OpenBox ----How to choose packages
 

I have just started out with OB. I believe it can be co-installed with GNOME,KDE ,Xfce and also used as a Stand alone WM

When it is co-installed , the respective DE takes care of the Apps and only the interface gets changed

Is there a guide on what apps to install for optimum performance when OB is used as a stand alone session..

I would like to know whether by mixing KDE and GNOME apps , the performance will suffer as the system pulls in library files from both these environments ..For eg , I install K3b and GNOME baker , they pull in the respective files from both DE..This is just an example..If I install huge apps from different DE then the advantage of OB would be lost I guess

How do u choose the apps wisely?

Also , in many cases/guides they take the example of GOME/KDE or Xfce and give the relevant syntax (For eg Compiz)...Suppose I want to install the same in OB do I follow a GNOME based or KDE based or Xfce based approach? How do I decide?

As a good guide on how OB can be configured, look at Crunchbang linux and its progs. I'm using it on both laptop and desktop and it very well setup. There are progs like tint2 for desktop panel. Volume Icon 0.2.1 for volume control and so on.
http://crunchbanglinux.org/

Even though I wouldn't be too concerned about it, if you want not to use DE dibraries, then use pure GTK+ or Qt apps that don't also depend on GNOME or KDE respecively.

I have no clue what you mean by that.

If you mean "which DE-specific guides of what to click are the most similar to Openbox", then the answer is none. Openbox is not even remotely similar to GNOME, KDE, or Xfce.

EDIT: Also, note that Openbox and a desktop like GNOME play completely different roles. While a desktop environment is a whole suite of applications to manage your desktop and computer, a window manager has only one, simple job: let you resize and move windows.