Python PyQt4 functions to save and restore UI widget values?

Question

Before I attempt to write my own Python PyQt4 module functions... I wanted to ask if anyone has such a function to share.

In many of my python programs where I have a GUI built using PyQt4 and qtDesigner, I use the QSettings method to save and restore UI states and values of all widgets during close and startup.

This example shows how I save and restore some lineEdit, checkBox, and radioButton fields.

Does anyone have a function that can traverse the UI and find ALL widgets/controls and their states and save them (e.g. guisave()) and another function that can restore them (e.g. guirestore())?

My closeEvent looks something like this:

#---------------------------------------------
# close by x OR call to self.close
#---------------------------------------------

def closeEvent(self, event):      # user clicked the x or pressed alt-F4...

    UI_VERSION = 1   # increment this whenever the UI changes significantly

    programname = os.path.basename(__file__)
    programbase, ext = os.path.splitext(programname)  # extract basename and ext from filename
    settings = QtCore.QSettings("company", programbase)    
    settings.setValue("geometry", self.saveGeometry())  # save window geometry
    settings.setValue("state", self.saveState(UI_VERSION))   # save settings (UI_VERSION is a constant you should increment when your UI changes significantly to prevent attempts to restore an invalid state.)

    # save ui values, so they can be restored next time
    settings.setValue("lineEditUser", self.lineEditUser.text());
    settings.setValue("lineEditPass", self.lineEditPass.text());

    settings.setValue("checkBoxReplace", self.checkBoxReplace.checkState());
    settings.setValue("checkBoxFirst", self.checkBoxFirst.checkState());

    settings.setValue("radioButton1", self.radioButton1.isChecked());

    sys.exit()  # prevents second call

My MainWindow init looks something like this:

def __init__(self, parent = None):
    # initialization of the superclass
    super(QtDesignerMainWindow, self).__init__(parent)
    # setup the GUI --> function generated by pyuic4
    self.setupUi(self)

    #---------------------------------------------
    # restore gui position and restore fields
    #---------------------------------------------

    UI_VERSION = 1

    settings = QtCore.QSettings("company", programbase)    # http://pyqt.sourceforge.net/Docs/PyQt4/pyqt_qsettings.html

    self.restoreGeometry(settings.value("geometry"))
    self.restoreState(settings.value("state"),UI_VERSION) 

    self.lineEditUser.setText(str(settings.value("lineEditUser")))  # restore lineEditFile
    self.lineEditPass.setText(str(settings.value("lineEditPass")))  # restore lineEditFile

    if settings.value("checkBoxReplace") != None:
        self.checkBoxReplace.setCheckState(settings.value("checkBoxReplace"))   # restore checkbox
    if settings.value("checkBoxFirst") != None:
        self.checkBoxFirst.setCheckState(settings.value("checkBoxFirst"))   # restore checkbox

    value = settings.value("radioButton1").toBool()
    self.ui.radioButton1.setChecked(value)

Answer 1

OK, I wrote a module with 2 functions to do what I was asking for. Not really that complicated, once I figured it out, but it sure does save a lot of time whenever you create new pyqt gui programs where you want to save widget field values between sessions. I currently only have lineEdit, checkBox and combobox fields coded. If anyone else wants to add or improve (e.g. radio buttons...etc) ... I'm sure others, including myself, will appreciate it.

#===================================================================
# Module with functions to save & restore qt widget values
# Written by: Alan Lilly 
# Website: http://panofish.net
#===================================================================

import sys
from PyQt4.QtCore import *
from PyQt4.QtGui import *
import inspect

#===================================================================
# save "ui" controls and values to registry "setting"
# currently only handles comboboxes editlines & checkboxes
# ui = qmainwindow object
# settings = qsettings object
#===================================================================

def guisave(ui, settings):

    #for child in ui.children():  # works like getmembers, but because it traverses the hierarachy, you would have to call guisave recursively to traverse down the tree

    for name, obj in inspect.getmembers(ui):
        #if type(obj) is QComboBox:  # this works similar to isinstance, but missed some field... not sure why?
        if isinstance(obj, QComboBox):
            name   = obj.objectName()      # get combobox name
            index  = obj.currentIndex()    # get current index from combobox
            text   = obj.itemText(index)   # get the text for current index
            settings.setValue(name, text)   # save combobox selection to registry

        if isinstance(obj, QLineEdit):
            name = obj.objectName()
            value = obj.text()
            settings.setValue(name, value)    # save ui values, so they can be restored next time

        if isinstance(obj, QCheckBox):
            name = obj.objectName()
            state = obj.checkState()
            settings.setValue(name, state)

