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Web Runtime Widgets in a Nutshell

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Nutshell guides are technology introductions for the less technical reader. They are designed to provide an overview of the relative advantages/disadvantages, and effort-to-use of a particular programming environment.

Widgets are lightweight web applications that can run independently from the browser application. Widgets use standard web technologies such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript and AJAX. Widgets are quick to develop and easy to distribute and install.

Widgets can run on phones that support Web Runtime environment. Web Runtime (WRT) is a web application development environment from Nokia which enables widgets to run, operate and behave like native applications.

Contents

Key features

  • Enables relatively simple programs, often interacting with server-side web services (e.g., information retrieval and search jump-off) or self-contained games
  • Widgets’ operations are mainly implemented using JavaScript. The use of standard web technologies means an almost flat learning curve for existing web designers
  • Web Runtime (WRT) provides extension APIs for widgets to access certain system properties and mobile environments
  • This is a relatively new environment and is still rapidly growing. Forthcoming versions of WRT will be adding APIs to enable access to information and services provided by the device, for example, GPS, contacts, calendar, messaging, audio and video information and services

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Widgets appear to the user as normal applications
  • There’s an almost flat learning curve for the web design/development community, which reduces the cost and time-to-market associated with developing mobile applications
  • Migration between standards-based widget platforms is relatively straightforward
  • No signing is required (unlike a native application)
Cons
  • Not all common JavaScript functions and HTML properties are supported in the current Nokia WRT platform
  • The current version of WRT has extremely limited access to phone hardware and features: basic power, memory, language, network information, control of keypad lights and phone vibration
  • Performance can be an issue for more complex applications

Effort estimate

1 (1 – 5, where 1 is the easiest)

Market share indicator

Newly released in S60 3.2, limited deployment currently. Several other similar widget environments exist with over 10million deployed.

Examples

Symbian.org WRT Widget This widget provides a neat way of viewing Symbian Foundation Forums, Blogs, Wiki and Bugzilla on your phone.

WeatherBug by WeatherBug This widget shows what’s happening with a dazzling display of forecasts and radar views.

Battery widget by Risalmin A good example of a widget performing a simple but useful task.

Nokia’s MOSH Nokia’s distribution channel for applications and widgets.

Reference

Retrieved from "http://developer.symbian.org/wiki/index.php/Web_Runtime_Widgets_in_a_Nutshell"

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