This is a guest blog post by FELGO, an official Qt Technology and Service Partner.
Developing user interfaces with QML is an intuitive way to bring designs to life. Its declarative syntax and flexibility make it perfect for building great UIs. Yet, the traditional development cycle can be slow and frustrating. You have to rebuild your application for every small change, like fixing a typo or adjusting a layout. And you must redeploy and restart it as well. The repetitive nature of this process disrupts your workflow and slows development.
But what if you could streamline the process with a tool that speeds up UI development? Keep reading to learn how QML Hot Reload can improve your development workflow.
The Challenges of UI Development
Standard UI development requires repeated rebuilds and redeployment with each change. It creates a cycle of repetition, wasting time and disrupting your creative flow.
In the world of development, Code Reload offers a solution. Applying code updates without restarting the application saves valuable time. With QML, custom-made solutions like extra loaders can do the job but come with code overhead. Even if QML reload works, those solutions usually lose your current application state.
Better Development with QML Hot Reload
A tool called Felgo QML Hot Reload solves these challenges. It lets you apply changes without compiling, deploying, or restarting. Felgo Hot Reload is the only QML code reload tool that preserves your application state. You can skip the wait times and keep your workflow fast and efficient.
Moreover, Felgo Hot Reload performs code reload on multiple devices in parallel. You can see your changes on all connected devices at once. Felgo Hot Reload covers all Qt platforms: embedded boards, desktops, mobiles, and web browsers.
Why Choose Felgo QML Hot Reload?
Felgo Hot Reload provides an unparalleled development experience. It offers a range of features to speed up your development workflow and save you time. These benefits can save each developer up to two hours daily, making the tool quickly pay for itself.
The main benefits are:
State Preservation
Continue working from exactly where you left off. Felgo Hot Reload keeps your application state intact. You no longer have to navigate back to the screen you worked on after each change.
Cross-Platform
You can develop for Embedded systems, desktops, mobile, or the web. Felgo Hot Reload works across all supported Qt platforms. It also runs with all Qt versions starting from Qt 5.15. That way, you see your updates in realtime across different environments.
Multi-Device Development
Connect multiple devices and see your code changes applied to all of them. It lets you test and validate your UI across platforms and screen resolutions. Say you're developing an embedded app for a Raspberry Pi alongside a desktop version. Felgo Hot Reload lets you test your responsive layout on different screens. You can also check how they perform with various input methods, all in one go.
Error Handling
If a code change causes an issue, you can revert it without losing the current application state. You see the error details on an overlay within your running application, guiding you to the source file in error. That unique workflow saves time and minimizes disruption to your workflow.
QML Modules Support
Reload QML modules, whether you're using a custom project structure or CMake module functions. Your module code changes appear instantly, no matter how you organize your project.
IDE Independence
Felgo Hot Reload works with your preferred IDE. You can use it with Qt Creator, Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, or any other IDE. The flexibility allows you to integrate hot reloading seamlessly into your existing workflow.
Bring Felgo QML Hot Reload into Your Qt Workflow
Integrating Felgo Hot Reload into your existing project is straightforward:
Reusability
Felgo Hot Reload is a reusable solution and works across all supported Qt platforms. You install a GUI application and link a library to your development build. The setup process is the same for all your projects.
No Added Dependencies
Felgo Hot Reload is a pure development tool. It adds no other dependencies to your project or footprint in your release builds.
Minimal Integration
Implementing Felgo Hot Reload in your project requires minimal changes in C++. You don’t need any modifications in your QML code, and your production code remains unchanged. You can check out the following GitHub repository to see how easy the integration is.
The repository includes a small QML example application with two commits. The first commit is the initial Qt/QML project. The second commit showcases the minimal changes needed to incorporate Felgo Hot Reload.
Broad Use Case Support
Felgo Hot Reload supports various use cases that QML developers face. It reduces the need to rebuild and redeploy your application almost to zero.
Examples are:
- QML Properties and Bindings: Adjust values, update bindings, and change properties.
- JavaScript Logic: Update function bodies and signal handlers as required.
- QML Structure: Add new objects, remove existing ones, and replace components without restarting the app.
- QML Modules: Add or remove new QML imports and modules.
- Resource Files: Update images, fonts, and other assets without stopping the application.
You can see those features of QML Hot Reload in action here:
How Your Team Benefits from Felgo QML Hot Reload
Felgo Hot Reload is a valuable tool for any team developing Qt applications. This is particularly true for in-house product teams. It offers several advantages, including:
- Accelerated Development Cycles: Teams can implement changes without constant rebuilds and redeployments. Faster iteration of features leads to quicker project completion.
- Improved Collaboration: With real-time updates visible to the entire team, collaboration becomes more efficient. Designers and developers can work together, giving instant feedback and making quick adjustments.
- Enhanced Prototyping: Felgo Hot Reload allows teams to prototype and quickly test new ideas. Testing different UI layouts and functionalities leads to a more user-centered design process. This significantly enhances the end product.
- Reduced Frustration: Teams can maintain their focus and creativity by eliminating the rebuild process. The result is a more enjoyable work environment and higher job satisfaction.
For Qt service partners and agencies, the benefits are equally compelling. Using a tool that speeds up development might seem counter-intuitive if you bill by the hour. However, delivering high-quality results faster provides a significant competitive advantage in the market.
With Felgo Hot Reload, service partners can:
- Prove Efficiency and Value: Clients appreciate efficiency and responsiveness. By speeding up development, you can show that clients get the most value for their investment. This strengthens client relationships and leads to long-term partnerships.
- Handle Complex Projects with Ease: Managing multiple platforms and devices in parallel becomes effortless with Felgo Hot Reload. It allows service partners to meet client demands quickly and efficiently. They can deliver robust solutions across embedded, desktop, mobile, and web environments.
- Enhance Iteration and Feedback Loops: Rapid feedback and iteration cycles mean fewer delays and a smoother development process. This allows service partners to improve satisfaction and reduce project turnaround times.
In short, Felgo Hot Reload is a powerful tool for both in-house teams and service partners. It provides a significant edge in a competitive market.
Getting Started with Felgo QML Hot Reload
Are you curious how Felgo QML Hot Reload can improve your development process? Listen to this developer to learn how the tool helped their team save time across platforms:
Incorporating Felgo Hot Reload into your development boosts productivity and reduces repetitive tasks. You can iterate faster and enjoy a smoother development process with instant feedback. You can focus on delivering high-quality user experiences and exploring new UI ideas.
For service partners, Felgo Hot Reload offers a unique selling proposition. Faster development cycles and higher client satisfaction. Hot Reload positions you as a proactive, client-focused partner in the development process.
With Felgo Hot Reload, you can skip the cycle of rebuilds and redeployments. Instead, enjoy a faster, more dynamic development experience.
How much time can you save? Try a demo and get a free evaluation to see the benefits of Felgo QML Hot Reload in your projects. Start your path toward a faster, more productive workflow at felgo.com/qml-hot-reload!
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About Felgo
Felgo has been a Qt Technology Partner since 2014, with the goal of helping Qt developers be more productive.
Felgo is also a Qt Service Partner for development services, Qt training, and workshops.
