Mash-ups, Personalized Pages, Widgets

Class 9

PDF Handout:  09_mashups.pdf

A mash-up is a webpage that allows you to take content from other sites and display them all on one page. It is a Web application that combines data from one or more sources into a single integrated tool or application.

An example of a mash-up is www.HousingMaps.com which combines Google Maps location information with data from craigslist.com, thereby creating a new and distinct Web application, which was not originally provided by either source.

Companies whose APIs have been extensively used to develop mash-ups:

·         Amazon

·         eBay

·         Flickr

·         Google

·         Microsoft

·         Yahoo

·         YouTube

 Developer Tools for creating mash-ups

•  Yahoo Pipes
•  Microsoft Popfly  
•  Google Mashup Editor / AP Engine

Personalized Pages

Instead of preselecting what content will go on a Web page, it in now possible to let the user decide what they want to see on their own start pages or personalized pages. We can now pull content form a variety of sources and display it on one page. These pages can also include widgets.

•  Pageflakes
•  iGoogle  
•  MY YAHOO
•  Netvibes 

example of iGoogle page

Widgets

A web widget is a portable chunk of code that can be installed and executed within any separate HTML-based web page by an end user without requiring additional compilation. Widgets are now commonplace and are used by bloggers, social network users, auction sites and owners of personal web sites. They exist on home page sites such as iGoogle, Netvibes, or Pageflakes. Many services supply the widget and write the code for you.