Development/Tutorials/Writing Qt Designer Plugins - Revision history

Nicolas17: update to new syntaxhighlighter

2011-06-29T19:44:35Z

update to new syntaxhighlighter

Frinring: /* Abstract */

2009-09-13T11:39:27Z

‎Abstract

Frinring: /* Creating a bundle plugin for several widgets */

2009-09-13T11:31:59Z

‎Creating a bundle plugin for several widgets

Frinring: note about removing old single factory plugins

2009-09-13T11:29:18Z

note about removing old single factory plugins

Frinring: Adding section about widget factory collection

2009-09-13T11:22:33Z

Adding section about widget factory collection

Frinring at 10:22, 13 September 2009

2009-09-13T10:22:05Z

Frinring: link to detailed qt doc

2009-09-13T10:20:11Z

link to detailed qt doc

Frinring: /* Finding your widget in Qt Designer */

2009-09-13T10:10:52Z

‎Finding your widget in Qt Designer

Frinring: adding include for QObject

2009-09-13T10:04:49Z

adding include for QObject

Frinring: say plugin, not factory in the first section titel

2009-09-13T09:58:19Z

say plugin, not factory in the first section titel

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 The class, a factory, needs to be subclassed from {{qt|QObject}} and to implement the interface {{qt|QDesignerCustomWidgetInterface}}, as given by example for the widget MyWidget in the file "mywidgetdesignerfactory.h":
-<code cppqt n>
+<syntaxhighlight lang="cpp-qt" line="">
 #ifndef MYWIDGETDESIGNERFACTORY_H
 #define MYWIDGETDESIGNERFACTORY_H
@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 #endif
-</code>
+</syntaxhighlight>
 === Creating the Data as needed by the Interface  ===
@@ Line 44: / Line 44: @@
 The definition of the methods is done as shown in the file "mywidgetdesignerfactory.cpp":
-<code cppqt n>
+<syntaxhighlight lang="cpp-qt" line="">
 #include "mywidgetdesignerfactory.h"
@@ Line 103: / Line 103: @@
 // export macro, takes the name of the plugin module and the class name
 Q_EXPORT_PLUGIN2( mydesignerplugin, MyWidgetDesignerFactory )
-</code>
+</syntaxhighlight>
 For detailed information about the purpose of all the methods of the API you might want to read [http://qt.nokia.com/doc/designer-creating-custom-widgets.html the related page] from the Qt documentation.
@@ Line 110: / Line 111: @@
 After you created the two files above you need to tell the buildsystem how to build the Qt Designer plugin from them and where to install it. This needs a CMakeLists.txt file in the same directory with such content:
- set( mydesignerplugin_SRCS
+<syntaxhighlight lang="cmake">
-   mywidgetdesignerfactory.cpp
+set( mydesignerplugin_SRCS
+  mywidgetdesignerfactory.cpp
- # the name of the plugin module is the same name as used in the macro Q_EXPORT_PLUGIN2 in the file mywidgetdesignerfactory.cpp
+# the name of the plugin module is the same name as used in the macro Q_EXPORT_PLUGIN2 in the file mywidgetdesignerfactory.cpp
- kde4_add_plugin( mydesignerplugin  ${mydesignerplugin_SRCS} )
+kde4_add_plugin( mydesignerplugin  ${mydesignerplugin_SRCS} )
- target_link_libraries( mydesignerplugin
+target_link_libraries( mydesignerplugin
-   mylib
+  mylib
-   # other needed libs
+  # other needed libs
-−
+)
- install( TARGETS mydesignerplugin  DESTINATION ${PLUGIN_INSTALL_DIR}/plugins/designer )
+install( TARGETS mydesignerplugin  DESTINATION ${PLUGIN_INSTALL_DIR}/plugins/designer )
 === Finding your Widget in Qt Designer ===
@@ Line 138: / Line 141: @@
 The helper class, which is used to hold all factories, needs to be subclassed from {{qt|QObject}} and to implement the interface {{qt|QDesignerCustomWidgetCollectionInterface}}, as in the following example MyWidgetDesignerFactoryCollection in the file "mywidgetdesignerfactorycollection.h":
