Leon Matthes

CXX-Qt is KDAB's extension to CXX, which adds Qt features like properties, signals and slots to CXX. In this step-by-step tutorial, we implement a QAbstractItemModel subclass, which is key to exposing structured data to QML.

CXX-Qt is KDAB's extension to CXX, which adds Qt features like properties, signals and slots to CXX. In this step-by-step tutorial, we extend our "Hello World!" application from the last video with a very basic Qt GUI.

CXX is an opinionated library that allows mixing C++ and Rust in a safe and idiomatic way. In this step-by-step tutorial, we implement an example application that uses CXX to bridge between C++ and Rust. In the following videos, we will expand on this knowledge to add Qt to the mix with CXX-Qt.

In the last months, governments around the world have put a focus on memory safe programming languages. For C++ projects, Rust has often been suggested as the natural choice to port to.

CXX-Qt is a set of Rust crates for creating bidirectional Rust ⇄ C++ bindings with Qt. It can be used to integrate Rust into C++ applications using CMake or used to build Rust applications with Cargo. CXX-Qt provides tools for implementing QObject subclasses in Rust which can be used from C++, QML, and JavaScript.

Rust's slogan "Fast, Reliable, Productive – Pick Three" captures its appeal as a modern programming language offering unparalleled compile-time safety with C/C++ matching performance. Given C/C++'s complexities and security issues, major tech companies are adopting Rust as an alternative, evidenced by the Rust Foundation's formation. KDAB has explored solutions allowing existing Qt developers to integrate this technology.

In this video Leon presents our first Qt and Rust demo at Embedded World. The front end is made with Qt/QML while the backend is written in Rust. Our CXX-Qt library is used to interact between Qt and Rust.

CXX-Qt library authors answer common questions about Rust bindings for Qt, covering existing binding options, when to use each, why they developed a new binding, where Rust adds the most value in Qt applications, whether C++ knowledge is required, and future development plans.

Rust has been the most beloved programming language in StackOverflow surveys since 2016, offering safer and easier programming than C++. It's an ideal replacement for C++ backend code in Qt applications. CXX-Qt enables idiomatic integration that seamlessly works with existing C++ and Rust code.