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QtCreator is a cross-platform, Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that has been designed to facilitate development of C++ applications that use Qt. As you would expect, it includes a good C++ code editor that provides smart code completion, context-sensitive help using the Qt Assistant facilities, error/warning messages as you type, and rapid code navigation tools. In addition, the Qt Designer, which enables drag and drop form layout and design, is fully integrated into QtCreator. QtCreator has a visual debugger and project build/management tools, plus some very handy code generation and navigation features. There are QtCreator tutorial videos available on YouTube.

If you still want to use your favorite IDE, and that happens to be xcode, MS dev studio, or Eclipse, then you are in luck! You can download Qt integration packages that will give your favorite IDE similar features to those offered in QtCreator. QtCreator can be installed on Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms by downloading either a binary package or a source package from qt.nokia.com downloads. QtCreator is included in the Qt SDK, which includes Qt and everything else you need to start developing in Qt very quickly.

The project file used by QtCreator is the qmake .pro file. You can avoid the use of command-line tools entirely by creating and/or editing existing project files in QtCreator.

Build and Run Directories

By default, Qt Creator imports projects and builds in a shadow build directory. This means that intermediate files and the executable are placed not with the source, but somewhere else. Furthermore, the program runs from that directory by default. To see/change the build or run directory of a project, select Projects mode (Figure 3.2) and click the Build tab to change Qt versions, build directory, or other build settings. Click the Run tab to change the Run directory or other run settings.

Figure 3.2.  Qt Creator Projects Mode