how build the qt project itself using qtcreator - qt

Update:
Because this was partly to have a project to code-browse the whole of qt, here is a much better way to do this: Code Browser by Woboq for C & C++
This even lets you browse into the includes outside the project like the system includes or the standard library.
Old Post:
My question is about Qt project in git://code.qt.io/qt/qt5.git repository. I checked out version 5.12.
My assumption is that qtcreator knows the qmake file but nothing about the configure command. Hence
I used the configure command to prepare the build in a shadow build directory
In QTCreator I opened qt.pro located in the git workspace
QTCreator opens the build settings dialog and I import them from the shadow build directory
Finally I click build in QTCreator.
But the compile window stalls when asking me for input. Qmake asks me about the licence type I want to choose. I had answered that already in the configure phase and even if I would agree to answer the question again, there is no prompt function in qtcreator's compile output window. Where did I go wrong?
If I forget about QTCreator and call make in the shadow build directory, then everything is build fine and without any licensing questions. When I then import the shadow build directory into a QTCreator, then I can build in QTCreator. But then I clicked Run qmake out of curiosity and I was back to square one, i.e. compile window asks me for input again and stops there forever.
Apart from my specific question I found no general documentation about building the qt libraries using QTCreator. I only find descriptions about compiling projects that use the Qt library.

Qt is not really meant to be compiled from within an IDE. However, this does not mean it's impossible to do. There are two ways to archive this:
First approach: Add the developer build as custom kit:
Run the configure script (and add the -developer-build option)
Open QtCreator and go to "Tools > Options > Kits"
Go to "Qt Versions" add press "Add" - select the qmake executable generated by the configure script. Then hit "Apply"
Go to "Kits" and press "Add" - Make shure to select the correct compilers and debugger and select the previously create "Qt Version". Press "Ok"
Open the top level .pro file in QtCreator and choose the previously created Kit. QtCreator will now use the correct qmake executable
This is the "proper" way to go. You can now use the project as any normal project, including changes to pro-files. Also, QtCreator now correctly detects the build directory, so you won't have to change that, even when opening one of the modules.
Second approach: Use as a normal project without qmake:
Run the configure script (and add the -developer-build option)
Run make qmake_all in the same terminal to let Qt prepare all makefiles, create headers etc.
Open the top level .pro file in QtCreator. You can choose any kit.
Go to Project > Your Kit > Build and disable the "qmake" step (the first of the default 2 steps)
Change the "build directory" to be wherever you built Qt - either a shadow build or the source directory
Hit Build and QtCreator will invoke make only, archieving the same behaviour as running make from the console.
This is kind of a workaround and I would not recommend using it for a full Qt build, unless the first approach does not work for you for whatever reason.
This can also be useful if you only want to make changes to a single Qt module, without compiling the whole Qt framework, i.e. you can clone one of the submodules and use your "existing" qmake on it instead of compiling QtBase (in that case, you skip step 4)
Final notice: When I tried opening the whole Qt-Project, QtCreator crashed on my system because the project was to big to handle. I would recommend you to only open one of the modules within the super repostitory, i.e. "qtbase", "qtdeclarative", etc.

Related

How to use qt creator for non qt, non cmake project?

I want to use qt creator for modifying a project that just uses makefiles. How i can do it? Right now i can just open project files one by one and there is no auto code completion or other advantages of ide. My main concern is use the ide over ssh actually.
I tried open all folder but it didnt work too.
You can use Qt Creator for non-Qt projects, but it will always assume you want to use qmake, CMake, or QBS as your build system. It's not going to read your plain Makefiles and recognize what source files you are using.
In the New Project wizard, you can select non-Qt application. I recommend selecting qmake as your build system, which will create a .pro file, even if you won't end up using it. Then after it creates the project, go into your Project settings under Build Steps. You can delete the built-in steps and add your own custom build steps to do whatever you want. Call make or whatever. Do the same for the Clean Steps.

