Widgets

Hi,

Most of you might have tried out the TV Display controls at some point in time or the other. The Display controls provides a way for formating and displaying data on a webpage. They are very dynamic and very powerful. But the next generation TVs will have many more useful features such as the ability to use or extend TV functions or objects.

In the near future we will also see many more display controls. Controls that are able to display more data and interact with web users. I would like to change the name and call these controls Widgets.

A widget (or control) is a graphical interface component that a computer user interacts with, such as a ticker, text box, button or datagrid.
A develeper can use widgets to build graphical user interfaces. It’s another power feature that will move MODx into the world of Rich (or Rapid) Application Development (RAD).

Some examples of widgets:
===========================
button
check box
radio button
combo box
icon
Richtext box( currently available)
tooltip
scrollbar
status bar
toolbar
menu
context menu
window
panel
dialog box
and many more...

I really like the term widget much more than Display Control. I think it will be easier for users to get their head around because it’s a better, less "restrictive" term. A widget can be really simple or really complex, so I’m all for it. Nice thinking.

And from personal experience with an early semi-functional DataGrid (then Display Control) Widget, I can say they are REALLY cool and REALLY powerful. Combined with @BINDINGS you’ve got some incredible stuff!