Appendix B: Abridged KDE API Reference

The KDE Application Programmer's Interface (API) consists of nearly 800 classes and thousands of methods. This could be quite a bit to weed through for a beginning or even advanced programmer. To make a more manageable API reference I have chosen several classes (about half the total number) that represent the most often used classes based on statistics taken by Amir Michail of usage of the KDE 1.x libraries and on anticipation of use of the new classes/methods of KDE 2.0.

This reference is organized as follows:

• libkdecore: Core UI-unrelated classes needed by all KDE applications.
• libkdeui: Core UI-related classes needed by all KDE applications.
• libkio: Network transparent file access.
• libkparts: "Parts" are elaborate widgets combined with GUI elements (menu entries, etc.) that accomplish complex tasks.
• libkhtml: Fully HTML 4.0 compliant HTML-rederer that can be used in any KDE application; a Part.
• libkfile: File dialog and access to recent documents menu.
• libkspell: A spellchecking widget that uses International ISpell or ASpell as a backend.
• libdcop: The Desktop Communications Protocol, a lightweight protocol used for communication between applications.