Building efficient desktop applications requires strategies that address common development bottlenecks. From reducing compilation times with precompiled headers, caching, and distributed builds, to mastering multithreading with sanitizers and safe structures, designing extensible plug-in systems, simplifying configuration via text-based files, and leveraging shared libraries for modularity - these best practices streamline development while boosting performance and maintainability.
This tutorial shows how to display Qt Widget windows in a Qt Quick application, combining the flexibility of both frameworks. Learn how to manage integration through C++, expose widget properties and signals to QML, and build multi-window UIs for desktop or embedded platforms from real world examples.
KDAB and Schneider Digital developed a system that automates stereo 3D setup by dynamically calculating focal distance, camera separation, pop-out, and field of view. A focus-area method inspired by digital cameras continuously adjusts depth, enabling a plug-and-play experience without manual tuning.
Qt Quick apps can show a white flash during window resizing due to frame lag. This happens when the window’s background doesn’t match the system theme. Use SystemPalette to set a theme-aware background color, ensuring smooth, consistent visuals across platforms.
With NLnet support, KDE Plasma’s Wayland session now offers improved accessibility and creative tool support. Enhancements include better sticky keys feedback, customizable tablet areas, pressure curve adjustments, and configurable stylus buttons. These updates make Wayland more inclusive, reinforcing KDE’s commitment to accessibility.
Desktop software has many differences from mobile and embedded applications but one of the biggest and most obvious is the screen. How can you take advantage of all that real estate for your application? Six considerations for managing the screen in your desktop application Choosing the right GUI framework Use a flexible GUI framework that […]
Creating applications for cross-platform compatibility is a modern best practice. It increases deployment flexibility and allows applications to reach a wider audience. However, doing it properly can involve some trial and error. At KDAB, we’ve built many multiplatform desktop applications. Here, we’ve compiled a few insights from that process to help you build better software. […]
Wrapping up Qt Desktop Days, are two final sessions that cap off five days of great sessions. Kirigami: convergence with Desktop as first-class Let’s say you want to develop a mobile-looking UI... hey, wait a minute! Aren’t we talking about Qt Desktop Days? Indeed we are, but as Marco Martin, a KDE employee who works […]
Wait, there’s more? Yes, indeed. Qt Desktop Days delivered a lot of great content we’ve just got to share. VLC and Qt, a history If you need to play the widest variety of audio, video, or streaming formats on the planet, you probably know about VLC (the “cone player”). But did you know that VLC […]
The great content from Qt Desktop Days continued on day three. QML for Desktop If you’re building a desktop application today, should you consider building the UI with Qt Quick? That’s the question that KDABian Shantanu Tushar answers in this session. He walks us through the pros and cons of Qt Widgets versus Qt Quick, […]
What sessions were on the second day of Qt Desktop Days? Lots! QGIS loves Qt! The first session on day 2 was from Nyall Dawson who works for North Road but who is also a significant contributor to QGIS, the largest open-source GIS program in the world. Nyall explains why Qt is an awesome fit […]
If you missed Qt Desktop Days, you might be wondering what you missed. No need to worry! We’re going to give you a day-by-day summary of some of the cool things that were discussed, demoed, and explained. (We’re uploading all of the videos to our YouTube channel, but we’ll provide the direct links to each […]
QGIS is a mature, open-source desktop mapping application used by millions worldwide, built entirely on the Qt framework. Qt's power and ease-of-use have enabled QGIS to become a respected tool for professional cartographic design and spatial data analysis. This talk explores how QGIS leverages Qt, examines Qt's strengths and weaknesses, and shares practical Qt development tips learned from the project.
Scrite is a free, open-source screenplay writing application demonstrating QML's effectiveness for desktop productivity apps. Developer Prashanth Udupa discovered key design patterns making QML viable for complex desktop applications, including model-view approaches, Qt meta-object mastery, custom QML properties, thread management, and strategic use of components like Loaders and GammaRay for debugging.
Seamless development, modernization and migration of your desktop application onto cross-platforms. Discover clean, efficient solutions that precisely meet your requirements.
Where the capabilities of modern mobiles or tablets fall short, KDAB engineers help you expertly architect and build high-functioning desktop and workstation applications. Whether applications for video production, software development, dynamic simulations, CGI rendering or genetics processing, KDAB helps you design applications for you that integrate seamlessly into any workflow.
Whether you are using Linux, Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS or real-time OS, KDAB helps you create performance optimized applications on your preferred platform.
Avoid costly software architecture mistakes. KDAB provides expert reviews, tuning, and design for embedded, cross-platform desktop, and secure software architectures. Get it right from the start with our experienced engineers.
Following these desktop software development best practices ensures a flexible design. This is crucial to the success of desktop applications.
