How to install all the softwares for building QT apps?
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All right , I am new to Qt . I have good knowledge about C++ programming technique , and my object oriented concepts are also good. Know I want to start creating GUI applications using QT, I have downloaded this book "C++-GUI-Programming-with-Qt-4-1st-ed" and have read 1st chapter and I am understanding all the details , but here is my problem : I don
t know which softwares do I need to install and from where. I am working on windows, and what is MinGW? is it a compiler? and from where can i get it. I am a student so I can
t afford the licensed versions. Kindly provide me details and links from where I can get them . Also some extra details on how to start will be appreciated.
Thanks -
Hi,
at the download section("link":http://qt-project.org/downloads) there is all you things that you need.
The information about MinGW is "link":http://qt-project.org/wiki/MinGW
My advice is to develop under Linux, it is easier!! -
Thanks Tfabbri, for your reply.
at this link there are many links to download , which one shoild i ? http://qt-project.org/downloads
do i need to download Qt libraries for Windows? or Qt creator and on the second link there is no download link for MinGw..
Its all very confusing . please give me proper details. -
Basically you need to decide on a couple of options.
- Which Qt do want to use (Qt 4 or Qt 5) ?
Since you have downloaded a book relating to Qt 4 it is probably better to start out with Qt 4 in its current version Qt 4.8.4. - The next choice is on the compiler chain to use?
MinGW is one of several options. There are also the possibilities of different MSVC versions. - Finally you probably need also decide on IDE (integrated development environment) ?
For going simply on open source (Qt libs, MinGW and Qt creator) it is currently a difficult situation. The main issue is that Qt4 is still compiled with an old version of the MinGW compiler (MinGW4.4). This compilation is not compatible with any of the newer versions of MinGW (current version is already MinGW 4.7.2). To make the misery complete you cannot simply download somewhere the old MinGW 4.4 version.
If you would like to use MinGW anyhow, you can download MinGW compiler and install it on your computer. The next step would the compilation of Qt libs with the MinGW compiler. Finally you can use Qt creator as IDE.If you want to get some experience with Qt without going through the hassle to do your own compilation, the best choice is probably to download one of the MSVC pre-builds. MSVC express versions can be downloaded from the microsoft webpage and are free. It provides already an IDE. However, the express versions do not support so-called addins. This makes handling of Qt libs a bit cumbersome.
You can use also Qt creator as IDE and only the compiler of the msvc express version.
For the MinGW - Qt creator option with your own compilation you need:
- Download and install MinGW from "this page":http://sourceforge.net/projects/mingwbuilds/
- Download the "Qt source as zip-file":http://releases.qt-project.org/qt4/source/qt-everywhere-opensource-src-4.8.4.zip and "follow these instructions":http://qt-project.org/doc/qt-4.8/install-win.html
- Download and install "Qt creator":http://releases.qt-project.org/qtcreator/2.6.1/qt-creator-windows-opensource-2.6.1.exe
- Which Qt do want to use (Qt 4 or Qt 5) ?
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koahnig listed all the possibilities and I imagine the amount of decisions to make is a little bit overwhelming in the beginning.
The MinGW path is at the moment difficult because either you have to compile Qt yourself or use a precompiled package with very old compiler version. Hopefully this will change soon with Qt 5.x.y
Also compiling Qt yourself is not something I would recommend If you just began to learn.So the easiest path on Windows is at this point:
- Use this version of Qt (since you're reading Qt 4 book): "Qt 4.8.4 (MSVC10)":http://releases.qt-project.org/qt4/source/qt-win-opensource-4.8.4-vs2010.exe
- Download and install "VS2010 Express":http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/eng/downloads#d-2010-express to use MSVC10 compiler
- (Optional)Download and install "Windows SDK for Windows 8":http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/hh852363.aspx to use CDB debugger (only the debugging component is required during setup, don't mind Win8 in the name, it works on older windows too)
- Use Qt Creator 2.6.1 as IDE (link provided by koahnig)
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As a beginner to save you the hassle, u can simply use the SDK made by Nokia when they had it. Yes, its outdated by all means.
BUT, If you decide to use it, all you need to do is just install it(no hassles, just keep clicking next through the installation wizard), open Qt Creator and start coding right away. Nothing else to worry about.
You can download it from the link here as given in the Downloads Page at the bottom :- http://www.developer.nokia.com/Develop/Qt/Tools
OR
By the links provided by a user in my thread in the end. Link to my thread :- http://qt-project.org/forums/viewthread/22609/
Links given by user :-[quote author="CyberIllusion" date="1355885330"]I also needed the sdk installers for both windows and linux. I was able to locate them both here:
http://vctwang.jiangnan.edu.cn/mirrors/tools/programming/qt/
If that link no longer works then you may find alternative links here:
http://www.mmnt.net/db/0/0/www.lpi.ac-poitiers.fr/pub/programmation/qtcreator
http://www.mcs.sdsmt.edu/csc421/Resources/[/quote] -
[quote author="GUIisFun" date="1358596599"]Thanks Tfabbri, for your reply.
at this link there are many links to download , which one shoild i ? http://qt-project.org/downloads
do i need to download Qt libraries for Windows? or Qt creator and on the second link there is no download link for MinGw..
Its all very confusing . please give me proper details.[/quote]Qt can use many different compilers; GCC is one of them. MinGW provides GCC for Windows.Edit: Sorry, I just noticed you want Qt 4
-The shortest path is to download the unofficial but full SDK from http://qt-project.org/forums/viewthread/23002/ -- it contains everything you need to start writing programs with Qt: The MinGW compiler, the Qt 5 library, and Qt Creator. (Just make sure you read the linked email -- it tells you where you must extract the files)- -
Thanks guys it really helped.