WidSets SDK

Rapidly develop and deliver feature-rich widgets

The WidSets SDK offers you a command-line tool that enables the compilation, testing, and publication of WidSets widgets. These widgets are then made available to mobile consumers through the WidSets library and run within a free widget dashboard based on Java™ technology. The dashboard, designed to work on any mobile device supporting MIDP 2.0 or later, provides Push-based updates to mobile consumers.

For more information, visit the Forum Nokia WidSets technology page or the WidSets Web site.

What can I do with the WidSets SDK?

The WidSets SDK enables you to create widgets that retrieve information from the Web. These widgets might offer games (including multiplayer games), Web community clients, news-feed readers, and mashups of information from multiple sources. You create your widget in a text editor using the WidSets Scripting Language (WSL) to access Web information, provide sophisticated functionality, and create an appealing look and feel for your widget. The WSL is similar to the Java™ language and enables developers familiar with Java development to quickly and efficiently create powerful widgets. Once a widget has been written, tools in the SDK are used to compile and test it. Once a widget has been tested, it can be published in the WidSets library, from where it can be downloaded by millions of WidSets users.

What's in the WidSets SDK?

The WidSets SDK provides a command-line tool that enables you to compile, test, and deploy WidSets widgets. The SDK also includes full documentation for the WSL, along with a number of example widgets.

The WSL provides a comprehensive set of APIs for gathering Web-based data and creating an engaging presentation of that data, with features that include:

• A UI Component library that replaces MIDP LCDUI with features similar to Java™ AWT/Swing.
• A server-service-call framework for fetching data and images from the Web.
• Incremental Push support for RSS and Atom news-feed formats.
• Localization support.
• Camera, music, and video support.
• Support for the Active Idle screen on Series 40 devices.

WidSets SDK 3.0 adds new scripting features that:

• Provide new graphics features, such as animations, a Surface-component container, and morph-color control.
• Open a device's browser.

For more information, visit the Forum Nokia Wiki’s WidSets SDK page or read the WidSets SDK data sheet.

How do I get started with the WidSets SDK?

Knowledge of Java™development will be helpful because the WSL is very similar to the Java language. An understanding of XML will also be useful, because Web-service usage is defined in XML. In addition, the WidSets SDK is a command-line tool, so experience with working at the command line will be beneficial.

The WidSets SDK is based on Java technology, so you’ll need a computer with Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 1.5 or later installed to use the SDK. This means you can run the SDK on computers running Linux, UNIX, Apple Mac OS, or Microsoft Windows. You download the WidSets SDK as a ZIP file and install it by extracting the contents to a drive on your computer. You then create widgets in a text editor and use the WidSets SDK's command-line tool to compile, test, and upload them.

For more information, visit the Forum Nokia WidSets QuickStart page »

What help does Forum Nokia offer for the WidSets SDK?

Forum Nokia offers all developers a wide range of professional and community-based help and support. (See the box at right for links).

The WidSets Web site also provides developers and mobile consumers with comprehensive information on WidSets widgets.

How do I go to market with my WidSets widgets?

WidSets widgets are made available to mobile consumers through the WidSets library hosted on the WidSets Web site or via the WidSets dashboard using the Library widget. Anyone can post new widgets to this library. To protect the security of WidSets users’ devices, widgets are first published in a beta category that has limited visibility and additional security features. Once the community has beta-tested the widget and confirmed that it behaves appropriately, the widget is moved to the public category.

Widgets in the library, whether they are in the beta or full public category, can be promoted by any means you wish, such as your own Web site.

Once consumers have downloaded a WidSets widget, they can share it virally with other mobile consumers.

The WidSets library does not include a mechanism for selling widgets. The WidSets team is developing an advertisement-hosting solution. If you are a professional developer and choose to host advertisements in your WidSets widgets, you will be entitled to a share of advertising revenue.

Where can I find all the documents about the WidSets SDK?

Documentation for the WidSets SDK is available from the Forum Nokia Wiki.

For documentation, visit the Forum Nokia Wiki's WidSets SDK page »

What Nokia platforms and devices are compatible with the WidSets SDK?

You can use the WidSets SDK to create widgets for:

• Series 40 devices based on Series 40 2nd Edition or later. See specifications for Series 40 devices»
• S60 devices based on S60 2nd Edition or later. See specifications for S60 devices »