Web server template with drag and drop elements

Observing this thread (notice I didn't say reading) I see some pretty neat stuff happening. Great!

The question I have, is this the kind of stuff that will be part of Indigo at some point so that the average person, like me, can use without learning a programming language? Python, CSS, HTML, XHTML, and on and on, can be quite overwhelming for just an Indigo user.

I've learned just barely enough AppleScript to do some embedded logic in Indigo, which in my eyes is pretty amazing stuff. But you guys are hot and heavy into this stuff, way, way beyond anything I have time to learn.

Seems like you have the capability to sell Indigo Themes or Plugins, sorta like the stuff for RapidWeaver. If anything like this is possible, Indigo on the Mac could be a killer. I can see it now: someone wants to automate their home, theater and security, the first thing they will want is a special bundle consisting of a Mac Mini, AppleTV, and Indigo with Plugins and Themes.

Or, perhaps approach it from the other side, an Indigo Plugin for RapidWeaver. Matt?

edited: I also tried my Weather Widget hack last night and it doesn't seem to work. You can click the Weather.html file locally and it works, but once you try to serve it up via Apache it never grabs the weather info. I'm not sure what the issue is.

Hi Snowjay,
Another way, U can try this free service (this is this site who provide data to Apple Widgets Weather), on this page you can register for free and copy/paste a html code in you web page…
http://netwx.accuweather.com/adcbin/netweather_v2/index.asp?partner=apple&traveler=0

This is a little JavaScript code like this :
<script src="http://netweather.accuweather.com/adcbin/netweather_v2/netweatherV2.asp?zipcode=10101&size=1&lang=eng&theme=1&unit=&target=_blank" &gt;&lt;/script&gt;"></script>
that you insert beetween the body tags, this JS embed a flash animation with the local weather you have specified before…
BUT no custom design seems to be possible.

For Apple Weather widgets, I see two important files :
file:///System/Library/WidgetResources/.parsers/weatherParser.js
(this is the local parser file)
and
http://apple.accuweather.com/adcbin/app ... code=95014
(A online XML file with the weather data) but apple seem to block with something……
Therefor in XML source is specified :
<Copyright>Copyright 2007 AccuWeather.com </Copyright>
<Use>Apple Widget</Use>
<Redistribution>Redistribution Prohibited.</Redistribution>


@+
Ollivier

Thanks Ollivier.

I was looking at the widget somemore myself and the first thing it does is try and validate the location with this url:

http://apple.accuweather.com/adcbin/app ... ?location=

If you use that URL and put in a zip code at the end it will return a correct value but if you try and edit the location inside the widget it just says Validating... and never goes any further.

I think it fails because it's having trouble reading/writing the preferences which you can easily do as a user but probably not so easy through the web server.

Hi SnowJay

http://apple.accuweather.com/adcbin/apple/Apple_find_city.asp?location=

If you use that URL and put in a zip code at the end it will return a correct value but if you try and edit the location inside the widget it just says Validating... and never goes any further..

Thank's for your informations,
I think too, that Apple 've made a code in widgets for blocking… ?!
If we found, somewhere on the net a XML data of weather, i tthink we can create a standalone widgets for the webserver…

I'm looking for this…
Do you no another similar service?
This weekend I take more time for trying to modify the code but… I'm not sure it'll be difficult for me

Regards
Ollivier

Can I ask how you made or what you used for the brushed metal look? It looks almost identical to what Safari uses and all the examples I have seen are not even close to the same.

hi snowjay,

I used Adobe Photoshop for making all graphics elements.
For making a brush metal look, it's simple…
- Onto layer number one (for example) Make a gradient with two medium grey.
- Onto a second layer insert black and white noise (effects menu)
- Apply a (horizontal) directional blur on this noise (layer 2)
- Set the opacity of layer 2 (you'll see what is the best % opacity)
- "et voilà" you've got a metal brushed look.
After you can create the border with mask and apply a shadow under this new metal brushed window

I hope it's Ok, feel free to tell me if there's a problem with those steps…

Regards,

Ollivier

This worked great, thank you! I have Photshop Elements so my menus are a little different but I was able to figure it out.

I'm looking for this…
Do you no another similar service?
This weekend I take more time for trying to modify the code but… I'm not sure it'll be difficult for me

Regards
Ollivier

I'm going to look at the code some more and comment out anywhere where it needs to read/write something to the hard disk and see if that does the trick.

I've seen a few other weather "widgets" for web sites but they all have advertising on them and aren't customizable.

[matt (support)]

Hi Terry,

is this the kind of stuff that will be part of Indigo at some point so that the average person, like me, can use without learning a programming language?

Yep, the eventual plan is to make it so that users can easily share control page themes as well as blocks of controls. This is a great thread because it gives me feedback on what users are wanting to do.

Regards,
Matt