Working on the Yell.com google gadget was an enjoyable experience. I knew very little about the google gadget API before I started and this made the process all the more rewarding.
A google gadget is essentially a bunch of html, css and javascript which is all wrapped up in an xml wrapper. It is the xml part of the gadget which stores information such as the gadget name, the type of gadget it is and a screenshot url. Once completed the google gadget can be hosted anywhere. To get your gadget added to the google content directory all you need to do is enter the url of the xml file in the gadget submission form.
The functionality of the gadget is very simple. The default screen allows the user to perform a three box business search on yell.com. The secondary maps view allows the user to search for a map of their entered location. Both business listings and full screen maps then open up in a new window on the main Yell.com site.
In the last 12 months the Yell.com google gadget has generated over 20,000 business searches and over 6,000 map requests.