Windows 8 Support

Dzjek · wrote on 13 Jun 2011, 06:13

Hello,

What version of Qt can we expect to work correctly with Windows 8?

Currently it seems that Windows 8 is completely ignored. It is not available in "QSysInfo::WinVersion":http://doc.qt.nokia.com/4.8-snapshot/qsysinfo.html#WinVersion-enum , the wrong "QStyle":http://doc.qt.nokia.com/4.8-snapshot/qstyle.html is used by default (you explicitly have to set a "QWindowsVistaStyle":http://doc.qt.nokia.com/4.8-snapshot/qwindowsvistastyle.html), etc.

Best regards,
Dzjek

giesbert · wrote on 13 Jun 2011, 06:37

Hi Dzjek,

as Windows 8 is now out till now, why should it offizially be supported by Qt now? Afaik, the Release of windows 8 is planned for 2012.

DenisKormalev · wrote on 13 Jun 2011, 08:59

So I think Qt 5.0 will be right version you can expect to support Win8. As Gerolf said it will be supported only after release (and not in the day of Win8 release of course).

giesbert · wrote on 13 Jun 2011, 10:29

Perhaps, some Qt 4.8 or 4.9 will also do, we will see, it is also possible that a version will support a pre release, but not officially...

Dzjek · wrote on 13 Jun 2011, 10:38

Hello Gerolf,

Naturally it is impossible to support what is still unknown. However, it would be possible to have some preliminary/beta support for the beta releases. But to stick to your question:
[quote author="Gerolf" date="1307947031"]why should it offizially be supported by Qt now?[/quote]
As you might have heard, Qt is used in the development of commercial applications. Producers of these applications will like to see their applications work on Windows 8 as soon as Windows 8 gets released. However, before a commercial application can be released it needs to be tested. Although the Windows 8 builds that are currently available are not exactly the same as the RTM version will be, they already give a good indication of what will not work. As it looks currently many Qt based applications will completely break on Windows 8. Getting Qt up to par with the currently available versions of Windows 8 would reduce the number of issues when the Windows 8 RTM gets released.

The alternative to expecting some preliminary/beta support for Windows 8, would be to wait until Windows 8 is released. If the implementation of Windows 8 support is not initiated before Windows 8 is released, it will be very bad news. First we would have to wait until Qt is supporting Windows 8, and then we need to start using that version of Qt, and test our application. This would mean it will be months after the release of Windows 8, before we can finally support Windows 8 in our application. In particular if this means it would be mandatory to use Qt 5, which might not be compatible and thus may require additional refactoring of the application.

And therefore, I would like to know which version of Qt will support Windows 8, and to what extend Windows 8 will be supported in that version.

Best regards,
Dzjek

P.S. I understand it is unclear when Windows 8 will be RTM, and that there are rumors about 2012. However, be aware that 2012 is only half a year (i.e. one minor Qt release) from now. And it's just a rumor, it might be considered ready earlier, though I also expect it to be later.

Dzjek · wrote on 13 Jun 2011, 10:53

[quote author="Gerolf" date="1307960969"]Perhaps, some Qt 4.8 or 4.9 will also do, we will see, it is also possible that a version will support a pre release, but not officially...[/quote]

I assume the same. I hoped someone who knows the Qt roadmap could confirm this. But thanks anyhow!

giesbert · wrote on 13 Jun 2011, 11:16

I'm sure, we will not get an fficial answer here now. I'm sure they will support it, but when is unclear now.

I'm also creating commercial software with Qt. But before we step towards a new OS, we heavily test it, which means some Months. Perhaps on DevDays, there could be some official announces...

kidproquo · wrote on 13 Jun 2011, 11:25

The developer model for Windows 8 is still very much up in the air at the moment; I can't see how Qt can plan anything until MS actually releases more information. You just need to look at all the "various":http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2011/06/html5-centric-windows-8-leaves-microsoft-developers-horrified.ars "articles":http://www.itnews.com.au/News/259910,silverlight-developers-rally-against-windows-8-plans.aspx about the role silverlight may or not have in windows 8 to see how uncertain it is.

As far as visual styling - MS usually leaves it quite late in the piece to reveal the major visual changes in their OSes so there's not much that can be done on that front either.

I'd say you'd have to wait until at least their developer conference at the end of the year before a real plan for Qt can even begin to take shape.

