/**************************************************************************** ** ** Copyright (C) 2012 Nokia Corporation and/or its subsidiary(-ies). ** Contact: http://www.qt-project.org/ ** ** This file is part of the documentation of the Qt Toolkit. ** ** $QT_BEGIN_LICENSE:FDL$ ** GNU Free Documentation License ** 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. ** ** Other Usage ** Alternatively, this file may be used in accordance with the terms ** and conditions contained in a signed written agreement between you ** and Nokia. ** ** ** ** ** ** $QT_END_LICENSE$ ** ****************************************************************************/ /*! \target qmlengine \page qmlengine.html \ingroup qml-features \title The QML Engine \brief the engine runs QML applications The QML engine runs and executes QML applications. The engine loads, instantiates, and executes the QML context as specified in QML files, plugins, or applications. \section1 Core Module Classes The \l{QtQml}{Qt Declarative} module provides a set of C++ APIs for extending your QML applications from C++ and embedding QML into C++ applications. There are several core classes in the Qt Declarative module that provide the essential capabilities for doing this. These are: \list \li QQmlEngine: A QML engine provides the environment for executing QML code. Every application requires at least one engine instance. \li QQmlComponent: A component encapsulates QML information. \li QQmlContext: A context allows an application to expose data to the QML components created by an engine. \endlist The Qt Declarative module consists of the engine, context, component encapsulation, and visual items. \list \li QQuickItem \li QQuickPaintedItem \li QQuickView \endlist \section2 Declarative Engine A QQmlEngine allows the configuration of global settings that apply to all of its QML component instances: for example, the QNetworkAccessManager to be used for network communications, and the file path to be used for persistent storage. QQmlComponent is used to load QML documents. Each QQmlComponent instance represents a single document. A component can be created from the URL or file path of a QML document, or the raw QML code of the document. Component instances are instatiated through the QQmlComponent::create() method, like this: \code QQmlEngine engine; QQmlComponent component(&engine, QUrl::fromLocalFile("MyRectangle.qml")); QObject *rectangleInstance = component.create(); // ... delete rectangleInstance; \endcode QML documents can also be loaded using QQuickView. This class provides a convenient QWidget-based view for embedding QML components into QGraphicsView-based applications. (For other methods of integrating QML into QWidget-based applications, see \l {Integrating QML Code with existing Qt UI code}.) \section1 Engine and Context Initialization \section2 Loading QML Components from C++ A QML document can be loaded with QQmlComponent or QQuickView. QQmlComponent loads a QML component as a C++ object; QQuickView also does this, but additionally loads the QML component directly into a QGraphicsView. It is convenient for loading a displayable QML component into a QWidget-based application. For example, suppose there is a \c MyItem.qml file that looks like this: \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/loading/MyItem.qml start \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/loading/MyItem.qml end This QML document can be loaded with QQmlComponent or QQuickView with the following C++ code. Using a QQmlComponent requires calling QQmlComponent::create() to create a new instance of the component, while a QQuickView automatically creates an instance of the component, which is accessible via QQuickView::rootObject(): \table \row \li \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/loading/main.cpp QQmlComponent-a \dots 0 \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/loading/main.cpp QQmlComponent-b \li \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/loading/main.cpp QQuickView \endtable This \c object is the instance of the \c MyItem.qml component that has been created. You can now modify the item's properties using QObject::setProperty() or QQmlProperty: \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/loading/main.cpp properties Alternatively, you can cast the object to its actual type and call functions with compile-time safety. In this case the base object of \c MyItem.qml is an \l Item, which is defined by the QQuickItem class: \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/loading/main.cpp cast You can also connect to any signals or call functions defined in the component using QMetaObject::invokeMethod() and QObject::connect(). See \l {Exchanging data between QML and C++} below for further details. \section3 Locating child objects QML components are essentially object trees with children that have siblings and their own children. Child objects of QML components can be located using the QObject::objectName property with QObject::findChild(). For example, if the root item in \c MyItem.qml had a child \l Rectangle item: \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/loading/MyItem.qml start \codeline \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/loading/MyItem.qml child \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/loading/MyItem.qml end The child could be located like this: \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/loading/main.cpp findChild If \c objectName is used inside a delegate of a ListView, \l Repeater or some other element that creates multiple instances of its delegates, there will be multiple children with the same \c objectName. In this case, QObject::findChildren() can be used to find all children with a matching \c objectName. \warning While it is possible to use C++ to access and manipulate QML objects deep into the object tree, we recommend that you do not take this approach outside of application testing and prototyping. One strength of QML and C++ integration is the ability to implement the QML user interface separately from the C++ logic and dataset backend, and this strategy breaks if the C++ side reaches deep into the QML components to manipulate them directly. This would make it difficult to, for example, swap a QML view component for another view, if