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Apache Shindig 2.0.0

Apache Shindig 2.0.0 is a server-side container and reference implementation for hosting OpenSocial gadgets and social APIs in web applications and enterprise platforms (application integration).

  • Implements the OpenSocial gadget container and social APIs specification for hosting portable social components (application integration).
  • Provides a Java- and PHP-based container framework for rendering gadgets, handling security, and managing requests (application runtime).
  • Offers Representational State Transfer (REST) and Resource Provisioning Controller (RPC) endpoints for OpenSocial social data, activities, and relationships (web APIs).
  • Includes pluggable features for authentication, authorization, caching, and data handling (security and performance).
  • Supports integration of social features into existing portals, intranets, and web applications through standardized gadget interfaces (enterprise application integration).

More About Apache Shindig 2.0.0

Apache Shindig 2.0.0 is the reference implementation of the OpenSocial standard, providing a server-side container for running OpenSocial gadgets and exposing social networking APIs. It enables organizations to embed social capabilities into existing web applications and portals by hosting portable gadgets that conform to the OpenSocial specifications. Shindig focuses on supplying the core infrastructure for parsing gadget XML, rendering gadget content, and brokering access to social data through standardized interfaces (application integration).

At its core, Apache Shindig implements the OpenSocial gadget container (application runtime). This includes support for gadget metadata retrieval, content rendering, preference handling, and communication with back-end services. Shindig processes gadget specifications, manages the lifecycle of gadgets, and provides a framework that can be extended or customized to meet specific hosting requirements. The project includes implementations in Java and PHP, giving organizations flexibility in how they deploy the container alongside existing application stacks.

Shindig also exposes OpenSocial social APIs over REST and RPC interfaces (web APIs). These APIs cover access to user profiles, social graphs, activities, and related social data models as defined by the OpenSocial standard. Enterprises can connect these APIs to internal or external data stores to represent employees, customers, groups, or application-specific entities. By conforming to the OpenSocial specifications, Shindig enables interoperability between compliant gadgets and containers, allowing gadgets developed for one OpenSocial environment to be reused in another with minimal changes.

The platform provides extension points for authentication, authorization, and data integration (security and data integration). Administrators can plug in custom security modules to integrate with enterprise identity providers or access control systems. Caching and content rewriting capabilities support control of performance and security policies for gadget content, including handling cross-domain requests and resource fetching. Configuration options allow organizations to manage allowed gadget sources, resource limits, and integration with existing Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) infrastructure.

In enterprise and institutional deployments, Apache Shindig 2.0.0 is used to add social features such as activity streams, profile widgets, and collaboration gadgets to portals, intranets, and line-of-business applications (enterprise application integration). It can act as the backend container behind a portal framework, supplying gadget rendering and OpenSocial APIs while the portal manages layout, navigation, and user experience. This positioning places Shindig in the category of middleware for social application integration, offering an implementation of the OpenSocial container model that organizations can adapt to their own infrastructure, governance, and development practices.