Development/Tutorials/Writing kontact plugins

Kontact plugins are KParts that get loaded at runtime. To integrate your KPart into kontact, you will need to have a .desktop file like this:

ls /home/kde-devel/kde/share/kde4/services/kontact/
akregatorplugin.desktop     knotesplugin.desktop
akregatorplugin3.2.desktop  korganizerplugin.desktop
journalplugin.desktop       newstickerplugin.desktop
kaddressbookplugin.desktop  plannerplugin.desktop
karmplugin.desktop          specialdatesplugin.desktop
kmailplugin.desktop         summaryplugin.desktop
kmobiletools.desktop        todoplugin.desktop
knodeplugin.desktop         weatherplugin.desktop

Writing a KPart

The following is what you do

• write a subclass mypart of KParts::Part
  • because setWidget is protected
  • use a Widget in it and use setWidget to get your widget into the KPart
• write a subclass mypartmainwindow of KParts::MainWindow
  • because createGUI is protected
• write main.cpp
  • use new mypart(mw) to get your part into your main window

CMakeLists.txt

PROJECT( kdepart )
FIND_PACKAGE(KDE4 REQUIRED)
INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(${KDE4_INCLUDES} .)

SET(kdepartSources main.cpp mypart.cpp)

KDE4_ADD_EXECUTABLE(kdepart ${kdepartSources})

TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(kdepart ${KDE4_KDEUI_LIBS} ${KDE4_KPARTS_LIBS})

mypart.cpp

1. include <kdebug.h>
2. include <KPushButton>
3. include "mypart.h"
4. include <QWidget>

mypart::mypart(QObject* parent) {

 kDebug() << "Entering mypart";
 QWidget* mywidget=new QWidget();
 KPushButton* button=new KPushButton("ho",mywidget);
 setWidget(mywidget);

}

mypartmainwindow::mypartmainwindow(QWidget* parent, Qt::WindowFlags f) {

 kDebug() << "Entering mypartmainwindow";
 mypart* mypart1=new mypart(this);
 mypart1->embed(this);

}

Using your kPart

You can use konqueror to display your kpart: konqueror -> Settings -> Configure Konqueror -> Web browsing -> Plugins

See also

• http://pim.kde.org/development/tutorials/creatingplugins.php - tutorial for KDE 3
• http://api.kde.org/4.x-api/kdelibs-apidocs/kparts/html/classKParts_1_1MainWindow.html - the mainwindow where you display your kpart in