API reference - Class Application

Notation used in Ruby API documentation

Module: lay

Description: The application object

Class hierarchy: Application » QApplication » QGuiApplication » QCoreApplication » QObject

The application object is the main port from which to access all the internals of the application, in particular the main window.

Public methods

void_createEnsures the C++ object is created
void_destroyExplicitly destroys the object
[const]bool_destroyed?Returns a value indicating whether the object was already destroyed
[const]bool_is_const_object?Returns a value indicating whether the reference is a const reference
void_manageMarks the object as managed by the script side.
void_unmanageMarks the object as no longer owned by the script side.
voidadd_macro_category(string name,
string description,
string[] folders)
Creates a new macro category
[const]stringapplication_data_pathReturns the application's data path (where the configuration file is stored for example)
stringarchReturns the architecture string
voidcommit_configCommits the configuration settings
intexecuteExecutes the application's main loop
voidexit(int result)Ends the application with the given exit status
[const]stringget_config(string name)Gets the value for a configuration parameter
[const]string[]get_config_namesGets the configuration parameter names
[const]stringinst_pathReturns the application's installation path (where the executable is located)
[const]boolis_editable?Returns true if the application is in editable mode
[const]string[]klayout_pathReturns the KLayout path (search path for KLayout components)
[const]MainWindow ptrmain_windowReturns a reference to the main window
[signal]voidon_salt_changedThis event is triggered when the package status changes.
voidprocess_eventsProcesses pending events
boolread_config(string file_name)Reads the configuration from a file
voidset_config(string name,
string value)
Sets a configuration parameter with the given name to the given value
stringversionReturns the application's version string
boolwrite_config(string file_name)Writes configuration to a file

Public static methods and constants

Application ptrinstanceReturn the singleton instance of the application

Deprecated methods (protected, public, static, non-static and constructors)

intexecUse of this method is deprecated. Use execute instead

Detailed description

_create

Signature: void _create

Description: Ensures the C++ object is created

Use this method to ensure the C++ object is created, for example to ensure that resources are allocated. Usually C++ objects are created on demand and not necessarily when the script object is created.

_destroy

Signature: void _destroy

Description: Explicitly destroys the object

Explicitly destroys the object on C++ side if it was owned by the script interpreter. Subsequent access to this object will throw an exception. If the object is not owned by the script, this method will do nothing.

_destroyed?

Signature: [const] bool _destroyed?

Description: Returns a value indicating whether the object was already destroyed

This method returns true, if the object was destroyed, either explicitly or by the C++ side. The latter may happen, if the object is owned by a C++ object which got destroyed itself.

_is_const_object?

Signature: [const] bool _is_const_object?

Description: Returns a value indicating whether the reference is a const reference

This method returns true, if self is a const reference. In that case, only const methods may be called on self.

_manage

Signature: void _manage

Description: Marks the object as managed by the script side.

After calling this method on an object, the script side will be responsible for the management of the object. This method may be called if an object is returned from a C++ function and the object is known not to be owned by any C++ instance. If necessary, the script side may delete the object if the script's reference is no longer required.

Usually it's not required to call this method. It has been introduced in version 0.24.

_unmanage

Signature: void _unmanage

Description: Marks the object as no longer owned by the script side.

Calling this method will make this object no longer owned by the script's memory management. Instead, the object must be managed in some other way. Usually this method may be called if it is known that some C++ object holds and manages this object. Technically speaking, this method will turn the script's reference into a weak reference. After the script engine decides to delete the reference, the object itself will still exist. If the object is not managed otherwise, memory leaks will occur.

Usually it's not required to call this method. It has been introduced in version 0.24.

add_macro_category

Signature: void add_macro_category (string name, string description, string[] folders)

Description: Creates a new macro category

Creating a new macro category is only possible during the autorun_early stage. The new macro category must correspond to an interpreter registered at the same stage. This method has been introduced in version 0.28.

application_data_path

Signature: [const] string application_data_path

Description: Returns the application's data path (where the configuration file is stored for example)

This method has been added in version 0.22.

arch

Signature: string arch

Description: Returns the architecture string

This method has been introduced in version 0.25.

commit_config

Signature: void commit_config

Description: Commits the configuration settings

Some configuration options are queued for performance reasons and become active only after 'commit_config' has been called. After a sequence of set_config calls, this method should be called to activate the settings made by these calls.