-<code cppqt n>
+<syntaxhighlight lang="cpp-qt" line="">
 #ifndef MYWIDGETDESIGNERFACTORYCOLLECTION_H
 #define MYWIDGETDESIGNERFACTORYCOLLECTION_H
@@ Line 162: / Line 165: @@
 #endif
-</code>
+</syntaxhighlight>
@@ Line 169: / Line 172: @@
 The implementation of the helper class is pretty simple. You just have to create all widget factories in the constructor and add them to the list member. This list is then returned in the method <tt>MyWidgetDesignerFactoryCollection::customWidgets()</tt>. See the example code of the file "mywidgetdesignerfactorycollection.cpp":
-<code cppqt n>
+<syntaxhighlight lang="cpp-qt" line="">
 #include "mywidgetdesignerfactorycollection.h"
@@ Line 191: / Line 194: @@
 Q_EXPORT_PLUGIN2( mydesignerplugin, MyWidgetDesignerFactoryCollection )
-</code>
+</syntaxhighlight>
 Important: As the <tt>MyWidgetDesignerFactoryCollection</tt> is now the central class of the plugin and not any of the widget factories, the source files of the widget factories should no more contain the macro <tt>Q_EXPORT_PLUGIN2</tt>. Otherwise the build will fail.
@@ Line 199: / Line 202: @@
 The CMakeLists.txt content is similar to the one for the single widget factory plugin. The two differences are in the files listed for <tt>mydesignerplugin_SRCS</tt>, here you put all the source files of the factories and the one of the helper class, and the libraries listed in <tt>target_link_libraries( ... )</tt>, here you collect all libraries as needed by the single widget factories:
- set( mydesignerplugin_SRCS
+<syntaxhighlight lang="cmake">
-   mywidgetdesignerfactory.cpp
+set( mydesignerplugin_SRCS
-   myotherwidgetdesignerfactory.cpp
+  mywidgetdesignerfactory.cpp
-   # and any other factory source file
+  myotherwidgetdesignerfactory.cpp
-   mywidgetdesignerfactorycollection.cpp
+  # and any other factory source file
+  mywidgetdesignerfactorycollection.cpp
- # the name of the plugin module is the same name as used in the macro Q_EXPORT_PLUGIN2 in the file mywidgetdesignerfactorycollection.cpp
+# the name of the plugin module is the same name as used in the macro Q_EXPORT_PLUGIN2 in the file mywidgetdesignerfactorycollection.cpp
- kde4_add_plugin( mydesignerplugin  ${mydesignerplugin_SRCS} )
+kde4_add_plugin( mydesignerplugin  ${mydesignerplugin_SRCS} )
- target_link_libraries( mydesignerplugin
+target_link_libraries( mydesignerplugin
-   mylib
+  mylib
-   # other needed libs
+  # other needed libs
-−
+)
- install( TARGETS mydesignerplugin  DESTINATION ${PLUGIN_INSTALL_DIR}/plugins/designer )
+install( TARGETS mydesignerplugin  DESTINATION ${PLUGIN_INSTALL_DIR}/plugins/designer )
 Now if you compile and install this new bundle plugin, after the (re-)start of Qt Designer you should find all your widgets in the Widgetbox. Make sure you have removed any previously installed plugins with a single widget factory for any of the widgets before to avoid conflicts.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 == Abstract ==
-This tutorial shows how to add support for custom GUI elements to Qt Designer. It starts by showing how to add a simple custom widget.
+This tutorial shows how to add support for custom GUI elements to Qt Designer. In the first section you learn how to write a Qt Designer plugin for a simple custom widget. The second section then presents how to support more than one widget in a plugin.
-−
 == Creating a simple Plugin for a custom Widget ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:31, 13 September 2009
Line 129:		Line 129:


