Qt Creator Manual

Refactoring

Refactor code to:

  • Improve internal quality of your application
  • Improve performance and extensibility
  • Improve code readability and maintainability
  • Simplify code structure

Finding Symbols

To find the use of a specific symbol or QML component in your Qt C++ or Qt Quick project:

  1. In the editor, place the cursor on the symbol or component, and select:
    • Tools > C++ > Find Usages
    • Tools > QML/JS > Find Usages
    • Ctrl+Shift+U

    Qt Creator looks for the symbol in the following locations:

    • Files listed as a part of the project
    • Files directly used by the project files (for example, generated files)
    • Header files of used frameworks and libraries

    Note: You can also select Edit > Find/Replace > Advanced Find > C++ Symbols to search for classes, methods, enums, and declarations either from files listed as part of the project or from all files that are used by the code, such as include files.

  2. The Search Results pane opens and shows the location and number of instances of the symbol in the current project.

You can browse the search results in the following ways:

  • To go directly to an instance, double-click the instance in the Search Results pane.
  • To move between instances, click and in the Search Results pane.
  • To expand and collapse the list of all instances, click .
  • To clear the search results, click .

Renaming Symbols

To rename a specific symbol in a Qt project:

  1. In the editor, place the cursor on the symbol you would like to change and select Tools > C++ > Rename Symbol Under Cursor or Tools > QML/JS > Rename Symbol Under Cursor. Alternatively, press Ctrl+Shift+R.

    The Search Results pane opens and shows the location and number of instances of the symbol in the current project.

  2. To replace all selected instances, enter the name of the new symbol in the Replace with text box and click Replace.

    To omit an instance, uncheck the check-box next to the instance.

    Note: This action replaces all selected instances of the symbol in all files listed in the Search Results pane. You cannot undo this action.

Note: Renaming local symbols does not open the Search Results pane. The instances of the symbol are highlighted in code and you can edit the symbol. All instances of the local symbol are changed as you type.

Applying Refactoring Actions

Qt Creator allows you to quickly and conveniently apply actions to refactor your code by selecting them in a context menu. The actions available depend on the position of the cursor in the code editor and on whether you are writing C++ or QML code.

To apply refactoring actions to C++ code, right-click an operand, conditional statement, string, or name to open a context menu. In QML code, click an element ID or name.

In the context menu, select Refactoring and then select a refactoring action.

You can also press Alt+Enter to open a context menu that contains refactoring actions available in the current cursor position.

Refactoring C++ Code

You can apply the following types of refactoring actions to C++ code:

  • Change binary operands
  • Simplify if and while conditions (for example, move declarations out of if conditions)
  • Modify strings (for example, set the encoding for a string to Latin-1, mark strings translatable, and convert symbol names to camel case)
  • Create variable declarations
  • Create method declarations and definitions

The following table summarizes the refactoring actions for C++ code. The action is available when the cursor is in the position described in the Activation column.

Refactoring ActionDescriptionActivation
Add Curly BracesAdds curly braces to an if statement that does not contain a compound statement. For example, rewrites
 if (a)
     b;

as

 if (a) {
     b;
 }
if
Move Declaration out of ConditionMoves a declaration out of an if or while condition to simplify the condition. For example, rewrites
 if (Type name = foo()) {}

as

 Type name = foo;
 if (name) {}
Name of the introduced variable
Rewrite Condition Using ||Rewrites the expression according to De Morgan's laws. For example, rewrites:
 !a && !b

as

 !(a || b)
&&
Rewrite Using operatorRewrites an expression negating it and using the inverse operator. For example, rewrites:
  •  a op b

    as

     !(a invop b)
  •  (a op b)

    as

     !(a invop b)
  •  !(a op b)

    as

     (a invob b)
<= < > >= == !=
Split DeclarationSplits a simple declaration into several declarations. For example, rewrites:
 int *a, b;

as

 int *a;
 int b;
Type name or variable name
Split if StatementSplits an if statement into several statements. For example, rewrites:
 if (something && something_else) {
 }

as

 if (something) {
    if (something_else) {
    }
 }

and

 if (something || something_else)
     x;

with

 if (something)
     x;
 else if (something_else)
     x;
&& ||
Swap OperandsRewrites an expression in the inverse order using the inverse operator. For example, rewrites:
 a op b

