path: root/doc/src/qmlapp/firststepsqml.qdoc

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/*!
\page qmlfirststeps.html
\title First Steps with QML
\brief Basic QML application development examples

\section1 Creating a QML Document

A QML document defines a hierarchy of objects with a highly-readable,
structured layout. Every QML document consists of two parts: an imports
section and an object declaration section. The types and functionality most
common to user interfaces are provided in the \c{QtQuick}
import.

\section2 Importing and Using the QtQuick Module

To use the \l{Qt Quick} module, a QML document needs to
import it. The import syntax looks like this:

\code
import QtQuick 2.3
\endcode

The types and functionality that \l{Qt Quick} provides can now
be used in the QML document!

\section2 Defining an Object Hierarchy

The object declaration in a QML document defines what will be displayed in the
visual scene. \l{Qt Quick} provides the basic building blocks
for all user interfaces, such as the objects for displaying images and text and
for handling user input.

A simple object declaration might be a colored rectangle with some text centered
in it:

\qml
Rectangle {
    width: 200
    height: 100
    color: "red"

    Text {
        anchors.centerIn: parent
        text: "Hello, World!"
    }
}
\endqml

This defines an object hierarchy with a root \l Rectangle object
which has a child \l Text object. The \c parent of the \l Text object is
automatically set to the \l Rectangle, and similarly, the \l Text object is
added to the \c children property of the \l Rectangle object, by QML.

\section2 Putting it All Together

The \l Rectangle and \l Text types used in the above example are both provided
by the \c{QtQuick} import. Putting the import and object declaration
together, we get a complete QML document:

\qml
import QtQuick 2.3

Rectangle {
    width: 200
    height: 100
    color: "red"

    Text {
        anchors.centerIn: parent
        text: "Hello, World!"
    }
}
\endqml

If we save that document as "HelloWorld.qml", we can load and display it.

\section1 Creating and Running QML Projects

To display the graphical scene defined by the QML document, it may be loaded
with \l{Qt Creator Manual}{Qt Creator}. For simple UI files such as this one,
select \gui{File > New File or Project > Applications > Qt Quick UI} from
within Qt Creator.

Pressing the green \gui{Run} button runs the application. You should see the
text \gui{Hello, World!} in the center of a red rectangle.

For more information about creating and running projects in Qt Creator, visit
the following pages:
\list
\li \l{Qt Creator: Creating Qt Quick Projects}{Creating Qt Quick Projects}
\li \l{Qt Creator: Building and Running an Example}{Building and Running an Example}
\endlist

\section1 Creating QML Applications with Controls

While Qt Quick provides basic graphical elements, \l{Qt Quick Controls} provides
ready-made QML types for use within an application.

Inserting the \l ApplicationWindow type is a good starting point for creating
applications. An application UI has this basic layout:

\image applicationwindow.png

Within each area, different \e controls may be added and connected to form
an application. For example, the following snippet is a basic application that
uses the previous layout:

\qml
//import related modules
import QtQuick 2.3
import QtQuick.Controls 1.2
import QtQuick.Window 2.2

//window containing the application
ApplicationWindow {

    //title of the application
    title: qsTr("Hello World")
    width: 640
    height: 480

    //menu containing two menu items
    menuBar: MenuBar {
        Menu {
            title: qsTr("File")
            MenuItem {
                text: qsTr("&Open")
                onTriggered: console.log("Open action triggered");
            }
            MenuItem {
                text: qsTr("Exit")
                onTriggered: Qt.quit();
            }
        }
    }

    //Content Area

    //a button in the middle of the content area
    Button {
        text: qsTr("Hello World")
        anchors.horizontalCenter: parent.horizontalCenter
        anchors.verticalCenter: parent.verticalCenter
    }
}
\endqml
The application has two menu items and a button in the middle. Clicking on the
\uicontrol Exit menu item closes the application.

There are also different navigation methods and different controls such as
buttons and sliders available. The following examples are available from
Qt Creator and demonstrate different controls and layouts.