This method has been introduced in version 0.25.

exec

Signature: int exec

Description: Executes the application's main loop

Use of this method is deprecated. Use execute instead

This method must be called in order to execute the application in the main script if a script is provided.

Python specific notes:
This attribute is available as 'exec_' in Python.

execute

Signature: int execute

Description: Executes the application's main loop

This method must be called in order to execute the application in the main script if a script is provided.

Python specific notes:
This attribute is available as 'exec_' in Python.

exit

Signature: void exit (int result)

Description: Ends the application with the given exit status

This method should be called instead of simply shutting down the process. It performs some important cleanup without which the process might crash. If the result code is 0 (success), the configuration file will be updated unless that has been disabled by the -nc command line switch. This method has been added in version 0.22.

get_config

Signature: [const] string get_config (string name)

Description: Gets the value for a configuration parameter

name:The name of the configuration parameter whose value shall be obtained (a string)
Returns:The value of the parameter

This method returns the value of the given configuration parameter. If the parameter is not known, an exception will be thrown. Use get_config_names to obtain a list of all configuration parameter names available.

Configuration parameters are always stored as strings. The actual format of this string is specific to the configuration parameter. The values delivered by this method correspond to the values stored in the configuration file

get_config_names

Signature: [const] string[] get_config_names

Description: Gets the configuration parameter names

Returns:A list of configuration parameter names

This method returns the names of all known configuration parameters. These names can be used to get and set configuration parameter values.

inst_path

Signature: [const] string inst_path

Description: Returns the application's installation path (where the executable is located)

This method has been added in version 0.18. Version 0.22 offers the method klayout_path which delivers all components of the search path.

instance

Signature: [static] Application ptr instance

Description: Return the singleton instance of the application

There is exactly one instance of the application. This instance can be obtained with this method.

is_editable?

Signature: [const] bool is_editable?

Description: Returns true if the application is in editable mode

klayout_path

Signature: [const] string[] klayout_path

Description: Returns the KLayout path (search path for KLayout components)

The result is an array containing the components of the path.

This method has been added in version 0.22.

main_window

Signature: [const] MainWindow ptr main_window

Description: Returns a reference to the main window

Returns:A object reference to the main window object.

on_salt_changed

Signature: [signal] void on_salt_changed

Description: This event is triggered when the package status changes.

Register to this event if you are interested in package changes - i.e. installation or removal of packages or package updates.

This event has been introduced in version 0.28.

Python specific notes:
The object exposes a readable attribute 'on_salt_changed'. This is the getter.
The object exposes a writable attribute 'on_salt_changed'. This is the setter.

process_events

Signature: void process_events

Description: Processes pending events

This method processes pending events and dispatches them internally. Calling this method periodically during a long operation keeps the application 'alive'

read_config

Signature: bool read_config (string file_name)

Description: Reads the configuration from a file

Returns:A value indicating whether the operation was successful

This method silently does nothing, if the config file does not exist. If it does and an error occurred, the error message is printed on stderr. In both cases, false is returned.

set_config

Signature: void set_config (string name, string value)

Description: Sets a configuration parameter with the given name to the given value

name:The name of the configuration parameter to set
value:The value to which to set the configuration parameter

This method sets the configuration parameter with the given name to the given value. Values can only be strings. Numerical values have to be converted into strings first. The actual format of the value depends on the configuration parameter. The name must be one of the names returned by get_config_names. It is possible to write an arbitrary name/value pair into the configuration database which then is written to the configuration file.

version

Signature: string version

Description: Returns the application's version string

write_config

Signature: bool write_config (string file_name)

Description: Writes configuration to a file

Returns:A value indicating whether the operation was successful

If the configuration file cannot be written, is returned but no exception is thrown.