How to send variables between classes in Qt - c++

Question

I have a problem. I created two classes in my Qt project. One as the main window, and second as the settings dialog. My idea is to send the values from "Settings" to "MainWindow" (like from one TextEdit to another) but unfortunately, I have no idea how to do it. It's confusing me. I have read similar topics on the internet but none of them gives me a clear answer. Can someone help me understand the way how can I do it via example?
I have no useful code to place it here, so I will put the part of the source code and headers of mine.
mainwindow.cpp
#include "mainwindow.h"
#include "ui_mainwindow.h"
MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent) :
QMainWindow(parent),
ui(new Ui::MainWindow)
{
ui->setupUi(this);
[...]
}
mainwindow.h
#ifndef MAINWINDOW_H
#define MAINWINDOW_H
#include <QMainWindow>
#include "settings.h"
namespace Ui {
class MainWindow;
}
class MainWindow : public QMainWindow
{
Q_OBJECT
public:
explicit MainWindow(QWidget *parent = nullptr);
~MainWindow()
[...]
private:
Ui::MainWindow *ui;
[...]
};
#endif // MAINWINDOW_H
settings.cpp
#include "settings.h"
#include "ui_settings.h"
#include "mainwindow.h"
#include "ui_mainwindow.h"
Settings::Settings(QWidget *parent) :
QDialog(parent),
ui(new Ui::Settings)
{
ui->setupUi(this);
}
settings.h
#ifndef SETTINGS_H
#define SETTINGS_H
#include <QDialog>
namespace Ui {
class Settings;
}
class Settings : public QDialog
{
Q_OBJECT
public:
explicit Settings(QWidget *parent = nullptr);
~Settings();
[...]
private:
Ui::Settings *ui;
[...]
};
#endif // SETTINGS_H
main.cpp
#include "mainwindow.h"
#include <QApplication>
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
QApplication a(argc, argv);
MainWindow w;
w.show();
return a.exec();
}

Answer 1

Use signals/slots mechanism to share values between two QObject.
For example:
The following code allows yout to send the value in a QLineEdit to another widget by clicking on a button:
class Widget1: public QWidget
{
Q_OBJECT
public:
Widget1(): QWidget(),
message(new QLineEdit())
{
QPushButton* button = new QPushButton("Send msg", this);
connect(button, &QPushButton::clicked, this, [=]() { emit this->sendMsg(message->text());}); // When you click on the button, it will emit the signal sendMsg
QVBoxLayout* layout = new QVBoxLayout(this);
layout->addWidget(message);
layout->addWidget(button);
}
private:
QLineEdit* message;
signals:
void sendMsg(QString const& msg);
};
class Widget2: public QWidget
{
Q_OBJECT
public:
Widget2(): QWidget(),
display(new QLabel("Nothing to display", this))
{
QVBoxLayout* layout = new QVBoxLayout(this);
layout->addWidget(display);
}
private:
QLabel* display;
public slots:
void receive(QString const& message)
{
display->setText(message); // When called, display the message in the label
}
};
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
QApplication app(argc, argv);
QWidget* mainWidget = new QWidget();
QHBoxLayout* layout = new QHBoxLayout(mainWidget);
Widget1* w1 = new Widget1();
Widget2* w2 = new Widget2();
layout->addWidget(w1);
layout->addWidget(w2);
// When the signal sendMsg is emitted, call the slot receive
QObject::connect(w1, &Widget1::sendMsg, w2, &Widget2::receive);
mainWidget->show();
return app.exec();
}

Answer 2

There are multiple ways to achieve this.
For example you can provide the public Getter Methods in your dialog for provide value to the public and use them directly in the MainWindow to read those.
Or you can use Signals/Slots as stated above.
One example with Signal/Slots:
The SettingsWindow emits textEdit(QString) signal if Dialog Accepted, and MainWindow receives this signal via on_textEdit(QString) slot and writes it to its own text field:
SettingsWindow reading text input and emitting signal textEdit(QString):
MainWindow receiving signal via slot on_textEdit(QString):
And this is the code:
maindow.h
#ifndef MAINWINDOW_H
#define MAINWINDOW_H
#include <QMainWindow>
namespace Ui {
class MainWindow;
}
class MainWindow : public QMainWindow
{
Q_OBJECT
public:
explicit MainWindow(QWidget *parent = nullptr);
~MainWindow();
private slots:
void on_pushButton_clicked();
void on_textEdited(QString txt);
private:
Ui::MainWindow *ui;
};
#endif // MAINWINDOW_H
mainwindow.cpp
#include "mainwindow.h"
#include "ui_mainwindow.h"
#include "settingsdialog.h"
#include <memory>
MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent) :
QMainWindow(parent),
ui(new Ui::MainWindow)
{
ui->setupUi(this);
}
MainWindow::~MainWindow()
{
delete ui;
}
void MainWindow::on_pushButton_clicked()
{
auto dlg = new SettingsDialog{this};
connect(dlg, &SettingsDialog::textEdit, this, &MainWindow::on_textEdited);
dlg->setAttribute(Qt::WA_DeleteOnClose);
dlg->show();
}
void MainWindow::on_textEdited(QString txt)
{
ui->textEdit->setText(txt);
}
settingsdialog.h
#ifndef SETTINGSDIALOG_H
#define SETTINGSDIALOG_H
#include <QDialog>
namespace Ui {
class SettingsDialog;
}
class SettingsDialog : public QDialog
{
Q_OBJECT
public:
explicit SettingsDialog(QWidget *parent = nullptr);
~SettingsDialog();
signals:
void textEdit(QString txt);
private slots:
void on_buttonBox_accepted();
private:
Ui::SettingsDialog *ui;
};
#endif // SETTINGSDIALOG_H
settingsdialog.cpp
#include "settingsdialog.h"
#include "ui_settingsdialog.h"
SettingsDialog::SettingsDialog(QWidget *parent) :
QDialog(parent),
ui(new Ui::SettingsDialog)
{
ui->setupUi(this);
}
SettingsDialog::~SettingsDialog()
{
delete ui;
}
void SettingsDialog::on_buttonBox_accepted()
{
emit textEdit(ui->textEdit->toPlainText());
}
More about Signal/Slots