Tools and utilities
Qt provides a comprehensive set of command-line and graphical tools covering the full development workflow: compiling and analyzing C++ and QML code, managing translations and resources, generating boilerplate from protocol and interface descriptions (Protobuf, gRPC, D-Bus, SCXML, OPC UA, Remote Objects), deploying to Android and embedded Linux targets, importing 3D assets, and compiling cross-platform shaders. The tools are grouped below by their primary function.
Build and compilation
The core tools that process Qt's extended C++ and resource formats as part of every build.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Meta-Object Compiler (moc) | Processes C++ class declarations that use Qt macros and generates the introspection code that powers signals and slots, dynamic properties, and runtime type information. |
| User Interface Compiler (uic) | Converts .ui form files created in Qt Designer into C++ header files. |
| Resource Compiler (rcc) | Embeds application resources such as images, QML files, and translation files, into the application binary or as standalone .rcc files. |
| qmake | Qt's traditional build system. Generates platform-specific Makefiles from .pro project files. |
| Build with CMake | Qt's primary build system. Covers Qt's CMake integration modules, find scripts, and Qt-specific CMake APIs. |
QML tools
Tools for authoring, analyzing, and running QML code.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| The qml utility | Loads and runs QML files without a compiled application wrapper. Useful for rapid prototyping and testing individual QML components. |
| qmllint | Static analyser for QML files. Detects binding errors, deprecated API usage, and other common mistakes at development time. |
| qmlformat | Automatically reformats QML source files to a consistent Qt-standard style. |
| QML Language Server | An LSP-compatible language server providing code completion, go-to-definition, and live diagnostics in any editor that supports the Language Server Protocol. |
| qmlpreview | Hot-reloads QML files on a connected device or host as they are saved, without restarting the application. |
| svgtoqml | Converts SVG files to QML components using Qt Quick Shapes, enabling scalable vector graphics without a raster image dependency. |
Translation and localization
Tools for extracting, converting, and compiling translation files. See the Qt Linguist Manual for the full graphical translation environment.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| lupdate | Extracts translatable strings from C++ and QML source files and creates or updates .ts translation files. |
| lupdate-pro | Variant of lupdate that reads .pro project files to locate source files. |
| lrelease | Compiles .ts translation files into binary .qm format for use at runtime. |
| lrelease-pro | Variant of lrelease that reads .pro project files. |
| lconvert | Converts between translation file formats (TS, XLIFF, PO, and others). |
| ltext2id | Converts text-based translation files to ID-based format. |
| lcheck | Validates .ts files and reports common errors. Suitable for use in CI pipelines. |
3D assets and shaders
Tools for importing and converting 3D content, compiling shaders for multiple graphics backends, designing visual effects for Qt Quick, and optimizing text rendering assets for embedded targets.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Balsam Asset Import Tool | Imports 3D assets in formats such as FBX, glTF 2, and OBJ and converts them to Qt Quick 3D's native format. |
| Balsam UI | A graphical front end for the Balsam tool. |
| QSB (Qt Shader Baker) | Compiles GLSL shaders into a multi-target package format (.qsb) consumable by Qt's graphics stack across Vulkan, Metal, Direct3D, and OpenGL backends. |
| Cooker | Pre-processes and bakes collision meshes for Qt Quick 3D Physics at build time, avoiding runtime cost on target devices. |
| Qt Quick Effect Maker | A visual node-based tool for designing and previewing custom fragment shader effects for Qt Quick items. |
| Qt Distance Field Generator | Pre-generates distance field texture atlases for text rendering, reducing startup time on resource-constrained embedded targets. |
D-Bus tools
Tools for working with D-Bus services: browsing the bus interactively and generating C++ bindings from interface descriptions.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Qt D-Bus Viewer | A graphical browser for D-Bus services. Inspect objects, interfaces, and properties, and call methods interactively. |
| Qt D-Bus XML compiler (qdbusxml2cpp) | Generates C++ proxy and adaptor classes from a D-Bus introspection XML description. |
Code generators
Tools that generate C++ source from interface or protocol description files.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Qt SCXML Compiler (qscxmlc) | Compiles SCXML state machine descriptions into C++ classes that integrate directly into a Qt application. |
| Qt Remote Objects Compiler (repc) | Generates source and replica classes from .rep interface files for use with Qt Remote Objects. |
| qtprotobufgen | Generates Qt-compatible C++ message classes from .proto files for use with Qt Protobuf. |
| qtgrpcgen | Generates Qt-compatible gRPC client and server stub classes from .proto files. |
| The Qt OPC UA data type generator | Generates C++ data type code from OPC UA NodeSet2 XML files for use with Qt OPC UA. |
Android
Tools for packaging, testing, and integrating Qt applications on Android devices and emulators.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| androiddeployqt | Assembles a deployable Android APK or AAB from a compiled Qt application, bundling the required Qt libraries and assets. |
| androidtestrunner | Runs Qt auto-tests on Android devices or emulators and collects the results. |
| Qt Jenny: Java Code Generator | Generates Java wrapper code from Qt C++ classes, enabling Qt APIs to be called from Java or Kotlin on Android. |
ActiveQt, Windows COM integration
Tools for working with COM and ActiveX on Windows: generating C++ bindings from type libraries, producing documentation, and testing ActiveX controls.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| dumpcpp | Generates C++ namespace and class definitions from a Windows COM type library, allowing Qt/C++ code to drive COM servers. |
| dumpdoc | Generates HTML documentation for a COM object from its type library. |
| IDC - Interface Description Compiler | Post-processes Qt plugin DLLs to register them as COM servers and generate the necessary IDL and type library metadata. |
| testcon - ActiveX Test Container | An interactive container for testing and exploring ActiveX controls. |
Qt Application Manager tools
Qt Application Manager is the framework for building embedded System UIs that manage, sandbox, and control the lifecycle of applications.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Qt Application Manager | The main application manager tool. Acts as a compositing window manager and application lifecycle controller for embedded System UIs. |
The following command-line utilities are part of the Qt Application Manager suite.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Controller (appman) | Remote-controls a running appman instance: start and stop applications, install packages, and query runtime state. |
| Packager (appman) | Creates, signs, and verifies application packages for installation by the application manager. |
| Package-Server (appman) | A lightweight development HTTP server that distributes application packages for over-the-air installation testing. |
Animation
Tools for converting animation assets into Qt Quick components.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| lottietoqml | Converts Lottie JSON animation files (as exported from Adobe After Effects and compatible tools) to QML components using Qt Lottie Animation. |
UI design
A visual design tool for Qt Widgets application forms.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Qt Widgets Designer | A WYSIWYG form and widget designer for Qt Widgets applications, producing .ui files consumed by uic. |
Documentation tools
Tools for generating and browsing Qt documentation.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| QDoc | Qt's documentation generator. Reads annotated C++ source and .qdocconf configuration files to produce HTML or Qt Help output. |
| Qt Assistant | Qt's offline documentation browser. Embeds in applications to provide context-sensitive help. |
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