Layout, widgets not inside ???

JKSH

@Publicnamer said in Layout, widgets not inside ???:

I would just like to point out that in many cases manual layout of widgets saves a lot of development time and the code is perfectly understandable (unless sloppily written). The present-day focus on XML layout is a fad that is wasting a lot of people's time.

For small projects, perhaps.

I, for one, find that a WYSIWYG editor helps me get my GUI up and running faster than manually coding its layouts in C++. And for very large projects, it's helpful to enable a front-end designer and back-end developer to work in parallel.

Please note that to OP's use-case is not the same as how we typically use XML .ui files in Qt. It is definitely not our "present-day focus".

AxelVienna

If you want to know if your QRadioButtons are inside our outside your layout, obtain and print the pointers upon creation. At the end of your code, read the widget pointers of your layout and compare them like that:

for (int i = 0; i < yourLayout->count(); ++i)
{
  QWidget *widget = gridLayout->itemAt(i)->widget();
  // qdebug or cout the pointer or write it to a vector
}

That is the only way to figure out if there is a bug in your complex code or a Qt misbehavior.

SPlatten

@AxelVienna , I modified my code setting the objectName for each widget I then added:

        if ( pobjWidget != nullptr ) {
//Set the object name
            QString strID(strGetAttribute(clsXMLnode::mscszAttrID)),
                    strName(mstrName);
            if ( strID.isEmpty() != true ) {
                strName += ", id: " + strID;
            }
            pobjWidget->setObjectName(strName);
        }
        if ( pobjParent != nullptr && pobjParent->mpobjLayout != nullptr ) {
            pobjParent->mpobjLayout->addWidget(pobjWidget);
            for (int i = 0; i < pobjParent->mpobjLayout->count(); ++i) {
              QWidget *widget = pobjParent->mpobjLayout->itemAt(i)->widget();
              QString strWidget(widget->objectName()), strParent(widget->parentWidget()->objectName());
qDebug() << strWidget << ", parent: " << strParent;
            }
        }

I checked in the debugger and strWidget is exactly what I expected to see, but there is still no difference in the output.

In the above the output is:

radiobutton, id: rdoM, parent: groupbox, id: enSEX
radiobutton, id: rdoF, parent: groupbox, id: enSEX

This is using the XML:

<groupbox id="enSEX" eol="true" align="left" layout="vertical" 
		     dbfield="vcSex">
	<radiobutton id="rdoM" text="Male" default="true" position="0,0"/>
	<radiobutton id="rdoF" text="Female" position="1,0"/>
</groupbox>

The debug output looks correct, but the screen still looks the same.

AxelVienna

As @Publicnamer said, creating an UI fully programmatically takes time and creates fuzz. Your debugging just tells us that two radio buttons are inside a group box. You have to look at the pointers themselves to make sure your layout is really the I’m your group box and the radio buttons are the ones you mean.

SPlatten

@AxelVienna , time is what I have, I know the nodes are correct, I used the information on this page as a guide:
https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qtwidgets-widgets-groupbox-example.html

    QGroupBox *groupBox = new QGroupBox(tr("Exclusive Radio Buttons"));

    QRadioButton *radio1 = new QRadioButton(tr("&Radio button 1"));
    QRadioButton *radio2 = new QRadioButton(tr("R&adio button 2"));
    QRadioButton *radio3 = new QRadioButton(tr("Ra&dio button 3"));

    radio1->setChecked(true);
    QVBoxLayout *vbox = new QVBoxLayout;
    vbox->addWidget(radio1);
    vbox->addWidget(radio2);
    vbox->addWidget(radio3);
    vbox->addStretch(1);
    groupBox->setLayout(vbox);

    return groupBox;
}

My clsQtGroupBox is derived from my clsXMLnode class, this class has a member called mpobjLayout which is created when the node has a layout attribute. The group box node has a layout attribute and thats why it has a layout, if the parent of the radio buttons has a layout then they are added to the layout and the layout is set as the layout of the group box. I just can't see how my code differs from the example.

Each instance of clsXMLnode has a QWidget which is QGroupBox, QRadioButton etc.

