Book Image

Cross-Platform Development with Qt 6 and Modern C++

By : Nibedit Dey
Book Image

Cross-Platform Development with Qt 6 and Modern C++

By: Nibedit Dey

Overview of this book

Qt is a cross-platform application development framework widely used for developing applications that can run on a wide range of hardware platforms with little to no change in the underlying codebase. If you have basic knowledge of C++ and want to build desktop or mobile applications with a modern graphical user interface (GUI), Qt is the right choice for you. Cross-Platform Development with Qt 6 and Modern C++ helps you understand why Qt is one of the favorite GUI frameworks adopted by industries worldwide, covering the essentials of programming GUI apps across a multitude of platforms using the standard C++17 and Qt 6 features. Starting with the fundamentals of the Qt framework, including the features offered by Qt Creator, this practical guide will show you how to create classic user interfaces using Qt Widgets and touch-friendly user interfaces using Qt Quick. As you advance, you'll explore the Qt Creator IDE for developing applications for multiple desktops as well as for embedded and mobile platforms. You will also learn advanced concepts about signals and slots. Finally, the book takes you through debugging and testing your app with Qt Creator IDE. By the end of this book, you'll be able to build cross-platform applications with a modern GUI along with the speed and power of native apps.
Table of Contents (17 chapters)
1
Section 1: The Basics
6
Section 2: Cross-Platform Development
8
Section 3: Advanced Programming, Debugging, and Deployment

Exploring the Qt Creator UI

Qt Creator is an IDE produced by the Qt Company. It integrates multiple tools including a code editor, a Graphical UI (GUI) designer, a compiler, a debugger, Qt Designer, Qt Quick Designer, and Qt Assistant, among others.

Qt Designer helps in designing widget-based GUIs whereas Qt Quick Designer provides a UI to create and edit QML-based GUIs in Design Mode. Qt Assistant is an integrated documentation viewer that opens contents related to a given Qt class or function with the press of the F1 key.

Let's begin by launching Qt Creator. The binary can be found inside Qt\Tools\QtCreator\bin. You will see a screen like that shown in Figure 2.1:

Figure 2.1 – Qt Creator interface

You can see the following GUI sections in the UI:

  1. IDE menu bar: This provides the user with a standard place in the window to find the majority of application-specific functions. These functions include creating a project, opening and closing...