Thread: Windows Python and Qt in 30 mins
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mikec is offline mikec
2010-02-07 , 16:25
Posts: 1,366 | Thanked: 1,185 times | Joined on Jan 2006
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Qt Designer/Python for Windows XP in 30 Mins

This is guide for noobs who would like to get started in Qt development using Python on Windows XP. For Linux users I have created a separate thread Link

The great news about using Python is there is no need to install the Maemo SDK. Python runs on
Windows,MAC and Linux as is, and its just a matter of copying your Python Scripts to your N900 and run.

1. Install the Tools
  • Get Python 2.6 from Python.org Here. This will install the Python interpretor and associated tools. Access from your start menu



  • Get the Binary Packages for PyQt from Riverbank computing Here. Select the Python 2.6 version which is the latest version compatible with Python on the N900. This will install a number of tools, but in particular the ones we are interested in for this Tutorial.
  • PyQt 4.7 The Python Qt bindings (note 4.7 is not the Qt Release version).
  • Qt4 Designer , the GUI editor and layout manager for Qt GUIs.
  • PyUIC4 , Converts your Qt Designer files to PyQt.
When you have this package installed you will have an entry in your start menu like this



Lets do a quick hello world that uses the above tools and links it all together.

2. Create UI with Qt Designer

On Your Desktop machine
  • Qt Designer from your start Menu.
  • Create a Main Window Form ,set its size to 800x400
  • Add a Label Widget, set the font to a 24 point, resize as needed.
  • Double click on the Label Widget to change its name to ìHello World !î
    Use Control R to see how it will look.
  • Add buttons text and other widgets as you want by drag and drop from the widget menu.
  • Now save your form. File->Save As → ìhelloworld.uiî



3.Generate your Python code.

Open a command window from your start menu->accessories (also winkey+r type cmd) and cd into the directory where you stored the ui file, and type in the following.

Code:
pyuic4 -x helloworld.ui -o helloworld.py
the -x generates additional code to allow you to test the ui element the -o tells it where to store the python "executable".

You now have a full python Qt4 GUI application ready to rock!!

Just double Click your helloworld.py file in the file manager and presto you have your first PyQt app up and running.

4. Deploy to your N900

Make sure you have installed Python and PyQt on your n900. Easiest way of doing this is to install the PyQt documentation package from the installation manager. This will pull in all the dependancies that you will need. Don't forget you will need to enable exrtras development repository.


To get Full file system access follow guide Here.
( this method uses WinSCP to do a secure copy to N900)

After setting up your N900 and Windows run WinSCp and enter your ip address and root login details.

To query your N900's ip adrress run in terminal:
Code:
$ sudo gainroot
  #  ifconfig | grep inet
You will get a GUI to SCP like this. make sure that you drop files to the /opt directory on your N900




Now you can just drag and drop files from your desktop to your N900.

!! dont forget to copy your python files to /opt on N900. If you copy to Mydocs directory you will not be able to change the permissions to Linux execute permissions as Mydocs is a FAT file system, it does not understand permissions.
Copy your helloworld.py file to your N900 /home/opt directory

Once your helloworld.py file is on your opt directory on your n900 you can execute like this from the Xterm. Like this (run as user)

Code:
$ python helloworld.py



If your helloworld does not have the look and feel of Fremantle make sure that you have installed latest PyQt from the application manager (Thanks Atilla)


5. Connecting UI to your Application

OK now that you have done your first prog, you will want to create an app that actually does something with the UI. Jump to Fatalsaints post in this thread for your next tutorial

http://talk.maemo.org/showpost.php?p...8&postcount=59



6.Integrating into a Main Program

The above technique will allow you to prototype quickly and let you play with the QT Designer.

However you should not edit the python file generated by pyuic4.

To build a real application you want to create a Main.py programme that has your gui generated file included.

First generate the file without the -x option in windows command window.

Code:
pyuic4 helloworld.ui -o helloworld.py
Now we create a Main.py program that calls the generated file.

Sample Main.py (may not work depending what you called your form)
Code:
==============Main.py============================= =====
#!/usr/bin/env python
import sys

#Now we include our helloworld.py generated from pyuic4.
from helloworld import *

# We instantiate a QApplication passing the arguments of the script to it:
app = QtGui.QApplication(sys.argv)
MainWindow = QtGui.QMainWindow()
ui = Ui_MainWindow()
ui.setupUi(MainWindow)

MainWindow.show()

# Now we can start it.
sys.exit(app.exec_())

===================================================
Now just run the main.py from your n900
python main.py.


Customize your GUI
If you want to take your Qt design skills a bit further, then see my second 30mins installment on customizing Qt look and feel and Python

http://wiki.maemo.org/Customising_Qt...hon_in_30_Mins


PyQt Versions
The latest PyQt 4.7 has now been released for N900 and will only work with Qt4.5 which is standard on firmware PR1.1.1
Qt4.6 will be supported when firmware PR1.2 is released


http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=42754

Using PySide

Pyside is not quit ready for Windows yet


Bringing it all together into a Graphical IDE

Now you have got your helloworld working its time to dive into a full blown IDE(Integrated development environment) (Wiki) and do a serious example.

First we need to install an IDE that will pull all of our tools together. Eric4 works really well with Qt Designer. Install from here

http://eric-ide.python-projects.org/

Using eric4 build your own browser in an Hour!!
Heres the tutorial

http://eric-ide.python-projects.org/...ser/index.html


Additional Resources

some other tutorials I found helpful

http://www.rkblog.rk.edu.pl/w/p/introduction-pyqt4/

http://lateral.netmanagers.com.ar/stories/BBS47.html

And the Qt4 Design manual
http://doc.trolltech.com/4.0/designe...component.html

The Maemo Python Wiki Pages


http://wiki.maemo.org/PyMaemo

Package your application to go into the repositories

https://wiki.maemo.org/Py2deb
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Last edited by mikec; 2011-02-20 at 12:28. Reason: Reformat and Tidy
 

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