Levels of Desktop Integration

Users can run any X11-based application from a shell command line in the Common Desktop Environment. If you want to integrate your application into the desktop, however, there are guidelines for you to follow. The Common Desktop Environment defines three levels of integration to give you maximum flexibility in designing your application or porting an existing application:

• Basic Integration--Enables your application to be launched from the desktop. You do not need to change your application code to perform basic integration. See Chapter 5, Basic Application Integration for more information.

• Recommended Integration--Enables your application to enhance its level of consistency with the desktop. See Chapter 6, Recommended Integration for more information.

• Optional Integration--Enables you to leverage services provided by the desktop for achieving specialized tasks. See Chapter 7, Optional Integration for more information.

For more information on all three levels of integration, see the Solaris Common Desktop Environment: Programmer's Guide. Basic Integration is also discussed in the Solaris Common Desktop Environment: Advanced User's and System Administrator's Guide.