#===================================================================
# restore "ui" controls with values stored in registry "settings"
# currently only handles comboboxes, editlines &checkboxes
# ui = QMainWindow object
# settings = QSettings object
#===================================================================

def guirestore(ui, settings):

    for name, obj in inspect.getmembers(ui):
        if isinstance(obj, QComboBox):
            index  = obj.currentIndex()    # get current region from combobox
            #text   = obj.itemText(index)   # get the text for new selected index
            name   = obj.objectName()

            value = unicode(settings.value(name))  

            if value == "":
                continue

            index = obj.findText(value)   # get the corresponding index for specified string in combobox

            if index == -1:  # add to list if not found
                obj.insertItems(0,[value])
                index = obj.findText(value)
                obj.setCurrentIndex(index)
            else:
                obj.setCurrentIndex(index)   # preselect a combobox value by index    

        if isinstance(obj, QLineEdit):
            name = obj.objectName()
            value = unicode(settings.value(name))  # get stored value from registry
            obj.setText(value)  # restore lineEditFile

        if isinstance(obj, QCheckBox):
            name = obj.objectName()
            value = settings.value(name)   # get stored value from registry
            if value != None:
                obj.setCheckState(value)   # restore checkbox

        #if isinstance(obj, QRadioButton):                

################################################################

if __name__ == "__main__":

    # execute when run directly, but not when called as a module.
    # therefore this section allows for testing this module!

    #print "running directly, not as a module!"

    sys.exit() 

Answer 2

Here's an updated snippet which originally shared by mr. Panofish. Those great functions are same, but now can be used on never versions of PyQt and Python with minor changes if needed. Thx mr. Panofish, long live OpenSource! :)

Changes:

• Updated for Python3 and PyQt5
• Added geometry save\restore
• Added QRadioButton save\restore

• SetCheckState() replcaed with SetChecked() in order to avoid tristate

  def guisave(self):
  
    # Save geometry
      self.settings.setValue('size', self.size())
      self.settings.setValue('pos', self.pos())
  
      for name, obj in inspect.getmembers(ui):
        # if type(obj) is QComboBox:  # this works similar to isinstance, but missed some field... not sure why?
        if isinstance(obj, QComboBox):
            name = obj.objectName()  # get combobox name
            index = obj.currentIndex()  # get current index from combobox
            text = obj.itemText(index)  # get the text for current index
            settings.setValue(name, text)  # save combobox selection to registry
  
        if isinstance(obj, QLineEdit):
            name = obj.objectName()
            value = obj.text()
            settings.setValue(name, value)  # save ui values, so they can be restored next time
  
        if isinstance(obj, QCheckBox):
            name = obj.objectName()
            state = obj.isChecked()
            settings.setValue(name, state)
  
        if isinstance(obj, QRadioButton):
            name = obj.objectName()
            value = obj.isChecked()  # get stored value from registry
            settings.setValue(name, value)
  
  
  def guirestore(self):
  
    # Restore geometry  
    self.resize(self.settings.value('size', QtCore.QSize(500, 500)))
    self.move(self.settings.value('pos', QtCore.QPoint(60, 60)))
  
    for name, obj in inspect.getmembers(ui):
        if isinstance(obj, QComboBox):
            index = obj.currentIndex()  # get current region from combobox
            # text   = obj.itemText(index)   # get the text for new selected index
            name = obj.objectName()
  
            value = (settings.value(name))
  
            if value == "":
                continue
  
            index = obj.findText(value)  # get the corresponding index for specified string in combobox
  
              if index == -1:  # add to list if not found
                  obj.insertItems(0, [value])
                  index = obj.findText(value)
                  obj.setCurrentIndex(index)
              else:
                  obj.setCurrentIndex(index)  # preselect a combobox value by index
  
        if isinstance(obj, QLineEdit):
            name = obj.objectName()
            value = (settings.value(name).decode('utf-8'))  # get stored value from registry
            obj.setText(value)  # restore lineEditFile
  
        if isinstance(obj, QCheckBox):
            name = obj.objectName()
            value = settings.value(name)  # get stored value from registry
            if value != None:
                obj.setChecked(strtobool(value))  # restore checkbox
  
        if isinstance(obj, QRadioButton):
           name = obj.objectName()
           value = settings.value(name)  # get stored value from registry
           if value != None:
               obj.setChecked(strtobool(value))
  

Answer 3

thank you Panofish and everyone i am adding some update for QSlider/QSpinBox. it's small and simple.

at guisave you can add :

if isinstance(obj, QSpinBox):
    name  = obj.objectName()
    value = obj.value()             # get stored value from registry
    settings.setValue(name, value)

if isinstance(obj, QSlider):
    name  = obj.objectName()
    value = obj.value()             # get stored value from registry
    settings.setValue(name, value)

at guirestore you can add :

if isinstance(obj, QSlider):
    name = obj.objectName()
    value = settings.value(name)    # get stored value from registry
    if value != None:           
        obj. setValue(int(value))   # restore value from registry

if isinstance(obj, QSpinBox):
    name = obj.objectName()
    value = settings.value(name)    # get stored value from registry
    if value != None:
        obj. setValue(int(value))   # restore value from registry