The Ozone Widget Framework (OWF) is an open-source web-based framework for composing and integrating lightweight web applications, known as "widgets", into a customisable desktop-like interface called a "webtop". [1][2][3] Developed by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), it enables decentralised data communication between widgets within a browser, allowing users to assemble tools for tasks like real-time analytics, cyber-situational awareness, and operational planning without sending data back to servers.[4][5] OWF supports inter-widget communication via intents and channels.[6][7]
Assemble widgets into dashboards or tabbed layouts for personalised workflows.[3]
Enable inter-widget communication via publish-subscribe channels and intents, allowing data sharing (e.g., a contact list sending addresses to a map widget).[2][18]
Integrate with APIs like the Common Map Widget API (CMAPI) for standardised map-data interactions.[3]
Development and Community
Development focuses on widget creation, with guides for integrating existing apps and adding components like descriptor URLs.[19] The Ozone Platform maintains repositories for OWF, the OZONE Marketplace (a widget search engine), and OZONE Synapse (a data-caching layer).[20][21]
Community support includes Google Groups for LDAP configuration and announcements, with pull requests encouraged via GitHub.[22][2] Refactoring efforts in 2013 aimed at OSGi backend and Ext JS removal for scalability.[9]
Related Projects
OZONE Marketplace: A widget discovery catalogue.[3]
OZONE Synapse: Optional data-query layer for caching.[3]
