XLIB Programming Manual, Rel. 5, Third Edition

2.6 How to Program with Xlib

This section reviews what is important to know about X programming before you write any code. Describing what goes into the designing, writing, and debugging of X programs should give you a better start when you begin your own programming.

The basic program described in Chapter 3 illustrates many of the issues described here.

2.6.1 Designing an X Application

Let’s begin by outlining the major tasks any X application must perform.

From the user’s standpoint, almost any application under any window system will do the obvious things: create a window on the screen of an appropriate size, determine a position for some text and/or graphics within the window, draw into the window, and accept keyboard and/or pointer input, changing the screen accordingly. Essentially, the top-level window of the application is treated very much like the whole screen would be treated on a PC. These tasks are straightforward and most programmers should find them familiar.

There are, of course, a few complications resulting from the unique features of window systems in general and the X Window System in particular. These complications determine the design requirements for an application that is to run under X.

2.6.1.1 Design Requirements

The following four paragraphs describe the things X applications must do that are not obvious. These are things that must be done for the application to operate properly under X but that the average user might not notice or know about.

First, X allows ...