Path of Application Bundle - Solved

blissful

Hi
I am using a API that requires the path (as a char *) of where the file concerned is located to be passed into a method as an argument.
e.g.
nameOfMethod(Path of where the file is located in char * form);

The file is in a subfolder called "Other Files" inside the same folder as where the .pro file is. The "Other Files" folder was automatically created by Qt after I added the existing file...
So, it is in the "application" folder I guess...I don't know what the term in Qt is for this.

Here is my current code that does not achieve the result that I want:
QString stringPath = QDir::currentPath();
QByteArray ba = stringPath.toLocal8Bit();
char * c_str2 = ba.data();

swe_set_ephe_path(c_str2);

In iOS I have gotten it to work. I am basically trying to find the Qt equivalent of the code below.
NSBundle *mainBundle = [NSBundle mainBundle];

NSString resourcePath = [mainBundle resourcePath];
swe_set_ephe_path((char)[resourcePath UTF8String]);

How do I get the path for the Main Bundle (Application folder) in Qt?

Are folders in Qt project, real folders or are they there just to give a appearance of structure?
Like in Xcode(iOS), the files inside your projects could appear to be in different folders, but they only give the appearance of structure and they are still access through the main bundle...no need for mainbundle/subfolder/anothersubfolder/ etc....
?

Thank you...

SGaist

Hi,

IIRC "QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath":http://qt-project.org/doc/qt-4.8/qcoreapplication.html#applicationDirPath is what you are looking for.

The resource folder should be applicationDirPath + "/../Resources".

As for QtCreator, the Projects view creates a structure to show you i.e the headers and implementation files separately but does not reflect the current state of the underlying filesystem.

Hope it helps

tobias.hunger

The "Projects" view in Qt Creator visualizes the build system structure and is not necessarily related to the file system. Please use the Filesystem view to check the actual structure of the file system.

blissful

Hi
I've added the file to the Resources by "Adding New Resource File".
I called my .qrc file MyResources.qrc
For the prefix, I put "files".

I've tried:
QString stringPath = QCoreApplication::applicationFilePath();
stringPath = stringPath + "/../Resources/files/";

and

QString stringPath = QCoreApplication::applicationFilePath();
stringPath = stringPath + "/Resources/files/";

Both are not working for me.

Am I missing something?

Thank you in advance...

SGaist

Yes you are,

The Resources from Qt are not the same thing as the Resources folder from an app bundle on OS X.

Read Qt's "resources documentation":http://qt-project.org/doc/qt-4.8/resources.html to have a better understanding of how to use them

blissful

Hi
Ok, I just read it....I'm starting to think that using the Qt resource system (.qrc) is not the way to go....
In there it says:
"The Qt resource system is a platform-independent mechanism for storing binary files in the application's executable"

Basically I have a function
swe_set_ephe_path(char * parameter)
that takes in a char * as a parameter.
The char * parameter should be the path to the directory where I store this file called "fixstars.cat".
I think it should be able to find the "fixstars.cat" file as it is and not as a binary file.

I'm using a 3rd party API. To be able to use it properly for me, I should tell the API in which directory to find fixstars.cat, by passing in the path to the swe_set_ephe_path(char * parameter) function.

How can I achieve this in Qt?

Thank you very much for the help.

SGaist

Something like ?

@QByteArray local8Bit = stringPath.toLocal8Bit();
swe_set_ephe_path(local8Bit.data());@

blissful

Hi
Actually, it is finding the right path to convert to char * that is my problem.
Here is my code:

@QString stringPath = QCoreApplication::applicationFilePath();

stringPath = stringPath + "/Resources/files/";

qDebug() << stringPath;

QByteArray ba = stringPath.toLocal8Bit();
char * c_str2 = ba.data();

swe_set_ephe_path(c_str2);


double x[6];
char serr[365];
long ret_flag = swe_fixstar_ut("Spica", 300, SEFLG_NONUT, x, serr);

qDebug() << ret_flag;

@

ret_flag prints out in the console as -1.
Meaning to say, i didn't enter the correct path to where fixstars.cat is.
I have added fixstars.cat to a .qrc file with "files" as the prefix.

