QLayout Class

See also QLayoutItem, Layout Management, Basic Layouts Example, Border Layout Example, Flow Layout Example

The possible values are:

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This property holds the resize mode of the layout

The default mode is SetDefaultConstraint.

Access functions:

• sizeConstraint() const

• void setSizeConstraint(QLayout::SizeConstraint)

This property holds the spacing between widgets inside the layout

If no value is explicitly set, the layout's spacing is inherited from the parent layout, or from the style settings for the parent widget.

For QGridLayout and QFormLayout, it is possible to set different horizontal and vertical spacings using setHorizontalSpacing() and setVerticalSpacing(). In that case, spacing() returns -1.

Access functions:

• virtual int spacing() const

• virtual void setSpacing(int)

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Constructs a new top-level QLayout, with parent parent.

The layout is set directly as the top-level layout for parent. There can be only one top-level layout for a widget. It is returned by QWidget::layout().

If parent is nullptr, then you must insert this layout into another layout, or set it as a widget's layout using QWidget::setLayout().

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Redoes the layout for parentWidget() if necessary.

You should generally not need to call this because it is automatically called at the most appropriate times. It returns true if the layout was redone.

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This function is called from addLayout() or insertLayout() functions in subclasses to add layout childLayout as a sub-layout.

The only scenario in which you need to call it directly is if you implement a custom layout that supports nested layouts.

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This function is called from addWidget() functions in subclasses to add w as a managed widget of a layout.

If w is already managed by a layout, this function will produce a warning, and remove w from that layout. This function must therefore be called before adding w to the layout's data structure.

Implemented in subclasses to add an item. How it is added is specific to each subclass.

This function is not usually called in application code. To add a widget to a layout, use the addWidget() function; to add a child layout, use the addLayout() function provided by the relevant QLayout subclass.

Note: The ownership of item is transferred to the layout, and it's the layout's responsibility to delete it.

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Adds widget w to this layout in a manner specific to the layout. This function uses addItem().

Returns the rectangle that should be covered when the geometry of this layout is set to r, provided that this layout supports setAlignment().

The result is derived from sizeHint() and expanding(). It is never larger than r.

Reimplements: QObject::childEvent(QChildEvent *event).

Returns a size that satisfies all size constraints on widget, including heightForWidth() and that is as close as possible to size.

Returns the margins used around the layout.

By default, QLayout uses the values provided by the style. On most platforms, the margin is 11 pixels in all directions.

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Returns the layout's geometry() rectangle, but taking into account the contents margins.

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Reimplements: QLayoutItem::controlTypes() const.

Must be implemented in subclasses to return the number of items in the layout.

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Reimplements: QLayoutItem::expandingDirections() const.

Returns whether this layout can make use of more space than sizeHint(). A value of Qt::Vertical or Qt::Horizontal means that it wants to grow in only one dimension, whereas Qt::Vertical | Qt::Horizontal means that it wants to grow in both dimensions.

The default implementation returns Qt::Horizontal | Qt::Vertical. Subclasses reimplement it to return a meaningful value based on their child widgets's size policies.

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Reimplements: QLayoutItem::geometry() const.

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For each of left, top, right and bottom that is not nullptr, stores the size of the margin named in the location the pointer refers to.

By default, QLayout uses the values provided by the style. On most platforms, the margin is 11 pixels in all directions.

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Searches for widget widget in this layout (not including child layouts).

Returns the index of widget, or -1 if widget is not found.

The default implementation iterates over all items using itemAt().

Searches for layout item layoutItem in this layout (not including child layouts).

Returns the index of layoutItem, or -1 if layoutItem is not found.

This function was introduced in Qt 5.12.

Reimplements: QLayoutItem::invalidate().

Reimplements: QLayoutItem::isEmpty() const.

Returns true if the layout is enabled; otherwise returns false.

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Must be implemented in subclasses to return the layout item at index. If there is no such item, the function must return nullptr. Items are numbered consecutively from 0. If an item is deleted, other items will be renumbered.