\list
\li \l{Qt Quick Controls - Basic Layouts Example}{Basic Layouts}
\li \l{Qt Quick Controls - Touch Gallery}{Touch Gallery}
\endlist

Feel free to copy and paste the snippets onto this simple Hellow World
application to see how QML works.

\section1 Handling User Input

One of the great advantages of using QML to define a user interface is that it
allows the user interface designer to define how the application should react
to events with simple JavaScript expressions. In QML, we refer to those events
as \l{Signal and Handler Event System}{signals} and these signals are handled by
\l{qml-signals-and-handlers}{signal handlers}.

For example, consider the following example:
\qml
Rectangle {
    width: 200
    height: 100
    color: "red"

    Text {
        anchors.centerIn: parent
        text: "Hello, World!"
    }

    MouseArea {
        anchors.fill: parent
        onClicked: parent.color = "blue"
    }
}
\endqml

This example can be saved as "ClickableHelloWorld.qml" and run with qmlscene.
Whenever the user clicks anywhere in the window, the rectangle will change
from red to blue. Note that the \l MouseArea type also emits the clicked
signal for touch events, so this code will also work on a mobile device.

Keyboard user input can be similarly handled with a simple expression:

\qml
Rectangle {
    width: 200
    height: 100
    color: "red"

    Text {
        anchors.centerIn: parent
        text: "Hello, World!"
    }

    focus: true
    Keys.onPressed: {
        if (event.key == Qt.Key_Return) {
            color = "blue";
            event.accepted = true;
        }
    }
}
\endqml

By accepting focus, the color can be changed to blue whenever the return key
is pressed.

\section1 Property Bindings

Objects and their properties form the basis of a graphical interface defined
in a QML document. The QML language allows properties to be bound to each
other in various ways, enabling highly dynamic user interfaces.

In the following example, the geometry of each child \l Rectangle is bound to
that of the parent \l Rectangle. If the geometry of the parent \l Rectangle
were to change, the geometry of each child \l Rectangle would automatically
update due to the property bindings.

\qml
Rectangle {
    width: 400
    height: 200

    Rectangle {
        width: parent.width / 2
        height: parent.height
    }

    Rectangle {
        width: parent.width / 2
        height: parent.height
        x: parent.width / 2
    }
}
\endqml

\section1 Animations

Properties can also be dynamically updated via animations. The \c QtQuick
import provides various animation types which can be used to animate changes
to a property's value. In the following example, a property is animated which
then gets displayed in a \l Text area:

\qml
Rectangle {
    color: "lightgray"
    width: 200
    height: 200

    property int animatedValue: 0
    SequentialAnimation on animatedValue {
        loops: Animation.Infinite
        PropertyAnimation { to: 150; duration: 1000 }
        PropertyAnimation { to: 0; duration: 1000 }
    }

    Text {
        anchors.centerIn: parent
        text: parent.animatedValue
    }
}
\endqml

The value being displayed will vary from 0 to 150 periodically.


\section1 Defining Custom QML Types for Re-use

One of the most important concepts in QML is that of type re-use. An
application will probably have multiple visual types which are all similar
(for example, multiple push buttons), and QML allows these sort of things to
be defined as re-usable, custom types, to minimize code duplication and
maximize readability.

For example, imagine that the developer defines a new \c Button type in the
\c Button.qml file:

\snippet qmlapp/qml-extending-types/components/Button.qml 0

That type may now be re-used multiple times in the application, as follows:

\table
\row
\li \snippet qmlapp/qml-extending-types/components/application.qml 0
\li \image qmlapp/qml-extending-types.png
\endtable


In this way, modular user interface types are assembled and reused within
an application.

See \l {QML Object Attributes}
for more details on how to develop your own reusable components.

\section1 Where to Go from Here

Now that you have seen QML in action, you are ready to take your next step.
The follow page will lead you in your journey with QML.

\list
\li \l{QML Applications}
\li \l{Qt Examples and Tutorials}
\endlist

*/