Development/Tutorials

This tutorial are in the process of being moved to develop.kde.org/docs/.

Here is a list of currently available tutorials for developing KDE Applications or KDE Plasma, or using KDE Frameworks to develop a 3rd-party application.

Basics of how to develop with KDE Frameworks

Are you interested in writing applications with KDE Frameworks? This tutorial series is aimed at those completely new to it.

Setting Up

Before you start writing and building KDE software, you'll need to prepare your tools first.

Hello World

An introduction to the very basics of KDE Frameworks programming

Creating the Main Window

This tutorial shows you the magic of an application's most important thing: The main window.

Using Actions

How to add actions to the menus and toolbars. Based on the MainWindow tutorial.

Saving and Loading

Introduces the KIO library while adding loading and saving support to our application.

Command line arguments

Adds the ability to specify which file to open from the command line to our text editor.

Common Programming Mistakes

Various common mistakes made while developing Qt and KDE applications and how to avoid them.

Integrating with Workspaces

Session Management

Make your application aware of X sessions

Icons

Deliver your application with icons that are automatically installed to the right places. Based on the Kaction Tutorial.

Desktop File

Let your application show up in the K menu and in application menus. Based on the Icons Tutorial.

Managing Configuration Data With KConfig

Introduction To KConfig

An overview of the KConfig classes and how to use them in your application code

Using KConfig XT

Tutorial on how to efficiently use the KConfig XT framework.

Updating KConfig Files

Tutorial on how to write an update script to keep changes in your application's config file format in sync with the user's already existing config file

Services : Applications and Plugins

Introduction to the Services Framework

An overview of the services framework in KDE and what it provides the application developer. Covers the system configuration cache (SyCoCa), the source data files and what the indexed information can be used for.

Finding Services Using Trader Queries

How to find services, such as plugins or mimetypes, that are indexed in the SyCoCa using Trader Query Syntax

Creating and Loading Plugins Using KService

Learn how to define custom plugin types, find installed plugins (including 3rd party plugins) and load them in an easy and portable fashion using KService.

Localization

See also Localization portal.

Introduction To Unicode

An introduction to what Unicode is as well as how to handle Unicode data in KDE applications.

Writing Applications With Localization In Mind

This tutorial covers what localization is, why it's important and how to ensure your application is ready to be localized. A must read for all application developers.

Avoiding Common Localization Pitfalls

There are several common mistakes that prevent applications from being properly localized. Find out what they are and how to easily avoid them in this tutorial.

Building KDE's Localization Module

Building and installing language support from KDE's localization (l10n) module is a good idea for those working on applications in the main KDE repository. Doing so will allow you to test your application in another language and spot problem areas. Learn how to do just that in this tutorial.

Incorporating i18n Into the Build System

Once your application is ready to be localized, the next step is to ensure that translation files are built automatically and kept up to date. This tutorial covers the necessary CMakeFiles.txt additions as well the process of distributing the resulting message catalogs with your application.

Common i18n Challenges and Solutions

This tutorial covers challenges that you may eventually run into such as translating handbooks and other data that exists outside of the source code, merging and handling obsolete .po files, dealing with freezes, coding in languages other than English and creating independent releases of or moving applications between KDE modules.

Semantic Markup of Messages

To ensure consistent presentation and more meaningful representations of messages in applications, semantic markup can be applied to messages marked for translation using the KUIT system. This tutorial describes how this system works.

Automated i18n Code Checking

The Krazy code checker scans KDE's code and reports common i18n mistakes.

Dealing with Language Changes

This tutorial covers dealing with changing languages: How to add the function to change the language and then dynamically update the user interface when language has been changed.

Understanding How Messages Appear to Translators

An introduction to what context information is extracted (and what isn't) from source code for translators to see.

Application Automation and Scripting

D-Bus

Introduction to D-Bus

A straight-forward introduction to the core concepts in D-Bus from an application developer's perspective, this tutorial covers what D-Bus is and how it can be used by applications.

Accessing D-Bus Interfaces

A step-by-step guide to calling D-Bus methods and connecting to D-Bus signals using QtDBus.

Intermediate D-Bus

Tips to make use of QtDBus when faced with problematic real-world interfaces.

Creating D-Bus Interfaces

Learn how to expose functionality in your application by creating and using custom D-Bus interfaces. Covers generating the XML descriptions, instantiating interfaces at run time and setting up the build system with CMake.

Using Custom Types with D-Bus

Learn how to use your own types in classes exported on D-Bus. Covers marshaling and unmarshaling of objects, the integration of custom types into XML descriptions and registering the custom types with the Qt Meta Object system.

D-Bus Autostart Services

Turn your application into a D-Bus autostart service with this tutorial. This D-Bus feature, also known as "D-Bus service activation", will ensure that even when your application isn't running that D-Bus calls made to it will work by relying on the D-Bus daemon itself to start your app if and when needed.

Dolphin

Creating Dolphin Service Menus

This tutorial shows you how to create mimetype-specific actions in Dolphine's context menu (aka "servicemenus").

Kross

Introduction to Kross

An introduction to the Kross Scripting Framework.

