What
Both widgets and overlays are terms used in various contexts, but here's a breakdown of their main meanings:
Widgets:
General Definition: A small, reusable piece of software that performs a specific function or displays information within a larger application or graphical user interface (GUI).
Key Characteristics:
- Often modular and self-contained, meaning they can be easily incorporated into different applications.
- Typically provide specific functionalities like displaying content (images, text, buttons), triggering actions, or collecting user input.
- Can be customized with different attributes and styles to adapt to the specific needs of the application.
- Examples: Calendar widget, weather widget, news feed widget, search bar widget, social media share buttons.
Overlays:
General Definition: A temporary element that sits on top of other content in a graphical interface.
Key Characteristics:
- Appear on top of existing UI elements, often transparent or semi-transparent, allowing the underlying content to be partially visible.
- Typically used to display additional information, provide temporary functionality, or control user interaction.
- Can be modal (blocking interaction with the underlying content) or non-modal (allowing interaction with both the overlay and the underlying content).
- Examples: Pop-up menus, dialog boxes, tooltips, progress bars, notification banners.
Differences:
- Focus: Widgets primarily focus on providing specific functionalities or displaying information, while overlays are more concerned with temporary interactions and providing additional context.
- Placement: Widgets are generally integrated within the main application layout, while overlays appear on top of existing content.
- Persistence: Widgets are typically more permanent elements within an application, while overlays are temporary and disappear when not needed.
Why
A really good question.
Overlays and widgets can create barriers for users with disabilities if they're not properly implemented with keyboard navigation and screen reader compatibility in mind.
Just don't use them as they are not liked in general by the VI community.
Find other ways to work around what you are trying to achieve.