Run Opera Widgets as standalone applications

October 15, 2009 · by Andreas Bovens

Over at Opera Labs, we have just released a desktop build that allows you to run Opera Widgets as standalone desktop applications. With this release, widgets are getting a complete make-over from being small, single-purpose gadgets to first-class citizens with the power to replace native applications.

Differently phrased, this means that any web developer with knowledge of HTML, CSS and JS can create a desktop application. And for good measure and scaling goodness, you can even throw in some SVG magic as well!

Below, I've included a screenshot of my Mac running the Twitter widget. Note the Twitter icon shown in the Dock, the native Chrome and shadow, and the fact that Opera is not running.

You can find detailed information about installation, running, debugging widgets on this Labs build on Dev.Opera. If you want to get started building your own widgets, there is of course our Widgets SDK.

Note: there are currently some issues to get the Widget Emulator running well on Opera 10.10 builds – we are investigating this and working on a fix. For the time being, we recommend to use the Widget Emulator in Opera 10.

And of course, let us know what you think in the comments!

Readers' comments 6

Left under the original article, as archived.

Charles SchlossFriday, October 16, 2009 12:53:31 PM
AndresFriday, October 16, 2009 4:09:52 PM
That widget would be perfect if direct messages were shown on the Recents "tab" I always forget to check my DMs
And yep, cool app though I don't need it, I always have Opera running
Yeni SetiawanFriday, October 16, 2009 6:06:57 PM
This way user don't need to have Opera installed in their machine, right?

I don't think this stuff will be used by me, I have Opera opened all the time
HaavardMonday, October 19, 2009 7:34:48 AM
Opera's engine is used to run the widgets.
Yeni SetiawanMonday, October 19, 2009 12:58:34 PM
Thanks @haavard,
I have tried the snapshot and I like it.
Unregistered userTuesday, October 20, 2009 5:45:19 PM
Anonymous writes: I wonder if I could use this to hack a way to embed Presto into a native application. I possibly could write a host application which runs a specially created widget which just shows a web page and takes IPC from the host application to tell it where to draw itself and what it needs to do. Maybe someone should start an open source project which hacks together a way to embed Presto using a specially crafted widget and a C++ library. I'm guessing it would be possible.