The Qt Interface Framework module provides both the tools and the core APIs, for you to implement Middleware APIs, Middleware Back ends, and Middleware Services. The Qt Interface Framework Generator provides a flexible way to define new APIs via an Interface Definition Language (IDL) and generate classes for use, from C++ and QML.

Qt Interface Framework consists of three types of building blocks:

• The core module provides base classes and common code for all APIs created by you, the developer.
• The user created API definitions like a climate API or a mediaplayer API. Each of these APIs is the second building block called Features, which define the API exposed to the application developer.
• The last block consists of a back end interface and one or more back ends implementing it to either connect to the underlying vehicle or do a simulation of it.

Qt Interface Framework is built around a pattern that separates the feature and the back ends.

There can be multiple back ends per feature; the Core module provides support for easily finding the corresponding back end.

The following diagram illustrates the generic architecture in Qt Interface Framework: Middleware API, Middleware Back end, and Middleware Service.

This pattern of separation is necessary to accommodate the following use cases:

Overviews and Tutorials

The following are some key topics that provide more details on the Qt Interface Framework module:

• Installation
• Configuration
• Concepts and Architecture
• Get Started with the Qt Interface Framework Generator
• Qt Interface Framework Generator Tutorial
• Extending Qt Interface Framework

Reference APIs

In addition to the tools and core APIs, the Qt Interface Framework module also provides an extendable set of reference APIs for automotive features. This module can be used to develop automotive applications and to provide automotive features to Qt-based applications in a structured manner. This reference API already contains some simulation back ends, which provide partially simulated behavior of a real middleware service.

• Use the Qt Interface Framework Reference API
• QtInterfaceFramework Backends

Getting Started with the Qt Interface Framework Reference API

• Getting started with Qt Interface Framework Vehicle Functions (C++)
• Getting started with Qt Interface Framework Vehicle Functions (QML)

Reference

• Qt Interface Framework C++ Classes
• Qt Interface Framework QML Types
• Qt Interface Framework Examples

Licenses and Attributions

Qt Interface Framework is available under commercial licenses from The Qt Company. In addition, it is available under the GNU Lesser General Public License, version 3, or See Qt Licensing for further details.

An executable on Windows will potentially link against The QtEntryPoint Library. This library is available under commercial licenses and also under the BSD 3-clause "New" or "Revised" License.

Furthermore Qt Interface Framework potentially contains third party modules under the following permissive licenses: