Basic Question - Regenerating a new ui_programname.h file

Uberlinc

Hi,

So, working through Blanchette & Summerfield.
After creating a gui interface filled with widgets in the GUI editor, how do you force it to update the code after you make a change to the GUI?
I tried running qmake again - No joy.

Also, when you run qmake, it seems to create an entire file structure, which then creates said ui_programname.h.
In my case, it made it completely outside the file structure of my particular project.
Are you then expected to manually copy the ui_programname.h to your own file structure and add it manually?
If not, are there settings in the Qt IDE to make this happen?

Many thanks.

Uberlinc.

Uberlinc

Edit: I found that qmake wasn't updating the file because I had it open elsewhere in Notepad++.
However, it still re-generated it in the file structure aside from my main project.

Can this be changed?
Are you then required to move the file to your own file structure prior to recompiling?
How does this work?

Thanks.

Uberlinc.

Christian Ehrlicher

@uberlinc said in Basic Question - Regenerating a new ui_programname.h file:

which then creates said ui_programname.h.

The ui_foo.h is not created by qmake but by uic during make. Since there is a dependency, the ui_foo.h is rebuild once the foo.ui file changes. But you can also simply remove the ui_foo.h file to be sure.

Uberlinc

Thank you for this.

So, the uic will create ui_foo.h but always in a completely different file structure?
Are you required to move this file?
Can you leave it where it is?
Are there options in the IDE that will configure uic to create these files within your project (for neatness etc.)?

Thanks.

mrjj

Hi

So, the uic will create ui_foo.h but always in a completely different file structure?-
Its created in the build folder, just like any other build file.

Are you required to move this file?
Nope.
Can you leave it where it is?
Indeed. There is no reason to do anything with it.

Are there options in the IDE that will configure uic to create these files within your project (for neatness etc.)?
you can tell where UIC should place it with
UI_DIR = xxxx
https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qmake-variable-reference.html

however, i don't see anything neat about having it in the project folder as they build artifacts and belong in the build folder. :)

Whenever you change the UI file, its ui_xxx files is generated again so in most cases you can simply
ignore these files, just like .o files and the other files that are generated.

The "outside the file structure of my particular project." is called a build folder and "work" files are put there during compile and linking.

Uberlinc

Thanks, mrjj.
Those are pretty full and comprehensive answers to my questions.

One more: If this file is somewhat ignorable, are required to #include them in any particular file?
If so, then which file path do you specify or do you simply not qualify a path and it knows where to pick it up?

Thanks again.

mrjj

Hi
Normally they are auto inserted into the corresponding cpp file
#include "ui_mainwindow.h"
where the .h will use a forward declaration
namespace Ui {
class MainWindow;
}

This happens automatically if you use the Wizard and select
alt text

you get both ui/cpp/and h file with it all setup and nothing more is needed.

However, if you manually build by hand every file then yes, you would have to
include it manually.

Uberlinc

Thank you very much, mrjj,

You've been wonderfully helpful!