Building Dynamic UIs with QML

/ Qt
Manya Technologies custom GIS software development team

At Manya Technologies, we rely on Qt QML to build fluid, touch-friendly, and cross-platform user interfaces. Whether it’s a radar display console or a GIS dashboard, QML helps us deliver rich UX with native performance.

In this post, we’ll show how to build a basic QML-based application using Qt that interacts with C++ — the foundation for all of our complex simulation tools and mission systems.

🧰 Why Use QML?

QML (Qt Modeling Language) is a declarative language used for designing modern UIs, especially when paired with the Qt Quick framework.

Benefits:

  • ✨ Smooth animations and transitions
  • 📱 Great for embedded and mobile apps
  • ⚙️ Seamless integration with C++ backend
  • 🔁 Real-time updates and signal-slot mechanism

📦 Sample QML + C++ Application Structure

This simple program displays a message and updates it when a button is clicked.

📁 Folder Structure:

cssCopyEditMyApp/
├── main.cpp
├── main.qml
├── MessageHandler.h
└── MessageHandler.cpp

✅ Step 1: C++ Backend – MessageHandler Class

// MessageHandler.h
#ifndef MESSAGEHANDLER_H
#define MESSAGEHANDLER_H

#include <QObject>

class MessageHandler : public QObject {
    Q_OBJECT
    Q_PROPERTY(QString message READ message WRITE setMessage NOTIFY messageChanged)

public:
    explicit MessageHandler(QObject *parent = nullptr);
    QString message() const;
    void setMessage(const QString &msg);

    Q_INVOKABLE void updateMessage();

signals:
    void messageChanged();

private:
    QString m_message;
};

#endif // MESSAGEHANDLER_H
// MessageHandler.cpp
#include "MessageHandler.h"

MessageHandler::MessageHandler(QObject *parent)
    : QObject(parent), m_message("Welcome to Manya Technologies!") {}

QString MessageHandler::message() const {
    return m_message;
}

void MessageHandler::setMessage(const QString &msg) {
    if (m_message != msg) {
        m_message = msg;
        emit messageChanged();
    }
}

void MessageHandler::updateMessage() {
    setMessage("You clicked the button!");
}

✅ Step 2: QML Frontend – UI Definition

// main.qml
import QtQuick 2.15
import QtQuick.Controls 2.15

ApplicationWindow {
    width: 400
    height: 200
    visible: true
    title: "QML Example"

    Column {
        anchors.centerIn: parent
        spacing: 20

        Text {
            id: messageText
            text: handler.message
            font.pointSize: 16
        }

        Button {
            text: "Click Me"
            onClicked: handler.updateMessage()
        }
    }
}

✅ Step 3: main.cpp – Connect C++ to QML

#include <QGuiApplication>
#include <QQmlApplicationEngine>
#include <QQmlContext>
#include "MessageHandler.h"

int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
    QGuiApplication app(argc, argv);

    QQmlApplicationEngine engine;

    MessageHandler handler;
    engine.rootContext()->setContextProperty("handler", &handler);

    const QUrl url(QStringLiteral("qrc:/main.qml"));
    engine.load(url);

    return app.exec();
}

🚀 Run the App

Use Qt Creator to build and run the application. When you click the button, the message will update using C++ logic — showing the power of QML and C++ integration.

🧠 Real-World Use at Manya Technologies

In our production tools like PrithviGIS, radar simulators, and sensor dashboards, we use QML to:

  • Display real-time data using dynamic UI components
  • Visualize layers, symbols, and track data in intuitive ways
  • Communicate with complex C++ backends managing threads, sockets, and databases

The result: Cross-platform apps with high performance and great user experience.

💬 Conclusion

Qt QML lets you build beautiful, interactive applications fast — without compromising performance. When combined with C++, it becomes a robust tool for building simulation, defense, GIS, or enterprise-grade software.

🔗 Need a custom QML UI for your project?
📩 Reach out to Manya Technologies at business@manyatechnologies.com

#Qt #QML #QtQuick #Cplusplus #UIDevelopment #CrossPlatformApps #EmbeddedUI #SoftwareEngineering #ManyaTechnologies #GISUI

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