1. Qt Signal Slot Lambda Functions Examples
2. Qt Signal Slot Lambda Functions Diagram
3. Qt Signals And Slots Lambda
4. Qt Slot Lambda Function
5. Qt Signal Slot Lambda Functions Chart
6. Qt Signal Slot With Lambda

The QSignalMapper class bundles signals from identifiable senders. More...

3 Lambda functions 4 New syntax in Qt5 5 Under The Hood. Outline 1 History 2 Pointer to member function 3 Lambda functions. Qt Signals and Slots Author: Olivier.

1. What we did here is to connect the clicked signal to an anonymous inline function, a lambda. Qt allows signal relaying by connecting a signal to another signal if their signatures match. It's not the case here; the clicked signal has no parameter and the removed signal needs a Task. A lambda avoids the declaration of a verbose slot in Task.
2. OpenTutorialsPyQt / QtFramework / QtWidgets / SignalSlot / signalslot01lambda.py / Jump to Code definitions Form Class init Function initwidget Function.

Public Functions

• 32 public functions inherited from QObject

Public Slots

• 1 public slot inherited from QObject

Signals

• 2 signals inherited from QObject

Static Public Members

• 10 static public members inherited from QObject

Additional Inherited Members

• 1 property inherited from QObject
• 9 protected functions inherited from QObject

Detailed Description

The QSignalMapper class bundles signals from identifiable senders.

This class collects a set of parameterless signals, and re-emits them with integer, string or widget parameters corresponding to the object that sent the signal. Note that in most cases you can use lambdas for passing custom parameters to slots. This is less costly and will simplify the code.

The class supports the mapping of particular strings or integers with particular objects using setMapping(). The objects' signals can then be connected to the map() slot which will emit the mapped() signal with the string or integer associated with the original signalling object. Mappings can be removed later using removeMappings().

Example: Suppose we want to create a custom widget that contains a group of buttons (like a tool palette). One approach is to connect each button's clicked() signal to its own custom slot; but in this example we want to connect all the buttons to a single slot and parameterize the slot by the button that was clicked.

Here's the definition of a simple custom widget that has a single signal, clicked(), which is emitted with the text of the button that was clicked:

The only function that we need to implement is the constructor:

A list of texts is passed to the constructor. A signal mapper is constructed and for each text in the list a QPushButton is created. We connect each button's clicked() signal to the signal mapper's map() slot, and create a mapping in the signal mapper from each button to the button's text. Finally we connect the signal mapper's mapped() signal to the custom widget's clicked() signal. When the user clicks a button, the custom widget will emit a single clicked() signal whose argument is the text of the button the user clicked.

This class was mostly useful before lambda functions could be used as slots. The example above can be rewritten simpler without QSignalMapper by connecting to a lambda function.

See also QObject, QButtonGroup, and QActionGroup.

Member Function Documentation

QSignalMapper::QSignalMapper(QObject *parent = nullptr)

Qt Signal Slot Lambda Functions Examples

Constructs a QSignalMapper with parent parent.

[virtual] QSignalMapper::~QSignalMapper()

Destroys the QSignalMapper.

[slot] void QSignalMapper::map()

This slot emits signals based on which object sends signals to it.

[slot] void QSignalMapper::map(QObject *sender)

This slot emits signals based on the sender object.

[signal] void QSignalMapper::mapped(inti)

This signal is emitted when map() is signalled from an object that has an integer mapping set. The object's mapped integer is passed in i.

Note: Signal mapped is overloaded in this class. To connect to this signal by using the function pointer syntax, Qt provides a convenient helper for obtaining the function pointer as shown in this example:

See also setMapping().

[signal] void QSignalMapper::mapped(const QString &text)

This signal is emitted when map() is signalled from an object that has a string mapping set. The object's mapped string is passed in text.

Note: Signal mapped is overloaded in this class. To connect to this signal by using the function pointer syntax, Qt provides a convenient helper for obtaining the function pointer as shown in this example:

See also setMapping().

