Stirring Qt Quick into the mix

baysmith

Have you added Qt Quick into a traditional QWidget-based application? If so, for what purpose and how did you approach it?

I'm interested in real stories about how people are adding Qt Quick into traditional QWidget-based applications. I've stirred it into the mix on a open-source project of mine, but have yet to release the application with Qt Quick included. I'm evaluating how I did it and wondering how others may have approached it.

Thanks.

kamalakshantv

Not yet but soon want to explore. Post your open source project link once complete.

baysmith

Complete? It will never be complete. :)

The project is here: http://code.google.com/p/mifit/
The repository is here: http://gitorious.org/mifit

Use of Qt Quick is in the repository code, but not yet in a release.

fcrochik

I am experimenting with qml as a replacement for "widgets" interfaces and must say that I am pretty satisfied.

My idea is to use qml as a replacement for the "ui" but leave all the logic on the c++ part of the code.

I am not using the qml application wrapper - just a regular "application" with a declarative view. So my application is a good mix... some native elements (menu, title bar,...) and a "completely customized" qml interface to represent the data.

I haven't had a chance to play with the "standard widgets" written in qml. I imagine that will be interesting and make life easier.

One aspect that worried me is that we are "going back in time" where each application had a complete unique look and feel. Creating a "standard look and feel" across applications was "the way" to lower the barriers for new (less savvy) users.

On the mobile world it became the norm to have custom interfaces due to games and "apps". But I don't think it should become the rule: desktops and "base/standard/productivity" applications should offer a "seamless" flow between them.

I don't have anything publicly available but I can post some screenshots if anybody is interested. I am working on a qml interface to my "address book" application for the n900 ("mycontacts")

baysmith

[quote author="fcrochik" date="1292081386"]I am experimenting with qml as a replacement for "widgets" interfaces and must say that I am pretty satisfied. [/quote]

I've been pretty satisfied too.

[quote author="fcrochik" date="1292081386"]I am not using the qml application wrapper - just a regular "application" with a declarative view. So my application is a good mix... some native elements (menu, title bar,...) and a "completely customized" qml interface to represent the data.
[/quote]
So most of the UI is being replaced? Just a main window with menu and a declarative view?

[quote author="fcrochik" date="1292081386"]One aspect that worried me is that we are "going back in time" where each application had a complete unique look and feel. Creating a "standard look and feel" across applications was "the way" to lower the barriers for new (less savvy) users.[/quote]
I don't know if that is "back in time" much. I can't think of a time when every application had the same look and feel. I'm more worried about going back in time as for what I have to implement myself because standard qml widgets aren't yet available. However, I think the power of qml will offset it. Since I'm not sure, that is why I'm asking for other people's experiences.

fcrochik

[quote author="Bradley" date="1292097088"]
So most of the UI is being replaced? Just a main window with menu and a declarative view?
[/quote]
To be honest it is just an experiment for now. What I can tell is that I finally got a level of customization I was looking for and was much easier than trying to "custom paint" every widget on the shelf.

[quote author="Bradley" date="1292097088"]
I don't know if that is "back in time" much. I can't think of a time when every application had the same look and feel. I'm more worried about going back in time as for what I have to implement myself because standard qml widgets aren't yet available. However, I think the power of qml will offset it. Since I'm not sure, that is why I'm asking for other people's experiences.
[/quote]
I agree.... I haven't had time to go after the "qml widgets" project to check on its status. I created a few "widgets/controls" and was impressed on how easy it was. For instance I created a virtual keyboard just using qml and javascript.

patburke

I'm currently looking at using it to replace certain lists and gridviews in a disassembly/decompilation/reverse engineering tool I'm slowly hacking together. The main reason is that the Model-based View controllers have driven me completely insane with their fiddlyness. :|

My only issue at the moment a question of performance, for example in a hex-view I'll likely have close to 3000 calls (if not more) to the model per screenfull of data. But that's where algorithm optimisation starts I guess. :)