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  4. changing objectName in design view does not update names in mainwindow.cpp
Forum Update on Monday, May 27th 2025

changing objectName in design view does not update names in mainwindow.cpp

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  • A Offline
    A Offline
    arif_sohaib
    wrote on last edited by
    #1

    I recently started learning Qt using the book Computer Vision With Qt 5 and OpenCV 3. I am also newish to C++ after having left it for C# and Python.
    I am having issues with changing the objectNames. I changed the name in Design view but when I access it in the mainwindow.cpp using ui-> , it does not show the new names in the intellisense/autocomplete.
    Concretely, I change lineEdit to inputLineEdit in design view and then try to use setText on ui->inputLineEdit->setText.
    the name inputLineEdit does not show up and instead shows lineEdit and lineEdit2 and all the other default names of the ui widgits.

    1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • mrjjM Offline
      mrjjM Offline
      mrjj
      Lifetime Qt Champion
      wrote on last edited by
      #2

      Hi and welcome to the forums
      try to delete the build folder and run qmake and rebuild all.
      ( you can find build folder in "Projects" (left side ) and simply right click the path and show it and delete it)
      alt text

      It sounds its stalling.
      Normally its renamed at once and a new ui_xxx file is generated.

      Also, you are using a .PRO file ?

      1 Reply Last reply
      3
      • A Offline
        A Offline
        arif_sohaib
        wrote on last edited by
        #3

        Thanks for the response and sorry for the late reply.
        Yes, I am using a .pro file as well as a .pri file to include OpenCV.

        I agree about the stalling thing, it should have renamed it immediately. I have used Visual Studio in the past and it does this with its UI tools.

        Another interesting thing I found is, the names are the default ones in the ui_mainwindow.h file and changing them manually does not work.
        i.e. I still see lines like:
        lineEdit->setObjectName(QStringLiteral("lineEdit"));
        lineEdit_2->setObjectName(QStringLiteral("lineEdit_2"));
        and try to change it manually but the new names are still not recognized.

        mrjjM 1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • A arif_sohaib

          Thanks for the response and sorry for the late reply.
          Yes, I am using a .pro file as well as a .pri file to include OpenCV.

          I agree about the stalling thing, it should have renamed it immediately. I have used Visual Studio in the past and it does this with its UI tools.

          Another interesting thing I found is, the names are the default ones in the ui_mainwindow.h file and changing them manually does not work.
          i.e. I still see lines like:
          lineEdit->setObjectName(QStringLiteral("lineEdit"));
          lineEdit_2->setObjectName(QStringLiteral("lineEdit_2"));
          and try to change it manually but the new names are still not recognized.

          mrjjM Offline
          mrjjM Offline
          mrjj
          Lifetime Qt Champion
          wrote on last edited by
          #4

          @arif_sohaib
          hi
          Ok, could it be possible you have copied files around at some point
          and have 2 ui_mainwindow.h ?

          if you delete ui_mainwindow.h , is it generated again ?

          If you manually change the names in ui_mainwindow.h and its not changed back when you compile and
          its not seen in .cpp , it must be another one being linked to project or there is 2 of them or something like that.

          1 Reply Last reply
          2
          • A Offline
            A Offline
            arif_sohaib
            wrote on last edited by
            #5

            I just made another project starting from scratch and it now works.
            Thanks for the help

            A 1 Reply Last reply
            2
            • A arif_sohaib

              I just made another project starting from scratch and it now works.
              Thanks for the help

              A Offline
              A Offline
              arif_sohaib
              wrote on last edited by
              #6

              I had run into one more problem that others looking at this thread might want a solution to.
              After building and running the program, I added a checkBox widgit and it was not showing up in code. This was the same thing as was happening before. I deleted the ui_mainwindow.h file and then it started working.
              So it looks like the problem was that qmake was not rebuilding the ui_mainwindow.h file after updates to the display unless its old version is deleted. I am not sure if this is the intended behavior or if it is my settings but if it is the normal behavior, this could turn a lot of people away from using Qt and needs to be fixed.

              mrjjM aha_1980A 2 Replies Last reply
              0
              • A arif_sohaib

                I had run into one more problem that others looking at this thread might want a solution to.
                After building and running the program, I added a checkBox widgit and it was not showing up in code. This was the same thing as was happening before. I deleted the ui_mainwindow.h file and then it started working.
                So it looks like the problem was that qmake was not rebuilding the ui_mainwindow.h file after updates to the display unless its old version is deleted. I am not sure if this is the intended behavior or if it is my settings but if it is the normal behavior, this could turn a lot of people away from using Qt and needs to be fixed.

                mrjjM Offline
                mrjjM Offline
                mrjj
                Lifetime Qt Champion
                wrote on last edited by mrjj
                #7

                @arif_sohaib
                Hi
                Its not normal at all.
                I use Designer all day and renaming anything is available at once
                via UI-> with no action on my part.

