Need help with KDE

I have been trying to come up with a common uniform framework for detecting information about KDE windows. I tried using QObjects, QWidgets, KWinModule, KWinInfo. I was able to extract information about all active windows using QValueList iterator. I could not use the WId's further. I even tried dumping the objectTree associated with KWinModule, but with no luck.

New algorithms group at google

There is a new group a google on algorithms. Please visit http://groups-beta.google.com/group/compalgos
The idea is to discuss various algorithms, their math, books, exercises, solutions, etc. Of course all algorithms from all fields are welcome

My web page

I have had a web page for a long time now. I have not done too much with it so far, but I plan to get better at adding material and information.

Here is the link http://geocities.com/bsingharora/

Cheaper editions of books

I was wondering if it is possible to make published books cheaper by adding advertisements into them like magazines do. I spoke to a few friends and they all welcomed it, if it drives the price down. This should also push down piracy of books.

Low Price Edition of Pearson Education India

I was told by a book seller that the Low Priced Edition for sale only in the Indian subcontinent has made it's way back to the United States and other nations. That is a very bad thing to happen.

To give you an idea of the cost difference, lets take the example of

"The C Programming Language" by Kernighan and Ritchie.
The Indian edition costs Rs 95 (close to $2)
The American edition costs from $42

"The design of the Unix Operating System" by Maurice J Bach
The Indian edition costs Rs 195 (close to $4)
The American edition costs from $74

The pearson education web-site was brought down for a while and now all editions are going to be edited (chapters removed/added) and no Indian edition will be available for atleast one year after the original publication

TeX vs Troff

I have been using TeX for some time now, I used to use troff earlier. Books like those from Tanenbaum and Richard Stevens still use troff where as authors like Ullman have migrated to TeX/LaTeX. The troff authors mention that real authots still use troff. I am confused now. Troff is simple to use, but TeX is very powerful and fits well into the pdf, especially with context. I find it difficult to draw pictures using metapost, where as pic is quite simple.

If you guys have any suggestions or comments, please feel free to post them

Book review

I recently reviewed some parts of a couple of books for william stallings

1. OS 5th Edition
2. Computer Architecture 7th Edition

The first book is out and looks very good. The second book is going to be out later this year.

Languages

I have mostly ignored programming languages so far, but I intend to learn and talk more about C++, Java and C# in the future and join the OO revolution. I have been spending some time with the tiger compiler implementation.

Dinner with a friend and his girl-friend

I had dinner with a friend of mine and his girl-friend. It was a good experience today, but I think I ended revealing something about my friend (which my friend did not tell his girl-friend). All in all, they both seem to enjoy the outflow of information.