the new component was missing a required \c objectName. It is better for the C++ implementation to know as little as possible about the QML user interface implementation and the composition of the QML object tree. \section2 Embedding C++ Objects into QML Components When loading a QML scene into a C++ application, it can be useful to directly embed C++ data into the QML object. QQmlContext enables this by exposing data to the context of a QML component, allowing data to be injected from C++ into QML. For example, here is a QML item that refers to a \c currentDateTime value that does not exist in the current scope: \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/context/MyItem.qml 0 This \c currentDateTime value can be set directly by the C++ application that loads the QML component, using QQmlContext::setContextProperty(): \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/context/main.cpp 0 Context properties can hold either QVariant or QObject* values. This means custom C++ objects can also be injected using this approach, and these objects can be modified and read directly in QML. Here, we modify the above example to embed a QObject instance instead of a QDateTime value, and the QML code invokes a method on the object instance: \table \row \li \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/context-advanced/applicationdata.h 0 \codeline \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/context-advanced/main.cpp 0 \li \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/context-advanced/MyItem.qml 0 \endtable (Note that date/time values returned from C++ to QML can be formatted through \l{QML:Qt::formatDateTime}{Qt.formatDateTime()} and associated functions.) If the QML item needs to receive signals from the context property, it can connect to them using the \l Connections element. For example, if \c ApplicationData has a signal named \c dataChanged(), this signal can be connected to using an \c onDataChanged handler within a \l Connections object: \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/context-advanced/connections.qml 0 Context properties can be useful for using C++ based data models in a QML view. See the \l {declarative/modelviews/stringlistmodel}{String ListModel}, \l {declarative/modelviews/objectlistmodel}{Object ListModel} and \l {declarative/modelviews/abstractitemmodel}{AbstractItemModel} models for respective examples on using QStringListModel, QObjectList-based models and QAbstractItemModel in QML views. Also see the QQmlContext documentation for more information. \section1 Invoking QML Entities through the Engine QML and C++ objects can communicate with one another through signals, slots and property modifications. For a C++ object, any data that is exposed to Qt's \l{The Meta-Object System}{Meta-Object System} that is, properties, signals, slots and Q_INVOKABLE methods - become available to QML. On the QML side, all QML object data is automatically made available to the meta-object system and can be accessed from C++. The \l{Creating QML Types} article covers the topic of exposing Qt functions and properties to the declarative engine. \section2 Calling Functions QML functions can be called from C++ and vice-versa. All QML functions are exposed to the meta-object system and can be called using QMetaObject::invokeMethod(). Here is a C++ application that uses this to call a QML function: \table \row \li \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/functions-qml/MyItem.qml 0 \li \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/functions-qml/main.cpp 0 \endtable Notice the Q_RETURN_ARG() and Q_ARG() arguments for QMetaObject::invokeMethod() must be specified as QVariant types, as this is the generic data type used for QML functions and return values. To call a C++ function from QML, the function must be either a Qt slot, or a function marked with the Q_INVOKABLE macro, to be available to QML. In the following example, the QML code invokes methods on the \c myObject object, which has been set using QQmlContext::setContextProperty(): \table \row \li \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/functions-cpp/MyItem.qml 0 \li \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/functions-cpp/myclass.h 0 \codeline \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/functions-cpp/main.cpp 0 \endtable QML supports the calling of overloaded C++ functions. If there are multiple C++ functions with the same name but different arguments, the correct function will be called according to the number and the types of arguments that are provided. \section2 Receiving Signals All QML signals are automatically available to C++, and can be connected to using QObject::connect() like any ordinary Qt C++ signal. In return, any C++ signal can be received by a QML object using \l {Signal Handlers}{signal handlers}. Here is a QML component with a signal named \c qmlSignal. This signal is connected to a C++ object's slot using QObject::connect(), so that the \c cppSlot() method is called whenever the \c qmlSignal is emitted: \table \row \li \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/signals-qml/MyItem.qml 0 \li \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/signals-qml/myclass.h 0 \codeline \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/signals-qml/main.cpp 0 \endtable To connect to Qt C++ signals from within QML, use a signal handler with the \c on syntax. If the C++ object is directly creatable from within QML (see \l {Defining new QML elements} above) then the signal handler can be defined within the object declaration. In the following example, the QML code creates a \c ImageViewer object, and the \c imageChanged and \c loadingError signals of the C++ object are connected to through \c onImagedChanged and \c onLoadingError signal handlers in QML: \table \row \li \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/signals-cpp/imageviewer.h start \dots 4 \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/signals-cpp/imageviewer.h end \li \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/signals-cpp/standalone.qml 0 \endtable (Note that if a signal has been declared as the NOTIFY signal for a property, QML allows it to be received with an \c onChanged handler even if the signal's name does not follow the \c Changed naming