Introducing dotWidget...

Our Windows Konfabulator clone (dotWidget) is nearly due to go into full release after about 12 months in alpha (i.e. internal) development and roughly 2 months in beta (i.e. public) development. With it you can develop scripted (VBScript only at the moment; more languages will follow) components (widgets) that sit on your desktop and do, er, stuff...

Features:

- Innovative 'gripper' allows widgets to be dragged around the desktop without limiting each widget's individual functionality.

- Powerful object-based engine which allows widget code access to menus, receive notifications of file drops, etc.

- Easy to use GUI

- Works on both Windows 2000 and Windows XP/2003

- Does not require .net framework (or other large run-times)

- Low memory usage (~2MB base, then ~1.5MB per widget)

- Negligible CPU usage

- Large number of widgets already available

If you'd like to find out more, please visit our site or, you can download Release Candidate 1 (but please bear in mind this is only a release candidate!)

In the meantime, here's the latest screenshot of it in action!

Thanks

stan

#229004

the race is heating up!

#229012

Nice, but your not going to believe what I hopefully will get the chance to announce soon. The race really will heat up then.

Not developed by me no.

#229014

I think I might know what this is...

#229019

Heheh...

Though on topic, you've created a very nice release

Congrats on that.

#229025

Thanks!

We're obviously looking for more support, so if there's anyone reading this who fancies writing some widgets (a minimal SDK is available), doing some nice graphics, etc. just pop on over!

#229040

- can't find the SDK on the mentioned site

- consider a rename; www.dotwidget.com already taken for dissimilar product.

edit: n/m found it inside download zip.

#229045

Wow alot for windows, but why not for mac :

#229046

Buy me a mac and I'll see what I can do! Seriously though, I think the sudden explosion of desktop widget engines is basically because until very recently Windows had nothing (free) that could compare with Konfabulator. It seems that while the nineties gave us Shell Replacements, the naughties are owned by Widgets! =)

#229054

- can't find the SDK on the mentioned site

- consider a rename; www.dotwidget.com already taken for dissimilar product.

edit: n/m found it inside download zip.

We are considering a rebranding, however as the existing product is unrelated we feel this should take a lower priority. Glad you found the SDK - feel free to contact me directly (stan.k23-at-gmail.com) if you need any help developing widgets!

#229055

Some of you widgets are spookily close to Konfabs. Could be an issue. The gloss is almost identical.

A lot error on startup also.

#229064

Looks like a Kapsules clone to me. I think I'll stick with the original.

#229065

Hey Stan,

Congrats on your release!

- geo

#229066

mmm After more testing... sorry to say this, but you have some serious issues here. I'd pull this back into internal testing.

#229068

The " widget could not be added because it faild to initialize correctly.

What am I doing wrong? :confused:

#229080

This looks like someone is re-writing Kapsules. Ahem.

Identical structure. Function names so close its scary. Identical script objects...

Im not pointing fingers here, just stating how it LOOKS.

#229081

I'm getting the same feeling...

If it is the case, then it 'broke' during the changes

and Wizard... nothing. It doesn't work since the first time I managed to get it going.

#229098

Works OK here, I had to delete the dotwidget.conf file first - thats where it saves its config; there were some configs special to the PC of the guy who zipped the file - obviously not working on anybody else's PC.

I'm not sure, maybe it counts as a Kapsules "backport" from .Net to VB6 - but its plain too early to wager such an accusation - I guess any developer who's having to wire up "Layered Windows" & "GDI+" & "MS Script control" will come up with a similar API, similar solutions and similar single points of failure only differring at the angle of the light that shines in; Glosses & gradients are looking all the same everywhere, see image attached.

At first glance it has its shortcomings and benefits and sports yet another different user interface with nifty Office XP stylish menus and you are presented yet another way of how widgets are meant to interact with the user; those who know me already guess that this doesn't make me drool over my keyboard at all.

What literally shocked me is that most of this stuff is implemented in Visual Basic 6.0 - that and the usage of some GPL'd components meant for another project seem to have resulted in the incredibly short development time of 8 - in words eight - weeks; I couldn't find any earlier traces of the project. Now, the complete set of prominent windows development environments have their widgetery off the hook: The BeginEnders (aka Delphi) have produced Samurize, the C/C++ variety certainly leads the pack with DesktopX, Konfabulator and AveDesk, the 2001 newcomer .Net features Kapsules and now the second most pathetic beginners development environment (apart from Visual Foxpro, the first most pathetic) has delivered a noteworthy dotWidget app! Next timers should be Occam, Ada or Fortran '95 to cover the most remote view angle...

Imagery:

to the left- two kapsules widgets

to the right - one dotWidget widget.

#229108

Firstly, I can categorically state that _none_ of the imagery or design concepts have come from Kapsules. There is one very, very good reason for this and that is because I (and possibly others from k23 productions) were IP-banned by the site's administrator more-or-less when Kapsules was released. I'm not going to go into the why's and wherefore's because it's unnecessary and pointless but suffice to say that although I know what Kapsules is, I have never seen it running nor looked at any screenshots.

Also, development started approximately twelve months ago under the codename "liquid" (there may be mention of this in places, however almost all work done was kept very closely under wraps).

I can also guarantee that no Konfabulator graphics have been used (at least not knowingly) as I've made a point not to download the Windows version of this for that very reason (and I've not unpacked any .sit files either!). I am in the process of contacting the authors of the various graphics I've used to ensure I have permission to use them - problem graphics will be removed before final release.

I messed up when I put RC-1 together and left a load of config files in place. I've upped a cleaned version to the same place so if you're having trouble with it you may want to delete it and download it again (sorry) - it should work properly this time.

Lastly, I'm really _not_ reverse-engineering any other applications and I'm convinced that development on dotWidget started before a number of other similar applications were even announced, let alone released. Unfourtunately, it took me a lot longer than expected to get even a basic release out so it's inevitable that dotWidget will be compared to other apps.

ps, Thanks geO!

#229136

Your RC-1a works just fine for me... I was about to suggest editabililty for icons and such, but I just found the actual file folders for that stuff (and the joy of notepad).

Might want to check your permissions for your splash screen or your drive icon. KoL or Rokey might not be happy and I didn't find permission in the readme or at your site.

Great program though!

#229194

Your RC-1a works just fine for me... I was about to suggest editabililty for icons and such, but I just found the actual file folders for that stuff (and the joy of notepad).

Might want to check your permissions for your splash screen or your drive icon. KoL or Rokey might not be happy and I didn't find permission in the readme or at your site.

Great program though!

Thanks! I'll make sure all graphics I've used are fully credited (and approved) - you've probably noticed that you can change the icon in 'dotDisk' by right-clicking the widget itself, then selecting the relevant option from the menu - I'll be extending this functionality into other widgets over time...

#229251