QtCreator 1.3.1

[GreyGeek]

Prior to the upgrade from KDE 4.3.5 to 4.4 the repository held only QtCreator 1.2.1. I needed to install QtCreator 1.3.1 so I could test a problem the developer who replaced me where I used to work was having. I downloaded the Qt SDK from the Nokia website. It contained QtCreator 1.3.1.

QtCreator 1.3.1 is an absolutely AWESOME gui rad tool. I had used MS Visual Studio 2003 C++ for the five years preceding my retirement. Ver 1.3.1 blows MSVS out of the water. It also blows the 2005 and 2008 MS Visual C++ Express editions out of the water, too.

I was very pleased to see that with the KDE 4.4 upgrade came the 1.3.1 version of QtCreator. I was even more pleased to see a LARGE number of examples and tutorials integrated with the tool itself. A classic example of a learning application is the "Address Book". I have included a jpg to show what is presented when one opens that tutorial. There are well over 100 such examples, with code, ui's and line by line explanations. The examples cover most areas that applications are usually applied to.

My only wish is that this tool could have been available before I retired.

[blobfish]

Re: QtCreator 1.3.1

I think QtCreator is one of the best things for Qt and linux. I bet a lot of windows developers will find QtCreator a very comfortable environment to work in and once they start working with Qt they won't want to look at another microsoft api. I will have to checkout the new version.

[Paolo_R]

Re: QtCreator 1.3.1

GreyGeek: I am a fan of QT also - I have it installed on a Windows pc, with Qt Creator 1.3.1, Qt designer and its associated tools to link in with MinGW.

I am new to Kubuntu. If I want the equivalent set up (amd64 version) which packages do I need to install?

[GreyGeek]

Re: QtCreator 1.3.1

QtCreator 1.3.1 is in the repository. Install it along with gcc 4.4 and gdb, the debugger (if they are not already installed). When you install QtCreator (or QtQuick) it automatically pulls in Qt4-Designer, Qt4-Linguist and Qt4-Assistant. The Assistant, has plenty of examples with source code and line by line explanations of the source code.

Then, install just about everything that has "qt4" as a prefix, suffiix or part of its name.

Also, my personal favorite for a vcs is Bazaar (bzr), and Bazaar Explorer (bzr-explorer). A Qt gui is available (qbzr). The doc is bzr-doc. There is a 5 minute tutorial here.

If you need a database backend allow me to suggest PostgreSQL 8.4 & pgAdmin3.

[Paolo_R]

Re: QtCreator 1.3.1

GreyGreek: thanks - I guess you've given me all the info I need to set up a pretty damn good development environment plus database platform. I've never used PostgreSQL - I presume there is full documentation with it. If not, could you point me towards a tutorial?

I assume, from its name, pgAdmin3 is a (GUI) front end database admin tool.

Thanks again.

[GreyGeek]

Re: QtCreator 1.3.1

Glad to help, and your assumption is correct!

Be sure you've added the following programs:
libpq5
libqt4-sql-psql
odbc-postgresql
pgagent
postgresql-8.4
postgresql-client-8.4
postgresql-client-common
postgresql-common
postgresql-doc-8.4
postgresql-filedump-8.4
postgresql-plperl-8.4
postgresql-plpython-8.4

PostgreSQL's doc file is very complete! Annotated online docs are here.

PostgreSQL comes with two templates, template0 and template1. Template0 is a "backup" for template1. If all of your databases are going to have the same set of stock tools, languages, tables, users, indexes, or whatever, then you want to add them to template1 and then use template1 to create your working databases. If you mess up template1 restore it with template0.

First, after you install PostgreSQL reset the password for the ‘postgres’ admin account for the server (your box, unless you are putting PostgreSQL on a remote sever and connection through TCP/IP):

sudo su postgres -c psql template1 (psql is the postgresql console admin program)
template1=# ALTER USER postgres WITH PASSWORD ‘password’; (replace password with your own choice, which will be used again below)
template1=# \q ("\q" quits psql and returns to the bash prompt)

That alters the password for within the database, now we need to do the same for the Linux user ‘postgres’: (postgres does not have a "/home/postgres" directory. Its home is

jerry@vgnfw140e:~$ sudo su postgres
[sudo] password for jerry:
postgres@vgnfw140e:/home/jerry$ cd ~
postgres@vgnfw140e:~$ pwd
/var/lib/postgresql
postgres@vgnfw140e:~$

sudo passwd -d postgres

sudo su postgres -c passwd

Now enter the same password that you used previously.

The only "person" that has access to PostgreSQL now is postgres, and you know its password... you just set it. Now, you can either use psql as postgres to add yourself as a superuser, or you can log into pgAdmin3 as postgres and then add yourself with the same rights as postgres.

From here on in you can use both pgAdmin and command-line access (as the postgres user) to run the database server. The SQL language in PostgreSQL 8.4 is at least 90% compatible with Oracle's, in my experience, but there are variances in various places. I used compiler defines to detect and switch between PostgreSQL specific commands and Oracle specific commands. I usually ran against PostgreSQL on Linux to develop and test, and compiled on XP against Oracle to create the deployment executable. Here is documentation on PostgreSQL's PL/pgSQL: http://www.postgresql.org/docs/curre...c/plpgsql.html IF it doesn't appear that PL/pgSQL isn't activated in your installation then you can sudo su postgres and issue "createlang plpgsql template1" before you create any of your db's. Othewise, you can "createlang plpgsql yourdbname".

There are several tools which allow you to design databases rapidly in PostgreSQL. One is Druid. I love it because you document while you design and it generates beautiful documentation and graphics of your db design with just a few mouse clicks. It also generates script which you can use in pgAdmin's sql editor to create your database in PostgreSQL. You can import existing databases or create scripts for new ones. You can get the java jar install file from here. Another graphical db tool is "Tora", which is in the repository, but I haven't used it. It seems OK, but not as easy to use as pgAdmin3. But, you might like it.


What really nice is to use for version control is Bazaar. It is in the repository, along with Bazaar Explorer and qbzr. A small tutorial, "Bazaar in five minutes" is here. It is in the repository, along with Bazaar Explorer and qbzr. With Bazaar Explorer version control is a snap. (Even in a console!). You can version your entire tool set and working code, and roll back to any tag or version at any time, branch, merge, etc...

[Paolo_R]

Re: QtCreator 1.3.1

GreyGeek; many thanks once again. I think I need to take a deep breath and do my installs in bite-sized chunks. But thanks for all the info.

[Paolo_R]

Re: QtCreator 1.3.1

I can't see QtCreator in the repository. There is QtDesigner or QtDevelopment Tools.

What package name is QtCreator?

[GreyGeek]

Re: QtCreator 1.3.1

qtcreator

[Paolo_R]

Re: QtCreator 1.3.1

GreyGeek: I must have been blind or dyslexic or both ( ) 'cos I just could not see it in the list of packages. Anyway searching for 'qtcreator' showed it and it's now installed. Thanks.

[GreyGeek]

Re: QtCreator 1.3.1

I am somewhat plagued by that second problem you mentioned and I couldn't find it at first, either!

Glad you got it installed. It is easily as powerful as MS Visual C++ 6.0 (which I used at work), and very fast.

[sithlord48]

Re: QtCreator 1.3.1

i can't say i ever really got in to VC++ but i do quite a bit q/ VB, I really like Qt Creator. i've been using it quite a bit since i have been working a project to create a save game editor for a game. i really like the designer too its very nice. i was able to whip up some nice dialogs that would have other wise been kinda annoying to do w/ code alone.

[GreyGeek]

Re: QtCreator 1.3.1

And complex ones too!