Problem connecting signal/slot between 2 new QML type instances

FrancoisPicard

Hi

I am struggling a bit with a signal/slot connection between 2 new QML type instances. I am not sure I am doing things properly and I have been through the net for 2 days without finding proper solution. You may be able to help. I am working with Qt 5.8.

I have created 2 new QML types, let's say ObjectA and ObjectB. For now, neither of them is used to display anything so they only inherit from QObject.
I have created a basic application window, in QML, including only one button. I want the button to call a method from the ObjectA-related class (Q_INVOKABLE). Then I want the method to emit a signal connected to a slot declared by the ObjectB-related class. Ultimately, I want the ObjectB-related class to inherit from QQuickPaintedItem, so that the signal emission generates an visual update in the GUI.
The connection between the signal and the slot is done in the main, which seems to be the problem, even if I saw some examples doing so on the net.

Here is my code:

ObjectA.qml (replace "A" by "B" to get ObjectB.qml)

import ObjA 1.0
import QtQuick 2.1

ObjectA
{
}

main.qml

import QtQuick 2.7
import QtQuick.Controls 2.0
import QtQuick.Layouts 1.0
import ObjA 1.0
import ObjB 1.0

ApplicationWindow {
  visible: true
  width: 640
  height: 480
  title: qsTr("Hello World")

  Button {
      id: button
      x: 270
      y: 206
      text: qsTr("Activate")

      onClicked: {
        oA.activateBFromA()
      }
  }

  ObjectA {
      id: oA
  }

  ObjectB {
      id: oB
  }
}

ObjectA.h

#ifndef OBJECTA_H
#define OBJECTA_H

#include <QObject>
#include <QDebug>

class objectA : public QObject
{
  Q_OBJECT

public:
  objectA(QObject *parent = 0);
  ~objectA();

  Q_INVOKABLE void activateBFromA();

signals:
  void bActivated (const int& value);
};

#endif

ObjectA.cpp

#include "ObjectA.h"
#include <QDebug>

objectA::objectA(QObject *parent)
  : QObject(parent)
{
}

objectA::~objectA()
{
}

void objectA::activateBFromA()
{
  qDebug() << "Emit from A";
  emit this->bActivated(5);
}

ObjectB.h

#ifndef OBJECTB_H
#define OBJECTB_H

#include <QObject>
#include <QDebug>

class objectB : public QObject
{
  Q_OBJECT

public:
  objectB(QObject *parent = 0);
  ~objectB();

public slots:
  void onBActivated (const int& value)
  {
    for (int i = 0; i < value; i++)
      qDebug() << "Activation (from B) !";
  }
};

#endif

ObjectB.cpp

#include "ObjectB.h"
#include <QDebug>

objectB::objectB(QObject *parent)
  : QObject(parent)
{
}

objectB::~objectB()
{
}

and finally main.cpp

#include <QGuiApplication>
#include <QQmlApplicationEngine>
#include <QQmlComponent>

#include "ObjectA.h"
#include "ObjectB.h"

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
  QCoreApplication::setAttribute(Qt::AA_EnableHighDpiScaling);
  QGuiApplication app(argc, argv);

  QQmlApplicationEngine engine;

  qmlRegisterType<objectA>("ObjA", 1,0, "ObjectA");
  qmlRegisterType<objectB>("ObjB", 1,0, "ObjectB");

  QQmlComponent componentA(&engine, QUrl("qrc:ObjectA.qml"));
  objectA* oA = qobject_cast<objectA*>(componentA.create());

  QQmlComponent componentB(&engine, QUrl("qrc:ObjectB.qml"));
  objectB* oB = qobject_cast<objectB*>(componentB.create());

  QObject::connect(oA, &objectA::bActivated, oB, &objectB::onBActivated);

  engine.load(QUrl(QLatin1String("qrc:/main.qml")));

  return app.exec();
}

My console only displays: "Emit from A", it seems that the connection is not working.
Any help appreciated, thanks a lot in advance.

SGaist

Hi and welcome to devnet,

The objects you are connecting in your main function are not the same as the one your create in your main.qml file.

You need to first load main.qml, then search for the objects and only after that connect them.

? Offline

Hi! Either do it like @SGaist suggested, or connect the objects inside your QML file:

myobjecta.h

#ifndef MYOBJECTA_H
#define MYOBJECTA_H

#include <QObject>

class MyObjectA : public QObject
{
    Q_OBJECT
public:
    explicit MyObjectA(QObject *parent = nullptr);
    Q_INVOKABLE void doIt() { emit doItCalled(); }

signals:
    void doItCalled();
};

#endif // MYOBJECTA_H

myobjectb.h

#ifndef MYOBJECTB_H
#define MYOBJECTB_H

#include <QObject>
#include <QDebug>

class MyObjectB : public QObject
{
    Q_OBJECT
public:
    explicit MyObjectB(QObject *parent = nullptr);

public slots:
    void doItSlot() {
        qDebug() << "hello";
    }
};

#endif // MYOBJECTB_H

main.cpp

#include <QGuiApplication>
#include <QQmlApplicationEngine>
#include <QQmlComponent>

#include <myobjecta.h>
#include <myobjectb.h>

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    QCoreApplication::setAttribute(Qt::AA_EnableHighDpiScaling);
    QGuiApplication app(argc, argv);

    qmlRegisterType<MyObjectA>("io.qt.forum", 1, 0, "MyObjectA");
    qmlRegisterType<MyObjectB>("io.qt.forum", 1, 0, "MyObjectB");

    QQmlApplicationEngine engine;
    engine.load(QUrl(QLatin1String("qrc:/main.qml")));

    return app.exec();
}

main.qml

import QtQuick 2.7
import QtQuick.Controls 2.0
import QtQuick.Layouts 1.0

import io.qt.forum 1.0

ApplicationWindow {
    visible: true
    width: 640
    height: 480

    MyObjectA {
        id: objA
        onDoItCalled: objB.doItSlot() 
    }

    MyObjectB {
        id: objB
    }

    Button {
        anchors.centerIn: parent
        text: "Click me"
        onClicked: objA.doIt()
    }
}

? Offline

Oh, BTW, the forum thread Calling JS functions in loaded components from C++ contains an example for how to find QML-objects from the C++ side.

FrancoisPicard

1000 thanks @SGaist and @Wieland !!! I tried both solutions everything works.

For the sake of others, here is then the modifications in my example if I am adopting the first solution:

ObjectA.qml (replace "A" by "B" to get ObjectB.qml)

import ObjA 1.0
import QtQuick 2.1

ObjectA
{
    objectName: "objA_id"    // do not forget the quotes...
}

ObjectB.h

...
public slots:
  void activateB (const int& value)
  {
    for (int i = 0; i < value; i++)
      qDebug() << "Activation (from B) !";
  }
...

main.cpp

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
  QCoreApplication::setAttribute(Qt::AA_EnableHighDpiScaling);
  QGuiApplication app(argc, argv);

  qmlRegisterType<objectA>("ObjA", 1,0, "ObjectA");
  qmlRegisterType<objectB>("ObjB", 1,0, "ObjectB");

  QQmlApplicationEngine engine;
  engine.load(QUrl(QLatin1String("qrc:/main.qml")));

  objectA* oA = qobject_cast<objectA*>(engine.rootObjects().first()->findChild<QObject*>("objA_id"));
  objectB* oB = qobject_cast<objectB*>(engine.rootObjects().first()->findChild<QObject*>("objB_id"));

  QObject::connect(oA, &objectA::bActivated, oB, &objectB::activateB);

  return app.exec();
}

Thanks again guys. That was great help.