Note: I don't develop for Windows so this is all just from what I've read around the web over the last few weeks.

zester · wrote on 13 Jun 2011, 11:47

Dzjek your complaining about Qt working on a platform that as of my knowledge no one in the industry
has even seen yet except Microsoft. And your doing it on the free community support forums.

Don't you think your being a bit unreasonable?

loladiro · wrote on 13 Jun 2011, 14:49

kidproquo: very interesting links. Thank you. Seems like Microsoft is going a similar way that Qt is (Qt is using QML, Microsoft is using HTML5, but the general direction away from C++ (et. al)).

zester: I agree.

aperles · wrote on 15 Sept 2011, 09:43

Hi all.

I think that this question is very relevant.

Taking into consideration that the policy of Nokia+Microsoft with Windows Phone 7 is to maintain Qt away, then it is important to clarify the "Nokia+Microsoft" strategies for Qt.

So, it is adecuate to ask that now.

This situation is forcing me to move to Android and avoid WP7. With Qt on W8, or future WP8, I can consider to return to W.

Regards,
Àngel

giesbert · wrote on 15 Sept 2011, 11:04

I'm pretty sure, you will not get official supported Windows 8 before there is a release of Win 8.
Whether it will be supported on WP8, who knows?

lgeyer · wrote on 15 Sept 2011, 13:54

For all those who haven't heared yet there is a "Windows 8":http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/br229516 preview available for developers, including Visual Studio 11, Blend 5 and the new Metro SDKs.

[quote author="Dzjek" date="1307945585"]What version of Qt can we expect to work correctly with Windows 8?[/quote]

The Qt SDK installs smoothly and the examples I've tried work as expected.

Quite contrary to, I don't see a reason why it shouldn't work correctly at all. Windows 8 has still the same NT kernel as Windows 7 has, just a new user interface stuffed on top on it (and a very questionable one if you ask me).

Be sure to have a recent version of your VM as Windows 8 requires ACPI 2.0 support (which for example VMware Workstation 7.x has not).

eric_vi · wrote on 16 Sept 2011, 15:27

what about the windows 8 app store... are there more details available?

steno · wrote on 16 Sept 2011, 19:40

[quote author="Lukas Geyer" date="1307945585"]just a new user interface stuffed on top on it (and a very questionable one if you ask me).[/quote]

I totally agree, why are they stuffing something on top of my desktop. ugh!

lgeyer · wrote on 17 Sept 2011, 09:08

The most horrific design decision was that this "desktop" replaces the classic start menu, which isn't available until you disable the whole metro stuff.
@
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RPEnabled
1 -> Metro UI
0 -> Classic UI
@
[quote author="eric_vi" date="1316186870"]what about the windows 8 app store... are there more details available?[/quote]
This Windows App Store isn't included in the developer preview and as far as I know there is only a minor amount of concrete details about it (besides "there will be an App Store").

sysedit · wrote on 20 Sept 2011, 14:40

The question is more: what will be supported by Qt ? A Qt 4.6.3 application runs well in the dev preview, but as a classic application, it does not fit into metro.

Having a way to create metro compliant applications with Qt (mainly: reuse as much as possible the code we maintain for year) would be very cool.

I think we'll get more details in the dev days - at least I hope so.

giesbert · wrote on 20 Sept 2011, 22:18

I'm pretty sure that windows will support windows 8. But in which version, I don't know. They will not bring out a version that supports it before windows 8 is out.

knight · wrote on 7 Oct 2011, 17:23

It's in the early stages, but here's a project with the goal of getting Qt working within the Windows 8 Metro environment: https://projects.developer.nokia.com/qt_metro

There is a link there to a video showing a QML test application in action.

jaak · wrote on 6 Dec 2011, 06:52

"http://pkisensee.wordpress.com/2011/09/23/windows-8-and-c/":http://pkisensee.wordpress.com/2011/09/23/windows-8-and-c/

I would say that with Win8 and WinRT, MS is embracing c++ rather than moving away from it as somebody suggested. So a Qt port is certainly possible. But it can happen only after Win8 is officially released and all the technical information is released by MS. Also it is my understanding that Qt is not moving away from c++. JS is just another option. I expect most mobile apps to go the C++/Qml way. JS/Qml may be used for very simple apps. Anyway Qml seems a better option for UIs.