CPU use Dashboard Widgets

I would like to know if the dashboard widgets use CPU when you don't show the dashboard.
Obviously, they use (a lot) of CPU when dashboard is activated, but what is going on when you're working with your Mac and dashboard is not activated?
Thks for feedback!

The widgets are all started the first time (after a boot) you open the Dashboard. The widgets will use memory from now on an CPU cycles. If you close the Dashboard, good written widgets will still use RAM, but NOT the CPU. However, there are/were some badly written ones that continued to use CPU cycles!
You can see and find out easily if a widget is misbehaving by opening Activity Monitor. Place its window somewhere where no widget is covering it and open Dashboard. You'll see your widgets' CPU cycles go up. Close Dashboard and all of them should go back to 0.0% CPU.
This way I removed some bad widgets or contacted the author for a better version.
Björn

Similar Messages

Random Numbers Using Dashboard Widgets

I'm developing a widget and I've noticed that the javascript call Math.random() returns the same sequence of values every time I place the widget. This seems to only be a problem in the dashboard, because when I load the widget in safari (or any other browser) the returned values are truly random (or close enough for my purposes).
It seems as if the javascript random number generator is seeded with the same value (probably 0) for the dashboard, but seeded with relatively unique number (current time) everywhere else.
So my question is ... is there any way around this? How would you recommend I get unique sequences of numbers? Should I write my own random number generator? Should I make calls to /dev/random? Is there any other way? Thanks.

I'm developing a widget and I've noticed that the javascript call Math.random() returns the same sequence of values every time I place the widget. This seems to only be a problem in the dashboard, because when I load the widget in safari (or any other browser) the returned values are truly random (or close enough for my purposes).
It seems as if the javascript random number generator is seeded with the same value (probably 0) for the dashboard, but seeded with relatively unique number (current time) everywhere else.
So my question is ... is there any way around this? How would you recommend I get unique sequences of numbers? Should I write my own random number generator? Should I make calls to /dev/random? Is there any other way? Thanks.

Dashboard Widgets don't load

I use dashboard widgets on my wireless router at home but they don't want to load now. I am hooked up to a landline connection and the widgets show up but aren't populating the data. Any ideas?

i forgot to add... in console im getting this error when i drag icons off of the
com.apple.launchd[80] ([0x0-0x7a07a].com.apple.dock[881]) Exited abnormally: Bus error

How do I save preferences/values using javascript in dashboard widget?

How do I save preferences/values using javascript in dashboard widget? I apologize if this is a stupid question but I simply cant seem to find a way. For example, if on teh back side of the widget teh user chooses the color of the widget, where or how do I save that value so it is retained the next time the user goes to the dashboard. Also, once saved, how do I read the value?
Thanks a mil....

Please look into
/Developer/Examples/Dashboard/Goodbye World/3-Saving Preferences directory for a comple example.
Otherwise, wait until the following book is published :-))
http://www.apress.com/book/bookDisplay.html?bID=10173
Mihalis.

Using .docx-to-.html dashboard widget converter

I've downloaded docx-converter.wdgt from the apple site in order to be able to read .docx files created by windows office 2007 and sent to me as attachments. The widget has installed fine on the dashboard. However, it seems that to use the widget, I need to drag the file onto the widget icon in the dashboard, and the dashboard fades when I click on the desktop to grab & drag the file icon. I've tried dragging the icon directly onto the dashboard icon with no luck.
Thanks in advance for any advice.

I've got the same problem. I found the PF12 method in the "how-to" on the converter's web page. However, when I push PF12 on my Mac, the "eject" symbol appeared, not the dashboard. Dashboard preferences are set to PF12 being dashboard. No helper keys helped. So, I set the Dashboard preferences temporarily to use the middle mouse button for Dashboard and then was able to get the file to drag to the widget. The conversion didn't work, however. I think that the .docx file I was sent isn't any good. Thanks Microsoft.
JanG

Could a Dashboard widget be the cause of my Panics?