−	== Creating a ~~bundle plugin~~ for several ~~widgets~~ ==	+	== Creating a Bundle Plugin for several Widgets ==

	You may have created not just one, but several widgets which you would like to enable support for in Qt Designer. Instead of writing a plugin for each widget you can collect the factories for all widgets in a single plugin, by using a helper class.		You may have created not just one, but several widgets which you would like to enable support for in Qt Designer. Instead of writing a plugin for each widget you can collect the factories for all widgets in a single plugin, by using a helper class.

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:29, 13 September 2009
Line 216:		Line 216:

	install( TARGETS mydesignerplugin DESTINATION ${PLUGIN_INSTALL_DIR}/plugins/designer )		install( TARGETS mydesignerplugin DESTINATION ${PLUGIN_INSTALL_DIR}/plugins/designer )
		+
		+	Now if you compile and install this new bundle plugin, after the (re-)start of Qt Designer you should find all your widgets in the Widgetbox. Make sure you have removed any previously installed plugins with a single widget factory for any of the widgets before to avoid conflicts.

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
-== Creating a simple plugin for a custom widget ==
+== Creating a simple Plugin for a custom Widget ==
 We assume you have written a nice widget which you also want to be able to use in Qt Designer and the ui files. For this to achieve you have to write a plugin module for Qt Designer. It consists of just a single object of a class you have to write.
-=== The interface to the plugin ===
+=== The Interface to the Plugin ===
-The class, a factory, needs to be subclassed from {{qt|QObject}} and to implement the interface {{qt|QDesignerCustomWidgetInterface}}, as given by example for the widget MyWidget in the "mywidgetdesignerfactory.h":
+The class, a factory, needs to be subclassed from {{qt|QObject}} and to implement the interface {{qt|QDesignerCustomWidgetInterface}}, as given by example for the widget MyWidget in the file "mywidgetdesignerfactory.h":
 <code cppqt n>
@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
    public:
-     explicit MyWidgetDesignerFactor( QObject* parent = 0 );
+     explicit MyWidgetDesignerFactory( QObject* parent = 0 );
    public: // QDesignerCustomWidgetInterface API
@@ Line 41: / Line 41: @@
 </code>
-=== Creating the data as needed by the interface  ===
+=== Creating the Data as needed by the Interface  ===
 The definition of the methods is done as shown in the file "mywidgetdesignerfactory.cpp":
@@ Line 115: / Line 115: @@
+  )
-  # the name of the plugin module is the same name as used in the macro Q_EXPORT_PLUGIN2 in the mywidgetdesignerfactory.cpp file
+  # the name of the plugin module is the same name as used in the macro Q_EXPORT_PLUGIN2 in the file mywidgetdesignerfactory.cpp
   kde4_add_plugin( mydesignerplugin  ${mydesignerplugin_SRCS} )
@@ Line 125: / Line 125: @@
   install( TARGETS mydesignerplugin  DESTINATION ${PLUGIN_INSTALL_DIR}/plugins/designer )
-=== Finding your widget in Qt Designer ===
+=== Finding your Widget in Qt Designer ===
 If you successfully compiled and installed your plugin, (re-)start Qt Designer and have a look in the Widgetbox (on the left side by default). If everything worked perfectly you will see a new entry "MyNamespace::MyWidget" (as defined by <tt>MyWidgetDesignerFactory::name()</tt>) in the group "Some group (KDE)" (as defined by <tt>MyWidgetDesignerFactory::group()</tt>). Now drag and drop the entry to the currently edited view in Qt Designer, and voilà, your widget should be added to that view.
 == Creating a bundle plugin for several widgets ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:22, 13 September 2009
Line 127:		Line 127:
	=== Finding your widget in Qt Designer ===		=== Finding your widget in Qt Designer ===
	If you successfully compiled and installed your plugin, (re-)start Qt Designer and have a look in the Widgetbox (on the left side by default). If everything worked perfectly you will see a new entry "MyNamespace::MyWidget" (as defined by <tt>MyWidgetDesignerFactory::name()</tt>) in the group "Some group (KDE)" (as defined by <tt>MyWidgetDesignerFactory::group()</tt>). Now drag and drop the entry to the currently edited view in Qt Designer, and voilà, your widget should be added to that view.		If you successfully compiled and installed your plugin, (re-)start Qt Designer and have a look in the Widgetbox (on the left side by default). If everything worked perfectly you will see a new entry "MyNamespace::MyWidget" (as defined by <tt>MyWidgetDesignerFactory::name()</tt>) in the group "Some group (KDE)" (as defined by <tt>MyWidgetDesignerFactory::group()</tt>). Now drag and drop the entry to the currently edited view in Qt Designer, and voilà, your widget should be added to that view.
		+
		+
		+	== Creating a bundle plugin for several widgets ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:10, 13 September 2009
Line 126:		Line 126:

	=== Finding your widget in Qt Designer ===		=== Finding your widget in Qt Designer ===
−	If you successfully compiled and installed your plugin, (re-)start Qt Designer and have a look in the Widgetbox (on the left side by default). If everything worked perfectly you will see a new entry "MyNamespace::MyWidget" (as defined by <tt>MyWidgetDesignerFactory::name()</tt>) in the group "Some group (KDE)" (as defined by <tt>MyWidgetDesignerFactory::group()</tt>). Now drag and drop the entry to the currently edited view in Qt Designer, and voilà, it should be added to ~~the~~ view.	+	If you successfully compiled and installed your plugin, (re-)start Qt Designer and have a look in the Widgetbox (on the left side by default). If everything worked perfectly you will see a new entry "MyNamespace::MyWidget" (as defined by <tt>MyWidgetDesignerFactory::name()</tt>) in the group "Some group (KDE)" (as defined by <tt>MyWidgetDesignerFactory::group()</tt>). Now drag and drop the entry to the currently edited view in Qt Designer, and voilà, your widget should be added to that view.

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 // Qt
 #include <QtDesigner/QDesignerCustomWidgetInterface>
 class MyWidgetDesignerFactory : public QObject, public QDesignerCustomWidgetInterface

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:58, 13 September 2009
Line 4:		Line 4:


−	== Creating a simple ~~factory~~ for a custom widget ==	+	== Creating a simple plugin for a custom widget ==

	We assume you have written a nice widget which you also want to be able to use in Qt Designer and the ui files. For this to achieve you have to write a plugin module for Qt Designer. It consists of just a single object of a class you have to write.		We assume you have written a nice widget which you also want to be able to use in Qt Designer and the ui files. For this to achieve you have to write a plugin module for Qt Designer. It consists of just a single object of a class you have to write.