Overview of CDE

CDE is fully internationalized so that any application can run using any locale that has been installed in the system. By keeping the language- and culture-dependent information separate from the application source code, the application does not need to be rewritten or recompiled to be marketed in different countries. Instead, the external information needs to be localized only to match the target language and customs.

The application interface has been standardized to allow functionality in any locale, including East Asia. Solaris 8 complies with the Portable Operating Systems Interface for Computer Environments (POSIX and X/Open specifications, which are also referred to as XPG4.2).

Each layer within the desktop must use the proper internationalization interface standards, which are described in the following sources:

• X Window System, The Complete Reference to Xlib, Xprotocol, ICCM, XLFD-X Version, Release 5, Digital Press, 1992.

• IEEE Std. 1003.1-1990. Information Technology-Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX)-Part 1: System Application Program Interface (API). ISO/IEC 9945-1:1990.

• OSF Motif 1.2 Programmer's Reference, Revision 1.2, Open Software Foundation, Prentice Hall, 1992.

• X/Open CAE Specification Commands and Utilities, Issue 4, X/Open Company Ltd., 1992.

• Common Desktop Environment: Programmer's Guide, Addison Wesley, 1995. The updated version is supplied online with the CDE AnswerBooks. See "Related Books and Sites" for more information.