Development/Tools: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 22:42, 8 September 2022

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The KDE Community produces libraries and tools for software development but, aside from Qt and CMake, doesn't prescribe which one to use. Here is just a sample of the various tools you can use when developing software that uses KDE APIs or contributing to KDE applications themselves.

Core Tools

These are the tools that are absolutely required to build and develop KDE software. On Linux, they will typically be provided by your distribution. On other platforms, packages should normally be available, often for download directly from the home page for the tool. Of course, the standard development tools, such as a C/C++ compiler and some sort of text editor, are also required.

CMake

CMake is KDE's build system of choice. Once you have this, you can use it to configure a software project for building, and that process will tell you of any other requirements you are missing. NOTE: KDE Frameworks can also be used in QMake-based projects.

Git

Most KDE projects are developed in Git, and so you will need it to get the latest development version of the source code. KDE also provides source code tarballs for the most recent releases. You can find the relevant Git URLs at the KDE Git repository browser.

Subversion

Some KDE projects still use Subversion for some things, notably translations. Third-party developers mostly don't need to bother with this but contributors should take note of it.

Development Environments and Editors

Qt Creator

Qt application developers are most likely already using Qt Creator as their IDE. The good news is that they don't need to switch away from it just to use KDE Frameworks. Simply add the appropriate module to the QMake project file as indicated by each one's API documentation and you're good to go.

KDevelop

KDevelop is a powerful IDE for developing KDE and Qt C++ applications. Unlike Qt Creator, however, it isn't limited to just that use case and supports other languages, libraries, and tools as well.

Kate

Although not exactly an IDE, KDE's premiere Advanced Text Editor has features and plugins that simplify the software development workflow, from syntax highlighting and code folding to project management to an embedded terminal emulator.

Debugging and Analysis

There is a wide variety of tools available, especially on Linux that analyze code and profile applications. Here are some of the more popular ones.

Valgrind

Valgrind helps to find memory leaks and uninitialized memory blocks. Additional features are a profiler and more. Valgrind is one of the most important development tools!

The GNU Project Debugger (GDB)

GDB helps in debugging source code. A graphical frontend, like the two below, might be a preferable way to use this tool.

KDbg and DDD

KDbg and DDD are graphical user interfaces to GDB, which are able to set breakpoints, step through the code, etc.

For some tips on KDE software analysis and profiling, please visit the Debugging page of the KDE Community Wiki.

Translation

Most Qt projects use the framework's built-in translation system. For KDE projects, please see the Community Internationalization Guide.

Helper Tools

Here are some command-line tools that can assist developers in some of their day-to-day tasks.

kf5-config

Provides information related to the installation of KDE libraries and applications, particularly paths and prefixes.

kioclient5

Performs network-transparent operations (via the KIO framework) on the command line, like copying or even downloading files.

kconf_update

Automates updating config files.

kapidox

Generates API documentation for Doxygen-marked code.

Quality Assurance

KDE contributors and third-party developers interested in monitoring the community's software development activities can take a peek via the sites and tools below.

Project Management

KDE currently uses Phabricator for project management but is also moving to a Gitlab instance.

Continuous Building

To ensure high-quality, KDE software operates a continuous integration system powered by Jenkins.

Static Analysis

KDE's continuous integration tooling performs static code analysis, see community::Infrastructure/GitLab/CI/Static Code Analysis

