path: root/doc/src/projects/creator-projects-custom-wizards-json.qdoc

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/*!
    \contentspage {Qt Creator Manual}
    \previouspage creator-project-wizards.html
    \page creator-project-wizards-json.html
    \nextpage creator-project-wizards-xml.html

    \title Adding JSON-Based Wizards

    \image qtcreator-new-qt-gui-application.png

    The JSON-based wizards are displayed in the \uicontrol New dialog. To
    customize them, copy a directory that contains a wizard.json file in
    \c {share/qtcreator/templates/wizards/} and modify it to fit your needs.
    After you run qmake and restart \QC, the wizard name appears in the
    selected or added category. For each wizard, an icon, a display name, and
    a description are displayed.

    JSON-based wizard template directories contain a JSON configuration file
    called wizard.json and the template files. The configuration file contains
    sections that specify information about the wizard, variables that you can
    use, wizard pages, and generators for creating files.

    \section1 Using Variables in Wizards

    You can use variables (\c %{<variableName>}) in the configuration and
    template source files. A set of variables is predefined by the wizards and
    their pages. You can introduce new variables as shortcuts to be used later.
    Define the variable key names and values in the \c options section in the
    .json file.

    The variables always return strings. In places where a boolean value is
    expected and a string is given, an empty string is treated as \c false and
    anything else as \c true. A common pitfall is that a string containing
    \c "false" is not empty and is therefore treated as the value \c true when
    converted to a boolean value. To avoid this pitfall, use the following type
    of construction:

    \code
    {"condition": "%{JS: ('%{VersionControl}' === 'G.Git') ? 'yes' : ''}"
    \endcode

    \section1 Localizing Wizards

    If a setting name starts with the \c tr prefix, the value is visible to
    users and should be translated. If the new wizard is included in the \QC
    sources, the translatable strings appear in the \QC translation files and
    can be translated as a part of \QC. Alternatively, you can place the
    translations in the .json file using the following syntax:

    \code
    "trDisplayName": { "C": "default", "en_US": "english", "de_DE": "deutsch" }
    \endcode

    For example:

    \code
    "trDisplayName": { "C": "Project Location", "en_US": "Project Location", "de_DE": "Projekt Verzeichnis" }
    \endcode

    \section1 Creating Wizards

    \QC contains wizards for adding classes, files, and projects. You can
    use them as basis for adding your own wizards. We use the C++ wizard
    to explain the process and the sections and settings in the .json file.

    \image qtcreator-cpp-class-wizard.png

    For more information about the pages and widgets that you can add, see
    \l {Available Pages} and \l{Available Widgets}.

    To create a JSON-based C++ class wizard:

    \list 1

        \li Make a copy of \c {share/qtcreator/templates/wizards/classes/cpp}
            and rename it.

        \li Right-click the project name in \uicontrol Projects and select
            \uicontrol {Run qmake} to register the new wizard. Basically, qmake
            generates a fixed list of files to copy. Therefore, you need to run
            qmake each time the names or locations of the files change.

        \li Open the wizard configuration file, \c wizard.json for editing:

            \list

                \li The following settings determine the type of the wizard and
                    its place in the \uicontrol New dialog:

                    \code
                    "version": 1,
                    "kind": "class",
                    "id": "A.Class",
                    "category": "O.C++",
                    \endcode

                \list

                    \li \c version is the version of the file contents. Do not
                        modify this value.

                    \li \c kind specifies the type of the wizard:  \c class,
                       \c file, or \c project.

                    \li \c id is the unique identifier for your wizard. You can
                        use a leading letter to specify the position of the
                        wizard within the \c category.

                    \li \c category is the category in which to place the wizard
                        in the list. You can use a leading letter to specify the
                        position of the category in the list in the
                        \uicontrol New dialog.

                    \li \c disabled is set to to \c true to hide the wizard. By
                        default, it is set to \c{false}.
                \endlist

            \li The following settings specify the icon and text that appear in
               the  \uicontrol New dialog:

                \code
                "trDescription": "Creates a C++ header and a source file for a new class that you can add to a C++ project.",
                "trDisplayName": "C++ Class",
                "trDisplayCategory": "C++",
                "icon": "../../global/genericfilewizard.png",
                "featuresRequired": [ "Plugin.CppEditor" ],
                \endcode

            \list

                \li \c trDescription appears in the right-most panel when
                    \c trDisplayCategory is selected.

                \li \c trDisplayName appears in the middle panel when
                    \c trDisplayCategory is selected.

                \li \c trDisplayCategory appears in the \uicontrol New dialog,
                    under \uicontrol Projects.

