MuseStorm: An Easy Way to Create and Use JavaScript-based Rich Internet Apps

JavaScriptSearch
Wednesday, July 5, 2006; 05:48 AM

MuseStorm Widget Central.

Ever wanted to create your own cool JavaScript web application, without going through the tedium of actually learning the language to a pro level?  Or do you simply need ready-made widgets for your web page? The MuseStorm.com development portal might just have the answers to your problems. It offers both a development platform, called MuseStorm Developer SDK (Software Developer Kit), and a Widget Central section, which offers widgets for free.

The Developer SDK is lauded as "simply the easiest way to create RIAs (Rich Internet Applications) today." Be warned, though, that some coding skill are required.  MuseStorm provides Web developers with a service that retrieves data from multiple Web APIs and client-side components that manage the data and handle client-server interaction. The service frees developers from dealing with AJAX, learning APIs and having to write code to parse XML data and manage it.  It works by following three simple steps: first create the app, then select a data source, and finally, add of a few lines of JavaScript to the mix.

Currently MuseStorm supports the following APIs: Flickr, Technorati, Amazon Webservices, eBay, YouTube, Google, and del.icio.us.  Through these APIs MuseStorm users can play with photos, news, video, and popular Web 2.0 services. Documentation and tutorials are provided.

 A five-minute AJAX application that displays the latest weather news using the Google News API.

In addition to the development kit, MuseStorm offers a wide array of free Web Widgets for bloggers and Web site owners. The Widgets can be added to any web page without programming knowledge, adding dynamic content to the page.  Widgets can be customized by clicking through a three-step procedure.

 Widgets can be added to a webpage very easily.

MuseStorm was launched in March 2006 with the moto "The Web 2.0 Gateway."  AJAX support was announced in June.  Judging by the activity on their forums, the community is just taking off.