Meet Qt 6.6, and more!

Dr. Cristián Maureira-Fredes @cmaureir

• Cross platform framework for UI interfaces, and applications.
• Started in 1991
• With many, many modules.
• More info at qt.io

The 6.6 Release

• RC: 26.09.2023
• Final Release: 10.10.2023

Motivation

• Python popularity 🚀
• Relevance of C++ 🤝

Features

• PyPy compatibility
• New wheel structure
• Embedded support
• Tooling
  • pyside6-qml (app preview)
  • pyside6-deploy (using nuitka)
  • pyside6-project (new projects)
  • pyside6-qtpy2cpp (converter)

• New module, replacing OpenGL based DataVisualization
• Use cases
  • Vis of large quantities of dynamic data
  • Creation of depth maps
• Value
  • Using QML APIs from Quick3D, using bare metal interface and acceleration through RHI
  • Customizable charts with themes, items and labels
  • Possibility to embed Qt Quick 3D effects in graphs
• How to find
  • https://doc-snapshots.qt.io/qt6-6.6/qtgraphs-index.html
  • https://doc-snapshots.qt.io/qt6-6.6/graphs-examples.html

Surface Graph Gallery

• Intuitive way to create responsive layouts
• Use cases
  • Re-usable GUI implementation for different window sizes
  • Dynamic handling portrait and landscape devices
• Value
  • Foster best practices and brand consistency across devices
  • Bring QML closer to web design standards and "mobile first" design approach
• How to find
  • https://doc-snapshots.qt.io/qt6-6.6/qml-qtquick-layouts-layoutitemproxy.html

Responsive Layout Example

• Capture videos of individual desktop applications windows
• Use cases
  • Record windows for specific video
  • Streaming capabilities
• Value
  • Better control on what to capture from a screen
    • Increase safety on sharing content
    • Reduce effort on post-recording editing
    • Optimize resources usage
• How to find
  • https://doc-snapshots.qt.io/qt6-6.6/qml-qtmultimedia-windowcapture.html

Screen capture example

• Advanced access to font shaping features
• Use cases
  • Support OpenType features directly from Qt Framework
• Value
  • Enable users to deliver better font experiences
• How to find
  • https://doc-snapshots.qt.io/qt6-6.6/qml-qtquick-text.html#font.feature-prop

          Text {
            anchors.centerIn: parent
            text: "One divided by two is 1/2"
          }

          Text {
            anchors.centerIn: parent
            text: "One divided by two is 1/2"
            font.features: { "frac": 1 }
          }
          

• Small improvements on text to speech module
• Use cases
  • Text to audio synthetization
  • Audio queueing
  • Querying for available voices and engine capabilities
• Value
  • New abilities to produce read-aloud fluent interfaces
• How to find
  • https://doc-snapshots.qt.io/qt6-6.6/qtexttospeech.html

• Github Copilot support
• Integrated terminal
• Use cases
  • Get AI help for creating code, tests or document the code
  • Run command line tasks using the terminal
• Value
  • More productive SW development with Qt Creator
• How to find
  • Qt Creator 11+

• New QML API for handling of permissions
• Use cases
  • An app for recording audio, using BLE, etc
• Value
  • Better UX: users get a permission request on an action
  • Permission requests just on start can be eliminated
• How to find
  • https://doc.qt.io/qt6/qtcore-qmlmodule.html

• QML code fully compiled by the Qt Quick Compiler can be discarded from the app package
• Use cases
  • Avoid access to code with sensitive IP
  • Prevent manipulations of apps
• Value
  • Better IP protection and application integrity for Qt Quick based applications
• How to find
  • https://doc-snapshots.qt.io/qt6-6.6/cmake-source-file-property-qt-discard-file-contents.html
  • https://doc-snapshots.qt.io/qt6-6.6/resources.html#discarding-the-file-contents

• Create custom static analysis for QML code
• Use cases
  • Write additional rules for QML Lint
  • Post additional messages for selected languages statements in the code
• Value
  • make QML code compliant with your company's coding guidelines ns
• How to find
  • Check "QML Static Analysis Tutorial"

• Can be used in Visual Studio Code, and QtC 10+
• Use cases
  • Far more for developers than just a spellchecker in Word
• Value
  • 100% coverage of the actual QML language model
  • Interworking with other tools, like Qt Quick Compiler
• How to find
  • Post: https://qt.io/blog/whats-new-in-qml-language-server-qmlls-shipped-with-qt-6.6
  • qmlls --help

• Plans for Qt 6.7
  • Improve HTTP/2 support in Qt, then Qt gRPC
  • Reduce dependencies to "gRPC" itself
  • Support more well-known types
  • Finalize QML API
  • QProtobuf conformance testing
  • gRPC interoperatibility testing
  • Review and extended/improve examples if needed

• Wish to fully release in 6.7. It is going to be popular modules, we better do them well
• How to find
  • Since Qt 6.5, Qt gRPC and Qt Protobuf are in docs and Qt Bug Reports
  • They are listed as modules and components

• Enable/disable HTML5 Fetch API
• Read effective top-level domain
• Disable reading from canvas to prevent fingerprinting, and more
• Use cases
  • Have a more control on how Chromium runtime behaves
• Value
  • Additional API covering more use cases
• How to find
  • https://doc-snapshots.qt.io/qt6-6.6/whatsnew66.html#qt-webengine-module

• Limited support for dynamic linking in Qt for WebAssembly
• New implementation for QtLoader.js
• Use cases
  • WebAssembly app developer
• Value
  • QtLoader used for landing the wasm app benefits of the new implementation (easier debugging/maintenance)
• How to find
  • https://doc.qt.io/qt-6/wasm.html

• Improve developer experience with Qt on Android
  • Added FileProvider support when using QDesktopServices::openUrl()
  • Use AndroidX by default
  • More Qt examples are tailored for Android
  • Android 13 is max supported version
  • Support SDK level 33 to match Play Store req.
• Use cases
  • Mobile app dev with cross-platforms in focus
• Value
  • Better API coverage with more use cases supported
• How to find
  • https://doc-snapshots.qt.io/qt6-6.6/android-getting-started.html

Maintenance Tool

• Interpreter selection
• Virtual env creation
• Automatic PySide installation
• More to come

Meet Qt 6.6, and more!

Dr. Cristián Maureira-Fredes @cmaureir