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Template:I18n/Language Navigation Bar|Development/Tools}}
+<languages/>
-This section contains information about tools for KDE development.
-== Core Tools ==
+<translate>
+<!--T:1-->
+The KDE Community produces libraries and tools for software development but, aside from [https://www.qt.io/ Qt] and [https://cmake.org/ CMake], doesn't prescribe which one to use. Here is just a sample of the various tools you can use when developing software that uses KDE APIs or contributing to KDE applications themselves.
+== Core Tools == <!--T:2-->
+<!--T:3-->
 These are the tools that are absolutely required to build and develop KDE software.  On Linux, they will typically be provided by your distribution.  On other platforms, packages should normally be available, often for download directly from the home page for the tool.  Of course, the standard development tools, such as a C/C++ compiler and some sort of text editor, are also required.
+<!--T:4-->
 ; CMake
-: [[Development/CMake|CMake]] is KDE's build system of choice.  Once you have this, you can use it to configure a software project for building, and that process will tell you of any other requirements you are missing.
+<!--T:5-->
+: [[Development/CMake|CMake]] is KDE's build system of choice.  Once you have this, you can use it to configure a software project for building, and that process will tell you of any other requirements you are missing. '''NOTE: KDE Frameworks can also be used in QMake-based projects.'''
+<!--T:6-->
 ; Git
-: Most KDE projects are developed in [http://techbase.kde.org/Development/Git Git], and so you will need it to get the source code in the first place.  You can find the relevant Git URLs at the [http://projects.kde.org/ KDE projects directory].  It will be helpful to follow the [[Development/Git/Configuration git configuration instructions]].
+<!--T:7-->
+: Most KDE projects are developed in [http://techbase.kde.org/Development/Git Git], and so you will need it to get the latest development version of the source code.  KDE also provides source code tarballs for the most recent releases. You can find the relevant Git URLs at the [http://cgit.kde.org/ KDE Git repository browser].
+<!--T:8-->
 ; Subversion
-: KDE still uses [[Getting Started/Sources/Subversion|Subversion]] for some things, notably translations.
-== Debugging and Analysis ==
+<!--T:9-->
-A list of tools which are used to analyze a program. This includes debuggers and profilers, for instance.
+: Some KDE projects still use [[Community:Infrastructure/Subversion|Subversion]] for some things, notably translations. Third-party developers mostly don't need to bother with this but contributors should take note of it.
-; Valgrind
+== Development Environments and Editors == <!--T:10-->
-: [[Development/Tools/Valgrind|Valgrind]] helps to find memory leaks and uninitialized memory blocks. Additional features are a profiler and more. Valgrind is one of the most important development tools!
+<!--T:11-->
+; Qt Creator
+<!--T:12-->
+: Qt application developers are most likely already using Qt Creator as their IDE. The good news is that they don't need to switch away from it just to use KDE Frameworks. Simply add the appropriate module to the QMake project file as indicated by each one's API documentation and you're good to go.
-; The GNU Project Debugger (GDB)
+<!--T:13-->
-: [http://sources.redhat.com/gdb/ GDB] helps in debugging source code. As GDB evolved over time it is recommended to use version 6.x. Graphical frontends are available (see below). See also the debugging tutorial [[../Tutorials/Debugging/Debugging with GDB|Debugging with GDB]].
+; KDevelop
-; KDbg and DDD
+<!--T:14-->
-: [http://www.kdbg.org/ KDbg] and [http://www.gnu.org/software/ddd/ DDD] are graphical user interfaces to GDB, which are able to set breakpoints, step through the code etc.
+: [http://www.kdevelop.org KDevelop] is a powerful IDE for developing KDE and Qt C++ applications. Unlike Qt Creator, however, it isn't limited to just that use case and supports other languages, libraries, and tools as well.
-; MS Windows tools (Process Explorer, Console, WinDbg, DebugView...)
+<!--T:15-->
-: More info on the [[Projects/KDE_on_Windows/Tools|KDE on Windows page]].
+; Kate
-== Development Tools ==
+<!--T:16-->
-; KDevelop
+: Although not exactly an IDE, KDE's premiere [https://kate-editor.org/ Advanced Text Editor] has features and plugins that simplify the software development workflow, from syntax highlighting and code folding to project management to an embedded terminal emulator.