Hello everyone,
For the past few months, I've gotten a kernel panic on the average of about once a week. I started looking a the kernel logs and I discovered that 18 out of the 19 kernel panics my powerbook experienced this year had something eerily in common: the current thread for all of them was DashboardClient.
Now what's frustrating is that all loaded widgets are labeled as "DashboardClient" in the activity monitor so I don't know how I'm suppose to figure out which one, save for process of elimination.
But could a dashboard widget be the source of my kernel panics?
Also, my drive's directory structure is spotless. No errors, defraged, disk warrior, etc. and I'm current with my updates.
If anyone could help me I'd really appreciate it!
Here's a panic dump from the latest panic:
Wed Apr 28 15:32:17 2010
Unresolved kernel trap(cpu 0): 0x300 - Data access DAR=0x0000000000000008 PC=0x00000000000AD208
Latest crash info for cpu 0:
Exception state (sv=0x30195780)
PC=0x000AD208; MSR=0x00009030; DAR=0x00000008; DSISR=0x40000000; LR=0x0007C270; R1=0x302A7A70; XCP=0x0000000C (0x300 - Data access)
Backtrace:
0x0007C270 0x0007CC54 0x0006E040 0x0006EB68 0x0003AB18 0x0029B170
0x0029B29C 0x0029BA74 0x0029BB94 0x003100AC 0x000B4448 0x9816C485
Proceeding back via exception chain:
Exception state (sv=0x30195780)
previously dumped as "Latest" state. skipping...
Exception state (sv=0x37fe1a00)
PC=0x95492954; MSR=0x0000D030; DAR=0xE34BCCA8; DSISR=0x40000000; LR=0x95492948; R1=0xBFFF99B0; XCP=0x00000030 (0xC00 - System call)
BSD process name corresponding to current thread: DashboardClient
Mac OS version:
9L31a
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 9.8.0: Wed Jul 15 16:57:01 PDT 2009; root:xnu-1228.15.4~1/RELEASE_PPC
System model name: PowerBook5,6
System uptime in nanoseconds: 373029901008580
unloaded kexts:
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCKeyEventDriver 1.7.4f1 - last unloaded 5772792683945
loaded kexts....

Yes, a widget can cause kernel panics — particularly an old one that hasn't been updated as needed for compatibility with a more recent OS version.
Starting with the widgets that you know you've added yourself, open each of your installed widgets and put it through its paces doing whatever it does, in an effort to provoke a kernel panic on purpose. While you have it open (if no KP occurs), consult the website of its developer to see whether any updates are available for it, and apply any that are appropriate. (Avoid any update that is designated as compatible ONLY with Snow Leopard or Intel machines, if you run across any such.)
If you get through updating all your widgets without a KP, just keep using your Powerbook and see what happens. It's unfortunate that you may have to wait several weeks to conclude that the problem has or hasn't been solved, but it may take that long if your KPs up to now have only occurred about weekly.
Message was edited by: eww

Dashboard widget with streaming video breaks after upgrade to Mountain Lion

Hi. I recently upgraded from Snow Leopard to Mountain Lion. Under SL, I had an OS X widget that was a web clipping of a streaming mpeg image being produced by a Linksys/Cisco WVC54GCA web camera. When I brought up the dashboard, the OS would start streaming the data from the mpeg filename, which looks like "hostname.com/img/video.mjpeg".
After upgrading to Mountain Lion, I noted that the widget never fully loads, indefinitely displaying a "Loading Clip..." mesasge. After deleting and re-adding, I can still get as far as adding the web clipping to the dashboard at the right dimensions, but there's no content.
Unfortunately the camera unit doesn't provide for the display of HTTP access logs, so I can't see if there's an issue there, but my understanding is that if I can display the image in a Safari browser, it should work just fine in Dashboard too. (I did make sure that, where needed, the username/password for accessing the video are included in the URL.)
I did sniff the network traffic between my system and the camera host, and show that video traffic starts flowing between the two as soon as the widget is brought up. So, it's almost like the widget doesn't know when to stop "loading" and start "displaying," perhaps because the HTTP request is never truly "done."
Can anyone speculate if something may have changed in Mountain Lion affecting the ability of web clipping widgets to display streaming video?
Thanks,
Chris

