How to use the QtVirtualKeyboard

Question

I try to integrate the QtVirtualKeyboard into a prototype, but I fail. It is the first time I work with multiple projects or where I have to include non-basic-stuff in QML/QMake-Project.

I got the code from the git-repository and were successfully running the examples. But now I am puzzled on how to integrate it into my own project.

My project structure is as follows

Proto (dir)
 +- Proto.pro
 +- main.cpp
 +- ...
 +---QML (dir)                     <--- QML-Files
 |    +-main.qml
 |    +---CustomControls (dir)
 |    +---...
 +---CPP (dir)                     <--- C++-Files and Headers
 +---RES                           <--- Icons and stuff

Now I thought I might just add the src-project from the virtual keyboard to the root-folder (Proto), and add something like:

SUBDIR += src/src.pro

to the Proto.pro-file
=> Yes, I can do that, but there is no merrit in it.

So what do I need to do, to actually use it? It must be really easy, for I can't find any question regarding it anywhere on google, youtube or SO.

EDIT => I still fail. This is my story:

I tried the deployment-method, followed the instructions here.
As I'd prefer to have the keyboard within the application, I did the following:

1. I added the make install-stept
2. I passed qmake an additional argument "CONFIG+=disable-desktop

It seemed to work. Got new files in the mentioned directories:

• C:\Qt\Qt5.7.0\5.7\mingw53_32\qml\QtQuick\VirtualKeyboard
• C:\Qt\Qt5.7.0\5.7\mingw53_32\qml\QtQuick\Virtualkeyboard\Styles
• C:\Qt\Qt5.7.0\5.7\mingw53_32\plugins\platforminputcontexts\

Now in my project, I added the line

QT_IM_MODULE=qtvirtualkeyboard myapp

And tried to import it in my main.qml

import QtQuick.VirtualKeyboard 2.0 // (also tried it with 2.1)

I got the error:

[path]/main.qml:10 module "QtQuick.VirtualKeyboard" is not installed

And that concludes my story sofar. Any suggestions where I failed?

Answer 1

Ok, I finally succeeded. Though it is indeed very close to the documentation I don't think the documentation is easily understood. Therefor I will post this step-by-step-guid, where I will clear my own misconceptions.

1. Download the sourcecode from the git-repository
2. Open the project qtvirtualkeyboard.pro with the QtCreator, and run it with the configuration release
   It will create some directories and files in your Qt-installation dir. You do not need to add anything in your project directory. Once done and your good for all projects to come.

3. Make sure, you set the QT_IM_MODULE environment variable to include qtvirtualkeyboard. My mistake was, to assume (I don't know why) this might be done in the projects .pro-file. This seems to be wrong. The C++-method seems safe:
   qputenv("QT_IM_MODULE", QByteArray("qtvirtualkeyboard"));

4. If you want to have the keyboard within your application, add
   CONFIG += disable-desktop to your projects .pro-file

5. Have fun!