.WIDGET File Extension

HTML-based widget used by Windows Mobile, an operating system for PDAs, digital phones, and other mobile devices; contains an archive of files in a compressed Zip format; may store .HTML, .XML, .CSS, and .JS files, as well as other Web-based files.

WIDGET files are used for deploying small programs for capabilities such as weather and news reports, maps, and games.

NOTE: WIDGET files are actually .ZIP files that have been renamed with the ".widget" extension. Therefore, you can unpack them by renaming the file extension to ".zip" and decompressing them using any Zip-compatible decompression utility.

A WIDGET file may also be a small program (known as a widget), such as a clock, weather forecaster, or countdown timer, run by the Yahoo! Widget Engine. Typically, users double-click the WIDGET file to run it with Yahoo! Widgets on their desktops. However, they can also extract its contents with a Zip utility since WIDGET files are Zip-compressed archives that contain a .KON file, which defines the widget, and resource files, such as images and .JS files, which comprise the widget.

Yahoo! Widgets was previously Konfabulator until Yahoo! purchased it in 2005, then Yahoo! discontinued the software in 2012. Since Yahoo! Widgets is no longer developed, WIDGET files are obscure.

WIDGET File Structure

WIDGET files are zipped folders that contain a "Contents" folder, which typically stores the following:

• KON file - A file that contains plain text stored in the XML standard that defines the widget. The file bears the same name as the WIDGET file.
• "Resources" folder - Stores all the resource files that comprise the widget, which may include images, JS files, and a .PLIST file. However, WIDGET files may also store resource files outside of the folder with the KON file.

You can open WIDGET files with Yahoo! Widgets in Windows and macOS. However, Yahoo! discontinued Yahoo! Widgets in 2012.

Extracting the contents of a WIDGET file with a Zip utility

If you would like to open a WIDGET file to extract its contents, you can use a Zip utility, such as Microsoft File Explorer (Windows), Apple Archive Utility (macOS), or Corel WinZip (Windows). You may need to rename the file extension from .widget to .zip for the Zip utility to recognize the file and decompress it.

Widget created in HybridJava, a language that combines HTML and Java into a single syntax; contains a function that can be called from a .PAGE file; may include multiple "slots" that serve as different steps within the function.

HybridJava WIDGET files should be placed within the \​widgets subdirectory on the Web server. HybridJava Compiler has been discontinued.