                \li \c icon appears next to the \c trDisplayName in the middle
                    panel when \c trDisplayCategory is selected. We recommend
                    that you specify the path relative to the wizard.json file,
                    but you can also use an absolute path.

                \li \c featuresRequired specifies the \QC features that the
                    wizard depends on. If a required feature is missing, the
                    wizard is hidden. For example, if the CppEditor plugin is
                    disabled, the C++ Class wizard is hidden.

                \li \c featuresPreferred specifies the build and run kits to
                    preselect.

                \li \c platformIndependent is set to \c true if the wizard is
                    supported by all target platforms. By default, it is set to
                    \c{false}.

            \endlist

            \li The \c options section contains an array of objects with \e key
                and \e value attributes. You can define your own variables to
                use in the configuration and template source files, in addition
                to the predefined variables. For example, the following
                variables are used in the C++ class creation wizard:

                \code
                "options":
                [
                    { "key": "TargetPath", "value": "%{Path}" },
                    { "key": "HdrPath", "value": "%{Path}/%{HdrFileName}" },
                    { "key": "SrcPath", "value": "%{Path}/%{SrcFileName}" },
                    { "key": "CN", "value": "%{JS: Cpp.className('%{Class}')}" },
                    { "key": "Base", "value": "%{JS: ( '%{BaseCB}' === '' ) ? '%{BaseEdit}' : '%{BaseCB}'}" },
                    { "key": "isQObject", "value": "%{JS: ('%{Base}' === 'QObject' || '%{Base}' === 'QWidget' || '%{Base}' === 'QMainWindow' || '%{Base}' === 'QDeclarativeItem' || '%{Base}' === 'QQuickItem' ) ? 'yes' : ''}" },
                    { "key": "GUARD", "value": "%{JS: Cpp.classToHeaderGuard('%{Class}', '%{JS: Util.preferredSuffix('text/x-c++hdr')}')}" },
                    { "key": "SharedDataInit", "value": "%{JS: ('%{IncludeQSharedData}') ? 'data(new %{CN}Data)' : '' }" }
                ],
                \endcode

                This section is optional. For more examples of variables, see
                the wizard.json files for other wizards.

            \li The \c pages section specifies the wizard pages. The pages
                used depend on the wizard type. You can add standard pages to
                wizards or create new pages using the available widgets. The
                following settings specify the display name, title, and type of
                the page:

                \code
                "pages":
                [
                    {
                        "trDisplayName": "Define Class",
                        "trShortTitle": "Details",
                        "typeId": "Fields",
                "data" :
                [
                    {
                        "name": "Class",
                        "trDisplayName": "Class name:",
                        "mandatory": true,
                        "type": "LineEdit",
                        "data": { "validator": "(?:(?:[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z_0-9]*::)+[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z_0-9]*|)" }
                    },
                    ...
                ]
                \endcode

                \list

                    \li \c typeId specifies the page to use: \c Fields, \c File,
                        \c Form, \c Kits, \c Project, or \c Summary. Full page
                        ID, as used in the code, consists of the \c typeId
                        prefixed with \c {"PE.Wizard.Page."}. For more
                        information, about the pages, see \l{Available Pages}.

                    \li \c trDisplayName specifies the title of the page. By
                        default, the page title is used.

                    \li \c trShortTitle specifies the title used in the sidebar
                        of the Wizard. By default, the page title is used.

                    \li \c trSubTitle specifies the subtitle of the page. By
                        default, the page title is used.

                    \li \c index is an integer value that specifies the page ID.
                        It is automatically assigned if you do not set it.

                    \li \c enabled is set to \c true to show the page and to
                        \c false to hide it.

                    \li \c data specifies the wizard pages. In the C++ wizard,
                        it specifies a \c Fields page and a \c Summary page. The
                        \c Fields page contains the \c CheckBox, \c ComboBox,
                        \c LineEdit, \c PathChooser, and \c Spacer widgets. For
                        more information about the widgets, see
                        \l{Available Widgets}.

                \endlist

            \li The \c generators section specifies the files to be added to the
                project:

                \code
                "generators":
                [
                    {
                        "typeId": "File",
                        "data":
                        [
                            {
                                "source": "file.h",
                                "target": "%{HdrPath}",
                                "openInEditor": true
                            },
                            {
                                "source": "file.cpp",
                                "target": "%{SrcPath}",
                                "openInEditor": true
                            }
                ]
                \endcode

                \list

                   \li \c typeId specifies the type of the generator. Currently,
                        only \c File is supported.

                    \li \c data spefices the files to generate. For a each file
                        to be generated, specify the following values:

                    \list

                        \li \c source specifies the path and filename of the
                            template file relative to the wizard.json file.

