We’re pleased to announce the release of KD Reports 2.3.0, the latest version of our reporting tool for Qt applications. This marks our first major update in two years, bringing several bug fixes and new features that further improve the experience of generating reports. What is KD Reports? KD Reports is a versatile tool for […]

Recap In Part 1, we covered PCM audio and superimposing waveforms, and developed an algorithm to combine an arbitrary number of audio streams into one. Now we need to use these ideas to finish a full implementation using Qt Multimedia. Using Qt Multimedia for Audio Device Access So what do we need? Well, we want […]

Adopting proven practices like continuous integration (CI) and continuous deployment (CD) is a key part of modern software design. These methodologies enhance software quality and team productivity while shortening development cycles – what’s not to love? Arguably, it’s the short-term pain of getting these systems installed and configured for your environment and the long-term pain […]

In C++20, the standard library introduced new synchronization primitives: std::latch and std::barrier. These are the utilities designed to coordinate between concurrent threads. What is a synchronization primitive? In concurrent programming, synchronization primitives are the fundamental tools that help in managing the coordination, execution order, and data safety of multiple threads or processes that run concurrently. […]

Desktop software has many differences from mobile and embedded applications but one of the biggest and most obvious is the screen. How can you take advantage of all that real estate for your application? Six considerations for managing the screen in your desktop application Choosing the right GUI framework Use a flexible GUI framework that […]

Motivation When using Qt Multimedia to play audio files, it’s common to use QMediaPlayer, as it supports a larger variety of formats than QSound and QSoundEffect. Consider a Qt application with several audio sources; for example, different notification sounds that may play simultaneously. We want to avoid cutting notification sounds off when a new one […]

Creating applications for cross-platform compatibility is a modern best practice. It increases deployment flexibility and allows applications to reach a wider audience. However, doing it properly can involve some trial and error. At KDAB, we’ve built many multiplatform desktop applications. Here, we’ve compiled a few insights from that process to help you build better software. […]

CppCon is the annual, week-long face-to-face gathering for the entire C++ community – the biggest C++ event in the world. This year, CppCon takes place in Aurora, Colorado, near the Denver airport. Including multiple diverse tracks, the conference will appeal to anyone from C++ novices to experts. At CppCon, you can expect interesting talks and […]

In the previous posts of this series (if you've missed them: parts 1, 2, 3, and 4), we have learned about relocation and trivial relocation. We have explored what relocation means, what trivial relocation means, and how it can be used to optimize the implementation of certain data structures, such as the reallocation of a […]

It's been around 10 months since the last release, and we're pleased to introduce GammaRay 3.1. GammaRay is a powerful tool for developers using Qt, providing deep inspection capabilities to help you understand and troubleshoot your applications. With this new release, we've made several important updates and improvements to further streamline your development process. What […]

In our earlier blog, The Smarter Way to Rust, we discuss why a blend of C++ and Rust is sometimes the best solution to building robust applications. But when you’re merging these two languages, it’s critical to keep in mind that the transition from C++ to Rust isn’t about syntax, it’s about philosophy. Adapting to […]

Motivation Let’s say we’re working on a QML project that involves a TextEdit. There’s some text in it: here is some text We want to select part of this text and hit ctrl+B to make it bold: here is some text In Qt Widgets, this is trivial, but not so much in QML – we […]

An over-the-air (OTA) update capability is an increasingly critical part of any embedded device to close cybersecurity vulnerabilities, allow just-in-time product rollouts, stomp out bugs, and deliver new features. We’ve talked about some of the key structural elements that go into an embedded OTA architecture before. But what about the back end? Let’s address some […]

Building system images for embedded devices from the ground up is a very complex process, that involves many different kinds of requirements for the build tooling around it. Traditionally, the most popular build systems used in this context are the Yocto project and buildroot. These build systems make it easy to set up toolchains for […]

If you’ve been following our blog, you’re likely aware of Rust’s growing presence in embedded systems. While Rust excels in safety-by-design, it’s also common to find it integrated with C++. This strategic approach leverages the strengths of both languages, including extensive C++ capabilities honed over the years in complex embedded systems. Let’s delve into some […]

You've reached the third and final entry of the Instantiating arbitrary Qt Quick components with JSON series. Part 1 and Part 2 can be found at their respective links. The first part focuses on the software design pattern used to dynamically instantiate components. The second one shows how to layout these dynamic components by incorporating […]

We’ve explained some of the architectural elements of building your own firmware over-the-air (OTA) soution for IoT and embedded systems in a previous blog. But what about the hardware requirements? Or processes? Let’s explore issues that are essential to solve for a robust OTA solution. Maximizing flash longevity Modern devices rely on solid-state drives, which […]

Qt Test is a framework designed for unit testing applications and libraries built with Qt. It provides all the standard features commonly found in unit testing frameworks, making it easier to write unit tests for Qt-based projects. We're happy to introduce the QtTest Runner - a Visual Studio Code extension for running Qt Tests via […]

Since we first announced it last year, our Vulkan wrapper KDGpu has been busy evolving to meet customer needs and our own. Our last post announced the public release of v0.1.0, and version 0.5.0 is available today. It's never been easier to interact with modern graphics technologies, enabling you to focus on the big picture […]

KDDockWidgets has launched its latest version 2.1. This release comes packed with over 500 commits, offering enhanced stability over its predecessor, version 2.0, without introducing any breaking changes. KDDockWidgets is a versatile framework for custom-tailored docking systems in Qt written by KDAB’s Sérgio Martins. For more information about its rich set of features, have a […]