When a person or a website refers to a widget, they are commonly referring either to a web widget or a desktop widget. While these two things sound the same, they are actually quite different. A desktop widget resides on your computer's desktop and doesn't require a web browser to be open, while a web widget is a component of a web page, so it does require a web browser.
Widget Guide - Web Widgets
A web widget is a small piece of code that can be placed on a website or blog, such as embedding a video from YouTube.The four most common places to use web widgets are:
- Websites. Whether it is a personal website or a business website, widgets can enhance productivity or just add a little fun to your site. A common example of a widget on a website are ad blocks such as Google Ads.
- Blogs. Widgets can give your blog a personalized feel, or provide advanced utility for your readers. A common example of a widget on a blog are those "Digg this" icons that will automatically submit blog posts to Digg.
- Personalized Start Pages. Widgets can also add productivity and/or fun to your start page. A common example of a widget on a start page are RSS readers used to deliver the headlines from your favorite blog or news source such as Yahoo! News or CNN.
- Social Networking Profiles. You can use widgets on a Social Network to tell more about yourself, such as listing out your favorite books, or have compile your favorite songs into a play list to play for visitors to your profile.
To use a web widget, you must copy the widget code to your website, blog, start page or social networking profile. Some widget galleries help out by automating this process for you.
