# Preface

The Desktop KornShell User's Guide provides the information you need to create Motif applications with KornShell (kshell) scripts. In addition to the basic information you'll need to get started, several example scripts of increasing complexity are described. Throughout this guide the term `dtksh` means the Desktop KornShell.

## Who Should Use This Guide

This guide is intended for programmers who want a quick and easy means of creating Motif applications, but don't have the time, knowledge, or inclination to use the C programming language. A good understanding of kshell programming, Motif, the Xt Intrinsics, and, to a lesser extent, Xlib is needed. An understanding of C would also be helpful.

## How This Guide Is Organized

Chapter 1, “Introduction to Desktop KornShell,” describes the basic information you need to begin writing Motif applications in `dtksh` scripts.

Chapter 2, “A Sample Script,” describes two simple `dtksh` scripts. The first script creates a push button widget within a bulletin board widget. The second script expands the first by adding a callback for the push button.

Chapter 3, “Advanced Topics,” describes more advanced topics pertaining to `dtksh` scripts.

Chapter 4, “A Complex Script,” describes a much more complex script than either of the ones described in Chapter 2. This script creates a graphic interface to the `find` command.

Appendix A, “dtksh Commands,” lists all the `dtksh` commands.

Appendix B, “dtksh Convenience Functions,” contains man pages for commands or functions that are not documented elsewhere.

Appendix C, “Listing for script_find,” contains the complete listing of the complex script described in Chapter 4.

## Related Books

The following books provide information on kshell programming, Motif, the Xt Intrinsics, and Xlib:

- Desktop KornShell Graphical Programming For the Common Desktop Environment Version 1.0, by J. Stephen Pendergrast, Jr., published by Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA 01867.

- The New KornShell Command and Programming Language, by Morris I. Bolsky and David G. Korn, published by Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632.

- KornShell Programming Tutorial, by Barry Rosenberg, published by Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA 01867.

- Motif Programmer's Guide, Open Software Foundation, 11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, published by Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632.

- Motif Programmer's Reference, Open Software Foundation, 11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, published by Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632.

- Motif Reference Guide, by Douglas A. Young, published by Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632.

- Mastering Motif Widgets (Second Edition), by Donald L. McMinds, published by Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA 01867

- The X Window System Programming and Applications with Xt Motif Edition, by Douglas A. Young, published by Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632.

- The Definitive Guides to the X Window System, Volume 1: Xlib Programming Manual, by Adrian Nye, published by O'Reilly and Associates, Sebastopol, CA 95472.

- The Definitive Guides to the X Window System, Volume 2: Xlib Reference Manual, edited by Adrian Nye, published by O'Reilly and Associates, Sebastopol, CA 95472.

- The Definitive Guides to the X Window System, Volume 3: X Window System User's Guide, by Valerie Quercia and Tim O'Reilly, published by O'Reilly and Associates, Sebastopol, CA 95472.

- The Definitive Guides to the X Window System, Volume 4: X Toolkit Intrinsics Programming Manual, by Adrian Nye and Tim O'Reilly, published by O'Reilly and Associates, Sebastopol, CA 95472.

- The Definitive Guides to the X Window System, Volume 5: X Toolkit Intrinsics Reference Manual, edited by Tim O'Reilly, published by O'Reilly and Associates, Sebastopol, CA 95472.

- The Definitive Guides to the X Window System, Volume 6: Motif Programming Manual, by Dan Heller, published by O'Reilly and Associates, Sebastopol, CA 95472.

## What DocBook SGML Markup Means

This book is written in the Structured Generalized Markup Language (SGML) using the DocBook Document Type Definition (DTD). The following table describes the DocBook markup used for various semantic elements.

## DocBook SGML Markup

`Markup Appearance` | `Semantic Element(s)` | `Example`
`AaBbCc123` | The names of commands. | Use the `ls` command to list files.
`AaBbCc123` | The names of command options. | Use `ls` `−a` to list all files.
AaBbCc123 | Command-line placeholder: replace with a real name or value. | To delete a file, type `rm` filename.
`AaBbCc123` | The names of files and directories. | Edit your `.login` file.
AaBbCc123 | Book titles, new words or terms, or words to be emphasized. | Read Chapter 6 in User's Guide. These are called class options. You must be root to do this.

## Shell Prompt Characters

The following table shows shell prompt characters used in this book.

## Shell Prompt Characters

`Character` | `Meaning` | `Example`
`%` | UNIX C shell prompt | `system%`
`$` | UNIX Bourne and Korn shell prompt | `system$`
`#` | Superuser prompt, all shells | `system#`