[signal] void QSignalMapper::mapped(QWidget *widget)

This signal is emitted when map() is signalled from an object that has a widget mapping set. The object's mapped widget is passed in widget.

Note: Signal mapped is overloaded in this class. To connect to this signal by using the function pointer syntax, Qt provides a convenient helper for obtaining the function pointer as shown in this example:

See also setMapping().

[signal] void QSignalMapper::mapped(QObject *object)

This signal is emitted when map() is signalled from an object that has an object mapping set. The object provided by the map is passed in object.

Note: Signal mapped is overloaded in this class. To connect to this signal by using the function pointer syntax, Qt provides a convenient helper for obtaining the function pointer as shown in this example:

See also setMapping().

QObject *QSignalMapper::mapping(intid) const

Returns the sender QObject that is associated with the id.

See also setMapping().

QObject *QSignalMapper::mapping(const QString &id) const

This function overloads mapping().

QObject *QSignalMapper::mapping(QWidget *widget) const

This function overloads mapping().

Returns the sender QObject that is associated with the widget.

QObject *QSignalMapper::mapping(QObject *object) const

This function overloads mapping().

Returns the sender QObject that is associated with the object.

void QSignalMapper::removeMappings(QObject *sender)

Removes all mappings for sender.

This is done automatically when mapped objects are destroyed.

Note: This does not disconnect any signals. If sender is not destroyed then this will need to be done explicitly if required.

void QSignalMapper::setMapping(QObject *sender, intid)

Adds a mapping so that when map() is signalled from the given sender, the signal mapped(id) is emitted.

There may be at most one integer ID for each sender.

See also mapping().

void QSignalMapper::setMapping(QObject *sender, const QString &text)

Adds a mapping so that when map() is signalled from the sender, the signal mapped(text ) is emitted.

There may be at most one text for each sender.

void QSignalMapper::setMapping(QObject *sender, QWidget *widget)

Adds a mapping so that when map() is signalled from the sender, the signal mapped(widget ) is emitted.

Qt Signal Slot Lambda Functions Diagram

There may be at most one widget for each sender.

void QSignalMapper::setMapping(QObject *sender, QObject *object)

Adds a mapping so that when map() is signalled from the sender, the signal mapped(object ) is emitted.

There may be at most one object for each sender.

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The one thing that confuses the most people in the beginning is the Signal & Slot mechanism of Qt. But it’s actually not that difficult to understand. In general Signals & Slots are used to loosely connect classes. Illustrated by the keyword emit, Signals are used to broadcast a message to all connected Slots. If no Slots are connected, the message 'is lost in the wild'. So a connection between Signals & Slots is like a TCP/IP connection with a few exceptions, but this metaphor will help you to get the principle. A Signal is an outgoing port and a Slot is an input only port and a Signal can be connected to multiple Slots.

For me one of the best thins is, that you don’t have to bother with synchronization with different threads. For example you have one QObject that’s emitting the Signal and one QObject receiving the Signal via a Slot, but in a different thread. You connect them via QObject::connect(...) and the framework will deal with the synchronization for you. But there is one thing to keep in mind, if you have an object that uses implicitly sharing (like OpenCV’s cv::Mat) as parameter, you have to deal with the synchronization yourself.The standard use-case of Signals & Slots is interacting with the UI from the code while remaining responsive. This is nothing more than a specific version of 'communicating between threads'.Another benefit of using them is loosely coupled objects. The QObject emitting the Signal does not know the Slot-QObject and vice versa. This way you are able to connect QObjects that are otherwise only reachable via a full stack of pointer-calls (eg. this->objA->...->objZ->objB->recieveAQString()). Alone this can save you hours of work if someone decides to change some structure, eg. the UI.

Right now I only mentioned Signal- & Slot-methods. But you are not limited to methods - at least on the Slots side. You can use lambda functions and function pointers here. This moves some of the convenience from languages like Python or Swift to C++.

