About PyQt

PyQt is a comprehensive set of Python bindings for the Qt cross-platform GUI/XML/SQL C++ framework from Trolltech. PyQt provides bindings for Qt 2 and Qt 3. PyQt4, a separate set of bindings, covers the Qt 4 series of releases.

PyQt implements around 300 classes and over 5,750 functions and methods including:

• a substantial set of GUI widgets
• classes for accessing SQL databases (ODBC, ["MySQL"], ["PostgreSQL"], ["Oracle"])

• QScintilla, [http://www.scintilla.org/ Scintilla-based] rich text editor widget

• data aware widgets that are automatically populated from a database
• an XML parser
• classes for embedding ActiveX controls on Windows

Earlier versions of PyQt included a graphical debugger called eric, written using PyQt, which can be used to debug PyQt and ordinary Python console applications. It's now available separately as eric3 from http://www.die-offenbachs.de/detlev/eric3.html.

PyQt includes pyuic which generates Python code from GUI designs created with Qt Designer. This makes PyQt very useful as a rapid prototyping tool for applications that will eventually be (partly or completely) implemented in C++ because the user interface designs can be re-used without modification.

PyQt is available for Windows, UNIX/Linux, Mac OS X and the Sharp Zaurus.

For more information see the [http://www.riverbankcomputing.co.uk/pyqt/ framework homepage].

PyQt4

PyQt4 is a set of Python bindings for [http://www.trolltech.com/products/qt Qt 4] that exposes much of the functionality of Qt 4 to Python. This version of PyQt is described in more detail on the PyQt4 page.

PyQt documentation

Current documentation is available at [http://www.riverbankcomputing.com/Docs/PyQt4/pyqt4ref.html].

Mark Summerfield's book, Rapid GUI Programming with Python and Qt, is an up-to-date guide to GUI application development with Python 2.5, PyQt4 and Qt 4.2/4.3. More information can be found at http://www.qtrac.eu/pyqtbook.html.

Boudewijn Rempt's book, GUI Programming with Python: Qt Edition, is available at http://www.commandprompt.com/community/pyqt/.

The PyQt4 tutorial available at http://zetcode.com/tutorials/pyqt4/

A tutorial presented by Jonathan Gardner at the 2003 Northwest Linux Fest is available at ["JonathanGardnerPyQtTutorial"].

A tutorial presented by Oleksandr Yakovlyev for embedding PyQt in C++/Qt application ["EmbedingPyQtTutorial"]

PyQt applications

Some applications that use PyQt as their UI layer:

• ConvertAll - a versatile unit converter [http://www.bellz.org/convertall/].

• Eric IDE - an integrated development environment for python [http://www.die-offenbachs.de/eric/index.html]

• FlyWay - a route planner for pilots [http://www.bellz.org/flyway/].

• imgSeek - Photo collection manager with content-based search and many other features [http://imgseek.sourceforge.net/].

• Incubus Data Modeler - Free (GPL) data modeler CASE tool [http://incubus.sf.net]

• Kodos - Python Regular Expressions Debugger [http://kodos.sourceforge.net/].

• Orange - data mining by visual programming [http://www.ailab.si/orange]

• Paythyme - a UK statutory payroll [http://www.paythyme.org.uk]

• PyPI Browser - a PyQt4-based GUI browser for the Python Package Index [http://www.boddie.org.uk/david/Projects/Python/PyPI-Browser/]

• Q4Banking - a Qt4 port of the QBanking frontend from the AqBanking Library [http://www.apaku.de/linux/q4banking/index.php]

• rpCalc - a reverse polish notation calculator [http://www.bellz.org/rpcalc/].

• Schevo - a data management system [http://schevo.org]

• TreeLine - a tree-structured PIM [http://www.bellz.org/treeline/].

• XPathEvaluator - a PyQt4-based tool that helps you "write" XPath expressions [http://www.apaku.de/linux/xpathevaluator/index.php]

• Anki - A PyQt4-based program designed to help you remember facts (such as words and phrases in a foreign language) as easily, quickly and efficiently as possible. [http://repose.cx/anki]

A more up to date list of applications can be found on the [http://www.diotavelli.net/PyQtWiki/SomeExistingApplications PyQt Wiki].

Links to other resources

A Wiki dedicated to PyQt and ["PyKDE"] can be found at [http://www.diotavelli.net/PyQtWiki The PyQt and PyKDE community Wiki].

Phil Thompson was [http://dot.kde.org/1155075248/ interviewed about PyQt] for [http://dot.kde.org KDE Dot News] in August 2006.

["CategoryPyGUI"]