RSS gadget and tutorial

Friday, September 07, 2007 at 8:26 AM

Posted by James Yum, Support Engineer (Google Desktop Team)

We've released a new SDK that introduces the RSS template gadget. By modifying this sample gadget, you can create an RSS feed reader gadget within minutes. Being the programmers we are, we couldn't help but add some geeky features:

• Skinnable - The visual elements are in a single folder (default). You can easily skin the gadget by replacing images or modifying a few XML files.
  
• Customizable feed parser - The gadget can parse most RSS and Atom feeds out of the box. However, you can write custom parsing code if needed.
• Production ready - The gadget properly handles the little details that tend to be overlooked. It's resizable and scrollable, and it works offline.

Kathy also wrote a great tutorial that shows you how to modify the template to make your own gadget.

We made this sample gadget to save you time and frustration. I'm sure you've had ideas for your own RSS gadget so please try modifying the sample gadget to show your favorite feed, and submit your gadget.

We're very interested in your ideas and feedback. Our goal for the RSS template gadget is that it should be easy enough for new developers to use and flexible enough to cover most needs. Let us know what you think on the forum.