For some demonstrations I will use the following classes:

Using Connections

To connect a Signal to a Slot you can simply call QObject::connect(a, &AObject::signalSometing, b, &BObject::recieveAQString) or QObject::connect(a, SIGNAL(signalSometing(QString), b, SLOT(recieveAQString(QString)) if you want to use the 'old' syntax. The main difference is, if you use the new syntax, you have compile-time type-checking and -converting. But one big advantage of the 'old' method is that you don’t need to bother with inheritance and select the most specialized method.Lambdas can be a very efficient way of using Signals & Slots. If you just want to print the value, e.g. if the corresponding property changes, the most efficient way is to use lambdas. So by using lambdas you don’t have to blow up your classes with simple methods. But be aware, that if you manipulate any object inside the lambda you have to keep in mind, that synchronization issues (in a multithreaded environment) might occur.

You will get an idea of how to use the different methods in the following example:

As you see, recived a QString: 'Hello' is printed two times. This happens because we connected the same Signals & Slots two times (using different methods). In the case, you don’t want that, you see some methods to prohibit that and other options in the next section Connection Types.

One side note: if you are using Qt::QueuedConnection and your program looks like the following example, at some point you will probably wonder, why calling the Signal will not call the Slots until app.exec() is called. The reason for this behavior is that the event queue, the Slot-call is enqueued, will start with this call (and block until program exits).

And before we start with the next section here is a little trick to call a method of another thread inside the context of the other thread. This means, that the method will be executed by the other thread and not by the 'calling' one.

To learn more about that here is your source of truth: https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qmetamethod.html#invoke

Connection Types

Qt::AutoConnection

Qt::AutoConnection is the default value for any QObject::connect(...) call. If both QObjects that are about to be connected are in the same thread, a Qt::DirectConnection is used. But if one is in another thread, a Qt::QueuedConnection is used instead to ensure thread-safety. Please keep in mind, if you have both QObjects in the same thread and connected them the connection type is Qt::DirectConnection, even if you move one QObject to another thread afterwards. I generally use Qt::QueuedConnection explicitly if I know that the QObjects are in different threads.

Qt::DirectConnection

A Qt::DirectConnection is the connection with the most minimal overhead you can get with Signals & Slots. You can visualize it that way: If you call the Signal the method generated by Qt for you calls all Slots in place and then returns.

Qt::QueuedConnection

Qt Signals And Slots Lambda

The Qt::QueuedConnection will ensure that the Slot is called in the thread of the corresponding QObject. It uses the fact, that every thread in Qt (QThread) has a Event-queue by default. So if you call the Signal of the QObject the method generated by Qt will enqueue the command to call the Slot in the Event-queue of the other QObjects thread. The Signal-method returns immediately after enqueuing the command. To ensure all parameters exist within the other threads scope, they have to be copied. The meta-object system of Qt has to know all of the parameter types to be capable of that (see qRegisterMetaType).

Qt::BlockingQueuedConnection

A Qt::BlockingQueuedConnection is like a Qt::QueuedConnection but the Signal-method will block until the Slot returns. If you use this connection type on QObjects that are in the same thread you will have a deadlock. And no one likes deadlocks (at least I don’t know anyone).

Qt Slot Lambda Function

Qt::UniqueConnection

Qt::UniqueConnection is not really a connection type but a modifier. If you use this flag you are not able to connect the same connection again. But if you try it QObject::connect(...) will fail and return false.

This is not everything you will ever need to know about Signals & Slots but with this information you can cover about 80% of all use-cases (in my opinion).If it happens and you need the other 20% of information, I’ll give you some good links to search your specific problem on:

The Qt documentation:

Qt Signal Slot Lambda Functions Chart

Very deep understanding:

Part1: https://woboq.com/blog/how-qt-signals-slots-work.html

Qt Signal Slot With Lambda

Part2: https://woboq.com/blog/how-qt-signals-slots-work-part2-qt5.html

Part3: https://woboq.com/blog/how-qt-signals-slots-work-part3-queuedconnection.html

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