The KDE framework provides a rich variety of integration technologies [5]. They have been used on a component level for applications like the KDE web browser Konqueror [14] and on a slightly higher level in the KDE office suite KOffice [15]. Kontact constitutes the integration on the highest level - the level of complete applications.
This section will present the KDE component technology KParts (section 4.1), the desktop communication protocol DCOP (section 4.2), the user interface description framework XMLGUI (section 4.3), the integrated configuration framework (section 4.4), and the KDE resources framework KResources (section 4.5).