Getting Started with Qt Designer

The User Interface

When used as a standalone application, Qt Designer's user interface can be configured to provide either a multi-window user interface (the default mode), or it can be used in workbench mode. When used from within an integrated development environment (IDE) only the multi-window user interface is available.

In multi-window mode, you can arrange each of the tool panels to suit your working style. The main window consists of a menu bar, a tool bar, and a toolbox (the widget box) that contains the widgets you can use to create your user interface.

Qt Designer's main window The menu bar provides all the standard actions for managing forms, using the clipboard, and accessing application-specific help. The current editing mode, the tool panels, and the forms in use can also be accessed via the menu bar. The tool bar displays common actions that are used when editing a form. These are also available via the main menu. The toolbox provides common widgets and layouts that are used to design components. These are grouped into categories that reflect their uses or features.

Most features of Qt Designer are accessible via the menu bar, the tool bar, or the toolbox. Some features are also available through context menus that can opened over the form windows. On most platforms, the right mouse button is used to open context menus.

Qt Designer's widget box The widget box provides a selection of standard Qt widgets, layouts, and other objects that can be used to create user interfaces on forms. Each of the categories in the toolbox contains widgets that have similar uses, or that provide related features. You can display all of the available objects in a category by clicking on the "+" handle next to the category label. When in Form Editing Mode, you can add objects to a form by dragging the appropriate items from the widget box onto the form, and dropping them in the required locations.

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