convention. In the above example, if the "imageChanged" signal was named "imageModified" instead, the \c onImageChanged signal handler would still be called.) If, however, the object with the signal is not created from within the QML code, and the QML item only has a reference to the created object - for example, if the object was set using QQmlContext::setContextProperty() - then the \l Connections element can be used instead to create the signal handler: \table \row \li \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/signals-cpp/main.cpp connections \li \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/signals-cpp/MyItem.qml 0 \endtable C++ signals can use enum values as parameters provided that the enum is declared in the class that is emitting the signal, and that the enum is registered using Q_ENUMS. See \l {Using enumerations of a custom type} below for details. \section2 Modifying Properties Any properties declared in a QML object are automatically accessible from C++. Given a QML item like this: \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/properties-qml/MyItem.qml 0 The value of the \c someNumber property can be set and read using QQmlProperty, or QObject::setProperty() and QObject::property(): \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/properties-qml/main.cpp 0 You should always use QObject::setProperty(), QQmlProperty or QMetaProperty::write() to change a QML property value, to ensure the QML engine is made aware of the property change. For example, say you have a custom element \c PushButton with a \c buttonText property that internally reflects the value of a \c m_buttonText member variable. Modifying the member variable directly like this is not a good idea: \badcode // BAD! QQmlComponent component(engine, "MyButton.qml"); PushButton *button = qobject_cast(component.create()); button->m_buttonText = "Click me"; \endcode Since the value is changed directly, this bypasses Qt's \l{The Meta-Object System}{meta-object system} and the QML engine is not made aware of the property change. This means property bindings to \c buttonText would not be updated, and any \c onButtonTextChanged handlers would not be called. \target properties-cpp Any \l {The Property System}{Qt properties} - that is, those declared with the Q_PROPERTY() macro - are accessible from QML. Here is a modified version of the \l {Embedding C++ objects into QML components}{earlier example} on this page; here, the \c ApplicationData class has a \c backgroundColor property. This property can be written to and read from QML: \table \row \li \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/properties-cpp/applicationdata.h 0 \li \snippet doc/src/snippets/qml/qtbinding/properties-cpp/MyItem.qml 0 \endtable Notice the \c backgroundColorChanged signal is declared as the NOTIFY signal for the \c backgroundColor property. If a Qt property does not have an associated NOTIFY signal, the property cannot be used for \l{Property Binding in QML}, as the QML engine would not be notified when the value changes. If you are using custom types in QML, make sure their properties have NOTIFY signals so that they can be used in property bindings. The \l{Creating QML Types} article covers the topic of exposing Qt properties to the runtime. For more information, the \l{Tutorial: Writing QML extensions with C++}{Writing QML extensions with C++} tutorial demonstrates basic usage patterns. \section1 Loading QML Plugins Additional Qt code is runnable in the engine as a QML plugin. The \l{QML Plugins} article covers the creation and usage patterns of QML plugins. The QQmlExtensionPlugin class is an abstract class for writing QML plugins. The \l {How to Create Qt Plugins} contains more information about Qt's plugin system. \target qml-engine-optimization \section1 Optimization Often, to develop high performance elements it is helpful to know more about the status of the QML engine. For example, it might be beneficial to delay initializing some costly data structures until after all the properties have been set. The QML engine defines an interface class called QQmlParserStatus, which contains a number of virtual methods that are invoked at various stages during component instantiation. To receive these notifications, an element implementation inherits QQmlParserStatus and notifies the Qt meta system using the Q_INTERFACES() macro. \code class Example : public QObject, public QQmlParserStatus { Q_OBJECT Q_INTERFACES(QQmlParserStatus) public: virtual void componentComplete() { qDebug() << "Woohoo! Now to do my costly initialization"; } }; \endcode \section1 Memory Management and QVariant types It is a component's responsibility to ensure that it does not access or return pointers to invalid objects. QML makes the following guarentees: \list \li An object assigned to a QObject (or QObject-derived) pointer property will be valid at the time of assignment. Following assignment, it is the responsibility of the class to subsequently guard this pointer, either through a class specific method or the generic QPointer class. \li An object assigned to a QVariant will be valid at the time of assignment. When assigning an object to a QVariant property, QML will always use a QMetaType::QObjectStar typed QVariant. It is the responsibility of the class to guard the pointer. A general rule when writing a class that uses QVariant properties is to check the type of the QVariant when it is set and if the type is not handled by your class, reset it to an invalid variant. \li An object assigned to a QObject (or QObject-derived) list property will be valid at the time of assignment. Following assignment, it is the responsibility of the class to subsequently guard this pointer, either through a class specific method or the generic QPointer class. \endlist Components should assume that any QML assigned object can be deleted at any time, and respond accordingly. If documented as such an element need not continue to work in this situation, but it must not crash. \section1 JavaScript Runtime The runtime implements the \l{ECMA-262}{ECMAScript Language Specification} standard. The reserved words, conditionals, variables, and object behaviors follow after the standard. The \l{JavaScript Code} article has information about placing JavaScript code within QML code. */