Introduction to Dashcode User Guide

This document provides an overview of the Dashcode development environment. It describes how to use Dashcode to create two types of projects:

• Dashboard widgets—simple, lightweight applications that perform a single task in the OS X Dashboard environment. Widgets are actually packaged webpages powered by standard web technologies such as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), and JavaScript.

• Web applications—webpages that provide discrete functionality to users. Web applications also make use of web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Dashcode helps you create mobile Safari web applications, which are also known as iPhone web applications (that is, web applications optimized to run in Safari on iPhone), and Safari web applications (that is, web applications optimized to run in Safari).

Dashcode’s integrated environment allows you to lay out, code, and even test widgets and web applications without opening any other applications. Its layout tools, composers, and editors simplify the process of creating all the resources these projects need. Dashcode also includes handy coding and debugging tools that help you manage and test the code you write.

Who Should Read This Document?

Read Dashcode User Guide to learn how to use Dashcode to create web applications and Dashboard widgets. Developers who are new to either widget or web application creation learn how to build simple projects and find out more about Dashcode’s capabilities. Experienced developers learn how to speed up development using Dashcode.

Organization of This Document

This document contains the following chapters:

• Dashboard Widget Tutorial walks you through creating your first Dashboard widget with Dashcode.

• Mobile Safari Web Application Tutorial shows you how to create a simple mobile Safari web application with Dashcode.

• Dual-Product Web Application Tutorial shows you how to create a project that produces both a mobile Safari web application and a Safari web application.

• Starting a Project discusses the different starting points when working with Dashcode.

• Designing the User Interface of a Widget or Web Application shows you the tools Dashcode provides for designing the user interface of a widget or web application.

• Adding Source Code and Creating Bindings details the source code editing tools included with Dashcode.

• Testing and Sharing includes information on testing, debugging, and distributing a widget or web application.

• Advanced Topics for Widgets talks about localizing a widget using Dashcode and including a widget plug-in.

Dashcode User Guide also includes these appendixes:

• Dashcode Templates describes the project templates included with Dashcode.

• Dashcode Parts includes information on Dashcode-originated elements, called parts, and how to customize them.