ekke’s mobile business apps (Qt 6: Android, iOS)

All about ekke’s mobile business apps for Android and iOS, developed using Qt 6.6+

Please take a look at ekke’s blog about Qt 5 development here.

Personal blog and informations can be found at ekkes-corner.

ekke started as a programmer in 1978 (Assembler, COBOL).

ekke’s focus last years is on mobile app development. ekke started mobile dev in 2010 with BlackBerry OS 6/7 (Micro Java), followed by BlackBerry 10 (Cascades UI, Qt 4.8).

As BlackBerry dropped BB10, ekke started 2016 development using Qt 5 (C++, QML and QtQuickControls2 from the beginning), followed by Qt 6 in 2023 and together with CMake since 2024.

(some of) ekke’s apps

• Outpatient and inpatient care apps
• Electrically operated slatted frames for beds – app helps sales staff adjust the frames with motors (BT LE)
• Clothing retail: Employee time control – using BT LE Beacons to verify location
• Large energy supplier: DropBox-like app to give enterprise employees access to shared network drives, SharePoints… and download files to mobile or upload to server
• Plant Wholesale: some apps with BT LE barcode scanner for barcode checking, receiving, packing lists, goods dispatch, quality control at gardeners, inventory, … Android phones in landscape mode on arm and barcode finger scanner to have hands free to work, picking app with Apple 13″ iPad pro attached to electric trolley
• Time recording on construction sites
• Conference apps, per ex QtWS

ekke – young and now 😉

  

Qt 6

Since 2020 Qt is working on Qt 6 and now it’s a good time to port all mobile apps from Qt 5.15 to Qt 6.6+. This is not an easy step, because API was changed, many deprecations, new QML Compiler, new Build System and much more.

This blog here at ekkes-apps.org will talk about the travel from Qt5.15 to Qt 6.6+ and also about first steps as a mobile developer with Qt 6.6+

You are new to mobile Apps with Qt ? Then this blog is also for your – I’m always explaining from the beginning. See all the details in the Menus.

• From Qt 5.15 to Qt 6.6
• Move current apps to Qt 5.15, do some refactorings and preparations for Qt 6
• Make all projects run and deploy under Qt 6.6, using qmake Build System
• Switch to CMake Build System – again make all run and deploy
• Refactor / restructure apps (C++/QML modules, new QML compiler
• Have to rework all my example apps and the conference app
• Expect most things done for Release of Qt 6.8 (end of september 2024)

Goal

• Provide documentation HowTo transform Android/iOS apps from Qt 5 to Qt 6.
• Trying to understand how CMake is working 😉
• Find out HowTo get the best from new QML compilers.
• Rework my Eclipse Xtext/Xtend based C++ Sourcecode Generator for QObject* (Entities, DTOs).
• And most important: motivate other mobile devs to try out mobile development with Qt 6.
• Help developers to start with Qt for mobile app development.
  • There will be some small example apps to learn step by step.
  • BT LE example app to scan for devices and communicate
  • Also QtWS Conference App as a more complex one.
• Hopefully having stable solutions with Qt 6.8 (end of sep 2024)

Stay tuned…

Quick Jump ?

• You already have ported your Apps to Qt 5.15 ?
• You have installed Qt 6.6 (ATM one of the Beta Releases) ?

You can directly start with:

–> ekke’s CHECKLIST Qt 6.6 <–

Notes

Articles at ekkes-apps.org reflect subjective experiences while transforming ekke’s Apps from Qt 5.15.14 to Qt 6.6. ekke’s Apps are mobile Business Apps for Android and iOS to be installed in-house using MDM (Mobile Device Management) or Google Play Store / Apple App Store.

Besides core functionality ekke’s Apps cover BT LE (for Barcode Sanner and more), Sharing with / from other Apps, Network / REST APIs, Calendar and more.

ekke’s Apps arer all styled with Material. For business Apps it’s important that Apps look the same, doesn’t matter if Android or iOS. Then it’s easier per ex for Enterprise HelpDesk to support their users.

Maybe your Features / Frameworks from Qt are not used in ekke’s business Apps and you have to figure out what steps are needed to fix deprecations or API changes.

ekke’s development is done on macOS as host targeting Android from API 23 to 33 for v7, v8a, X86_64 archs and iOS 14+ – so no experiences yet on Windows or Linux as host.

Articles are all and can be changed every day or night 😉 … will blog or tweet (X) about important features / milestones / success and open issues …

Hope some of you like my blog series about my travel from Qt 5.15 to Qt 6.6+.

Have fun !

ekke – 2023…2024