Is there a way to expose an existing C++ object to a specific QML module as a singleton?

bibasmall

I learned that using qmlRegisterSingletonInstance is not recommended in Qt6. But I'm having trouble replacing the following with QML_SINGLETON:

void Application::registerObjects()
{
    qmlRegisterSingletonInstance("Core.AppSettings", 1, 0, "AppSettings", &settings);
    qmlRegisterSingletonInstance("Network.Server", 1, 0, "Server", &server);
    qmlRegisterSingletonInstance("Core.Util", 1, 0, "Util", &util);
}

I want to expose the fields of the class Application as singletons to QML, but I need them to be in the certain modules.
The documentation does not explain whether there is any way to expose an existing object to a specific module.
I'm using Qt 6.8.2 and CMake.

JoeCFD

Singletons are visible to all modules across the app, right?

Redman

This post is deleted!

Redman

https://doc.qt.io/qt-6/qml-singleton.html#exposing-an-existing-object-as-a-singleton

I think what you are looking for is at the end of this paragraph.

bibasmall

@JoeCFD
No, I want them to be visible if a specific module is imported. For example, I expect Server to be available when importing Network.Server. This can be achieved when using macros QML_ELEMENT QML_SINGLETON in your class and qt_add_qml_module in CMake , but the problem is, the instance is created by the QML engine and the object lives in js. I want the instance created in C++ to be exposed to QML.
@Redman
I don't understand how exactly I should put my singletons in certain modules. In the example, the singleton is in the same module as SingletonForeign.

JoeCFD

@bibasmall I guess you want to create an instance of the class in a specific module, but not with singleton which will be accessible everywhere. If that is the case, register the class and create an instance of the class(Server) when needed in the top qml file of the module?

bibasmall

@JoeCFD
From an architectural point of view I would prefer to make classes like Server, Logger, AppSettings etc. singletons. qmlRegisterSingletonInstance allows to hide such qml-exposed singletons in modules by setting URI. But the fresh documentation warns against using qmlRegisterSingletonInstance, that's why I'm interested in best practices.

Redman

@bibasmall Okay so, you want to instantiate the singleton in c++, use it in c++ (maybe) but more importantly make it available under qml only when using the corresponding import statement?

Thats what I do a lot in my app.

CMakeLists

qt_add_qml_module(${PROJECT_NAME}
    URI "singleton.app"
    VERSION 1.0
    SOURCES
        src/Singleton.h
        src/Singleton.cpp
)

Singleton

class DLL_EXPORT Singleton: public QObject {
   Q_OBJECT
   QML_ELEMENT
   QML_SINGLETON
   Q_DISABLE_COPY_MOVE(Singleton)
public:

   static void init(QQmlEngine* engine);
   static void destroy();
   static bool initialized();
   Q_INVOKABLE static void func1();

   /*!
    * \brief create This function is called when accessing this class through
    * qml under the hood. By creating the Singleton in c++ we get the same
    * instance in qml. Only works in same thread
    *  \param qmlEngine
    *  \param engine
    * \return
    */
   static inline Singleton*
   create(QQmlEngine* qmlEngine, QJSEngine* engine) {
      // The instance has to exist before it is used. We cannot replace it.
      Q_ASSERT(s_instance.get());

      // There can only be one engine accessing the singleton.
      if (m_engine)
         Q_ASSERT(qmlEngine == m_engine);
      else
         m_engine = qmlEngine;

      // Explicitly specify C++ ownership so that the engine doesn't delete
      // the instance.
      QJSEngine::setObjectOwnership(s_instance.get(), QJSEngine::CppOwnership);
      return s_instance.get();
   }

 private:
   explicit Singleton(QObject* parent = nullptr);
   static inline std::unique_ptr<Singleton> s_instance = nullptr;

   /*!
    * \brief s_engine the QmlEngine this singleton will be accessed from
    */
   inline static QQmlEngine* m_engine = nullptr;
}

void
Singleton::init(QQmlEngine* engine) {
   if (s_instance)
      return;

// I set the QGuiApplication as parent, since static storage duration should roughly equal the lifetime of QGuiApplication
   s_instance.reset(new Singleton(QGuiApplication::instance()));
   m_engine = engine;

}

void
Singleton::destroy() {
   s_instance.reset();
}

bool
Singleton::initialized() {
// Simplified logic for this example
   return s_instance;
}

void
Singleton::func1() {
// whatever
}

and then use it in my main.cpp like so

   Singleton::init();
   if (!Singleton::initialized()) {
      qCritical() << QStringLiteral("Singleton not initialized");
      return EXIT_FAILURE;
   }

and in qml like this

import singleton.app 1.0

Item {
   id:root
   Component.onCompleted: {
      Singleton.func1()
   }

If you want these kind of import paths

void Application::registerObjects()
{
    qmlRegisterSingletonInstance("Core.AppSettings", 1, 0, "AppSettings", &settings);
    qmlRegisterSingletonInstance("Network.Server", 1, 0, "Server", &server);
    qmlRegisterSingletonInstance("Core.Util", 1, 0, "Util", &util);
}

I assume you have to

qt_add_qml_module(${PROJECT_NAME}
    URI "core.util"
    VERSION 1.0
    SOURCES
        src/UtilSingleton.h
        src/UtilSingleton.cpp
)

I can only assume that this is the intended way of building modular qml modules.

afalsa

@Redman cool 😎