Ask HN: Resources to learn how GUI libraries were/are made?

Posted by debanjan16 on Saturday March 25, 2023 @03:09AM
from the ask-hn dept.

I want to go deeper into things that amaze me. Modern GUIs amaze me. I want to know about the topic in detail. More detail that using a GUI framework like Qt to make an app.

I know the processor operates in machine/assembly code. Very early on computers were operated using punched cards and tapes and the outputs were printed out. Then came console based black and white GUIs. Then came color GUIs and after that more sophisticated things.

I want to know and study (maybe make my own project) about how a processor can make something appear on a display and how the very first GUIs were made.

Are there books, courses or projects I can look at?

( 5 comments | 2 points | on HN )

Re:Ask HN: Resources to learn how GUI libraries were/are made? by ofalkaed on Saturday March 25, 2023 @04:13AM (#35300535)

The Xlib Programming Manual and Reference Manual would probably be of interest, they are getting a bit old now but xlib has not changed much and they are still useful.

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Re:Ask HN: Resources to learn how GUI libraries were/are made? by richardjam73 on Saturday March 25, 2023 @07:54AM (#35301758)

You can access those manuals here https://www.x.org/wiki/ProgrammingDocumentation/ They are the O'Reilly Ones

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Re:Ask HN: Resources to learn how GUI libraries were/are made? by ofalkaed on Saturday March 25, 2023 @08:11AM (#35301879)

Shame that Volume 1 is missing, it is the most important one and the only one that is really still relevant. Luckily these are not hard to get, I got Volume 1 & 2 for $6 used not too long ago and there were plenty more copies, oddly package deals of both Xlib volumes were cheaper than than just Volume 1 on its own. Have learned a good deal from it.

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Re:Ask HN: Resources to learn how GUI libraries were/are made? by dataman72 on Saturday March 25, 2023 @05:22AM (#35300937)

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Re:Ask HN: Resources to learn how GUI libraries were/are made? by richardjam73 on Saturday March 25, 2023 @07:18AM (#35301546)

GEOS is an early GUI system for the Commodore 64 computer.

https://github.com/geos64128/HG2G2022

That manual contains some detail on how it works.

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