pyqt

#pyqt
Table of Contents
About 1

Chapter 1: Getting started with pyqt 2

Remarks 2

Examples 2

Installation of PyQt4 2

A basic application 3

Hello world 3

A Simple Drag & Drop Sample 4

Chapter 2: Using threads with PyQt 8

Remarks 8

Examples 8

The worker model 8

Credits 10
About
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Chapter 1: Getting started with pyqt
Remarks
PyQt is a Python binding to the popular cross-platform Qt application framework commonly used
to make graphical applications. PyQt4 supports Qt4 and PyQt5 supports Qt5. It runs on all
platforms supported by Qt (Windows, OS X, Linux, iOS and Android). The bindings are
implemented as a set of Python modules and classes.

For more information see the PyQt website.

Examples
Installation of PyQt4

Suggested Install Method

Windows: Download and run the binary setup file.

Linux(Debian): Run this command in your command line:

$ apt-get install python-qt4 pyqt4-dev-tools qt4-designer

OS X : Run this command in your command line:

$ brew install pyqt

Install Manually

You can also download the source code manually from here and then install and configure it
yourself.

Test your installation

If pyqt is installed correctly, you will be able to run the pyuic4 command. If it is installed correctly,
you will see the following error:

$ pyuic4
Error: one input ui-file must be specified

Installation Complete

You have now installed the PyQt4 library. Two useful applications have also been installed along
side PyQt4:

• Qt Designer: An application for 'drag & drop' design of graphical interfaces (creates .ui files),

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 • pyuic4: A command line application that can convert .ui files into Python code.

A basic application

The following example shows a basic main GUI window with a label widget, a toolbar, and a status
bar using PyQt4.

import sys
from PyQt4 import QtGui

class App(QtGui.QApplication):
def __init__(self, sys_argv):
super(App, self).__init__(sys_argv)
self.build_ui()

def build_ui(self):
# build a main GUI window
self.main_window = QtGui.QMainWindow()
self.main_window.setWindowTitle('App')
self.main_window.show()

# add a label to the main window

label = QtGui.QLabel('Label')
self.main_window.setCentralWidget(label)

# add a toolbar with an action button to the main window

action = QtGui.QAction('Toolbar action', self)
toolbar = QtGui.QToolBar()
toolbar.addAction(action)
self.main_window.addToolBar(toolbar)

# add a status bar to the main window

status_bar = QtGui.QStatusBar()
status_bar.showMessage('Status bar')
self.main_window.setStatusBar(status_bar)

if __name__ == '__main__':
app = App(sys.argv)
sys.exit(app.exec_())

Hello world

This basic code will launch a "Hello world" GUI window using PyQt4:

import sys

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 from PyQt4 import QtGui

# create instance of QApplication

app = QtGui.QApplication(sys.argv)

# create QLabel, without parent it will be shown as window

label = QtGui.QLabel('Hello world!')
label.show()

# start the execution loop of the application

sys.exit(app.exec_())

This is the same code using PyQt5.

import sys
from PyQt5 import QtWidgets

# create instance of QApplication

app = QtWidgets.QApplication(sys.argv)

# create QLabel, without parent it will be shown as window

label = QtWidgets.QLabel('Hello world!')
label.show()

# start the execution loop of the application

sys.exit(app.exec_())

A Simple Drag & Drop Sample

Make a simple GUI application in 3 easy steps.

1. Design

Open Qt Creator, create a new project and make your design. Save your result as .ui file (here:
mainwindow.ui).

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2. Generate corresponding .py file

Now you can create a .py file from your .ui file that you generated in the previous step. Enter the
following into your command line:

$ pyuic4 mainwindow.ui -o GUI.py

If the above line is run successfully a GUI.py file is created.

3. Python codes

You can add your own code (e.g. signals and slots) in the GUI.py file but it's better to add them in a

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new file. If you ever want to make changes to your GUI, the GUI.py file will be overwritten. That's
why using another file to add functionality is better in most cases.

Let's call the new file main.py.

from PyQt4 import QtGui

import sys
import GUI # Your generated .py file

class MyApp(QtGui.QMainWindow, GUI.Ui_MainWindow):

def __init__(self, parent=None):
super(ExampleApp, self).__init__(parent)
self.setupUi(self)

# Connect a button to a function

self.btn_run.clicked.connect(self.run)

def run(self):
# Write here what happens after the button press
print("run")

if __name__ == '__main__':
app = QtGui.QApplication(sys.argv)
form = ExampleApp()
form.show()
app.exec_()

Now you can run main.py and see your GUI.

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Read Getting started with pyqt online: https://riptutorial.com/pyqt/topic/1715/getting-started-with-
pyqt

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Chapter 2: Using threads with PyQt
Remarks
While some parts of the Qt framework are thread safe, much of it is not. The Qt C++
documentation provides a good overview of which classes are reentrant (can be used to
instantiate objects in multiple threads). The following rules are the most widely sought:

• You cannot create or access a Qt GUI object from outside the main thread (e.g. anything
that subclasses QWidget or similar).
• Even if the Qt class is reentrant, you cannot share access to a Qt object between threads
unless the Qt documentation for that class explicitly states that instances are thread safe.
• You can use QObject.moveToThread() if you need to move a Qt object from one thread to
another (does not apply to Qt GUI objects which must always remain in the main thread). But
note that the object must not have a parent.

As per this Stack Overflow QA, it is not recommended to use Python threads if your thread intends
to interact with PyQt in any way (even if that part of the Qt framework is thread safe).

Examples
The worker model

# this method can be anything and anywhere as long as it is accessible for connection
@pyqtSlot()
def run_on_complete():

pass

# An object containing methods you want to run in a thread

class Worker(QObject):
complete = pyqtSignal()

@pyqtSlot()
def a_method_to_run_in_the_thread(self):
# your code

# Emit the complete signal

self.complete.emit()

# instantiate a QThread
thread = QThread()
# Instantiate the worker object
worker = Worker()
# Relocate the Worker object to the thread
worker.moveToThread(thread)
# Connect the 'started' signal of the QThread to the method you wish to run
thread.started.connect(worker.a_method_to_run_in_the_thread)
# connect to the 'complete' signal which the code in the Worker object emits at the end of the
method you are running
worker.complete.connect(run_on_complete)

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 # start the thread (Which will emit the 'started' signal you have previously connected to)
thread.start()

Read Using threads with PyQt online: https://riptutorial.com/pyqt/topic/2775/using-threads-with-

pyqt

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Credits
S.
Chapters Contributors
No

Getting started with 101, Achayan, Community, Ian, Makoto, mehD,

1
pyqt three_pineapples, Trilarion

Using threads with

2 ederag, ekhumoro, three_pineapples
PyQt

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