Gadget Designer 1.1 Release Notes

This page describes changes in the 1.1 version of the Google Desktop Gadget Designer, which supports the Google Desktop 5.5 API.

Changes to the Gadget Designer include new features, support for new API, and improvements in reliability and usability.

New features

The 1.1 version of Gadget Designer has many new features.

• Editing view XML source code directly. You can edit any XML source code, including main.xml.

  Caution: Comments disappear when Gadget Designer parses and regenerates an XML file, so do not put comments containing JavaScript code into a view's XML source code. JavaScript code used for event handler values is OK.

• Specifying parent-child relationships. In the Designer view, you can drag an element onto another to make the first element a child of the other. For example, you can drag radio buttons into a div.

• Autogenerated event-handler functions. Double-clicking an element's event handler in the Properties pane autogenerates an event-handler function and switches to editing the .js file, so you can implement the event handler.

• Autogenerated onclick functions. Double-clicking an element in the Designer view of an XML file autogenerates an onclick function for that element and switches to editing the .js file, so you can implement the event handler.

• New Properties view: Categories. A new view has been added for the Properties pane: Categories. You can switch to the alphabetical view (previously the default view) by clicking the A-Z button.

• Options for viewing source code. The Preferences dialog (Edit > Preferences) lets you choose the following:

  • how many spaces a tab is equivalent to
  • whether to show line numbers
  • whether to draw indentation guides
  • whether to display dots for spaces, so you can tell the difference between spaces and tabs
  • the text fonts and colors to use for source code

• Changing an element's Z order in the Designer view. Right-clicking an element brings up a menu that lets you set the change the element's Z order (moving it forward or back).

• Automatically assigned element names. Elements created using the toolbar are automatically assigned names. For all elements except labels and links, you can change the name from the Designer view by clicking the element and then typing. An alternative is to right-click the element, choose Rename from the menu that appears, and then type.

• Changing a label or link's displayed text. You can change the innertext property of a label or link by clicking the element and then typing.

V5.5 API

The 1.1 version of Gadget Designer supports API introduced in 5.5.

• <combobox> elements. You can add a combo box to your gadget using the ComboBox element in the toolbar.

• <radio> elements. You can add radio buttons to your gadget using the RadioButton element in the toolbar.

• All new properties of existing elements are supported.

Improvements in reliability and usability

• Pressing F5 switches to the Preview tab.

• Switching to the Preview tab saves your changes and reloads the gadget.

• Gadget Designer supports more ways to add an element to a gadget:

  • As before, drag an element from the toolbar to the gadget (Designer).
  • Drag an element from the toolbar into the XML source for the gadget (Source).
  • Double-click an element in the toolbar (Designer or Source).
  • Click an element on the toolbar to select it, and then click the gadget location where you want to place it (Designer).

• Special characters such as < and > are allowed in property values.

• The default height and width of an image are set to match the size specified in the image file.

• The mouse cursor changes to a resize cursor when the cursor is over a handle that lets you resize the element.

• The designer no longer crashes when you type in a new value for a property and then click elsewhere (without pressing Enter).

• Tab improvements:

  • Tabs have close buttons.
  • File icons are displayed on tabs.
  • Right-clicking a tab brings up a menu that lets you close the tab or show previously closed tabs.
  • You can switch between tabs using Ctl+1 to go to the first tab, Ctl+2 to go to the second, and so on.

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