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Forum Update on Monday, May 27th 2025

Save Position and Size of the Application Window and load it for the next time

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  • D Offline
    D Offline
    developer_96
    wrote on last edited by
    #1

    Hello i want to save the position and size of the application window to load it for the next time.
    For Example:
    I start my Application. I change the position of my window with mouse. I enlarge the window with my mouse. Now if i close my window and start my application next time again, i want to save the settings.

    Is there any possible to do that?

    Best Regards

    1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • Christian EhrlicherC Offline
      Christian EhrlicherC Offline
      Christian Ehrlicher
      Lifetime Qt Champion
      wrote on last edited by
      #2

      You should take a look at QWidget::saveGeometry() and QWidget::restoreGeometry().

      Qt Online Installer direct download: https://download.qt.io/official_releases/online_installers/
      Visit the Qt Academy at https://academy.qt.io/catalog

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      • D Offline
        D Offline
        developer_96
        wrote on last edited by developer_96
        #3

        @Christian-Ehrlicher i use the example in my constructor:

        QSettings settings("MyCompany", "MyApp");
        restoreGeometry(settings.value("myWidget/geometry").toByteArray()); restoreState(settings.value("myWidget/windowState").toByteArray());
        

        and in my destructor:

        QSettings settings("MyCompany", "MyApp");
        settings.setValue("geometry", saveGeometry());
        settings.setValue("windowState", saveState());
        

        but it doesn't seem to work. I get always the same position and size.
        Any suggestions ?

        raven-worxR 1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • Christian EhrlicherC Offline
          Christian EhrlicherC Offline
          Christian Ehrlicher
          Lifetime Qt Champion
          wrote on last edited by
          #4

          Please read the links I gave you. In the dtor the widget is no longer visible and therefore there is no valid geometry anymore.

          Qt Online Installer direct download: https://download.qt.io/official_releases/online_installers/
          Visit the Qt Academy at https://academy.qt.io/catalog

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          • D developer_96

            @Christian-Ehrlicher i use the example in my constructor:

            QSettings settings("MyCompany", "MyApp");
            restoreGeometry(settings.value("myWidget/geometry").toByteArray()); restoreState(settings.value("myWidget/windowState").toByteArray());
            

            and in my destructor:

            QSettings settings("MyCompany", "MyApp");
            settings.setValue("geometry", saveGeometry());
            settings.setValue("windowState", saveState());
            

            but it doesn't seem to work. I get always the same position and size.
            Any suggestions ?

            raven-worxR Offline
            raven-worxR Offline
            raven-worx
            Moderators
            wrote on last edited by
            #5

            @developer_96 said in Save Position and Size of the Application Window and load it for the next time:

            and in my destructor:

            you should do it in the close event handler of your mainwindow for example

            --- SUPPORT REQUESTS VIA CHAT WILL BE IGNORED ---
            If you have a question please use the forum so others can benefit from the solution in the future

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            • D Offline
              D Offline
              developer_96
              wrote on last edited by
              #6

              @raven-worx is it not possible with the destructor ? i mean its like a close event or not ?
              @Christian-Ehrlicher yes i will thank you.

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              • Christian EhrlicherC Offline
                Christian EhrlicherC Offline
                Christian Ehrlicher
                Lifetime Qt Champion
                wrote on last edited by
                #7

                @developer_96 said in Save Position and Size of the Application Window and load it for the next time:

                i mean its like a close event or not ?

                I wrote why it doesn't work...