AxelVienna

@SPlatten said in Layout, widgets not inside ???:

if the parent of the radio buttons has a layout then they are added to the layout

That may be the problem. What if the parent hasn’t got a layout (yet)? Does your code throw an exception, returns an error or just stops? Or does it place the buttons outside the group box? I tend to believe that your code provokes the behaviour since I have never seen a bug in Qt that fiddles with widget assignments.

SPlatten

@AxelVienna , I manage everything, only the nodes I add have widgets and only the widgets I assign a layout have a layout… unless QT is doing something I’m not aware of.

AxelVienna

A bold statement…. A lot of volunteers have read through your posts, tried to help and advise. If there are reasons to maintain your approach and you can’t find the bug, you have to hire an expert.

SGaist

@SPlatten said in Layout, widgets not inside ???:

I just can't see how my code differs from the example.

Parent handling from child widgets, that's the main difference I already suggested to avoid.

JoeCFD

@SPlatten said in Layout, widgets not inside ???:

QGroupBox *groupBox = new QGroupBox(tr("Exclusive Radio Buttons"));

QRadioButton *radio1 = new QRadioButton(tr("&Radio button 1"));
QRadioButton *radio2 = new QRadioButton(tr("R&adio button 2"));
QRadioButton *radio3 = new QRadioButton(tr("Ra&dio button 3"));

radio1->setChecked(true);
QVBoxLayout *vbox = new QVBoxLayout;
vbox->addWidget(radio1);
vbox->addWidget(radio2);
vbox->addWidget(radio3);
vbox->addStretch(1);
groupBox->setLayout(vbox);

return groupBox;

    auto groupBox = new QGroupBox(tr("Exclusive Radio Buttons"), this );

    auto radio1 = new QRadioButton(tr("&Radio button 1"), groupBox);
    auto radio2 = new QRadioButton(tr("R&adio button 2"), groupBox);
    auto radio3 = new QRadioButton(tr("Ra&dio button 3"), groupBox);

    auto button_group = new QButtonGroup;
    button_group->addButton(radio1) ; 
    button_group->addButton(radio2) ;
    button_group->addButton(radio3) ;
    button_group->setExclusive( true );
    radio1->setChecked(true);

    auto vbox = new QVBoxLayout( groupBox );
    vbox->addWidget(radio1);
    vbox->addWidget(radio2);
    vbox->addWidget(radio3);
    vbox->addStretch(1);

    return groupBox;

JoeCFD

    QString group_style_sheet = QString("QGroupBox{border: %1px solid gray;border-radius: %2px;margin-top: %3px;}" )
                                                                         .arg( m_groupBorderThickness )
                                                                        .arg( m_groupBorderRadius )
                                                                        .arg( text_font_size * 1.6 );

Also you may need to set group style sheet to move text to the top of group frame. I do use it. Otherwise, the title text may push the radio buttons out of the group frame. Set minimum height to your group box.
If you do not want to set border properties, it is OK. But it is better to set margin top which is related to your group font size. Play with font size and parameter 1.6 and you will be able to move the radio buttons into the group frame.

SPlatten

@JoeCFD, I'm not sure what you are demonstrating here? The section of code I pasted comes directly from the Qt link, also posted.

What purpose does the QButtonGroup serve?

I edited my XML and applied the style:

<groupbox id="enSEX" eol="true" align="left" layout="vertical" 
		  dbfield="vcSex" properties="QGroupBox { border-radius: 8px; background-color:#ff0000; };">
	<radiobutton id="rdoM" text="Male" default="true" position="0,0"/>
	<radiobutton id="rdoF" text="Female" position="1,0"/>
</groupbox>

Here is the result:
Screenshot 2021-10-18 at 20.37.30.png

SPlatten

@SGaist , if only I could show you the rest of my code, when I create any widget I pass the parent widget to the constructor that creates the new widget.

JoeCFD

@SPlatten said in Layout, widgets not inside ???:

QButtonGroup

QButtonGroup serves making radio buttons exclusive. It is a common use. Otherwise, you need to handle them. Works for other buttons as well.
Adding stylesheet with margin-top will help you move the radio buttons into the group box(set some minimum size to the groupbox to accomodate these buttons). I had the same problem as yours before. I solved the issue with stylesheet. Did you notice your title text("Exclusive Radio Buttons") does not show because it is inside the group box. The first radio button is there too.