as

 b flipop a
<= < > >= == != && ||
Convert to DecimalConverts an integer literal to decimal representationNumeric literal
Convert to HexadecimalConverts an integer literal to hexadecimal representationNumeric literal
Convert to OctalConverts an integer literal to octal representationNumeric literal
Convert to Objective-C String LiteralConverts a string literal to an Objective-C string literal if the file type is Objective-C(++). For example, rewrites the following strings
 "abcd"
 QLatin1String("abcd")
 QLatin1Literal("abcd")

as

 @"abcd"
String literal
Enclose in QLatin1Char()Sets the encoding for a character to Latin-1, unless the character is already enclosed in QLatin1Char, QT_TRANSLATE_NOOP, tr, trUtf8, QLatin1Literal, or QLatin1String. For example, rewrites
 'a'

as

 QLatin1Char('a')
String literal
Enclose in QLatin1String()Sets the encoding for a string to Latin-1, unless the string is already enclosed in QLatin1Char, QT_TRANSLATE_NOOP, tr, trUtf8, QLatin1Literal, or QLatin1String. For example, rewrites
 "abcd"

as

 QLatin1String("abcd")
String literal
Mark as TranslatableMarks a string translatable. For example, rewrites "abcd" with one of the following options, depending on which of them is available:
 tr("abcd")
 QCoreApplication::translate("CONTEXT", "abcd")
 QT_TRANSLATE_NOOP("GLOBAL", "abcd")
String literal
#include Header FileAdds the matching #include statement for a forward-declared class or structForward-declared class or struct
Add Definition in 'filename'Inserts a definition stub for a member function declaration in the implementation file. The definition is placed after that of the preceding declaration. Qualified names are minimized when possible, instead of always being fully expanded.Method name
Add 'Function' DeclarationInserts the member function declaration that matches the member function definition into the class declaration. The function can be public, protected, private, public slot, protected slot, or private slot.Method name
Switch with Next/Previous ParameterMoves a parameter down or up one position in a parameter list.Parameter in the declaration or definition of a function or method
Extract MethodMoves the selected code to a new method and replaces the block of code with a call to the new method. Enter a name for the method in the Extract Function Refactoring dialog.Block of code selected
Add Local DeclarationAdds the type of an assignee, if the type of the right-hand side of the assignment is known. For example, rewrites
 a = foo();

as

 Type a = foo();

where Type is the return type of foo()

Assignee
Convert to Camel CaseConverts a symbol name to camel case, where elements of the name are joined without delimiter characters and the initial character of each element is capitalized. For example, rewrites an_example_symbol as anExampleSymbol and AN_EXAMPLE_SYMBOL as AnExampleSymbolIdentifier
Complete Switch StatementAdds all possible cases to a switch statement of the type enumSwitch
Generate Missing Q_PROPERTY MembersAdds missing members to a Q_PROPERTY:
  • read method
  • write method, if there is a WRITE
  • onChanged signal, if there is a NOTIFY
  • data member with the name m_<propertyName>
Q_PROPERTY
Apply ChangesKeeps function declarations and definitions synchronized by checking for the matching declaration or definition when you edit a function signature and by applying the changes to the matching code.Function signature. When this action is available, a light bulb icon appears:
Add #include for undeclared identifierAdds an #include directive to the current file to make the declaration of a symbol available.Undeclared identifier

Refactoring QML Code

You can apply the following types of refactoring actions to QML code:

  • Rename IDs
  • Split initializers
  • Move a QML element into a separate file to reuse it in other .qml files

The following table summarizes the refactoring actions for QML code. The action is available when the cursor is in the position described in the Activation column.

Refactoring ActionDescriptionActivation
Move Component into 'filename.qml'Moves a QML element into a separate fileElement name
Split InitializerReformats a one-line element into a multi-line element. For example, rewrites
 Item { x: 10; y: 20; width: 10 }

as

 Item {
     x: 10;
     y: 20;
     width: 10
 }
Element property
Wrap in LoaderWraps the element in a Component element and loads it dynamically in a Loader element. This is usually done to improve startup time.Element name
Add a message suppression commentPrepends the line with an annotation comment that stops the message from being generated.Error, warning or hint from static analysis