Programming KDE 2.0

The K Desktop Environment (KDE) is a powerful graphical desktop environment for UNIX workstations. It combines ease of use, contemporary functionality, and outstanding graphical design with the technological superiority of the UNIX operating system. The KDE platform will enable you to shorten development time, refine your GUI, and achieve better integration with other applications.

This book covers all aspects of writing programs for KDE 2.0 from general principles and dialog design to component programming and inter-program communication. It is intended for developers that are familiar with the C++ language — previous UNIX or KDE experience is not required.

You get an introduction to the main components of the system, including the window manager, the panel, and the standards required to write a KDE-compliant application. And you learn about the libraries and tools used to develop KDE programs, such as the X Window system, the Qt widget kit, the gcc compiler set, and the automake application.

Practical programminmg guidelines and the tricks of the trade are illustrated with well-documented examples — all of which can be used as starting points for your own projects. A demonstration project, complete with source code, will give you a working understanding of the nuts and bolts of KDE development including:

• main window elements including menu bars, toolbars, and status bars
• GUI components including widgets, fonts, and text, image display
• Standard dialogs and multi-panel dialog boxes
• the configuration file format used by KDE apps and developing control modules for the KDE Control Center
• development of component apps as plug-ins in the KDE file manager, Konqueror

1. Introduction
• What is KDE?
• A Short History of Graphical Desktops
• Unified Graphical Desktops — A Lot of Benefits; A Few Drawbacks
• KDE and the UNIX User Interface
• The Window Manager
• The Panel and Taskbar
• The File Manager and Web Browser: Konqueror
• Session Management
• Where Do You Go from Here?
2. Tools of the Trade
• The C++ Compiler
• The Story of Templates
• The X Window System and Toolkits
• The Qt Library and KDE Libraries
• Managing Your Projects: make, automake, and autoconf
• Workgroup Software: CVS
• The Cathedral and the Bazaar — Or Various Ways of Working in Groups
• Programmers' Editors and Integrated Development Environments
• Generating Documentation from Code (kdoc)
• Your First KDE Application
• Compiling the Sample Application
3. Basic Widgets
• Introducing Minidraw (And Some Ramblings about User Interfaces)
• Setting up a Large Application in KDE
• Compiling and Installing an Application Package
• The Data Type of Minidraw
• Creating Widgets for Drawing and User Interaction
• Doubling Buffering
• Displaying Messages (KMessageBox)
• Simple Dialog Boxes
• Entering Values: Text Boxes and Spin Boxes
• Selections from Dynamic Lists: List Boxes
• Combo Boxes
4. Building the Application Window
• The Story og MDI and SDI
• KDE Application Structure Reviewed
• Menus
• Icons in the Menu Items
• Submenus
• Disabling versus Removing Menu Items
• Toolbars
• Status Bars
• Popup Menus
• Replacing Hidden Menu Bars with Popup Menus
5. Advanced Widgets and Dialogs
• Multipanel Dialog Boxes
• Specialized Widgets
• Representing an Internet Link
• Progress Bars
• LEDs
• Selecting a Date
• Standard Dialog Boxes
• Entering a Single Value
• Prompting for a Password
• File Open and Save Dialogs
• Color Selection
• Font Selection
• Dialogs for Text Editors
6. Configuring KDE Applications
• Configuration Files
• Using Configuration Files from an Application
• Using the Configuration Variables
• Configuration in the Application GUI
• The KDE Control Center
• Creating a Control Center Module
• Running Control Modules
• Applying New Configuration Values
7. Advanced GUI Techniques
• Action-Based User Interfaces
• Example of Action-Based User Interface
• Application: Toggling the Expert Mode
• XML-Based User Interface
• Expert Menus Revisited
• Component-Based Programming
• A Quick Introduction to the KParts Model
• Converting Minidraw to an Embeddable Konqueror Viewer
• Converting to Shared Libraries
• Creating the Part Widget
• MIME Type Magic
8. Expert Touches
• Saving and Loading Structured Data in XML
• XML Data Structure
• Save and Load in classic Minidraw
• Network Transparency the Easy Way
• Interapplication Communication in KDE — DCOP
• Communication in KDE
• Unique Applications
• Speedup Hacks
• kdeinit — The Big Startup Hack
9. Parting Thoughts
• How to Make Money with KDE
• Making Money as a User
• Developing Custom Applications
• Developing Off-the-Shelf Programs
• Recommended Reading

It's OK, but it leaves so many stones unturned, that you need at least another book.