Volume 1 : Xlib Programming Manual

Rating:
Summary: Probably the best available...
Review: FYI: you don't need volume 2... This book is cryptic and messy, but so is X. I've used it a lot whenever the man pages get too ugly.

Rating:
Summary: Probably the best available...
Review: FYI: you don't need volume 2... This book is cryptic and messy, but so is X. I've used it a lot whenever the man pages get too ugly.

Rating:
Summary: Reading this book is alot like reading "spaghetti" code.
Review: It seems that everything having to do with X is overly flexible and overly complicated in certain areas while lacking in some of the basics. This book is no different. The author seems to provide alot of details of Xlib. However, these details are usually useless because his explanations are so difficult to understand. His explanations always seem to require a thorough understanding of other topics and terms that are never explained completely, or are explained much later in the book. Then, on the flip side, simple obvious concepts are repeated over and over and over...

Rating:
Summary: Unfortunately there are no alternatives..
Review: This book is a basic introduction to programming X11 directly with Xlib. It is not obvious that Adrian Nye is the best expert to learn from. Often it seems like he wrote the book in an attempt to try to make sense of the X11 system himself. Parts of it are extremely unclear, but at least we should give him credit for trying to explain everything, even those parts he wasn't entirely sure about.

It would probably be a good idea if O'Reilly made a revised edition, rewriting some of the bad parts (which should probably be clear in Adrians head by now), and updating some material for X11R6.

On the good side, there are plenty of code-examples, and while they aren't exactly showing good style, at least they are complete, you can type them in and run them. And they are all small enough to understand without further refactoring. And while not every explanation Adrian makes is crystal clear, it is definitely necessary to have some understanding of basic X11 concepts before you move on to the reference manuals.

If you want a programming manual, and not simply a reference for Xlib, this is the only book available. And while it is far from perfect, it will be much better to learn from than e.g. Scheifler & Gettys. But you'd better order that one as well.

Rating:
Summary: X11 programming is complex, this book helps
Review: Unfortunately, X11 programming is extremely complex. This book is not perfect, but does guide you through the labyrinth. If you are going to program in X11, you need to get this book.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: X is a little cyptic but very powerful.

This book does an extremely good and thorough job of documenting Xlib programming.

It is without a doubt the best technical reference I have ever read.

Rating:
Summary: this book is awful!
Review: you'll never get past page 100. this book is simply unreadable. after reading a few chapters, you'll find that you've learned a lot, but understand very little. and certainly won't be able to DO anything with it. the book is guilty (amoung other things) of giving VERY technical definitions which is fine, but no attempt is made to give a better understanding of the term in basic, frank language that everyone can understand. in addition, the book is way too long. it attempts to be a treatiste on the subject of xlib. if you want to learn xlib (or anything, for that matter), you want a basic book, not a treatiste.

Rating:
Summary: this book is awful!
Review: you'll never get past page 100. this book is simply unreadable. after reading a few chapters, you'll find that you've learned a lot, but understand very little. and certainly won't be able to DO anything with it. the book is guilty (amoung other things) of giving VERY technical definitions which is fine, but no attempt is made to give a better understanding of the term in basic, frank language that everyone can understand. in addition, the book is way too long. it attempts to be a treatiste on the subject of xlib. if you want to learn xlib (or anything, for that matter), you want a basic book, not a treatiste.