Programming Social Applications

Core Gadget Container Specification

The core gadget container specification gives a container the means to host OpenSocial gadget applications. This feature set includes all the functionality associated with how a gadget renders and collects data, but does not include the social functionality and integration built into the social gadget container specification.

There are a number of features and functions included in the core gadget container, such as:

• The core gadget XML file definitions for creating an application, as well as features for accessing proxied content, content rewriting, and data pipelining

• Making and handling OAuth and signed requests

• The OpenSocial JavaScript API implementations not relating to social interaction, including the gadgets specification and subsets of the opensocial and osapi specifications

• Localization support and a series of recommended features of the JavaScript API gadget specification

This option is valuable for implementers who want to allow third-party developers to build applications and host content on their sites in a standard way, but without access to social features such as profile information, activity streams, or social engagement.

Traditionally, applications of this type are closed Flash games without social hooks, or business applications that provide a window into some user data from a company’s core site, such as a SlideShare application that displays your recent presentations without providing your full profile interaction.

Full specification ...