OpenSocial Gadgets are part of the Open Social initiative. OpenSocial Gadgets are web based UI components. A Gadget is defined via a XML file which contains a header with definitions of the Gadget and an embedded content payload. This payload is a combination of HTML and JavaScript which defines the gadgets look and behavior.

A very simple Gadget looks like this.

			
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<Module>
  <ModulePrefs title="Hello OpenSocial Gadgets!">
    <Require feature="opensocial-0.8" />
  </ModulePrefs>
  <Content type="html">
    <![CDATA[
      Hello, OpenSocial Gadgets!
    ]]>
  </Content>
</Module>
		

A Gadget has always the root tag <Module>. This root tag contains a <ModulePrefs> and a <Content> section. The ModulePrefs contains information which OpenSocial features are required by the module and information about the author. The content section contains the actual HTML and JavaScript.

A Gadget is hosted in a server infrastructure to provide its data. A web page that hosts gadgets is called an OpenSocial.

Most websites which work as a OpenSocial Container uses the Apache Shinding reference implementation.

For example the iGoogle , LinkedIn, MySpace, orkut, XING can host OpenSocial Gadgets. The only exception is Facebook; they have their own standard.

For detailed information you can read the latest released Open Social Specification .

Open Gadgets Gadgets are specified in OpenSocial Gadgets API Specification .