Hello World

A first application with working kross code.

Calling Functions in Kross

Simple demonstration of calling scripting functions

Connecting Signals and Slots in Kross

Simple demonstration of connecting object signals with script slots

Scripts as Plugins with Kross

This tutorial provides a step-by-step introduction how to integrate scripts as plugins into a KDE application.

Placing script actions in your application menus

Simple demonstration on how to extend you application menus to execute script files.

How to use an ActionCollection

A small Tutorial on How to use Kross::ActionCollections.

Calligra Plugin Tutorials

Calligra Overview

This document shows an overview of the different Calligra plugin types and tells you what each of their purpose and strengths are. If you are new with Calligra plugins, this is the place to start.

Calligra Plugin Creation

This gives a technical overview of what it means to write a Calligra plugin.

Creating Calligra Flake Plugins

This tutorial shows you how you can build a plugin for Calligra applications to allow you embed content in ODF documents using Flake.

Calligra Words Scripting

This tutorial shows how to script Calligra Words with Python, or JavaScript using Kross.

Calligra Sheets Scripting

This tutorial shows how to script Calligra Sheets with Python, or JavaScript using Kross.

System Activity

Writing script actions for the process's context menu

This tutorial shows how to add a context menu action to show custom information about a process.

KWin

KWin Scripting Tutorial

This tutorial shows how to write a useful script for KWin.

QML Window Switcher Layouts

This tutorial documents the new QML layouts for the KWin Window Switcher

Plugins and KParts

Using KParts

A kPart is a plugin that you can just load into your application. For example, it is easy to integrate an editor (the katePart) or a console (the konsolePart) into your application's window.

Writing kontact plugins

Kontact plugins are KParts. This tutorial describes how you can write one.

Writing Qt Designer Plugins

Add your widgets to Qt Designer and thus make them usable in UI files.

KCM HowTo

KCM are plugins which are loaded by System Settings to display configuration elements. They can also be used within an application.

Hardware Awareness (Solid)

Introduction to Solid

An introduction to the Solid effort in general and it library in particular.

Listing Devices

How to use the Solid core library to discover the hardware and interact with the system.

Accessing Network Information

How to use the Solid system to get information about the network

Creating a Device Action

When your application is interested in registering actions with the system for removable hardware

Authorization and Privilege escalation (KAuth)

KAuth Basics

An overview of concepts and basic knowledge required to understand and use KAuth effectively

Using KAuth actions in your application

How to execute KAuth actions in your application, and how to integrate them tightly into your UI

Creating a KAuth helper to perform a privileged action

You will learn how to use KAuth's helpers and escalation facilities, and how to seamlessly make a privileged and non privileged portion of your application interact

Creating a KCM requiring authorization upon saving

Learn how to use the high level KCModule API to create KCModules handling authorization, and its UI integration, on their own

Multimedia (Phonon)

Phonon

Introduction to Phonon tells how to compile and run the code. If you like to work in Python, try this version of the same tutorial

Writing Backends

How to start creating a new backend for the multimedia API

Resources

Please have a look at the online documentation for information on the Phonon API. If you prefer using Qt Assistant or Qt Creator you can also use our offline documentation.

Plasma 5

See Plasma tutorials.

Personal Information Management (Akonadi)

Using Akonadi in Applications

Displaying and modifying data provided by Akonadi

Developing Akonadi Resources

Akonadi Resources are agent programs which transport PIM data between Akonadi and a backend (files, servers, etc)

Using custom data types with Akonadi

Akonadi can handle arbitrary data as item payloads through the use of a plugin based serialization framework

Kate / KWrite

Getting started with KTextEditor plugins

Creating your first KTextEditor plugin

Developing a plugin with configuration dialog

Adding a configuration dialog to the Time & Date example

A small Editor

Create a small application using KTextEditor

KDevelop

Creating a class template

Instructions for creating a class template, which can be used to quickly generate classes from KDevelop.

Creating a project template

Instructions for creating a project template, which can be used for starting new project with KDevelop.

KDevelop-PG-Qt Introduction

Information on the KDevelop parser generator, useful for language plugins.

Printing

KDE mostly uses the Qt Printing infrastructure.

Hello World

Introduction to the KDE printing system

kioslaves

• Using kioslaves in your Program
• Creating a Hello-World kioslave

Collaboration

Open Collaboration Services (libattica)

Introduction to Attica

In this tutorial a simple widget showing information about a Person on the server is created.

Get Hot New Stuff

Get Hot New Stuff 3 - Download

How to use KHotNewStuff3 in your application.

Get Hot New Stuff 3 - Checking for Updates

How to check whether updates for installed stuff are available without showing the dialog/widget.

Get Hot New Stuff 3 - Upload

How to add an upload dialog to your application.

Other programming languages

Python (PyQt4)

Note

The tutorials below apply to an older version of Qt only. While there are stable Python bindings available for Qt 5, bindings for KDE Frameworks 5 are still under development.

An Introduction to PyQt

Starting off with an introduction to PyQt4

Using PyKDE4

Introduction to PyKDE4

PyKDE WebKit Tutorial

A simple web browser application in PyKDE

101 Introduction to signals and slots

A simple introduction to Qt's signal and slot architecture.