SGaist

A .qrc resource is embedded in your binary not in your app bundle. Copy your fixstars.cat in your bundle or copy it from your resources to a temporary file and give the path to that temporary file to swe_set_ephe_path.

Anyway, you can't give a Qt resources path to a framework that doesn't support that, it won't be able to read it.

blissful

Hi
Ok. That is very good advice. Thank you.
I've been trying to go that route now.
I have been experimenting with the code to write to file:
@void MainWindow::write()
{
QFile file(QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath() + "/out.txt");
if (!file.open(QIODevice::WriteOnly | QIODevice::Text))
{
qDebug() << "CANNOT OPEN";
return;
}

     qDebug() << "FILE OPENED";
     QTextStream out(&file);
     out << "The magic number is: " << 49 << "\n";

     file.flush();
     file.close();

}@

I get the "FILE OPENED" string printed out to the console.
I would think that "out.txt" file would be created inside the folder where the executable for this app is. I go there and don't see any file.
I then search for out.txt in the Finder Window (I'm using a mac) and can't find any out.txt inside my comp.

What am I doing incorrectly?
Howcome I can't write to that file.
I haven't created the out.txt, but based on some tutorials i've seen and read, i think the file should be created automatically by Qt if it doesn't exist....(I might be wrong, but that's what I think...)...

SGaist

I think you are currently getting to fast.

First thing to do is to check what file path you have i.e
@qDebug() << file.fileName();@
That will tell you where it is located.

It should be created indeed. I don't know what is going wrong.

In any case, i would suggest you to start simple:
Put your fixstars.cat file in known location (i.e. Documents), try to load it from there using Qt. Once that work, move it in your bundle Resources/files subdirectory. Load it from there.

Before embedding the file in you binary, answer these questions: Is it subject to change ? If so, how often ? Is it then really worth to put it in the binary rather than the bundle ?

Hope it helps

blissful

Hi
Thank you so much :)
I've managed to write the code for what I want:

@
void MainWindow::read()
{
QFile mFile("/Users/bliss/Documents/fixstars.cat");

if(!mFile.open(QFile::ReadOnly | QFile::Text))
{
    qDebug() << "could not open file for reading";
    return;
}

QTextStream in(&mFile);
QString mText = in.readAll();

qDebug() << mText;



mFile.flush();
mFile.close();

}

void MainWindow::readFromResource()
{
QFile mFile(":/files/fixstars.cat");

if(!mFile.open(QFile::ReadOnly | QFile::Text))
{
    qDebug() << "could not open file for reading";
    return;
}

QTextStream in(&mFile);
QString mText = in.readAll();

qDebug() << mText;


qDebug() << "FROM readFromResource()";

mFile.flush();
mFile.close();

}

void MainWindow::readFromResourceWriteToApplicationDir()
{
QFile mFile(":/files/fixstars.cat");

if(!mFile.open(QFile::ReadOnly | QFile::Text))
{
    qDebug() << "could not open file for reading";
    return;
}

QTextStream in(&mFile);
QString mText = in.readAll();


QFile file&#40;QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath(&#41; + "/fixstars.cat");


     if (!file.open(QIODevice::WriteOnly | QIODevice::Text))
     {
         qDebug() << "CANNOT OPEN";
         return;
     }

     qDebug() << "FILE OPENED";
     QTextStream out(&file);
     out << mText;


     qDebug() << file.fileName();

     file.flush();
     file.close();

}@

SGaist

You're welcome !

You don't need the QTextStream if you are reading the complete file anyway, QFile also has a readAll.

Don't forget to update the thread's title to solved so other forum users may know that a solution has been found :)