X Window Programming From Scratch [Paperback]

J. Robert Brown (Author)

Book Description

Series: From Scratch | Publication Date: July 25, 2000

X Window Programming From Scratch shows how to create a graphical user interface and accomplish graphic rendering using the X Window System software. It offers a unique approach to skill development by leading you through basic to very advanced concepts. This book provides a guide to the Linux operating system for application development, step-by-step instruction to the correct usage and syntax of C, a comprehensive introduction of the X Window System for interface creation and graphic rendering, and a complete structured project to "learn by doing."

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

X Window Programming From Scratch shows how to create a graphical user interface and accomplish graphic rendering using the X Window System software. It offers a unique approach to skill development by leading you through basic to very advanced concepts. This book provides a guide to the Linux operating system for application development, step-by-step instruction to the correct usage and syntax of C, a comprehensive introduction of the X Window System for interface creation and graphic rendering, and a complete structured project to "learn by doing."

About the Author

J. Robert Brown, a midwestern native, has been involved in computer problem solving for nearly 20 years. His introduction to the X-Window system came shortly after its release from MIT in the mid-1980s. This introduction turned to passion and has taken him to three continents and a dozen countries where he has instructed, developed, and debugged in C, C++, Java, X-Windows, Motif and system management. As a computer scientist for Los Alamos National Laboratory, he continues to work, travel, and write from his home in New Mexico. He can be reached at [e-mail].

Product Details

• Paperback: 800 pages
• Publisher: Que (July 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789723727
• ISBN-13: 978-0789723727
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,453,402 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Nothing about everything, January 3, 2001

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Just a guy - See all my reviews

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This review is from: X Window Programming From Scratch (Paperback)

It has been said that a specialist knows everything about nothing, while a generalist knows nothing about everything. This is a generalist book.

The title of this book is completely misleading, except, perhaps the "scratch" part: After reading it, I am scratching my head, and asking, so how do I write programs for X Window???

The author is spreading himself too thin. He assumes you do not even know how to edit a text file, you do not know how to program at all, you do not know what a linked list is. This is ridiculous. Obviously, if I want to learn about X Window programming from scratch, I do not know how to program for X Window, but I do know how to program in general. Alas, the book tells very little about X Window programming. It talks about Unix shells, about computer graphics, about make, about trigonometry, etc. But when it comes to X Window programming, it just breezes through it very fast. There is no systematic explanation of a basic structure of an X Window program. Instead, it offers the code of a vector image editor, completely confusing to an X beginner.

One thing the author excells in is self-praise. For example, chapter 13 says, "Chapter 1 provides an EXCELLENT introduction to ..." (emphasis mine). Give me a break!

I feel I was had. I feel I wasted both my money and my time. Don't waste yours!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Still usable, September 13, 2000

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Jakub Vosahlo (Praha, Bohemia Czech Republic) - See all my reviews

This review is from: X Window Programming From Scratch (Paperback)

I am a complete beginner, so I hoped this is the book for me.And yes. it is, but...
First part of the book, about 100 pages, contains intro to UNIX/Linux, C cmpiler, make, programming and C language. Very short, more a review than introduction.
Then it explains the basics of X Window System, widgets + some background. Follows a part containing the math stuff needed for the real drawing program, which is then implemented.
At the end the book contains more then 9000 lines of Vector Font Deefinitions (contained among others on the CD), which is almost 200 pages.
The book is still pretty good, but you are buing not a 800 pages book, but a 500 one, don't forget it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy this book - it's a waste of money, March 12, 2001

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peg2 (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: X Window Programming From Scratch (Paperback)

This book is very poorly written. Yes, there are usable things in it, but you're better off buying the X Toolkit Cookbook (if you need a tutorial approach), or the Motif Programming Manual (Volume 6A from O'Reilly).