature is, and what other goodies 3.5 adds.. (and feature list out there?)
vampireUK
Reply #4 Saturday, February 10, 2007 9:06 PM
Reply #4 Saturday, February 10, 2007 9:06 PM
If I undetstand this right, we will be able to export windows sidebar gadgets to dx ?
pjdark
Reply #5 Saturday, February 10, 2007 9:18 PM
Reply #5 Saturday, February 10, 2007 9:18 PM
looking forward to this new beta. cannot wait to check it out.
warreni
Reply #6 Saturday, February 10, 2007 10:17 PM
Actually, the post says that you can export DesktopX widgets as Sidebar gadgets. It's unclear whether the reverse functionality would be an option.
Reply #6 Saturday, February 10, 2007 10:17 PM
If I undetstand this right, we will be able to export windows sidebar gadgets to dx ?
Actually, the post says that you can export DesktopX widgets as Sidebar gadgets. It's unclear whether the reverse functionality would be an option.
thomassen
Reply #7 Saturday, February 10, 2007 10:28 PM
Doubt it'll be possible. Because Sidebar gadgets use HTML and JS where the JS manipulate the DOM to control the appearance of the gadget. I don't see how that can be converted into DesktopX equivalent.
Reply #7 Saturday, February 10, 2007 10:28 PM
If I undetstand this right, we will be able to export windows sidebar gadgets to dx ?
Doubt it'll be possible. Because Sidebar gadgets use HTML and JS where the JS manipulate the DOM to control the appearance of the gadget. I don't see how that can be converted into DesktopX equivalent.
pmulcahy11b
Reply #8 Saturday, February 10, 2007 11:39 PM
Reply #8 Saturday, February 10, 2007 11:39 PM
OK, fine, but something that also needs to be fixed a bit is Icon Packager -- particularly its annoying tendencies to not change some icons, the lack of the ability to add new Control Panel icons to Package Builder, and the screwy tendency for Package Builder to scramble the icons when you are building a package but have to save it when it is partially-built for whatever reason.
Draginol
Reply #9 Sunday, February 11, 2007 12:10 AM
Reply #9 Sunday, February 11, 2007 12:10 AM
OK, fine, but something that also needs to be fixed a bit is Icon Packager -- particularly its annoying tendencies to not change some icons, the lack of the ability to add new Control Panel icons to Package Builder, and the screwy tendency for Package Builder to scramble the icons when you are building a package but have to save it when it is partially-built for whatever reason.
A perfectly reasonsable request - in a post that has to do with IconPackager. This is a DesktopX discussion. 
qrush
Reply #10 Sunday, February 11, 2007 12:34 AM
Reply #10 Sunday, February 11, 2007 12:34 AM
Will you need to have DesktopX installed to run converted DesktopX-Sidebar gadgets? This concerns me because I've started to make Sidebar gadgets in DHTML, and I hoped that I would have a bit of an advantage over DX...but I guess not.
I'd love to get in contact with the person who is developing this feature for DesktopX. I've got a pretty good understanding of how the Sidebar Gadgets work, so I'd really like to know how DesktopX widgets, which are usually coded in VBScript, are being converted into DHTML.
I'd love to get in contact with the person who is developing this feature for DesktopX. I've got a pretty good understanding of how the Sidebar Gadgets work, so I'd really like to know how DesktopX widgets, which are usually coded in VBScript, are being converted into DHTML.
thomassen
Reply #11 Sunday, February 11, 2007 5:53 AM
Reply #11 Sunday, February 11, 2007 5:53 AM
I'm wondering if they are running in some sort of ActiveX control. Don't see it being converted to HTML and JS code because it'd involve converting DX objects into HTML elements and manipulating the DOM etc.
Whether it's VBscript or JScript shouldn't matter. Since Sidebar Gadgets are HTML pages powered by IE I'd expect Sidebar Gadgets can be written in VBScript as well.