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                • D Offline
                  D Offline
                  developer_96
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #8

                  @Christian-Ehrlicher right i undestand it know. And to solve the problem it would be ok to use my code in a close event ? and the part in the constructor is that ok ? I mean use it know in

                  void MainWindow::closeEvent(QCloseEvent* event)
                  {
                    QSettings settings("MyCompany", "MyApp");
                    settings.setValue("geometry", saveGeometry());
                    settings.setValue("windowState", saveState());
                    QMainWindow::closeEvent(event);
                  }
                  

                  and the reload in my constructor.
                  But it doesn't work

                  artwawA 1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • D developer_96

                    @Christian-Ehrlicher right i undestand it know. And to solve the problem it would be ok to use my code in a close event ? and the part in the constructor is that ok ? I mean use it know in

                    void MainWindow::closeEvent(QCloseEvent* event)
                    {
                      QSettings settings("MyCompany", "MyApp");
                      settings.setValue("geometry", saveGeometry());
                      settings.setValue("windowState", saveState());
                      QMainWindow::closeEvent(event);
                    }
                    

                    and the reload in my constructor.
                    But it doesn't work

                    artwawA Offline
                    artwawA Offline
                    artwaw
                    wrote on last edited by artwaw
                    #9

                    @developer_96 Hi,
                    of course it doesn't work. You save values as geometry and windowState but - looking at your previous code - load myWidget/geometry and myWidget/windowState.
                    In that notation loader expects a group, so sanitise your code please.

                    Two remarks:

                    • if you use groups it might be more convenient to add settings.beginGroup("myWidget") before you start to read/write and settings.endGroup() once you done that part.
                    • you init settings with "MyCompany" etc - it might be more convenient to put those in your main.cpp file once before QApplication init and not bother afterwards, like this:
                        QCoreApplication::setApplicationVersion("Optional version string here");
                        QCoreApplication::setOrganizationName("MyCompany");
                        QCoreApplication::setOrganizationDomain("can be omitted on windows");
                        QCoreApplication::setApplicationName("MyApp");
                        QApplication a(argc, argv);
                    

                    (editions: removed typos)
                    Cheers,
                    A.

                    For more information please re-read.

                    Kind Regards,
                    Artur

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                    5
                    • D Offline
                      D Offline
                      developer_96
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #10

                      @artwaw hi,
                      thank you very much now its work. One problem is still remaining:
                      If i change the position its working.
                      If i do a fullscreen its still working.
                      But if I'm going to resize manually the application windows it does'nt work.
                      After close and reload i got the same size.
                      Maybe you can help me :)

                      artwawA 1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • D developer_96

                        @artwaw hi,
                        thank you very much now its work. One problem is still remaining:
                        If i change the position its working.
                        If i do a fullscreen its still working.
                        But if I'm going to resize manually the application windows it does'nt work.
                        After close and reload i got the same size.
                        Maybe you can help me :)

                        artwawA Offline
                        artwawA Offline
                        artwaw
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #11

                        @developer_96 Odd. It should work, I use similar code in almost every project and it doesn't matter how you resize, it works.
                        From what you say though it looks like state is applied properly, the geometry is not (as maximised window is a state thing, not size).
                        If you're sure there is no typo between save and load of geometry I'd suggest clearing the settings (on Windows this involves registry, so please be careful) and trying again.
                        Also, you can try to put qDebug() on save and load to verify what is saved and loaded.
                        In closeEvent(): qDebug() << saveGeometry();
                        In ctor: qDebug() << settings.value("your geometry key").toByteArray();

                        For more information please re-read.

                        Kind Regards,
                        Artur

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                        0
                        • D Offline
                          D Offline
                          developer_96
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #12

                          @artwaw
                          so there is no typo. I'm sure.
                          Constructor:

                          QSettings settings("MyCompany", "MyApp");
                          restoreGeometry(settings.value("geometry").toByteArray());
                          restoreState(settings.value("windowState").toByteArray());
                          

                          Close Event:

                          QSettings settings("MyCompany", "MyApp");
                          settings.setValue("geometry", saveGeometry());
                          settings.setValue("windowState", saveState());
                          QMainWindow::closeEvent(event);
                          

                          What you mean with settings ? Would this solve my problem ?