Qt Creator won't open CMake C++ Project in OSX

I'm trying to work on an open-source project in Qt Creator on OSX. When I open the CMakeLists.txt like other CMake projects in Qt Creator it doesn't open the project. No folders, source files, not even the CMakeList.txt shows up in Qt Creator, just a completely blank project.
What could cause a project to do this?
Edit: the project opens properly in Ubuntu. It shows the CMakeLists.txt, source files, and everything. It even builds properly when I CMake in the command line on OSX. Qt Creator in OSX just does not open this project properly.
Eit 2: My build settings are completely empty too. There are no General Messages or messages of any kind.
Open your Preferences (Cmd+, on Mac) and go to the Build & Run and then CMake tab, do you see any CMake version listed there? For me, I have to add a manual entry because it doesn't automatically find my CMake. My manual entry is set to /Applications/CMake.app/Contents/bin/cmake so compare that with what you have in your settings.
Then restart Qt Creator and reopen your project. Go to Build & Run again and make sure the Kit you have selected for your project has a CMake Tool set (should be automatic if you have just the one CMake entry listed on the CMake tab).
Background Information
It looks like you are using Qt Creator 4.0. With that version, they changed a number of things related to how CMake projects are handled. When you first open a project, it won't create the build directory if it doesn't exist. Instead, it will run CMake in a temporary directory. This would be shown in the General Messages output pane if you had it open. Once you manually create the output directory as it appears in your project's Build Settings, Qt Creator will switch to running CMake in there instead. There's no indication this is happening apart from what is logged in the General Messages output pane, even if there's a problem with your CMakeLists.txt.
In your case, if there's genuinely nothing appearing in your General Messages output pane and CMake is working fine from the command line, that suggests something may be wrong with your Qt Creator settings.

QtCreator Build doesn't update UI changes in design form

My Qt project uses shadow build.
When I change in MainWindow form ( .ui file), I build the project but my program doesn't update GUI.
If I rebuild all, GUI will be updated. But rebuild is very very slow.
I try creating a new project (an empty QMainWindow with some labels), I modify some texts. I build and GUI is updated.
How can I use shadow build correctly, without a rebuild of all my project?
The same issue occurs if the *.ui file name is changed.
For example, Changing yourUi.ui to myUi.ui.
If that is the scenario, then the ui_*.h should also be changed, that is, yourUi.ui to ui_myUi.h.
close Qt creator, go to your project directory and delete the .pro.user file, open the project again and this time Qt creator will ask you to configure your project by choosing the kit you use to build your project. Select the appropriate kit and press the "configure project" button. Apply your shadow build. I hope it will work.
Have you tried to just run qmake (Build -> Run qmake) ?
Edit
As suggested by a comment, I copied the comment to preserve it.
It seems that QtCreator correctly rebuild the .h file of the ui in the shadow build directory, and then include the ones in the source directory, which is not regenerated. I don't know if this is a bug or an intended behaviour, but a quick workaround can be to build the project in the shadow build directory, copy the generated .h files back in the source directory and rebuild again. This work with my simple project, don't know if can be workable also for bigger and more complex project. Or do not use shadow builds

How to tell QT creator to parse .pro file when I build after changing it?

I'm using qt 5.3 under windows 7. Every time I edit the .pro file I need to clean up Makefile file under output/building folder to make it re-parse the changed pro file. I want it automatically detect the change when I hit build or run.
Is there some config I miss-set?
Three ways to re-parse the .pro file:
Right-click the project name in the Project pane (the topmost item) and select Run qmake
Click the Build/Run qmake menu option
Edit the .pro file, press Ctrl-S, and let Qt Creator automatically reparse it
It sounds like the third option is what you want and it's not working for you. It has traditionally been flakey and I never rely on it -- I use the first technique, right-clicking the Project and choosing Run qmake.

Qt - 'Shadow Building'?

I have a simple question - what is Shadow Building? I've seen it in Qt in Target Setup dialog, but don't know what it does or if I should use it.
It's also present in Projects tab, under General group.
Shadow building is a technique used to build different Qt builds of the same version for different platforms/compilers/etc. Your compiled build is in a different directory, separate from the original Qt source directory.
I've created a shadow build for my MSVS2010 compiler. If I wanted to, I could create a new build for MinGW in a different build directory.
See the definition here, and more information about configuring your build here.
Additional information for Mateen's answer.
By default, Qt Creator builds projects in a separate directory from the source directory, as shadow builds. This keeps the files generated for each build and run kit separate. If you only build and run with a single kit, you can deselect the Shadow build checkbox.
https://doc.qt.io/qtcreator/creator-build-settings.html#qmake-build-configuration

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