Make Your Own Widget

So you want to make your very own widget, but the idea of learning hard coding makes you nauseous and you think cascading style sheets belong on fancy hotel beds.

It's OK. You can still make a widget of your very own.

While you probably won't be able to generate a masterpiece of widgetry, if you're looking to create a personalized countdown, news feed, photo slideshow or other simple addition on your friends' and families' blogs and desktops, you'll be just fine.

Here are a few freeware programs and Web sites I've found that walk you through the process:

1. Widgetize, on Opera: Has a few templates for RSS and photo slide show widgets that you can make for your blog or personal Web site or ones that pull from the Web sites you visit. Downside is if you want to do the photo slide show, you have to have posted your pictures on an Opera-hosted site, or on Flickr.

2. Widgetbox. I can't support this site enough. They'll walk you through making a blidget (widget that compliments your blog) or MixIt (iTunes playlist widget), and once you've made your widget here or elsewhere, they'll help turn it into a Facebook application. I used Widgetbox to make the WidgetWatch blidget.

3. Dashcode Developer Beta Alas, this one is just for MacGeeks who have already updated to Leopard (though the widgets you make will work in Tiger, too). No coding neccessary, as it comes with a variety of templates to choose from and adjust. Download Squad offers a great tutorial for using Dashcode to make an personal RSS feed.

4. iGoogle Gadgets: Biggest selection of basic templates, from slide shows to countdowns to a 'free form' option that pretty much does anything, BUT, because Google is selfish, you can only use your gadgets on your iGoogle homepage. iGoogle also has a developer platform and some pretty good tutorials if you want to start learning to code and make your own widget from scratch.