                          artwawA 1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • D developer_96

                            @artwaw
                            so there is no typo. I'm sure.
                            Constructor:

                            QSettings settings("MyCompany", "MyApp");
                            restoreGeometry(settings.value("geometry").toByteArray());
                            restoreState(settings.value("windowState").toByteArray());
                            

                            Close Event:

                            QSettings settings("MyCompany", "MyApp");
                            settings.setValue("geometry", saveGeometry());
                            settings.setValue("windowState", saveState());
                            QMainWindow::closeEvent(event);
                            

                            What you mean with settings ? Would this solve my problem ?

                            artwawA Offline
                            artwawA Offline
                            artwaw
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #13

                            @developer_96
                            qDebug() will output the data to the console so you can compare them - it might give you a hint what's wrong.

                            I would modify closeEvent() though:

                            QSettings settings("MyCompany", "MyApp");
                            settings.setValue("geometry", saveGeometry());
                            settings.setValue("windowState", saveState());
                            settings.sync(); // forces to write the settings to storage
                            event->accept(); 
                            

                            And try again.

                            For more information please re-read.

                            Kind Regards,
                            Artur

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                            0
                            • D Offline
                              D Offline
                              developer_96
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #14

                              @artwaw tried again. Not working. With debug() after close i got some hexa values. If im loading it, i got nothing. So "" is the only output.

                              Christian EhrlicherC artwawA 2 Replies Last reply
                              0
                              • D developer_96

                                @artwaw tried again. Not working. With debug() after close i got some hexa values. If im loading it, i got nothing. So "" is the only output.

                                Christian EhrlicherC Offline
                                Christian EhrlicherC Offline
                                Christian Ehrlicher
                                Lifetime Qt Champion
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #15

                                @developer_96 said in Save Position and Size of the Application Window and load it for the next time:

                                So "" is the only output.

                                This means you load the data from the wrong location. Fix your settings as @artwaw already told you (and not only here in the forum)

                                Qt Online Installer direct download: https://download.qt.io/official_releases/online_installers/
                                Visit the Qt Academy at https://academy.qt.io/catalog

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                                1
                                • D developer_96

                                  @artwaw tried again. Not working. With debug() after close i got some hexa values. If im loading it, i got nothing. So "" is the only output.

                                  artwawA Offline
                                  artwawA Offline
                                  artwaw
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #16

                                  @developer_96 like @Christian-Ehrlicher said, loader returns empty string which means data is being read from different location.
                                  I'd strongly suggest editing main.cpp file like I hinted. Afterwards you just use QSettings settings;.

                                  For more information please re-read.

                                  Kind Regards,
                                  Artur

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • D Offline
                                    D Offline
                                    developer_96
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #17

                                    @artwaw @Christian-Ehrlicher i did it already. Modify the cpp like @artwaw said. It doesn't work. I mean if it would be a wrong location the fullscreen mode and the position mode wouldn't work too , or not ?

                                    Regards

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • Christian EhrlicherC Offline
                                      Christian EhrlicherC Offline
                                      Christian Ehrlicher
                                      Lifetime Qt Champion
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #18

                                      When the settings object returns an empty QByteArray but you saved a non-empty one you have a typo somewhere. Esp. when the same works for windowState. Check your code!

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                                      Visit the Qt Academy at https://academy.qt.io/catalog

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                                      1
                                      • D Offline
                                        D Offline
                                        developer_96
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #19

                                        How can i check that it works for windowsState? I mean i commented out the windows state part and the fullscreen and positing changing is still working. If im going to commented out the geometry nothing is working.

                                        @Christian-Ehrlicher Check more times there is no typo.

                                        Hope you can help.

                                        artwawA 1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • Christian EhrlicherC Offline
                                          Christian EhrlicherC Offline
                                          Christian Ehrlicher
                                          Lifetime Qt Champion
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #20

                                          Provide a minimal, compilable example.

                                          Qt Online Installer direct download: https://download.qt.io/official_releases/online_installers/
                                          Visit the Qt Academy at https://academy.qt.io/catalog

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