Use multiple applications as a single application

[Abrandao]

Hi, I'm wondering if it's possible to have multiple Qt applications working as a single application. Like for example, a main application with different parts of it being generated by other applications. Like if the main application has a input text field that when is pressed should invoke the application that manage the keyboard to be displayed on screen, and send the text pressed on the keyboard back to the input text field.

And if it's possible, how this can be accomplished?

[SGaist]

Hi,

You are pretty much describing a desktop environment here or some form of IPC. What's your purpose ?

[Abrandao]

Hi,

Well, the project we want to build using Qt is for an embedded platform. And the purpose for this kind of approach is to split the application in sub-applications that can easily be developed, updated and reused. The plan is to build a framework that is capable of load multiple apps and manage those apps for different purposes.

[SGaist]

Then the answer will depend on which version of Qt you intend to use: 4 or 5 ?

[jeremy_k]

[quote author="Abrandao" date="1402903753"]the purpose for this kind of approach is to split the application in sub-applications that can easily be developed, updated and reused. The plan is to build a framework that is capable of load multiple apps and manage those apps for different purposes.[/quote]

Another way of doing this is to make each sub-application a dynamically loaded plugin. QPluginLoader or QLibrary can be used to facilitate loading.

Processes from separate executables provide advantages beyond reuse and independent update. They also impose communication barriers that can be seen as helpful or a hinderance.

[Abrandao]

[quote author="jeremy_k" date="1402950674"]
[quote author="Abrandao" date="1402903753"]the purpose for this kind of approach is to split the application in sub-applications that can easily be developed, updated and reused. The plan is to build a framework that is capable of load multiple apps and manage those apps for different purposes.[/quote]

Another way of doing this is to make each sub-application a dynamically loaded plugin. QPluginLoader or QLibrary can be used to facilitate loading.

Processes from separate executables provide advantages beyond reuse and independent update. They also impose communication barriers that can be seen as helpful or a hinderance.[/quote]

I never tough of create each application as a plugin. Maybe I should do more research about dynamically loaded plugins and what is possible to create using plugins.

[quote author="SGaist" date="1402949642"]Then the answer will depend on which version of Qt you intend to use: 4 or 5 ?[/quote]

At the moment we are considering using Qt 4 since our embedded device doesn't support OpenGL. Every time I tried to compile Qt 5 to our embedded device the build failed. I asked before if it was possible to build Qt 5 without OpenGL but I didn't get a concrete answer about it.

[SGaist]

AFAIK it should be possible, using e.g. the framebuffer qpa plugin (so compiling Qt 5)

You should look at the "Qt for Embedded Linux Architecture" chapter in Qt's documentation both for 4 and 5. It should answer your questions

[Abrandao]

[quote author="SGaist" date="1403005451"]AFAIK it should be possible, using e.g. the framebuffer qpa plugin (so compiling Qt 5)

You should look at the "Qt for Embedded Linux Architecture" chapter in Qt's documentation both for 4 and 5. It should answer your questions[/quote]

Thanks, I will give it a look.