Waxbrush

Google VideoSearch

Wordpress Widget

The Video Search widget embedds Google Video AJAX Search in your Wordpress sidebar.

 

You can also embed direct links in your posts and pages by using a javascript call in your link.

So if you want to link to videos about sharks , spaceships or even the wii, its no problem.

Here’s one of the link’s used above:

<a href="javascript:doVideoSearch(’Wii’);" > Wii</a>

 

Video Player can also be set to 3 different sizes.

 

Just like the Google Map Search widget, it’s derived from Mark Lucovsky’s Typepad template demo of Google AJAX Search.

download the Google VideoSearch widget here

How to Install:

Assuming you already have widget supported wordpress theme (there’s a list of them here), and the widget plugin (download here) already installed.

1. Get a Google Ajax Serarch API key.
Goto code.google.com , register your site for Google Ajax Search and generate an API key.
Save the generated key somewhere for later.

2. Download & install and activate the Google Video Search widget (above).

3. In the Wordpress Admin, goto Presentation/Sidebar Widgets, and Drag n’ Drop the Google VidSearch widget onto the AJAX sidebar.

4. Open Up the widget options, enter you API key into the Google API key textbox and save changes..

5. View you site and you should see the Google Video Search widget in the sidebar.

Video Search Widget Configuration:

Widget Title:

This is the text which appears above the Widget, default is set to blank but you can set it to whatever text you like.

Google API Key:

You should have this already set from the install. If not you’ll have a nice little box where the widget should be telling you where to find an API key.

If you have entered the API incorrectly a popup will appear from Google telling you roughly the same thing.

Video Search Tags:

Set these values to whatever 5 initial searches you would like.

If you leave any value blank then the tag will be set at the default value.

Set Google Video Player size.:

This parameter sets the size of the Player as it appears in your sidebar.

The player is available in 3 sizes:

180px x 135px - small player

260px x 95px - medium player

340px x 256px - large player

To set the player size choose the specific option from the widget dropdown menu.
I have set the default option to be SMALL, as it fits nicely in the sidebar.
Depending on which video player size you choose, you may need to adjust your style.css to accomodate the player in your sidebar.

Should have the standard wordpress plugin version available soon…

Don’t forget if you do change the width make sure that the sidebar width is at least that of the video player.

You may have to adjust your style.css file for the content and width areas to match.

 

For more info check out the Google AJAX apisearch blog article on Video Searches here.