                        \li \c target specifies the location of the generated
                            file, either absolute or relative to
                            \c %{TargetPath}, which is usually set by one of the
                             wizard pages.

                        \li \c openInEditor opens the file in the appropriate
                            editor if it is set to \c{true}.

                        \li \c openAsProject opens the project file in \QC if it
                            is set to \c{true}.

                        \li \c isBinary treats the file as a binary and prevents
                            replacements from being done in the file if set to
                            \c true.

                        \li \c condition generates the file if the condition
                            returns \c{true}. For more information, see
                            \l{Using Variables in Wizards}.

                    \endlist

                \endlist

          \endlist

    \endlist

    \section1 Available Pages

    You can add predefined pages to wizards by specifying them in the \c pages
    section of a wizard.json file.

    \section2 Field Page

    A Field page has the \c typeId value \c Field and contains widgets. For more
    information about widget definitions, see \l{Available Widgets}.

    \code
    "pages":
    [
        {
            "trDisplayName": "Define Class",
            "trShortTitle": "Details",
            "typeId": "Fields",
            "data" :
            [
                {
                    "name": "Class",
                    "trDisplayName": "Class name:",
                    "mandatory": true,
                    "type": "LineEdit",
                    "data": { "validator": "(?:(?:[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z_0-9]*::)+[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z_0-9]*|)" }
                },
                ...
    ],
    \endcode

    \section2 File Page

    A File page has the \c typeId value \c File. You can leave out the \c data
    key or assign an empty object to it.

    \code
    {
        "trDisplayName": "Location",
        "trShortTitle": "Location",
        "typeId": "File"
    },
    \endcode

    The page evaluates \c InitialFileName and \c InitialPath from the wizard to
    set the initial path and filename. The page sets \c TargetPath to the full
    path of the file to be created.

    \section2 Form Page

    A Form page has the \c typeId value \c Form. You can leave out the \c data
    key or assign an empty object to it.

    \code
    {
        "trDisplayName": "Choose a Form Template",
        "trShortTitle": "Form Template",
        "typeId": "Form"
    },
    \endcode

    The page sets \c FormContents to an array of strings with the form contents.

    \section2 Kits

    A Kits page has the \c typeId value \c Kits. The \c data section of a Kits
    page contains an object with the field \c projectFilePath set.

    \code
    {
        "trDisplayName": "Kit Selection",
        "trShortTitle": "Kits",
        "typeId": "Kits",
        "enabled": "%{IsTopLevelProject}",
        "data": { "projectFilePath": "%{ProFileName}" }
    },
    \endcode

    The page evaluates \c Platform to set the platform selected in
    \uicontrol File > \uicontrol New, \c PreferredFeatures to set the preferred
    features for the project, and \c RequiredFeatures to set the required
    features for the project. The feature set is used to determine which kits to
    display and pre-select for the project.

    \section2 Project

    A Project page has the \c typeId value \c Project. It contains no data or an
    empty object.

    \code
    {
        "trDisplayName": "Project Location",
        "trShortTitle": "Location",
        "typeId": "Project"
    },
    \endcode

    The page evaluates \c InitialPath to set the initial project path. The page
    sets \c ProjectDirectory and \c TargetPath to the project directory.

    \section2 Summary

    A Summary page has the \c typeId value \c Summary. It contains no data or
    an empty object.

    \code
    {
        "trDisplayName": "Project Management",
        "trShortTitle": "Summary",
        "typeId": "Summary"
    }
    \endcode

    The page sets \c IsSubproject to an empty string if this is a toplevel
    project and to \c yes otherwise. It sets \c VersionControl to the ID of the
    version control system in use.

    \section1 Available Widgets

    You can add the following widgets on a Field page:

    \list
        \li Check Box
        \li Combo Box
        \li Label
        \li Line Edit
        \li Path Chooser
        \li Spacer
        \li Text Edit
    \endlist

    Specify the following settings for each widget:

    \list

        \li \c name specifies the widget name. This name is used as the variable
            name to access the value again.

        \li \c trDisplayName specifies the label text visible in the UI (if
            \c span is not \c true).

        \li \c type specifies the type of the widget: \c CheckBox, \c ComboBox,
            \c Label, \c LineEdit, \c PathChooser, \c Spacer, and \c TextEdit.

        \li \c data specifies settings for the widget:

        \list

            \li \c visible is set to \c true if the widget is visible, otherwise
                it is set to \c false. By default, it is set to \c true.

            \li \c enabled is set to \c true if the widget is enabled, otherwise
                it is set to \c false. By default, it is set to \c true.

            \li \c mandatory is set to \c true if this widget must have a value
                for the \uicontrol Next button to become enabled. By default, it
                is set to \c true.