This function can be used to iterate over a layout. The following code will draw a rectangle for each layout item in the layout structure of the widget.

static void paintLayout(QPainter *painter, QLayoutItem *item)
{
    QLayout *layout = item->layout();
    if (layout) {
        for (int i = 0; i < layout->count(); ++i)
            paintLayout(painter, layout->itemAt(i));
    }
    painter->drawRect(item->geometry());
}

void MyWidget::paintEvent(QPaintEvent *)
{
    QPainter painter(this);
    if (layout())
        paintLayout(&painter, layout());
}

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Reimplements: QLayoutItem::layout().

Reimplements: QLayoutItem::maximumSize() const.

Returns the maximum size of this layout. This is the largest size that the layout can have while still respecting the specifications.

The returned value doesn't include the space required by QWidget::setContentsMargins() or menuBar().

The default implementation allows unlimited resizing.

Returns the menu bar set for this layout, or nullptr if no menu bar is set.

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Reimplements: QLayoutItem::minimumSize() const.

Returns the minimum size of this layout. This is the smallest size that the layout can have while still respecting the specifications.

The returned value doesn't include the space required by QWidget::setContentsMargins() or menuBar().

The default implementation allows unlimited resizing.

Returns the parent widget of this layout, or nullptr if this layout is not installed on any widget.

If the layout is a sub-layout, this function returns the parent widget of the parent layout.

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Removes the layout item item from the layout. It is the caller's responsibility to delete the item.

Notice that item can be a layout (since QLayout inherits QLayoutItem).

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Removes the widget widget from the layout. After this call, it is the caller's responsibility to give the widget a reasonable geometry or to put the widget back into a layout or to explicitly hide it if necessary.

Note: The ownership of widget remains the same as when it was added.

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Searches for widget from and replaces it with widget to if found. Returns the layout item that contains the widget from on success. Otherwise nullptr is returned. If options contains Qt::FindChildrenRecursively (the default), sub-layouts are searched for doing the replacement. Any other flag in options is ignored.

Notice that the returned item therefore might not belong to this layout, but to a sub-layout.

The returned layout item is no longer owned by the layout and should be either deleted or inserted to another layout. The widget from is no longer managed by the layout and may need to be deleted or hidden. The parent of widget from is left unchanged.

This function works for the built-in Qt layouts, but might not work for custom layouts.

This function was introduced in Qt 5.2.

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Sets the alignment for widget w to alignment and returns true if w is found in this layout (not including child layouts); otherwise returns false.

This is an overloaded function.

Sets the alignment for the layout l to alignment and returns true if l is found in this layout (not including child layouts); otherwise returns false.

Sets the left, top, right, and bottom margins to use around the layout.

By default, QLayout uses the values provided by the style. On most platforms, the margin is 11 pixels in all directions.

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Sets the margins to use around the layout.

By default, QLayout uses the values provided by the style. On most platforms, the margin is 11 pixels in all directions.

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Enables this layout if enable is true, otherwise disables it.

An enabled layout adjusts dynamically to changes; a disabled layout acts as if it did not exist.

By default all layouts are enabled.

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Reimplements: QLayoutItem::setGeometry(const QRect &r).

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Tells the geometry manager to place the menu bar widget at the top of parentWidget(), outside QWidget::contentsMargins(). All child widgets are placed below the bottom edge of the menu bar.

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Must be implemented in subclasses to remove the layout item at index from the layout, and return the item. If there is no such item, the function must do nothing and return 0. Items are numbered consecutively from 0. If an item is removed, other items will be renumbered.

The following code fragment shows a safe way to remove all items from a layout:

QLayoutItem *child;
while ((child = layout->takeAt(0)) != nullptr) {
    ...
    delete child->widget(); // delete the widget
    delete child;   // delete the layout item
}

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Unsets any user-defined margins around the layout. The layout will use the default values provided by the style.

This function was introduced in Qt 6.1.

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Updates the layout for parentWidget().

You should generally not need to call this because it is automatically called at the most appropriate times.

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