Whether it's VBscript or JScript shouldn't matter. Since Sidebar Gadgets are HTML pages powered by IE I'd expect Sidebar Gadgets can be written in VBScript as well.
qrush
Reply #12 Sunday, February 11, 2007 12:24 PM
Reply #12 Sunday, February 11, 2007 12:24 PM
Thomassen: If I 'd have to guess, some sort of ActiveX control would be the solution, it would load up the DesktopX environment and then execute the gadget in it. Quite nifty, but I want to see how efficient and effective it will be.
Draginol
Reply #13 Sunday, February 11, 2007 1:23 PM
Reply #13 Sunday, February 11, 2007 1:23 PM
DesktopX Pro will export them stand-alone and regular DesktopX will require that the user download the DesktopX run-time (same as widgets).
As neat as Sidebar gadgets are, they do not have the kind of robust API support underneath that DesktopX has -- DesktopX has several years of development to its advantage.
rabidrobot
Reply #14 Wednesday, February 28, 2007 1:21 PM
Reply #14 Wednesday, February 28, 2007 1:21 PM
What sort of transparency is available to DesktopX objects exported for use in Windows Sidebar? Will DX-based widgets require rectangular opaque backgrounds (like some other hosted content in WS), transparent edges but not overlapped (ala basic Windows Sidebar gadgets), or full alpha-transparency as we are used to with DX?
What kind of intelligence will DX have about what is being created and exported? Is it going to allow without comment things that probably won't work with Sidebar, like Z-order control, size change and movement animations (screen position in general), scripts that conflict with UAC, volume control, drop-shadows, creation and deletion of peripheral objects, etc?
How much will DX object-collections exported for use with sidebar be able to interact with that limited Sidebar API? Will DX created gadgets, for example, be allowed flyouts consistent with those in existing sidebar gadgets? Will DX exports have access to a settings menu triggered by a button on the gadget frame itself, as do typical sidebar gadgets? Will Sidebar events like docking and undocking be communicated to DX based gadgets?
Are DX exports going to be essentially standalone gadgets (or widgets), running in their own separate executable, with little more to distinguish them as Sidebar Gadgets at all than a thumb to drag with and a close button?
With Sidebar Gadgets, DesktopX Widgets, DesktopX Gadgets, and now DesktopX Widgets for Windows Sidebar and DesktopX Gadgets for Windows Sidebar, is the responsibility for making these distinctions clear to users going to fall on gadget creators? Will there be one gallery at WinCustomize holding them all, although they will have distinctly different behaviors? Like DX Gadgets being stuck in the DX Widgets gallery, causing confusion and even animosity when a user doesn't get what they expect?
I know there's a lot of questions here, but like DoctorNick, I'm eager to know if DX for Sidebar is going to be actually useful or another DX curiosity--a way to convert weather gadgets and clocks.
What kind of intelligence will DX have about what is being created and exported? Is it going to allow without comment things that probably won't work with Sidebar, like Z-order control, size change and movement animations (screen position in general), scripts that conflict with UAC, volume control, drop-shadows, creation and deletion of peripheral objects, etc?
How much will DX object-collections exported for use with sidebar be able to interact with that limited Sidebar API? Will DX created gadgets, for example, be allowed flyouts consistent with those in existing sidebar gadgets? Will DX exports have access to a settings menu triggered by a button on the gadget frame itself, as do typical sidebar gadgets? Will Sidebar events like docking and undocking be communicated to DX based gadgets?
Are DX exports going to be essentially standalone gadgets (or widgets), running in their own separate executable, with little more to distinguish them as Sidebar Gadgets at all than a thumb to drag with and a close button?
With Sidebar Gadgets, DesktopX Widgets, DesktopX Gadgets, and now DesktopX Widgets for Windows Sidebar and DesktopX Gadgets for Windows Sidebar, is the responsibility for making these distinctions clear to users going to fall on gadget creators? Will there be one gallery at WinCustomize holding them all, although they will have distinctly different behaviors? Like DX Gadgets being stuck in the DX Widgets gallery, causing confusion and even animosity when a user doesn't get what they expect?
