Contributing to Source

Contributing to source

Porting from AOG

If anything here is wrong, or something should be added, fork the repo and fix!

Data types

The data types are slightly different between languages. Some, like double, int, are fairly universal. But some are completely different.

• First type is C#, second is Qt/C++
• byte = quint8
• char = QByteArray
• string = QString
• Byte[] = QByteArray

Other Useful Porting Notes

Random functions that I can never remember what the correct conversion is.
C#: Buffer.BlockCopy(BitConverter.GetBytes(longitudeSend), 0, nmeaPGN, 5, 8); C++: std::memcpy(nmeaPGN.data() + 5, &longitudeSend, 8);

Creating scalable UI's

• This is very important. Creating a GUI that works on a phone screen as well as a giant desktop isn't easy. I thought I'd write this up because I don't want to convert your code to something that looks ok on a phone (and because it's more fun writing this than converting all my existing code to scalable like I need to).

Every width, length, anchor margin that is coded to a number MUST have the scale factor calculated in.

• My first 6 months of code was written like:

  • width: 500
  • height: 100
  • anchors.left: 10
  • anchors.top: 10
  • etc etc

• Now if all you're going to do is use your application on is your computer, no issue. BUT try that on a phone and you'll regret ever trying to code.

• The correct way is(as I learned yesterday):

  • width: 500 * theme.scaleWidth
  • height: 100 * theme.scaleHeight
  • anchors.left: 10 * theme.scaleWidth
  • anchors.top: 10 * theme.scaleHeight

• "theme.scaleWidth/scaleHeight" change based on screen size, so the GUI will look the same on a phone, just smaller.

• Now if your width: parent.width / 2(or whatever), no scale factor is necessary, since parent will scale correctly.

• But if you go width: parent.width / 2 + 10, you must change to width: parent.width / 2 + (10 * theme.scaleWidth) to figure in the scale factor.

• Obviously the width related sizes need theme.scaleWidth and the height related sizes need theme.scaleHeight

anchors.margins is off limits!

• If you go anchors.margins: 10, then what do you set your scale factor to?? Is it a width setting, or a height?
  The answer is neither. So don't use it. Instead, go:
  • anchors.left: 10 * theme.scaleWidth
  • anchors.top: 10 * theme.scaleHeight
  • anchors.right: 10 * theme.scaleWidth
  • anchors.bottom: 10 * theme.scaleHeight

Easy, right? If you have questions, PLEASE ask someone, instead of writing 3000 lines of code with no scaling!