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/****************************************************************************
**
** Copyright (C) 2013 Digia Plc and/or its subsidiary(-ies).
** Contact: http://www.qt-project.org/legal
**
** This file is part of the documentation of the Qt Toolkit.
**
** $QT_BEGIN_LICENSE:FDL$
** Commercial License Usage
** Licensees holding valid commercial Qt licenses may use this file in
** accordance with the commercial license agreement provided with the
** Software or, alternatively, in accordance with the terms contained in
** a written agreement between you and Digia. For licensing terms and
** conditions see http://qt.digia.com/licensing. For further information
** use the contact form at http://qt.digia.com/contact-us.
**
** GNU Free Documentation License Usage
** Alternatively, this file may be used under the terms of the GNU Free
** Documentation License version 1.3 as published by the Free Software
** Foundation and appearing in the file included in the packaging of
** this file. Please review the following information to ensure
** the GNU Free Documentation License version 1.3 requirements
** will be met: http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html.
** $QT_END_LICENSE$
**
****************************************************************************/
/*!
\page object.html
\title Object Model
\ingroup qt-basic-concepts
\brief A description of the powerful features made possible by Qt's dynamic object model.
The standard C++ object model provides very efficient runtime
support for the object paradigm. But its static nature is
inflexibile in certain problem domains. Graphical user interface
programming is a domain that requires both runtime efficiency and
a high level of flexibility. Qt provides this, by combining the
speed of C++ with the flexibility of the Qt Object Model.
Qt adds these features to C++:
\list
\li a very powerful mechanism for seamless object
communication called \l{signals and slots}
\li queryable and designable \l{Qt's Property System}{object
properties}
\li powerful \l{The Event System}{events and event filters}
\li contextual \l{i18n}{string translation for internationalization}
\li sophisticated interval driven \l {Timers}{timers} that make it possible
to elegantly integrate many tasks in an event-driven GUI
\li hierarchical and queryable \l{Object Trees & Ownership}{object
trees} that organize object ownership in a natural way
\li guarded pointers (QPointer) that are automatically
set to 0 when the referenced object is destroyed, unlike normal C++
pointers which become dangling pointers when their objects are destroyed
\li a \l{metaobjects.html#qobjectcast}{dynamic cast} that works across
library boundaries.
\li support for \l{Creating Custom Qt Types}{custom type} creation.
\endlist
Many of these Qt features are implemented with standard C++
techniques, based on inheritance from QObject. Others, like the
object communication mechanism and the dynamic property system,
require the \l{Meta-Object System} provided
by Qt's own \l{moc}{Meta-Object Compiler (moc)}.
The meta-object system is a C++ extension that makes the language
better suited to true component GUI programming.
\section1 Important Classes
These classes form the basis of the Qt Object Model.
\annotatedlist objectmodel
\target Identity vs Value
\section1 Qt Objects: Identity vs Value
Some of the added features listed above for the Qt Object Model,
require that we think of Qt Objects as identities, not values.
Values are copied or assigned; identities are cloned. Cloning
means to create a new identity, not an exact copy of the old
one. For example, twins have different identities. They may look
identical, but they have different names, different locations, and
may have completely different social networks.
Then cloning an identity is a more complex operation than copying
or assigning a value. We can see what this means in the Qt Object
Model.
\b{A Qt Object...}
\list
\li might have a unique \l{QObject::objectName()}. If we copy a Qt
Object, what name should we give the copy?
\li has a location in an \l{Object Trees & Ownership}
{object hierarchy}. If we copy a Qt Object, where should the copy
be located?
\li can be connected to other Qt Objects to emit signals to them or
to receive signals emitted by them. If we copy a Qt Object, how
should we transfer these connections to the copy?
\li can have \l{Qt's Property System} {new properties} added to it
at runtime that are not declared in the C++ class. If we copy a Qt
Object, should the copy include the properties that were added to
the original?
\endlist
For these reasons, Qt Objects should be treated as identities, not
as values. Identities are cloned, not copied or assigned, and
cloning an identity is a more complex operation than copying or
assigning a value. Therefore, QObject and all subclasses of
QObject (direct or indirect) have their \l{No copy constructor}
{copy constructor and assignment operator} disabled.
*/
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