uniquely identify a QQuickItem instance across app restart - c++

Question

Context:
We are developing an IDE for VR/AR effects editing. Users would like to have MACRO recording. Something similar to Selenim/AutoIT in spirit, but specific for this app with deep dataModel integration. Users are trained JS developers. Software GUI is Qt/QML (mostly qml)
Current Blocker
I need a way to uniquely identify a specific QQuickItem by its objectName:
across multiple restart of the app.
across platform (OS/Cpu/...)
name should be human readable enough for use in JS Macro
Should serialise enough information from QQuickItem/QEvent to post a valid event
It is acceptable to use CI static analysis to ensure all item have a valid unique name and detect name changes.
The problem here is some button, for instance the number buttons have exactly the same fqn/path/name unless I use and ugly hack, renaming it by the text of its sub-component:
Component.onCompleted: {
objectName = "button." + button.text
}
property bool keepObjectName: true
Here a fully qualified name based on metaObject()->className() is not enough, as it wont be unique. qml ids are not usable as per documentation.
Question: Is there a way in Qt to obtain such unique identifier?
Related Question:
Qt GUI event recording and playback
Abandoned Road:
print trace of signals/slots called
Reason: Most events in IDE do not use connect() the standard Qt way. Too Low level.
Draft Technical Solution / POC (mostly for reference)
https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qtdoc-demos-calqlatr-example.html
Using the Qt QML calculator example here. Added this to main.cpp:
#include "Filter.h"
#include <unordered_map>
std::unordered_map<QString,QQuickItem*> map;
void install(QQuickItem* root, KeyPressEater* keyPressEater, const QString& fqn){
if(!root->property("keepObjectName").isValid() || !root->property("keepObjectName").value<bool>()){
qDebug("setObjectName: %s", root->metaObject()->className());
qDebug("Object original name:%s", root->objectName().toStdString().c_str());
root->setObjectName(root->metaObject()->className());
}
else{
qDebug("unchanged Object Name: %s", root->objectName().toStdString().c_str());
}
auto fqnRoot = fqn.isEmpty() ? root->objectName() : fqn + "." + root->objectName();
qDebug("Object fqn: %s", fqnRoot.toStdString().c_str());
root->installEventFilter(keyPressEater);
keyPressEater->insert(root,fqnRoot);
for(auto* child: root->childItems()){
QString fqn = fqnRoot + "." + child->metaObject()->className();
install(child, keyPressEater,fqnRoot);
}
qDebug("\n\n\n");
}
Filter.h looks like this:
#ifndef FILTER_H
#define FILTER_H
#include <QQuickItem>
#include <QtCore>
#include <unordered_map>
#include <QQuickItem>
class KeyPressEater : public QObject
{
Q_OBJECT
public:
void insert(QQuickItem* item,const QString& str){
if(map2.find(str) != map2.end())
{
qDebug("Duplicate object name:%s", str.toStdString().c_str());
}
else{
qDebug("Object name:%s", str.toStdString().c_str());
map.insert({item,str});
map2.insert({str,item});
}
}
void play(){
playing = true;
for(auto p: records){
//p.second->event(p.first);
QCoreApplication::postEvent(p.second, p.first);
QCoreApplication::sendPostedEvents();
}
playing = false;
}
protected:
bool eventFilter(QObject *obj, QEvent *event)
{
if (event->type() == QEvent::MouseButtonPress) {
//QMouseEvent *keyEvent = static_cast<QMouseEvent *>(event);
qDebug("click");
QQuickItem *item = static_cast<QQuickItem *>(obj);
qDebug("%s",map[item].toStdString().c_str());
qDebug("%s",item->metaObject()->className());
if(!playing){
records.push_back({event->clone(),item});
}
return false;
} else {
// standard event processing
if(event->type() == QEvent::KeyPress){
QKeyEvent *keyEvent = static_cast<QKeyEvent *>(event);
if(keyEvent->key() == 32){
play();
}
}
return QObject::eventFilter(obj, event);
}
}
std::unordered_map<QQuickItem*,QString> map;
std::unordered_map<QString,QQuickItem*> map2;
std::atomic<bool> playing = false;
std::vector<std::pair<QEvent*,QObject*>> records;
};
#endif // FILTER_H
How to use:
Copy the above the main.cpp and new filter.h file in the calculator app example. Call install in main function:
install(view.rootObject(), &keyPressEater,"");