| moc(1) | General Commands Manual | moc(1) |
moc - generate Qt meta object support code
moc [-o file] [-i] [-f] [-k] [-ldbg] [-nw] [-p path] [-q path] [-v] file
This page documents the Meta Object Compiler for the Qt GUI application framework. The moc reads one or more C++ class declarations from a C++ header or source file and generates one C++ source file containing meta object information for the classes. The C++ source file generated by the moc must be compiled and linked with the implementation of the class (or it can be #included into the class's source file).
If you use qmake to create your Makefiles, build rules will be included that call the moc when required, so you will not need to use the moc directly.
In brief, the meta object system is a structure used by Qt (see http://doc.trolltech.com) for component programming and run time type information. It adds properties and inheritance information to (some) classes and provides a new type of communication between those instances of those classes, signal-slot connections.
You can explicitly tell the moc not to parse parts of a header file. It recognizes any C++ comment (//) that contains the substrings MOC_SKIP_BEGIN or MOC_SKIP_END. They work as you would expect and you can have several levels of them. The net result as seen by the moc is as if you had removed all lines between a MOC_SKIP_BEGIN and a MOC_SKIP_END
moc is almost always invoked by make(1), not by hand.
moc is typically used with an input file containing class declarations like this:
class YourClass : public QObject {
Q_OBJECT
Q_PROPERTY( ... )
Q_CLASSINFO( ... )
public:
YourClass( QObject * parent=0, const char * name=0 );
~YourClass();
signals:
public slots:
};
Here is a useful makefile rule if you only use GNU make:
m%.cpp: %.h
moc $< -o $@
If you want to write portably, you can use individual rules of the following form:
mNAME.cpp: NAME.h
moc $< -o $@
You must also remember to add mNAME.cpp to your SOURCES (substitute your favorite name) variable and mNAME.o to your OBJECTS variable.
(While we prefer to name our C++ source files .cpp, the moc doesn't know that, so you can use .C, .cc, .CC, .cxx or even .c++ if you prefer.)
If you have class declarations in C++ files, we recommend that you use a makefile rule like this:
NAME.o: mNAME.cpp mNAME.cpp: NAME.cpp
moc -i $< -o $@
This guarantees that make(1) will run the moc before it compiles NAME.cpp. You can then put
#include "nNAME.cpp"
at the end of NAME.cpp, where all the classes declared in that file are fully known.
Sometimes you may get linkage errors, saying that YourClass::className() is undefined or that YourClass lacks a vtbl. Those errors happen most often when you forget to compile the moc-generated C++ code or include that object file in the link command.
The moc will warn you about a number of dangerous or illegal constructs.
The moc does not expand #include or #define, it simply skips any preprocessor directives it encounters. This is regrettable, but is normally not a problem in practice.
The moc does not handle all of C++. The main problem is that class templates cannot have signals or slots. This is an important bug. Here is an example:
class SomeTemplate<int> : public QFrame {
Q_OBJECT
....
signals:
void bugInMocDetected( int );
};
Less importantly, the following constructs are illegal. All of them have have alternatives which we think are usually better, so removing these limitations is not a high priority for us.
If you are using multiple inheritance, moc assumes that the first inherited class is a subclass of QObject. Also, be sure that only the first inherited class is a QObject.
class SomeClass : public QObject, public OtherClass {
...
};
This bug is almost impossible to fix; since the moc does not expand #include or #define, it cannot find out which one of the base classes is a QObject.
In most cases where you would consider that, we think inheritance is a better alternative. Here is an example of illegal syntax:
class SomeClass : public QObject {
Q_OBJECT
...
public slots:
// illegal
void apply( void (*apply)(List *, void *), void * );
};
You can work around this restriction like this:
typedef void (*ApplyFunctionType)( List *, void * );
class SomeClass : public QObject {
Q_OBJECT
...
public slots:
void apply( ApplyFunctionType, char * );
};
It may sometimes be even better to replace the function pointer with inheritance and virtual functions, signals or slots.
Sometimes it will work, but in general, friend declarations cannot be placed in signals or slots sections. Put them in the good old private, protected or public sections instead. Here is an example of the illegal syntax:
class SomeClass : public QObject {
Q_OBJECT
...
signals:
friend class ClassTemplate<char>; // illegal
};
The C++ feature of upgrading an inherited member function to public status is not extended to cover signals and slots. Here is an illegal example:
class Whatever : public QButtonGroup {
...
public slots:
QButtonGroup::buttonPressed; // illegal
...
};
The QButtonGroup::buttonPressed() slot is protected.
C++ quiz: What happens if you try to upgrade a protected member function which is overloaded?
Since the moc does not expand #define, type macros that take an argument will not work in signals and slots. Here is an illegal example:
#ifdef ultrix
#define SIGNEDNESS(a) unsigned a
#else
#define SIGNEDNESS(a) a
#endif
class Whatever : public QObject {
...
signals:
void someSignal( SIGNEDNESS(int) ); // illegal
};
A #define without arguments works.
Here's an example:
class A {
Q_OBJECT
public:
class B {
public slots: // illegal
void b();
...
};
signals:
class B { // illegal
void b();
...
}:
};
It is a mystery to us why anyone would put a constructor on either the signals or slots sections. You can't, anyway (except that it happens to work in some cases). Put them in private, protected or public sections, where they belong. Here is an example of the illegal syntax:
class SomeClass : public QObject {
Q_OBJECT
public slots:
SomeClass( QObject *parent, const char *name )
: QObject( parent, name ) {} // illegal
...
};
Declaring the first property within or after the public section that contains the type definition and the respective get and set functions does not work as expected. The moc will complain that it can neither find the functions nor resolve the type. Here is an example of the illegal syntax:
class SomeClass : public QObject {
Q_OBJECT
public:
...
// illegal
Q_PROPERTY( Priority priority READ priority WRITE setPriority )
Q_ENUMS( Priority )
enum Priority { High, Low, VeryHigh, VeryLow };
void setPriority( Priority );
Priority priority() const;
...
};
Work around this limitation by declaring all properties at the beginning of the class declaration, right after Q_OBJECT:
class SomeClass : public QObject {
Q_OBJECT
Q_PROPERTY( Priority priority READ priority WRITE setPriority )
Q_ENUMS( Priority )
public:
...
enum Priority { High, Low, VeryHigh, VeryLow };
void setPriority( Priority );
Priority priority() const;
...
};
http://www.trolltech.com, C++ ARM, section r.11.3 (for the answer to the quiz), and http://doc.trolltech.com (for complete Qt documentation).
| 24 June 2001 | Trolltech AS |