Windows and Visual Studio

Use this workflow if you are on Windows and want the most integrated Qt Bridge for C# experience. The Visual Studio extension adds project and item templates, and it can provide QML diagnostics, completion, semantic editor support, and project-aware imports. Basic QML syntax highlighting and completion are available when you open a QML file. The first build gives the editor the project information it needs to understand QML-facing C# types and imports.

Requirements

  • Windows x64
  • .NET SDK 8+
  • Visual Studio 2022 or 2026
  • .NET desktop development workload
  • Desktop development with C++ workload
  • CMake and Ninja available on PATH

CMake, Ninja, and the C++ toolchain are used by the bridge build behind the scenes; you do not need to write CMake files or C++ code for a template project.

Create your first project

  1. Install the Qt Bridge for C# Visual Studio extension.
  2. Create a project from the Qt Bridge for C# project template.
  3. Build the project once.
  4. Open the QML files and inspect the editor support.
  5. Run the application.

In the new project dialog, filter by C#, Windows, and Qt or QML to find the Qt Bridge QML application template.

For generated project structure, template options, and QML item templates, see Project Templates.

Check your setup

After the first build, check that:

  • The project builds without missing toolchain errors
  • The application launches
  • QML files are present and editable
  • QML diagnostics and completion include QML-facing C# types after the first build

For the diagnostics, completion, semantic editor support, and project-aware imports the extension provides, see Editing QML in Visual Studio.

Common first issues

If the project does not build or the editor support looks incomplete, check these areas first:

  • The .NET SDK is missing or older than .NET 8
  • Visual Studio is missing the C++ workload
  • The first build has not completed yet; QML-facing C# types and editor support require a successful build
  • The selected package or runtime does not match Windows x64