Configuring OpenSocial Gadget Support

You can configure the application to include gadgets that people can use when customizing home and overview pages. OpenSocial gadgets are mini applications written using the OpenSocial API, which is used by many social web applications. Like widgets, gadgets provide a way to embed functionality -- newsfeeds, games, maps, and so on -- in web pages. You can add any gadget developed using the OpenSocial API, which means that gadgets can come from anywhere. You'll find a directory of gadgets at the Google web site.

Important: OpenSocial gadget integration is a beta feature. Commercial gadgets are not currently supported. Please proceed with caution, verifying that any gadget you create or install follows the OpenSocial API only.

You enable people to use gadgets by adding the gadgets, then selecting the application contexts in which they will be available for people. For example, after you add a gadget you can specify that it should be available on users' personalized homepage and social group overviews, but not on the main application homepage, space overviews, project overviews, or overviews displayed by custom containers you might have added to the application.

Note: Gadgets can refer to resources such as images and other page from within their code. Depending on how the reference is made by the code and on the browser's security settings, this can cause Internet Explorer (version 6) to display warning messages. The message will warn of "both secure and nonsecure content" on the page.

Adding an OpenSocial Gadget

You add a gadget using the OpenSocial Gadgets page in the admin console. When you add a gadget, the application retrieves the XML file at the other end of the URL you specify. The application interprets the XML and renders it for display in the user's browser.

Note: The gadget URL must be 250 characters or less.

Admin Console: System > Settings > OpenSocial Gadgets

In the admin console, on the OpenSocial Gadgets page, under Enter the URL of a gadget to add it, enter the URL to the gadget XML file, then click Add Gadget.
Next to the gadget you added, select check boxes for the application contexts in which the gadget should be available and clear check boxes for contexts in which it shouldn't.