[Solved] QPlainTextEdit: Funny problem in intercepting Ctrl-F

[Harry123]

I might be doing something wrong, but I cannot manage to intercept Ctrl-F from a sub-classed QPlainTextEdit.

What I have tried :

• Check for it in both keyPressEvent() and event(), where my code looks like
  if (pevent->key() == Qt::Key_F && (pevent->modifiers() & Qt::ControlModifier))
• Added it as a menu item with Ctrl-F as the shortcut : the menu item works fine but not Ctrl-F
• Added a check in the same way for Ctrl-A : this works perfectly
• Check (just in case it was renamed) for the keys Qt::Key_Search and Qt::Key_Find : no go

Is my check wrong in any way?
Does QPlainTextEdit swallow this key combination ? Or QMainWindow in which it is embedded?
Failing all else, is there any other way to detect Ctrl-F ?

[A Former User]

Maybe Ctrl+F is a global shortcut of your desktop environment?

[raven-worx]

@Harry123
since you are also using it as a shortcur in the menu you might probably also check for a QEvent::ShortcutOverride event.

bool MyPlainTextEdit::event(QEvent* e)
{
    switch( e->type()  )
    {
           case QEvent::KeyPress:
           case QEvent::ShortcutOverride:
           {
                     QKeyEvent* ke = static_cast<QKeyEvent*>( e );
                     // ...
                    if( /* ke == Ctrl+F */ )
                    {
                         e->accept();
                         return true;
                    }
           }
     }

     return QPlainTextEdit::event( e );
}

The menu item's shortcurt is supposed to do the a different action than the in the text edit right?
If so you can simply set the same QShortcut (taken from the menu item's QAction) and set it on the widget.

[Harry123]

@Wieland Ctrl-F works in other programs than Qt.

[Harry123]

@raven-worx
This is not the case, but your comment started me digging everywhere in this rather large program, and I found the same shortcut defined elsewhere. Many thanks.

Problem solved - programmer error.