qwtchangelog(3) Qwt User's Guide qwtchangelog(3)

qwtchangelog - What's new in Qwt 6.1

QwtScaleTransformation has been replaced by QwtTransform and its derived classes:

Individual transformations ( f.e. different scaling for special sections ) can be implemented by overloading QwtTransform ( see playground/scaleengine ).

QwtLinearScaleEngine and QwtLogScaleEngine are not limited to base 10 anymore.

A set of a new classes for displaying datetime values:

  • QwtDate
    A collection of methods to convert between QDateTime and doubles
  • QwtDateScaleEngine
    A scale engine that aligns and finds ticks in terms of datetime units.
  • QwtDateScaleDraw
    A scale draw mapping values to datetime strings.

Scales for Qt::UTC and Qt::LocalTime are supported.

Many parts of the class design of the dial and meter widgets were left over from the 90s ( Qwt 0.2, Qt 1.1 ).

The derivation tree is simpler and more logical:

QwtDoubleRange has been removed.

All classes use the terminology known from QAbstractSlider - as far as possible. The extended system for scales is completely supported.

QwtPlotGLCanvas offers the option to draw plot items using an OpenGL paint engine ( QPaintEngine::OpenGL/OpenGL2 ), This is not what could be implemented with native OpenGL, but it offers hardware acceleration in environments, where the raster paint engine is the only option. ( f.e Qt4/Windows, or Qt5 on all platforms ).

QwtPlotGLCanvas is in an experimental state and is not recommended for average use cases.

QwtLegend has been decoupled from QwtPlot and can be replaced by application specific implementations. Plot items and the legend exchange the information using QwtLegendData.

QwtPlotLegendItem is a new plot item that displays a legend on the plot canvas.

The following examples demonstrate how to use the new system:

QwtGraphic can be copied like QImage or QPixmap but is scalable like QSvgGenerator. It is implemented as a record/replay paint device like QPicture.

QwtWidgetOverlay is a base class for implementing widget overlays - primarily used for use cases like graphical editors or running cursors for the plot canvas.

The following examples show how to use overlays:

QwtPicker ( -> QwtPlotPicker, QwtPlotZoomer ) internally uses QwtWidgetOverlay now, making it easier to implement individual rubber bands.

New symbol types have been introduced:

QwtSymbol autodetect the most performant paint strategy for a paint device what is in most situations using a QPixmap cache.

QwtSymbol::setPinPoint() allows one to align the symbol individually, f.e to the position of the peak of an arrow.

Some optimizations that got lost with introducing the floating point based render code with Qwt 6.0 have been reenabled. Other specific optimizations have been added.

New paint attributes:

QwtPlotCurve::CacheSymbols has been removed, as caching is implemented in QwtSymbol now.
QwtPlotCurve::drawLines(), QwtPlotCurve::drawDots(), QwtPlotCurve::drawSteps() and QwtPlotCurve::drawSticks() are virtual now.

A footer similar to a title has been added.

QwtPlot::ExternalLegend is obsolete with the new system for legends. The signals QwtPlot::legendClicked(), QwtPlot::legendChecked() have been removed. Applications need to connect to QwtLegend::clicked() and QwtLegend::checked().

To support using an OpenGL canvas QwtPlot::setCanvas has been added. This has 2 important implications for the application code:

The initialization of a plot canvas with Qwt 6.1 will probably look like this:

QwtPlotCanvas* canvas = new QwtPlotCanvas();
canvas->setXY( ... );
...
plot->setCanvas( canvas );

To have a consistent API QwtPlot::setPlotLayout() has been added,

The following methods have been added:

  • QwtScaleDiv::inverted()
  • QwtScaleDiv::bounded()
  • QwtScaleDiv::isEmpty()
  • QwtScaleDiv::isIncreasing()
  • QDebug operator

The following methods have been removed:

•
QwtScaleDiv::isValid(), QwtScaleDiv::invalidate()
The valid state was left over from early Qwt versions indicating a state of the autoscaler.

The following methods have been added:

  • QwtScaleEngine::setBase()
  • QwtScaleEngine::setTransformation()

The following flags have been added:

  • QwtPlotLayout::IgnoreTitle
  • QwtPlotLayout::IgnoreFooter
  • QwtPlotLayout::setAlignCanvasToScale()

Rounded borders ( like with style sheets ) can configured using QwtPlotCanvas::setBorderRadius();

  • QwtWeedingCurveFitter
    QwtWeedingCurveFitter::setChunkSize() has been added, with drastic performance improvements for huge sets of points.
  • QwtPlotRenderer The frame of the plot canvas can be rendered, what makes the result even closer to WYSWYG. QwtPlotRenderer::exportTo() has been added.
  • QwtSystemClock For Qt >= 4.9 QwtSystemClock uses QElapsedTimer internally. As it doesn't support a similar feature, QwtSystemClock::precision() has been removed.
  • QwtPlotAbstractSeriesItem
    QwtPlotAbstractSeriesItem has been split into QwtPlotSeriesItem and QwtPlotAbstractSeriesStore.
  • QwtText
    A metatype declaration has been added, so that QwtText can be used with QVariant.
  • QwtEventPattern, QwtPanner, QwtMagnifier
    Forgotten Qt3 leftovers have been fixed: int -> Qt::KeyboardModifiers
  • QPen Qt5/Qt4 incompatibility The default pen width for Qt5 is 1, what makes it a non cosmetic. To hide this nasty incompatibility several setPen() methods have been added the build pens with a width 0. See QPen::isCosmetic(),
  • qwtUpperSampleIndex()
    A binary search algorithm for sorted samples
  • QwtMatrixRasterData QwtMatrixRasterData::setValue() has been added
  • QwtPicker QwtPicker::rubberBandWidget(), QwtPicker::trackerWidget() have been replaced by QwtPicker::rubberBandOverlay(), QwtPicker::trackerOverlay(). QwtPicker::rubberBandMask() has been added. QwtPicker::pickRect() has been replaced by QwtPicker::pickArea()
  • QwtPlotItem QwtPlotItem::ItemInterest has been added. QwtPlotItem::setRenderThreadCount() was shifted from QwtPlotRasterItem.
  • ...

Wed Jan 2 2019 Version 6.1.4