Question

Here is an idea: I have a list of parameters (name, type, value maybe something more – regex for input), grouped by sections. They are stored in xml-file (for example… maybe other format). I want to make a module, that builds “standard-looking” settings dialog rely on this file. Like this

Sections names should be on the left as a list, and parameters, reffered to selected section, are to the right: name as label and value as some input field, wich type depends on type of parameter (lineEdit for text, spinEdit – for numbers, checkBox – for booleans, etc.)
Finally a question: is there “ready-for-use” dialog for my purposes ?
Thank you.

Answer 1

I searched some time and didn’t find any decision. That’s why I decided to write it myself.
Here’s a little description:

1 Main concept

If your program has some parameters, that you want to be editable from the GUI, you should just write xml-file in proper format, create an instance of class Config, call slot Config::show() and finally ask for necessary parameter via Config::get()

2 Usage of class Config

You can create it everywhere you wish. You can give an xml-file name/path either in c-tor or in Config::load() method. You can obtain any parameter in any place of your program by
calling Config::get() method. Example of class Config’s usage:

Config config( "full/path/to/settings.xml" );
connect( settingsAction, SIGNAL( trigger() ), &config, SLOT( show() ) );
... 
if ( config.get( "section_name", "param_name" ).toBool() ) {
    ...
}
QFile file( config.get( "section_name", "directory_for_log" ).toString() +
    "/prog.log" );

3 Restrictions

Config need QtCore, QtGui and QtXml. It uses C++11’s features.

4 Xml-file format

Sorry, but I’m too lazy to write full description, so I’ll write a full example with all features. I think, that you’ll understand them all 🙂

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="System"?>
<config>
    <section visible="true" name="First section name">
        <group visible="true" checkable="true" checked="true" name="First group">
            <value visible="true" type="text" value="192.168.1.1:1234" regexp="ip-addr:port" name="Ip address:port"/>
            <value visible="true" type="bool" value="false" name="Some bool value"/>
            <value visible="true" type="combo" value="Just three" items="The one;The two;Just three" name="Choose 1"/>
            <value visible="true" type="file" value="/etc/some/file.jpg" name="Picture or sound" filters="Images (*.png *.jpg);;Sounds (*.mp3 *.wav)"/>
            <value visible="true" type="radio" value="Fourth" items="First;Second;Third;Fourth" name="Choose 2"/>
            <value visible="true" type="dir" value="/etc" name="Dir for log"/>
        </group>
        <group visible="true" checkable="false" checked="true" name="Second group">
            <value unit=" cm" visible="true" type="int" value="18" min="1" name="Length" max="33"/>
            <value unit=" kg" visible="true" type="int" value="42" min="0" name="Weight" max="100"/>
        </group>
        <value visible="true" type="bool" value="true" name="Just bool"/>
    </section>
    <section visible="true" name="Second sect">
        <value visible="true" type="text" value="hello" regexp="(hello)+" name="Greet me"/>
        <value visible="false" type="bool" value="true" name="Invisible bool"/>
    </section>
</config>

here is a picture

and here is a usage of Config with this file

std::ostream & operator<< ( std::ostream & os, const QVariant & var ) {
    if ( var.type() == QVariant::Bool ) {
        os << var.toBool();
    }
    else if ( var.type() == QVariant::Int ) {
        os << var.toInt();
    }
    else if ( var.type() == QVariant::String ) {
        os << qPrintable( var.toString() );
    }
    return os; }

cout << "First group checked : " << cfg.get( "First section name", "First group" ) << endl;
cout << "Ip address:port : " << cfg.get( "First section name", "Ip address:port" ) << endl;
cout << "Some bool value : " << cfg.get( "First section name", "Some bool value" ) << endl;
cout << "Choose 1 : " << cfg.get( "First section name", "Choose 1" ) << endl;
cout << "Picture or sound : " << cfg.get( "First section name", "Picture or sound" ) << endl;
cout << "Choose 2 : " << cfg.get( "First section name", "Choose 2" ) << endl;
cout << "Dir for log : " << cfg.get( "First section name", "Dir for log" ) << endl;
cout << "Length : " << cfg.get( "First section name", "Length" ) << endl;
cout << "Weight : " << cfg.get( "First section name", "Weight" ) << endl;
cout << "Just bool : " << cfg.get( "First section name", "Just bool" ) << endl;
cout << "Greet me : " << cfg.get( "Second sect", "Greet me" ) << endl;
cout << "Invisible bool : " << cfg.get( "Second sect", "Invisible bool" ) << endl;

And finally, can you tell me the best way to publish source code ?
Thank you.

UPD: You can find it here https://sourceforge.net/projects/guisettings/