Hi James
I have exactly the same problem with the same "Loading clip" then blank. I have been trying a lot of stuff to get this working, but haven't had the chance of sniffing the network traffic as you have done. By reading what you said about the traffic seems to be flowing without the picure being displayed makes me even more puzzled by this. I never had a streaming video while I were using Snow Leopard, but I had a still-image, as I also do now in Mountain Lion. I recently began to research for a way to display the video.cgi MIME image that my camera produces, and I've also concluded that this should be an easy task for the dashboard web clip function; the video does display in safari after all.
I suspect that our cameras uses the same built in webserver solution written by a "Steven Wu". Cheap webcameras frequently uses his script with MJPEG (stream of JPEG pictures) to avoid the expensive licenses of using other video codecs.
I read this a bit down at this site: http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Everyone-Loves-Babies-Webcams-and-M otion-Detection
Have you come any closer in your research?
I have started to think that maybe I have to write a dashboard widget on my own to accomplish this.
trelements

How to: Embed YouTube in Ibook/Location of File, Open in Dashboard Widget Code?

Hi,
I am new to the whole Mac experience and loving it after 25 years locked into the MSGATES paradigm. I have been playing around with Ibook and have made a book. I would like to embed a You Tube file and it seems it is not as simple as slecting an HTML widget and then dropping in the Youtube embed code. Or is it?
Instructions are to create a widget and then drag the widget code into the HTML widget in iBooks. I was able to make it as far as to learn I can make my YouTube video a custom dashboard widget using the "File," "Open in Dashboard" method in Safari.
Once I did this I was able to select the portion of the YouTUBE page and click to make the YouTube widget. Presto, easy as pie. But where is the .wdgt file (and/or other related files to this custom dashboard widget) stored? I was able to find the widget directory in my root but only the preinstalled widgets were there--not the the widget I was able to make with the "File," "Open in Dashboard" method.
Is this the most straightforward way to embed a You Tube file, or is there another way?
It seems this should/can be as easy as just dropping the embed code into the HTML widget in iBooks. perhaps a consideration for the next version of iBooks...
Lov'in the Apple experience

We use a container thats ratio matches the video and insert following format into the folio overlay controls for Web Content: https://www.youtube.com/embed/ jyOFS5lAG68 *PLEASE NOTE: there is a space between the embed/ the video ID. Remove it to see how the video looks when you paste the link.
We found this works on both iOS and Android.
-Ry-

How to use Dashboard as a cut & paste software

Hi !
I´ve hard to understand the function of "Dashboard" - I thought that the software could be a help for me to cut/copy pictures on websites for an example - I thought that I could mark an area on a site, copy the are and save it to iPhoto or copy it to Pager or other programs but it didn´t work that way. So now I´m looking forward to get an introduction in "how to use Dashboard" from someone who knows more about Mac and the programs than I do.
Best regards / Marlene

Dashboard exists to display the various widgets such as clocks, weather or Stock Market info, dictionary, etc.etc.
You don't need it for what you want to do. Most pictures on websites can be saved simply by dragging them to the Desktop - try it with the picture on the right. Otherwise, hit command-shift-4 and click drag the mouse over the area you want to save: an image will be saved to your Desktop.

Change Subviews in a Dashboard Widget

I am trying to make a Dashboard widget, but the way I am trying to make it would involve using more than two subviews. The two that are already there by default are the front and the back, and I already know how to create more. The problem is that I can't find any way to get the widget to show any subviews. I need to know how to make it so that the user can click on a button and there will be a transition to a new view, similar to how the info icon takes you to the back. It seems like a simple process, but I need a lot of help here. I tried using the same code (slightly modified) that was used to make the info icon take you to the back, but it doesn't work. A lot of help or a good tutorial would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Try this resource - search on subview...

Lost Dashboard widget beyond screen bounds

I run a dual-monitor set up with my MacBook, and use Dashboard with and without the external monitor. As such, I keep my widgets on one screen and close together, so that they're still visible on the MacBook's LCD when it's used on its own.
However, I've just noticed that I've lost a widget off the screen. When I enter or leave Dashboard, I can see it fly past the screen and off the right edge of the monitor. I already have another copy of this widget, so how can I go about removing it from the Dashboard? I needn't have two copies of it running.