            \li \c span is set to hide the label and to span the form. By
                default, it is set to \c false. For more information, see
                \l{Using Variables in Wizards}.

       \endlist

       The additional settings available for a particular widget are described
       in the following sections.

    \endlist

    \section2 Check Box

    \code
    {
        "name": "IncludeQObject",
        "trDisplayName": "Include QObject",
        "type": "CheckBox",
        "data":
        {
            "checkedValue": "QObject",
            "uncheckedValue": "",
            "checked": "%{JS: ('%{BaseCB}' === 'QObject' ) ? 'yes' : ''}"
        }
    },
    \endcode

    \list

        \li \c checkedValue specifies the value to set when the check box is
            enabled. By default, set to \c 0.

        \li \c uncheckedValue specifies the value to set when the check box is
            disabled. By default, set to \c 1.

         \li \c checked is set to \c true if the check box is enabled, otherwise
             \c{false}.

    \endlist

    \section2 Combo Box

    \code
    {
        "name": "BaseCB",
        "trDisplayName": "Base class:",
        "type": "ComboBox",
        "data":
        {
            "items": [ { "trKey": "<Custom>", "value": "" },
                       "QObject", "QWidget", "QMainWindow", "QDeclarativeItem", "QQuickItem" ]
        }
    },
    \endcode

    \list

        \li \c items specifies a list of items to put into the combo box. The
            list can contain both JSON objects and plain strings. For JSON
            objects, define \c trKey and \c value pairs, where the \c trKey is
            the list item visible to users and \c value contains the data
            associated with the item.

        \li \c index specifies the index to select when the combo box is
            enabled. By default, it is set to \c 0.

        \li \c disabledIndex specifies the index to show if the combo box is
            disabled.

    \endlist

    \section2 Label

    \code
    {
    "name": "LabelQQC_1_0",
        "type": "Label",
        "span": true,
        "visible": "%{( '%{CS}' === 'QQC_1_0' ) ? 'yes' : ''}",
        "data":
        {
            "wordWrap": true,
            "trText": "Creates a deployable Qt Quick 2 application using Qt Quick Controls. Requires Qt 5.1 or newer."
        }
    },
    \endcode

    \list

        \li \c wordWrap is set to \c true to enable word wrap. By default, it is
             set to \c{false}.

        \li \c trText contains the label text to display.

    \endlist

    \section2 Line Edit

    \code
    {
        "name": "Class",
        "trDisplayName": "Class name:",
        "mandatory": true,
        "type": "LineEdit",
        "data": { "validator": "(?:(?:[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z_0-9]*::)+[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z_0-9]*|)" }
    },
    {
        "name": "BaseEdit",
        "type": "LineEdit",
        "enabled": "%{JS: ( '%{BaseCB}' === '' ) ? 'yes' : ''}",
        "mandatory": false,
        "data":
        {
            "trText": "%{BaseCB}",
            "trDisabledText": "%{BaseCB}"
        }
    },
    \endcode

    \list

        \li \c trText specifies the default text to display.

        \li \c trDisabledText specifies the text to display in a disabled field.

        \li \c trPlaceholder specifies the placeholder text.

        \li \c validator specifies a QRegularExpression to validate the line
            edit against.

        \li \c fixup specifies a variable that is used to fix up the string.
            For example, to turn the first character in the line edit to upper
            case.

    \endlist

    \section2 Path Chooser

    \code
    {
        "name": "Path",
        "type": "PathChooser",
        "trDisplayName": "Path:",
        "mandatory": true,
        "data":
        {
            "kind": "existingDirectory",
            "basePath": "%{InitialPath}",
            "path": "%{InitialPath}"
        }
    },
    \endcode

    \list

        \li \c path specifies the selected path.

        \li \c basePath specifies a base path that lookups are relative to.

        \li \c kind defines what to look for: \c existingDirectory,
            \c directory, \c file, \c saveFile, \c existingCommand, \c command,
            or \c any.

    \endlist

    \section2 Spacer

    \code
    {
        "name": "Sp1",
        "type": "Spacer",
        "data":
        {
            "factor": 2
        }
    },
    \endcode

    The \c factor setting specifies the factor (an integer) to multiply the
    layout spacing for this spacer.

    \section2 Text Edit

    \code
    {
        "name": "TextField",
        "type": "TextEdit",
        "data" :
        {
            "trText": "This is some text",
            "richText": true
        }
    }
    \endcode

    \list

        \li \c trText specifies the text to display.

        \li \c trDisabledText specifies the text to display when the text edit
            is disabled.

        \li \c richText is set to \c true for rich text, otherwise \c{false}.

    \endlist

*/