Enrique Perez-Terron <enrio@online.no> wrote:
> All the client programs that talk to the X server need to know the
> special language to use. This is best accomplished by using the Xlib
> library. The clients link to the library in order to execute code in
> there. That code lets the clients format the messages to the X server,
> and interpret the responses.

Even here, there's the matter of layers and complexity...
Xlib itself is often used via another further abstracted library, such as
Gdk and Gtk/pango/etc, Qt/KDElib, or Xt/libxaw (for example).

These make it far simpler to write for, rather than writing everything
directly in Xlib code.

> In old days, before the advent of Gnome and KDE, many makers of window
> managers sought to extend their managers with functions that Gnome and
> KDE covers in their panels or elsewhere.

Indeed, enlightenment for example. (or on sun at least, CDE)
--
| spike1@freenet.co,uk | "Are you pondering what I'm pondering Pinky?" |
| Andrew Halliwell BSc | |
| in | "I think so brain, but this time, you control |
| Computer Science | the Encounter suit, and I'll do the voice..." |