SPlatten

@JoeCFD , thank you, so is this a Qt bug? as the link I posted before doesn't use QButtonGroup ?

JoeCFD

@SPlatten It is true that that is a bug in the example. You copied it from there. If qbuttongroup is not used, you have to have a slot onButtonClicked to toggle them(messy). Sometimes, you may need it for your app.

QButtonGroup is very helpful. Now you know how to use it.

SPlatten

@JoeCFD , I'll try to describe what I'm working on, I am developing an engine that reads the configuration of what will be contained in a window from an XML set of files. The XML can be edited and reloaded into the engine with no source code changes required, the engine renders the content of the XML file converting it to widgets, as an example:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<form title="Test form" id="frmTest" hspacing="0" vspacing="0" width="480"
	  height="480" modal="false">
	<entry control="listwidget" label="Select:" id="enSEL"
		   cols="24" rows="1" mode="single" excludeFromChangeCheck="true"
		   resetPropertiesOnChange="true" eol="true">
		<subscriber signal="itemSelectionChanged" 
					target="simon2.js@listWidgetHandler"/>		
		<subscriber signal="currentItemChanged"
					target="simon2.js@listWidgetChanged"/>		
	</entry>
	<entry control="lineedit" label="First name:" id="enFN" eol="true"
		   cols="24" maxlength="24" accept="alpha_only" dbfield="vcFirstName"/>
	<entry control="lineedit" label="Surnname:" id="enSN" eol="true"
		   cols="24" maxlength="24" accept="alpha_only" dbfield="vcSurName"/>
	<groupbox id="enSEX" eol="true" align="left" layout="vertical" 
			  dbfield="vcSex" properties="QGroupBox { border-radius: 8px; background-color:#ff0000; }">
		<radiobutton id="rdoM" text="Male" default="true" position="0,0"/>
		<radiobutton id="rdoF" text="Female" position="1,0"/>
	</groupbox>
	<entry control="checkbox" label="Employed:" id="enEmp" eol="true"
		  dbfield="intEmployed"/>
	<entry control="textedit" label="Address:" id="enADR" eol="true"
		   maxlength="256" accept="alpha_numeric" cols="24" rows="5"
		   dbfield="vcAddress"/>
	<groupbox id="enButtons" eol="true" align="right" layout="horizontal">		   
		<button id="btnApply" api="applyChanges">
			<subscriber signal="clicked" target="simon2.js@applyButton"/>
		</button>
		<button id="btnUndo" api="undoChanges"/>
		<button id="btnOK" api="submitAndClose"/>	
	</groupbox>			
	<on saveChanges="Save changes before changing selection?"/>
	<on setup="simon2.js@setupForm"/>
</form>

I'm still having problems in getting the layout and groupbox to work properly, now I am getting a problem where after setting the layout, the code jumps into QWidgetRepaintManager::removeDirtyWidget.

This happens immediately after I call setLayout on the QGroupBox widget.

SGaist

Are you giving a parent to the layout before calling setLayout ?

JoeCFD

@SPlatten Good stuff. Can you please show your code for building layout? XML file has only properties of widgets and can not tell why layout goes wrong.

A good practice for debugging is to keep a small GUI case with ui file generated from qt designer and then you compile this case. From ui_*** file created in build, you can see how widgets are laid out. In this way, you can save a lot of time. I believe your time worths some good money.

SPlatten

@JoeCFD , the issue I have now is that I've created a mock up using Qt Creator and in this I added a QGroupBox, then into this I added a QVBoxLayout then added three QRadioButtons, I then examined the document as XML and everything looked fine, when I build and ran it also looked fine.

However I'm having difficulty replicating this, I have a QGroupBox, I've created a layout and used setLayout on the QGroupBox widget, so far so good....but now I want to set the parent to the layout but can't, because the layouts are not derived from QWidget and calling ->widget() on the layout returns nullptr. I want to use the layout like a widget so I can add other widgets to it using the layout as a parent.