Question

I basically have a QMainWindow, and a Dialog window whose constructor is shown below;

class VisualTool(QtGui.QDialog):
    def __init__(self, parent = None):
        QtGui.QWidget.__init__(self, parent)
        self.WidgetBoard = Ui_Aesthetics_Tool()
        self.WidgetBoard.setupUi(self)
        self.setWindowFlags(QtCore.Qt.Tool)    # <-

As you can see, I would like to treat the Dialog as a Tool window (it’s exactly the type of window I need). The tool window should be shown after a button click on the QMainWindow, and for interaction with QMainWindow to continue.

Before my QMainWindow is shown, calling .show() on my tool window spawns it correctly.
However, if I attempt to show my Tool window AFTER showing QMainWindow (such as after a button click), calling .show() and .exec() have no effect whatsoever.

(There’s not even any flicker of a window. There’s no spawn whatsoever!)

Once the window is shown, I can not change the Window Flags. It has no effect.

How can I get this Tool window to show?!
Thanks!

---

PyQt4
python 2.7.2
windows 7

Answer 1

I’m not sure I understand what your issue really is. This test code snippet seems to function fine, though I have no idea what your missing Ui_Aesthetics_Tool() code does to modify the tool window:

#!/usr/bin/env python

import sys
from PyQt4 import QtCore, QtGui


class Main(QtGui.QMainWindow):
    def __init__(self, parent=None):
        super(Main, self).__init__(parent)
        self.resize(640,480)        
        self.button = QtGui.QPushButton("Click me")
        self.setCentralWidget(self.button)

        self.button.clicked.connect(self.showTool)

    def showTool(self):
        tool = VisualTool(self)
        tool.show()

class VisualTool(QtGui.QDialog):
    def __init__(self, parent = None):
        QtGui.QWidget.__init__(self, parent)
        # self.WidgetBoard = Ui_Aesthetics_Tool()
        # self.WidgetBoard.setupUi(self)
        self.setWindowFlags(QtCore.Qt.Tool)


if __name__ == "__main__":
    app = QtGui.QApplication(sys.argv)
    myapp = Main()
    myapp.show()
    sys.exit(app.exec_())

I am able to launch multiple tool windows.
And as for using exec_(), that is a modal blocking call and probably not what you want.