                Did you change/use shadow build folder or did anything special with the ui_xxx files ?

                Also check that you dont have a virus scanner blocking the files in the build folder.
                Especially if you are using Avast.

                A 1 Reply Last reply
                3
                • A arif_sohaib

                  I had run into one more problem that others looking at this thread might want a solution to.
                  After building and running the program, I added a checkBox widgit and it was not showing up in code. This was the same thing as was happening before. I deleted the ui_mainwindow.h file and then it started working.
                  So it looks like the problem was that qmake was not rebuilding the ui_mainwindow.h file after updates to the display unless its old version is deleted. I am not sure if this is the intended behavior or if it is my settings but if it is the normal behavior, this could turn a lot of people away from using Qt and needs to be fixed.

                  aha_1980A Offline
                  aha_1980A Offline
                  aha_1980
                  Lifetime Qt Champion
                  wrote on last edited by aha_1980
                  #8

                  @arif_sohaib,

                  as @mrjj said, this usually works out of the box.

                  one more idea: usually you don't open the generated ui_*.h files. if you do, you may be hit by a Clang bug that forbids updating the file.

                  so if you have Clang Code Model enabled, you could check if it works if you don't open the generated files.

                  Qt has to stay free or it will die.

                  A 1 Reply Last reply
                  2
                  • mrjjM mrjj

                    @arif_sohaib
                    Hi
                    Its not normal at all.
                    I use Designer all day and renaming anything is available at once
                    via UI-> with no action on my part.

                    Did you change/use shadow build folder or did anything special with the ui_xxx files ?

                    Also check that you dont have a virus scanner blocking the files in the build folder.
                    Especially if you are using Avast.

                    A Offline
                    A Offline
                    arif_sohaib
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #9

                    @mrjj said in changing objectName in design view does not update names in mainwindow.cpp:

                    Did you change/use shadow build folder or did anything special with the ui_xxx files ?
                    Also check that you dont have a vir

                    I tried with both Shadow Build on and off. I also changed the build folder because under the default settings, it wasn't able to find the .exe file when I hit run so I changed it to "project folder/build" and it started working.
                    As for virus scanner, I only have the default Windows Defender.

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • aha_1980A aha_1980

                      @arif_sohaib,

                      as @mrjj said, this usually works out of the box.

                      one more idea: usually you don't open the generated ui_*.h files. if you do, you may be hit by a Clang bug that forbids updating the file.

                      so if you have Clang Code Model enabled, you could check if it works if you don't open the generated files.

                      A Offline
                      A Offline
                      arif_sohaib
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #10

                      @aha_1980 said in changing objectName in design view does not update names in mainwindow.cpp:

                      one more idea: usually you don't open the generated ui_*.h files. if you do, you may be hit by a Clang bug that forbids updating the file.

                      I know not to touch generated files, and I don't for anything important, but I was just experimenting with getting it to work.
                      I am not sure about Clang, I am not sure. I am using the Visual Studio 2017 15 C++ compiler. Most things that I didn't mention are on their default settings.
                      And thanks for the reply.

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • aha_1980A Offline
                        aha_1980A Offline
                        aha_1980
                        Lifetime Qt Champion
                        wrote on last edited by aha_1980
                        #11

                        @arif_sohaib

                        sorry for being so unspecific, I had QTCREATORBUG-15449 in mind.

                        you can check with Help > About Plugins if Clang Code Model is enabled.

                        Regards

                        Qt has to stay free or it will die.

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        2
                        • mrjjM Offline
                          mrjjM Offline
                          mrjj
                          Lifetime Qt Champion
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #12

                          Hi
                          That is very strange.
                          if you manually delete the ui_ file and compile it works every time ?

                          if you are using qmake, it normally call the UI tool correctly
                          http://doc.qt.io/qt-5/uic.html

                          Its just Creator + visual studio compiler and nothing special extra?

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          2
                          • A Offline
                            A Offline
                            arif_sohaib
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #13

                            After the application compiled the first time alone with allowing adding more ui widgits, adding more widgits and compiling isn't causing any more problems.
                            Now any ui elements I add immediately show up in the mainwindow.cpp file without any additional steps.

                            mrjjM 1 Reply Last reply
                            1
                            • A arif_sohaib

                              After the application compiled the first time alone with allowing adding more ui widgits, adding more widgits and compiling isn't causing any more problems.
                              Now any ui elements I add immediately show up in the mainwindow.cpp file without any additional steps.

                              mrjjM Offline
                              mrjjM Offline
                              mrjj
                              Lifetime Qt Champion
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #14

                              @arif_sohaib
                              Ok super. Not sure what was up with it :)

                              1 Reply Last reply
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