WWW2007: Art Barstow on “Widgets and Web Applications”

Note: These are rough notes from the WWW2007 conference.

The WAF WG started in December 2005.  Its mission is to develop specifications which all for better client-side applications.

Everyone uses widgets.  They’re now coming to the mobile space. They use the massive base of Web developers.  The degree of resources needed is low compared to a java application.

Widgets are client side Web applications that use HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and AJAX.  The W3C is working on defining the packing format, probably ZIP.

There is going to need to be a manifest for whats in the package, like Widget name and permissions.  It’d be helpful to come up with a localization model.   They’re working on how to sign a widget.

Its not in the WAF WG scope to look at platform APIs or mandating the UI.

There has been some gathering of requirements for Widgets.  They did this by looking at the existing Widget Platforms and Engines.  They’ve looked at the current design principles.

There is the Packaging Format spec.  There is also a commitment to make a packaging primer.

WAF WG is also working on XML Binding Language.  It binds some XML to another chunk of XML.  This is codifying existing practices.

XBL could be used to reorder content.  There could be content adaptation for smaller screens or refactored for accessibility reasons.

WAF WG is also working on Read Access for Web Resources.  The problems is that browsers don’t allow cross-site scripting.