The W3C Web Application Formats Working Group has posted an updated working draft of Widgets 1.0:
Widgets are a class of client-side web application for displaying and/or updating local or remote data, packaged in a way to allow a single download and installation on a client machine or device. Examples include clocks, stock tickers, news casters, games and weather forecasters. This specification, when combined with other dependent specifications, defines a software solution for Widgets, including:
- A packaging format defined in terms of the Zip File Format Specification, to provide authors with an interoperable way to encapsulate and distribute widgets.
- An XML-based configuration format and processing model, to allow authors to declare metadata about a widget.
- A model that allows a user-agent to automatically start a widget.
- An HTTP-based model for version control, to allow user agents to automatically keep widgets up-to-date.
- A set of ECMAScript implementable DOM APIs and events, including an API to allow instantiated widgets to communicate with one another.
- A model that leverages the XML-Signature Syntax and Processing Specification to allow a widget to be digitally signed.
- A security model to reduce privacy risks and reduce the potential for damage to an end-users machine or device.
- A means for web browsers to automatically "discover" widgets from within a HTML document.
- Accessibility requirements for user agents to ensure that perceptual and interactive parts of widgets are accessible.
