跨Widget Engine之桌面小工具互通機制的設計與實作

Abstract

本論文提出一套跨Widget Engine之桌面小工具互通機制，讓Widget彼此間可以跨Widget Engine來進行互相溝通。Widget (小工具)是一種小型的應用程式，是運用Web技術來實現，包括JavaScript、HTML以及CSS等。Widget Engine (小工具引擎) 是一種應用軟體，也是Widget運行的環境，Widget Engine提供APIs、Web相關技術，並訂出專屬的Widget開發規格。由於Widget格式尚未標準化，導致各家Widget Engine的Widget彼此不相容，只能在自家Widget Engine上執行，且Widget以圖形化介面呈現於桌面上，除了輸入框以外的其它控制項之文字皆無法選取複製，造成Widget之間的資訊分享的困難。 為了使Widget彼此之間得以分享資訊達到Widget互通(Inter-Widget Communication, IWC)，並整合各家Widget Engine的Widget功能，本論文設計與實作出一個機制使Widget可以跨Yahoo! Widgets、Google Desktop、Windows Sidebar三家目標Widget Engine進行互動，並提供一個設定介面讓使用者便於建立Widget間之互動關係。論文中先比較目標Widget Engine在Widget開發規格與技術支援上的差異，然後設計與實作一個Component Object Model (COM)元件因應目標Widget Engine提供不同之介面用來傳送與接收IWC相關訊息，並說明Widget互動的機制，最後以實例演示Widget互動的過程。

In this thesis, we propose a framework for inter-Widget communicate across Widget Engines so Widgets can communicate with each other across Widget Engines. Widgets are small-scale client-side applications that are authored using Web standards, including JavaScript, HTML, and CSS etc. Widget Engine is a software application and a runtime environment of Widgets. Widget Engine provides APIs, Web-related technologies, and work out the proprietary Widget development specifications. Since the specifications of Widget have not yet been standardized, Widgets are incompatible with different Widget Engines. It means that Widgets can not be performed on other Widget Engines. The text of the controls on Widget UI can not be selected and copied except the control of input field, because of Widget is a graphical user interface presented on the desktop, resulting in difficulty of information sharing between Widgets. In order to achieve Widget interoperability for sharing information (called Inter-Widget Communication, IWC), and integrate the functions of Widgets among various Widget Engines, this thesis designs and implements a framework for inter-Widget communication across Yahoo! Widgets, Google Desktop, and Windows Sidebar three target Widget Engines, and provide a user setting interface for easily building interactive relationship between Widgets. Then, we design and implement a Component Object Model (COM) component which provides different interfaces for Widgets to send and receive messages about IWC according to target Widget Engines, and we illustrate the mechanism of inter-Widget communication. Finally, we demonstrate the process of inter-Widget communication with practical examples.