What you should be able to say before taking this course:

• I know what a Makefile does and how to use one
• I know how pointers and structures work in C
• I know how to write basic Xt, and Motif Programs

 
What you will be able to say following the course:

• I understand the different levels of programming with the X Window System, Motif, Xt and Xlib
• I understand the client-server model
• I can draw lines, arc, rectangles and points using Xlib
• I understand the X color model and how it works
• I can write an Xt or Xlib based program
• I know about the following: event, window, display, screen, window manager
• I can integrate Xlib calls into Xt-based programs
• I know what a compound string is and how it is used
• I know how to rubber-band lines for interactive graphics applications
• I can create and use my own application resources, images and error handling routines
• I can use actions and translations
• I can run X in synchronous mode to debug programs
• I can effectively use a text widgets verification callbacks
• I can effectively use a form widget
• I understand the ICCCM and can implement Inter-client communication
• I can use new Motif 1.2 features like tear-off menus, and Drag-and-Drop
• I understand timers, work-procs, input sources
• I can create multi-display applications

 
Course Outline:

Lecture One — Overview and Introduction to Xt

• Writing Xt-Based Applications
• Basic Xt-Programming
• XExamining Widget Resources
• Setting Widget Resources
• Getting Widget Resources
• The Widget Class Hierarchy and Resource Inheritance

 
Lab One — Xt Programming and Working with Resources

• Building an Xt program
• Adding Widgets, Customizing Widgets and Interfaces Using Resources

 
Lecture Two — Overview and Introduction to Xlib

• Client-Server Model
• X Application Architecture
• The Toolkit and Xlib
• The X Server
• Processing Events
• Input Event Types
• XEvent Structure
• Keyboard Events
• Resizing and Gravity
• Expose Events

 
Lab Two — Xlib Programming and Event Handling

• Building an Xlib Program
• Selecting & Acting on Events in Xlib [Button Events, Key Events, etc.]

 
Lecture Three — Graphics in X

• Graphics Vocabulary
• Graphics Contexts
• Draw Operations
• Fills
• Pixmaps
• Xt Program Flow
• Xlib and Xt Together

 
Lab Three — Drawing in X and Mixing Xlib and Xt

• Drawing with X
• Using Events in Xt

 
Lecture Four — Text, Fonts, Cursors and Color

• Fonts
• Text
• Creating and Changing the Cursor
• Color
• Shared and Private Colors
• Private Colormaps

 
Lab Four — Xlib Programming

• Working with Strings
• Building a Graphics Editor

 
Lecture Five — Advanced X

• Rubber Banding
• Application Resources
• Destroying Widgets and Windows
• Synchronicity
• Translation Management
• Fallback Resources
• Error Handling
• Images

 
Lab Five — Graphics with Xt

• Adding Event Handlers to Widgets
• Using Application Resources

 
Lecture Six — Advanced Motif

• Compound Strings
• Text Widgets
• XmForm

 
Lab Six — Advanced Motif

• Add a Form to the Graphics Editor
• Add a textField to the Editor
• Use Modify Verify

 
Lecture Seven — Inter-Client Communications Conventions Manual

• Atoms
• Properties
• Client and Window Manager Communication
• Shared Resources
• Talking To Other Clients
• Selections

 
Lab Seven — Inter-Process Communication

• Iconify Multiple Shells Together
• Position a Shell to Override WM
• Implement Simple Message Passing Between Two Windows
• Implement Cut and Paste

Lecture Eight — Drag and Drop

• Motif 1.2 Overview
• Basic Drag-N-Drop
• XmDropTransfer Widget
• Review — Drag Sources and Drop Sites
• Advanced Drag and Drop

 
Lab Eight

• Using Drag and Drop

 
Lecture Nine — Advanced X

• Var Args Interface
• Timers
• Work Procedures
• Additional Input Sources
• Multi Display Applications
• Performance Issues in X
• Useful Tools

 
Lab Nine — Advanced X

• Using Freeware Tools to Debug X Applications

 
Lecture Nine Addendum (if there is time for it) — X11R6 and Motif 2.0, CDE

• X11R6
• Motif 2.0
• CDE