How to install Gadgets in your Blogger
Gadgets are as easy to install as Blogger's default
widgets. Simply go to Layout>Page Elements in your Blogger dashboard
and click the "Add a Gadget" link in the area where you want to install
your gadget.
A pop-up screen like this will appear:
you can browse gadgets in the directory, search for gadgets of interest, or add a gadget using the URL where it is hosted.
Once you have chosen a gadget to add, you should be presented with a configuration screen like this:
There will be different options here, depending on
the gadget you have chosen to install. This example shows the
configuration options for my Twitter Updates gadget.
At the very least, you should be able to alter the title of the gadget,
however most gadgets have other configuration options available. A
preview of how the gadget will look in your blog will appear below
these options (do bear in mind that the width of the gadget may be
wider when displayed in your blog if the area in which it is added has
larger dimensions than the preview screen).
Once you've changed any settings, be sure to click the "Update" link in
order to see the changes appear before you save. The gadget will then
appear in your blog, and it's position can be changed in the Page
Elements section of your dashboard.
Featured Gadgets
The Blogger team have created The Featured Gadgets
blog which details gadgets of particular interest. Some of these
gadgets are also included in the Featured Gadgets section of the Gadget
directory (available when you choose to add a new gadget through your
dashboard).
I'm thrilled to find four of my own gadgets are "featured": Recent
Posts, Recent Comments, Picasa Photostream and Twitter Updates, and
look forward to seeing the efforts of other Blogger developers in the
future.
Developing Blogger Gadgets
The Blogger team have created extensive
documentation for those hoping to develop gadgets for use with Blogger
in addition to the extensive resources for creating Google gadgets.
I've also begun a three-part series for creating Blogger gadgets over
at Blogging Tips to explain the basics including how to utilize Blogger
feeds in our gadgets, use skinning parameters and user preferences for
customizable gadget utilities.
Once you've created a Blogger gadget, you can add it to the Blogger
Gadget directory using this link. Your gadget should appear in the
public directory within about 30 minutes of successful submission and
the best gadgets will be featured in the Featured Gadgets blog.
Gadgets I'm working on now
In addition to the four gadgets mentioned above, I
have a further three gadgets which are almost ready for public release:
a Flickr Photostream Gadget (install with your Flickr username, not the
URL of your feed); a TwitPic gadget (to display your recent TwitPic
updates) and a Juitter gadget, for real-time updates which mention your
username or other search terms.
Over the next few days, I'll update with posts for all my gadgets with
full details of functions and installation so you can add and enjoy
these gadgets in your Blogger powered blogs.
via www.bloggerbuster.com