-: [http://www.kdevelop.org KDevelop] is an excellent IDE for developing KDE and Qt C++ applications. It includes a an integrated debugger, a powerful editor with syntax highlighting, a ''Project wizard'' to create applications from templates, the automake/autoconf gunk, and even the class documentation. Further details can also be found in the [http://kdevelop.org/mediawiki/index.php/Main_Page KDevelop wiki].
-:Instructions on how to use KDevelop with KDE 4 applications is available at [[Getting_Started/Set_up_KDE_4_for_development#KDevelop|this page]]
+== Debugging and Analysis == <!--T:17-->
-; Qt Designer
+<!--T:18-->
-: With [http://qt.nokia.com/products/developer-tools/developer-tools?currentflipperobject=937ba3e952f85ef68ddbb7cb4b20fc19 Qt Designer] it is easy to layout user interfaces like buttons and checkboxes. Additional features are undo/redo, checking accelerator conflicts etc. Qt Designer allows even non-programmers to help design KDE dialogs. Further details can be found in the tutorial [[Development/Tutorials/Using_Qt_Designer|Using Qt Designer]] and in the [http://doc.qt.nokia.com/latest/designer-manual.html Qt Designer Manual].
+There is a wide variety of tools available, especially on Linux that analyze code and profile applications. Here are some of the more popular ones.
-; MS Visual Studio® Express IDE (Windows only)
+<!--T:19-->
-: [http://www.microsoft.com/exPress/ Visual C++® Express] is the free version of the Microsoft Visual Studio compiler from Microsoft, which is officially supported by Nokia. It is a choice for compiling Qt and KDE applications on Windows. [[Projects/KDE_on_Windows/Issues/MSVC|more info...]]
+; Valgrind
-== Internationalization (i18n) Tools ==
+<!--T:20-->
+: [http://www.valgrind.org/ Valgrind] helps to find memory leaks and uninitialized memory blocks. Additional features are a profiler and more. Valgrind is one of the most important development tools!
-; Lokalize
+<!--T:21-->
-: [http://userbase.kde.org/Lokalize Lokalize] is a computer-aided translation system that focuses on productivity and quality assurance. It has components usual for CAT tools: translation memory, glossary, and also a unique translation merging (synchronization) capability. It is targeted for software translation and also integrates external conversion tools for freelance office document translation.
+; The GNU Project Debugger (GDB)
-; Dr. Klash
+<!--T:22-->
-: This little utility, once activated, can present a report about conflicting shortcuts in menus. Not only is this helpful for translators but also for developers. A little hand editing of {{path|`kde-config --localprefix`/share/config/kdeglobals}} activates this feature:
+: [http://sources.redhat.com/gdb/ GDB] helps in debugging source code. A graphical frontend, like the two below, might be a preferable way to use this tool.
-<syntaxhighlight lang="ini">
+<!--T:23-->
-[Development]
+; KDbg and DDD
-CheckAccelerators=F12
-AutoCheckAccelerators=false
-AlwaysShowCheckAccelerators=false
-</syntaxhighlight>
-: Pressing F12 will show a dialog containing which accelerators in the currently focussed interface conflict and provide suggestions for new accelerators. If no accelerators conflict or Dr. Klash has nothing to suggest, no popup dialog will be displayed.
+<!--T:24-->
+: [http://www.kdbg.org/ KDbg] and [http://www.gnu.org/software/ddd/ DDD] are graphical user interfaces to GDB, which are able to set breakpoints, step through the code, etc.
-: With <tt>AutoCheckAccelerators</tt> enabled the dialog will popup automatically if a conflict exists and <tt>AlwaysShowCheckAccelerators</tt> can force the dialog to always popup even if there are no conflicts to report.
+<!--T:25-->
+For some tips on KDE software analysis and profiling, please visit the [[Community:Guidelines_and_HOWTOs/Debugging|Debugging page]] of the KDE Community Wiki.
-; The x-test language
+== Translation == <!--T:26-->
-: This helper language serves as a debugging aid for people finding untranslated strings in applications. If you start your application with the "x-test" locale, all translated strings will appear with trailing and leading xx's. First you have to check out these "translations" from l10n-kde4/x-test and install them.
-: After you've built l10n-kde4/x-test and installed it, run your application using the "x-test" locale. This can be done by launching it from the command line like this:
+<!--T:27-->
-<pre>
+Most Qt projects use the framework's built-in translation system. For KDE projects, please see the [[Community:Guidelines_and_HOWTOs/Internationalization|Community Internationalization Guide]].
-> KDE_LANG=x-test kspread
-</pre>