PyKDE DBus Tutorial

An introduction to DBus communication using PyKDE

PyKDE KNotify Tutorial

An introduction to Knotify (Notifications and KJobs) using PyKDE

Ruby

Note

The tutorials below apply to an older version of Qt only. There are currently no Ruby bindings for Qt 5 and KDE Frameworks 5 available.

KDE Ruby Korundum tutorial

A ruby version of Antonio Larrosa Jiménez's KDE tutorial by Richard Dale. See the Ruby Developers Corner for Qt tutorials and other info.

Qt4 Ruby Tutorial

Nokia's fabulous introductory tutorial to Qt, translated to Ruby.

Creating a Plasma Widget in Ruby

Tutorial that shows how to create your first Plasma Applet using the Ruby language.

Developing Qt4 Applications using Qt Designer and Ruby on Kubuntu

Tutorial that shows how to design a simple User Interface in Qt Designer and then use the resulting widget in a Qt Ruby application we build from scratch.

Ruby-Qt/KDE Book

There is also an approach to create an Ruby-Qt/KDE Book under a free license. The content will be created in this wiki.

Shell

Shell Scripting with KDE dialogs (Original Link)

Tutorial by Brad Hards that describes how to use KDE dialogs in shell scripts with kdialog. It is presented as an example based tutorial.

Graphics Programming

QPainter Perfomance

Hints on avoiding common mistakes leading to poor performance when using QPainter

HiDPI Support

How to render sharp GUI for HiDPI display

Migrate Qt Quick Controls 1

Qt Quick Controls 1 is not supported so please follow the guide to upgrade to Qt Quick Controls 2

Using the KDE Games Libraries

KStandardGameAction

Using libkdegames to make your game fit the kdegames standard

Highscores

Implementing a simple highscore table into your game

Theme Selector

Using the libkdegames theme selection dialog

Palapeli Slicers

Creating a slicer plugin for Palapeli

Other tutorials

2D Plotting (KPlotWidget)

Using the KDE data-plotting widget

This tutorial introduces KPlotWidget, which is used for 2-D data plotting. It includes information on simple usage of the widget (including adding and modifying data sets, and customizing the plot axes and labels), and advanced customization (including extending the widget through sub-classing).

Physical Simulation

How to perform a physical simulation: animation and diagram

Spelling and Grammar Checking (Sonnet)

Adding spell-checking or grammar-checking to KDE applications

This tutorial introduces Sonnet and how one may use it to add language correction to your KDE application. Sonnet's auxiliary features shall be described in a separate tutorial.

Using the KDE Wallet API for safe storage

KWallet

"Brief introduction to the KWallet API which can be used for storing all kinds of sensitive information."

Deprecated Material

Warning

Tutorials in this section are outdated and are no longer relevant to the current state of KDE software. They are being retained here for historical purposes only. Please do not use them.

Accessibility

Accessibility Overview

A list of accessibility tutorials and general information.

Accessibility Checklist

What to look for in your application to make it accessible for as many people as possible.

Screen Reader

This tutorial will explain some details about using screen readers with KDE applications.

Text-To-Speech

How to utilize Jovie text-to-speech service in your application.

D-Bus

Porting from DCOP to D-Bus

Port your applications from DCOP to D-Bus with this handy guide.

Personal Information Management (Akonadi)

Porting Applications which use KResource API

Applications using KDE's now deprecated KResource APIs, e.g. KABC or KCal, need to be ported to use their Akonadi equivalents

Get Hot New Stuff

Old links for KNS2 and KNS1 content:

Introduction to Get Hot New Stuff 2

A short tutorial about how to use KHotNewStuff2 in your application. Deprecated, use version 3

Introduction to Get Hot New Stuff

An introduction to the developer-friendly network update system that allows KDE applications to fetch new application data at runtime in a user friendly manner.

KNewStuff Secure (Original Link)

Tutorial showing how to share resources in a secured way (KDE 3.4 and later). By András Mantia <[email protected]>.

Goya

Introduction to Goya usage

An introduction for the Goya subsystem usage, which allows you to easily add widgets to your itemviews and connect their signals to your code, as they were real widgets.

Introduction to Goya usage (part 2)

The second part of the tutorial, with a slightly more complex example than the first part.

Using the KDE PIM Libraries

iCalendar functionality

Using kcal to manage iCalendar files

Pixmap cache (KPixmapCache)

Using the KDE pixmap cache

This tutorial shows how to use KPixmapCache to cache e.g. pixmaps generated from SVGs or some data.

Porting an application from KSystemTrayIcon to KStatusNotifierItem

Porting from KSystemTrayIcon to KStatusNotifierItem

This tutorials shows how to port an application using KSystemTrayIcon to KStatusNotifierItem

How to edit a wiki with Libmediawiki

Libmediawiki

This tutorial present how to edit a wiki with Libmediawiki.

KDE2 and KDE3 Materials

KDE3 Tutorials

These tutorials cover topics related to KDE3.

KDE2 Tutorials

These tutorials cover topics related to KDE2.