I know there's a lot of questions here, but like DoctorNick, I'm eager to know if DX for Sidebar is going to be actually useful or another DX curiosity--a way to convert weather gadgets and clocks.
rabidrobot
Reply #15 Wednesday, February 28, 2007 1:30 PM
Reply #15 Wednesday, February 28, 2007 1:30 PM
Thomassen and DoctorNick,
I created my gadgets for Sidebar using VBScript. It works very well, except for a few things. Some sidebar events, like settings close and open, simply cannot be subscribed to with vbscript--they are not prepared for it. But you can easily subscribe to events with javascript and signal your vbscript.
I think vbscript was discouraged as a scripting-language for Sidebar Gadgets because there was hope that many gadgets would be cross-platform. Running on a Mac visiting live.com with Firefox as easily as on the Vista Desktop in Sidebar.
I think that is a bit shortsighted. Vbscript provides much more powerful access to the desktop computer and file system, and easily incorporates propietary MS abilities, like graphical image filters.
If cross-platform usability is a concern, then javascript may be your best bet. But if you are making a gadget specifically for Windows Sidebar, and are already more familiar with vbscript, that will work equally as well and is not without its advantages.
I created my gadgets for Sidebar using VBScript. It works very well, except for a few things. Some sidebar events, like settings close and open, simply cannot be subscribed to with vbscript--they are not prepared for it. But you can easily subscribe to events with javascript and signal your vbscript.
I think vbscript was discouraged as a scripting-language for Sidebar Gadgets because there was hope that many gadgets would be cross-platform. Running on a Mac visiting live.com with Firefox as easily as on the Vista Desktop in Sidebar.
I think that is a bit shortsighted. Vbscript provides much more powerful access to the desktop computer and file system, and easily incorporates propietary MS abilities, like graphical image filters.
If cross-platform usability is a concern, then javascript may be your best bet. But if you are making a gadget specifically for Windows Sidebar, and are already more familiar with vbscript, that will work equally as well and is not without its advantages.
thomassen
Reply #16 Wednesday, February 28, 2007 5:54 PM
Stuff that JScript can't access?
Reply #16 Wednesday, February 28, 2007 5:54 PM
Vbscript provides much more powerful access to the desktop computer and file system, and easily incorporates propietary MS abilities, like graphical image filters.
Stuff that JScript can't access?
rabidrobot
Reply #17 Wednesday, February 28, 2007 6:54 PM
Reply #17 Wednesday, February 28, 2007 6:54 PM
To be honest I don't know javascript well enough to say that something could or couldn't be done at all. Indeed, the image filtersI mention can be applied in the css.
But seeing as the gadgets are rendered in essentially an Internet Explorer window, I don't see any reason in this particular case not to take advantage of vbscript. If ActiveX components become at all common in gadgets, for example, it may just be easier to use vbscript.
I meant my main point to be that vbscript is designed to work well with Windows OS and Internet Explorer, while javascript has more universal uses. Since Sidebar gadgets are running in Explorer on Windows, vbscript would seem to me the logical choice for gadgets meant to be restricted to the desktop.
But, both do work, and perhaps my bias is just from a greater familiarity with vbscript. I don't know of anything off hand that simply can't be done in javascript, but in that light, other things being equal, I'll take the language developed specifically for the platform I am scripting for--Windows!
But seeing as the gadgets are rendered in essentially an Internet Explorer window, I don't see any reason in this particular case not to take advantage of vbscript. If ActiveX components become at all common in gadgets, for example, it may just be easier to use vbscript.
I meant my main point to be that vbscript is designed to work well with Windows OS and Internet Explorer, while javascript has more universal uses. Since Sidebar gadgets are running in Explorer on Windows, vbscript would seem to me the logical choice for gadgets meant to be restricted to the desktop.
But, both do work, and perhaps my bias is just from a greater familiarity with vbscript. I don't know of anything off hand that simply can't be done in javascript, but in that light, other things being equal, I'll take the language developed specifically for the platform I am scripting for--Windows!
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Reply #1 Saturday, February 10, 2007 5:46 PM