-: This will start KSpread using the "x-test" locale no matter what your current language setting is. Look for strings that do not have the xx's. If xx's are missing from a string, it could be due to missing i18n calls or even missing or incorrectly generated .pot files. Consult the i18n tutorials for further information.
-: When checking for untranslated strings, be sure to check all the WhatsThis help and tooltips.
+== Helper Tools == <!--T:28-->
-=== Examining .po files ===
+<!--T:29-->
+Here are some command-line tools that can assist developers in some of their day-to-day tasks.
-You can look at the translated .po files to see if a string is present and has been translated. For example, here's a portion of {{path|l10n/de/messages/kdebase/konqueror.po}}:
+<!--T:30-->
+;[[Development/Tools/Using kde-config|kf5-config]]
-<pre>
+<!--T:31-->
-#: konq_mainwindow.cc:3707 konq_tabs.cc:84
+: Provides information related to the installation of KDE libraries and applications, particularly paths and prefixes.
-msgid "&New Tab"
-msgstr "Neues &Unterfenster"
-</pre>
-The string to be translated is given on the msgid line. The translated string is on the msgstr line. Notice that the exact same string to translate came from {{path|konq_mainwindow.cc}} and also from {{path|konq_tabs.cc}}. This saves the translators from having to translate the same identical string twice.
+<!--T:32-->
+;[[Development/Tools/Using kfmclient|kioclient5]]
-You can also use Lokalize to examine {{path|.po}} files. Lokalize is part of the kdesdk module.
+<!--T:33-->
+: Performs network-transparent operations (via the KIO framework) on the command line, like copying or even downloading files.
-{{note|More information on writing and translating documentation can be found on [http://l10n.kde.org/ the l10n project site].}}
+<!--T:34-->
+;[[Development/Tools/Using kconf_update|kconf_update]]
-== Helper Tools ==
+<!--T:35-->
+: Automates updating config files.
-;[[Development/Tools/Using kde-config|Get information about KDE's installation - kde-config]]
+<!--T:36-->
-: The tool kde-config helps to find out more about a KDE installation.
+;[[Development/Tools/apidox|kapidox]]
-;[[Development/Tools/Using kfmclient|Driving Konqueror From Scripts - kfmclient]]
+<!--T:37-->
-: kfmclient is a small tool to communicate with Konqueror.
+: Generates API documentation for Doxygen-marked code.
-;[[Development/Tools/Using kconf_update|Updating User Configuration Files - kconf_update]]
+== Quality Assurance == <!--T:38-->
-: kconf_update is a tool designed to update config files.
-;[[Development/Tools/apidox|Generating apidox]]
+<!--T:39-->
-: tools that help develop and generate API documentation for your code.
+KDE contributors and third-party developers interested in monitoring the community's software development activities can take a peek via the sites and tools below.
-;[[Development/Tools/Automoc4|Automoc4]]
+<!--T:40-->
-: This is a helper tool needed to build KDE4. It automatically generates moc-files.
+;Project Management
-;[[Development/Tools/svnmerge.py|svnmerge.py]]
+<!--T:41-->
-: This tool helps keeping track of merges between different SVN branches
+: KDE currently uses [https://phabricator.kde.org/ Phabricator] for project management but is also moving to a [https://invent.kde.org/ Gitlab instance].
-== Quality Assurance ==
+<!--T:42-->
+;Continuous Building
-;Code Review
+<!--T:43-->
-: KDE uses [http://www.reviewboard.org/ Review Board] for performing code reviews, see the [[Development/Review_Board|KDE Review Board]] page for more details
+: To ensure high-quality, KDE software operates a [http://build.kde.org continuous integration system] powered by [https://jenkins.io/ Jenkins].
-;Continuous Building - Dashboard
+<!--T:44-->
-: [http://developer.kde.org/~dirk/dashboard/ all kde modules on Dirk's dashboard]
+;Static Analysis
-: [http://winkde.org/pub/kde/ports/win32/dashboard/ some kde software on win32 dashboard]
-: [http://public.kitware.com/dashboard.php?name=kde kdelibs on kitware]
-;[http://englishbreakfastnetwork.org/ English Breakfast Network] - Static Analysis
+<!--T:45-->
-: [http://www.englishbreakfastnetwork.org/krazy/ Krazy ] - Code Analysis, [[Development/Tutorials/Code_Checking|Usage Tutorial]]
+: KDE's continuous integration tooling performs static code analysis, see [[community::Infrastructure/GitLab/CI/Static Code Analysis]]
-: [http://www.englishbreakfastnetwork.org/apidocs/ APIDOX] - API Documentation Statistics
+</translate>
-: [http://www.englishbreakfastnetwork.org/sanitizer/ Sanitizer] - DocBook Checker
-: [http://www.englishbreakfastnetwork.org/usability/ Usability Checks]