Access C++ function from QML

Question

I'm trying to make a little program with Qt. I have a main.cpp with the following code:

#include <QtGui/QApplication>
#include "qmlapplicationviewer.h"

Q_DECL_EXPORT int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    QScopedPointer<QApplication> app(createApplication(argc, argv));

    QmlApplicationViewer viewer;
    viewer.setOrientation(QmlApplicationViewer::ScreenOrientationAuto);
    viewer.setMainQmlFile(QLatin1String("qml/tw_looptijden_berekenen/main.qml"));
    viewer.showExpanded();

    return app->exec();
}

int reken_tijden_uit(){
    return true;
}

and I have a .qml file:

import QtQuick 1.1

Rectangle {

width: 360
height: 360
Text {
    text: qsTr("Hello World")
    anchors.centerIn: parent
}
MouseArea {
    anchors.fill: parent
    onClicked: {
        Qt.quit();
    }
}
}

Now, when I click on the MouseArea, the program quits. What I want is that it calls the function reken_tijden_uit in the main.cpp file.

I've googled a lot, and searched on this site to. I've found a couple of answers, but I didn't get one working.

So what code do I put where so I can call the function reken_tijden_uit in C++?

Thanks in advance.

---

The header file looks like this:

#ifndef EIGEN_FUNCTION_HEADER_H
#define EIGEN_FUNCTION_HEADER_H

class MyObject : public QObject{
   Q_OBJECT
public:
    explicit MyObject (QObject* parent = 0) : QObject(parent) {}
    Q_INVOKABLE int reken_tijden_uit(){
    return 1;
    }
};

#endif // EIGEN_FUNCTION_HEADER_H

main.cpp:

#include <QtGui/QApplication>
#include "qmlapplicationviewer.h"
#include "eigen_function_header.h"

QScopedPointer<QApplication> app(createApplication(argc, argv));

qmlRegisterType<MyObject>("com.myself", 1, 0, "MyObject");

Q_DECL_EXPORT int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    QScopedPointer<QApplication> app(createApplication(argc, argv));

    QmlApplicationViewer viewer;
    viewer.setOrientation(QmlApplicationViewer::ScreenOrientationAuto);
    viewer.setMainQmlFile(QLatin1String("qml/tw_looptijden_berekenen/main.qml"));
    viewer.showExpanded();

    return app->exec();
}

and the QML file:

import QtQuick 1.1
import com.myself 1.0

Rectangle {
    width: 360
    height: 360
    Text {
        text: qsTr("Hello World")
        anchors.centerIn: parent
    }
    MyObject {
        id: myobject
    }
    MouseArea {
        anchors.fill: parent
        onClicked: {
            myobject.reken_tijden_uit()
        }
    }
}

And the errors are as follow:

D:\*\main.cpp:6: error: 'argc' was not declared in this scope
D:\*\main.cpp:6: error: 'argv' was not declared in this scope
D:\*\main.cpp:8: error: expected constructor, destructor, or type conversion before '<' token

So what did I do wrong?

Answer 1

For any C++ code to be called from QML, it must reside inside a QObject.

What you need to do is create a QObject descended class with your function, register it to QML, instantiate it in your QML and call the function. Note also that you have to mark your function with Q_INVOKABLE.

Code:

#ifndef EIGEN_FUNCTION_HEADER_H
#define EIGEN_FUNCTION_HEADER_H

#include <QObject>

class MyObject : public QObject{
   Q_OBJECT
public:
    explicit MyObject (QObject* parent = 0) : QObject(parent) {}
    Q_INVOKABLE int reken_tijden_uit(){
    return 1;
    }
};

#endif // EIGEN_FUNCTION_HEADER_H

main.cpp:

#include <QtGui/QApplication>
#include <QtDeclarative>

#include "qmlapplicationviewer.h"
#include "eigen_function_header.h"

Q_DECL_EXPORT int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    QScopedPointer<QApplication> app(createApplication(argc, argv));
    qmlRegisterType<MyObject>("com.myself", 1, 0, "MyObject");

    QmlApplicationViewer viewer;
    viewer.setOrientation(QmlApplicationViewer::ScreenOrientationAuto);
    viewer.setMainQmlFile(QLatin1String("qml/tw_looptijden_berekenen/main.qml"));
    viewer.showExpanded();

    return app->exec();
}

QML:

import QtQuick 1.1
import com.myself 1.0

Rectangle {

    width: 360
    height: 360
    Text {
        text: qsTr("Hello World")
        anchors.centerIn: parent
    }
    MyObject {
       id: myobject
    }

    MouseArea {
        anchors.fill: parent
        onClicked: {
            console.log(myobject.reken_tijden_uit())
        }
    }
}

Answer 2

As an alternative to qmlRegisterType() in main.cpp, you can also use context properties to make QObject variables available in QML. (In case you don't require to create different instances of your object with later QML).

Q_DECL_EXPORT int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    QScopedPointer<QApplication> app(createApplication(argc, argv));

    QmlApplicationViewer viewer;
    viewer.setOrientation(QmlApplicationViewer::ScreenOrientationAuto);
    viewer.setMainQmlFile(QLatin1String("qml/tw_looptijden_berekenen/main.qml"));
    viewer.showExpanded();

    // add single instance of your object to the QML context as a property
    // the object will be available in QML with name "myObject"
    MyObject* myObject = new MyObject(); 
    viewer.engine()->rootContext()->setContextProperty("myObject", myObject); 

    return app->exec();
}

In QML, you can then access the object from anywhere in your code with the given name specified in main.cpp. No additional declarations required:

MouseArea {
    anchors.fill: parent
    onClicked: {
        myObject.reken_tijden_uit()
    }
}

You can find more information on QML<->C++ communication possibilities here: https://v-play.net/cross-platform-development/how-to-expose-a-qt-cpp-class-with-signals-and-slots-to-qml