I just discovered a solution to this!
In Dashboard, click the + to show the widgets bar, then select 'Manage widgets'. Uncheck the lost widget to disable it, then check it again to re-enable it. All copies of the widget will have been removed from the Dashboard, including those off the screen. Just add as many as you need if you want any back, though they'll need reconfiguring in some cases. (For example, iStat Pro remembered all my settings, but the Weather widget returned to default settings.)

Support boards for developing dashboard widgets? any response, please??

i don't mean to be a noodge, but 4 days ago i posted a simple request asking if i could get support here for some questions i had as regards some snags i ran into making dashboard widgets. while other people's questions about ruby/rails, c and objective c and even powerpoint (shouldn't that be in a microsquish support forum??) have been responded to.
all i want to know is, can anyone help me here or at least point me to other support boards that offer help for those developing dashboard widgets? is that too much to ask?
my original message i posted 4 days ago is below. i would appreciate response from anyone, please. i can't believe i'm the only person out here seeking support for my *.html, *.css and javascript files for dashboard widgets.
hi,
i'm trying my hand at the most rudimentary of developing for mac os x - developing a dashboard widget, using html, css & javascript.
i'm trying to make a simple widget that uses the real audio plug-in in the system (if you downloaded real player) to play a local portland, oregon fm classical radio station, kbps-fm 89.9 (www.allclassical.org).
i'm running into some snags both in making the "i" info button flip the thing around (it was working before, but since i added in the code that makes the real player plug in work, no matter where i place the position of the "i" flipper, it doesn't show up), and in the graphics i'm trying to create for the widget.
should i seek help here? are there better boards/forums for mac os x dashboard widget creation i can go to, and if so, can anyone direct me there? i know about adc, and am a (free) member, but they don't have discussion boards there and i don't want to pay oodles in tech support just to get some basic javascript and css questions handled.
if anyone could please direct me to where i can ask these questions or help me out, please let me know. thanx.
-- faddah yuetsu wolf
portland, oregon
[email protected]

Hi
i don't mean to be a noodge, but 4 days ago i posted
a simple request asking if i could get support here
for some questions i had as regards some snags i ran
into making dashboard widgets. while other people's
questions about ruby/rails, c and objective c and
even powerpoint (shouldn't that be in a microsquish
support forum??) have been responded to.
You shouldn't take the lack of response as a personal insult The nature of these forums (fora?) is that people respond to those messages where they can help and don't respond when they can't help. FWIW I've got two unresolved questions dating back to Mar 17th!
In my opinion, the Developer forums would be absolutely ideal and on-topic places to discuss Widget development..... but it looks like very few experienced Widget developers hang out here, so any questions would most likely go unanswered. My own skill area in limited to Java so I can't help out with widgets. No doubt the other forum regulars are in a similar position.
Bob

Where can you get more Dashboard Widgets?

The Apple Dashboard site is not been updated for 2/3 years now and i know a lot of people still using the dashboard. Why is Apple not allowing Dashboard Widgets been uploaded in to Mac App Store? Why is Apple not updating Dashcode for years? And where are good dashboard widget sites? Thanks ;-)

Is the Apple Dashboard site page, searchable?
Does not appear to offer such a vantage-point.
A few older items gone missing were great,
such as the original iStat Pro, & Dash-Quit.
Among others, I still use them in older OS X.
However if chickens could really fly, then
they'd not be found in so many recipes.

Looking for a Dashboard Widget

Is there a Dashboard widget that will notify me when I receive responses on message boards, like this one for example so I don't have to check email?
Also, is there a good widget that can store my passwords for message boards as well?
thanks!

there are certainly no widgets like that for general board and there isn't one for this board. Apple discussions notifies only by email so whatever program you'd possibly want to use for notifications would have to tap into your email which means that your email client has to be open.

Dashboard Widget Error in SAP B1 8.81 PL-08

Hi Experts,
I have installed the SAP B1 integration component and establish the connection of B1D1 and JDBC connection with company database and clicked on Test connection and it runs successfully.But when clicked on Dashboard Widget from General Settings->Cockpit-click on checkbox of Enable Dashboard Widget then it gives error "Install SAP Business One Integration Service before enabling Dashboard widget."
Please give me solution asap.
Regards
SUbhradip

Could be a firewall or antivirus issue as the dashboard uses active x.

CPU use Dashboard Widgets

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