Creating a QGIS Plugin - Revision history

MichaelWray at 21:40, 28 January 2023

2023-01-28T21:40:32Z

JohnFoster: /* Use Plugin Builder to Generate the Plugin Template */ fixed a typo

2021-10-20T15:33:20Z

Use Plugin Builder to Generate the Plugin Template: fixed a typo

JohnFoster: /* Use Plugin Builder to Generate the Plugin Template */ fixed a typo

2021-10-20T15:28:00Z

Use Plugin Builder to Generate the Plugin Template: fixed a typo

JohnFoster: /* Plugin Builder and Plugin Reloader */ fixed a typo

2021-10-20T15:26:46Z

Plugin Builder and Plugin Reloader: fixed a typo

Smitch: /* QGIS */

2021-10-12T21:17:18Z

QGIS

JohnFoster at 03:41, 2 October 2021

2021-10-02T03:41:58Z

JohnFoster at 03:21, 2 October 2021

2021-10-02T03:21:58Z

JohnFoster: /* Text Editor */

2021-10-02T03:20:36Z

Text Editor

JohnFoster at 03:19, 2 October 2021

2021-10-02T03:19:37Z

JohnFoster at 03:18, 2 October 2021

2021-10-02T03:18:32Z

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 == Disclaimer ==
-This tutorial assumes a basic knowledge of GIS environments and Python syntax. Originally authored by Michael Wray in 2019, the current version of this tutorial includes revisions made by John Foster in September, 2021. Please see the page history for the changelog.
+This tutorial assumes a basic knowledge of GIS environments and Python syntax. Originally authored by a student in 2019, the current version of this tutorial includes revisions made by John Foster in September, 2021. Please see the page history for the changelog.
 '''The following versions were used:'''

@@ Line 93: / Line 93: @@
 As mentioned, we will use Plugin Builder to generate a template for our plugin. Official documentation for the QGIS plugin can be found here: [https://g-sherman.github.io/Qgis-Plugin-Builder/ QGIS Plugin Builder].
-. Open QGIS and in the menu bar navigate to '''Plugins > Plugin Builder > Plugin Builder'''. The Plugin Builder dialog box should open. It is a "wizard" featuring a number of different screens.
+. Open QGIS and in the menu bar and navigate to '''Plugins > Plugin Builder > Plugin Builder'''. The Plugin Builder dialog box should open. It is a "wizard" featuring a number of different screens.
 . The various fields that need to be completed are quite self-explanatory but full details can be found in the official documentation. For this tutorial, make sure that '''Class name''', '''Plugin name''', and '''Module name''' are all written as shown in figure 1 - the other fields are less important.

@@ Line 91: / Line 91: @@
 === Use Plugin Builder to Generate the Plugin Template ===
-As mentioned, we will use Plugin Builder to generate a template for our plugin. Officialy documentation for the QGIS plugin can be found here: [https://g-sherman.github.io/Qgis-Plugin-Builder/ QGIS Plugin Builder].
+As mentioned, we will use Plugin Builder to generate a template for our plugin. Official documentation for the QGIS plugin can be found here: [https://g-sherman.github.io/Qgis-Plugin-Builder/ QGIS Plugin Builder].
 . Open QGIS and in the menu bar navigate to '''Plugins > Plugin Builder > Plugin Builder'''. The Plugin Builder dialog box should open. It is a "wizard" featuring a number of different screens.

@@ Line 71: / Line 71: @@
 # Open QGIS and navigate to '''Plugins > Manage and Install Plugins...'''
 # Select the '''All''' tab to search the plugin repository
-# Search for and install '''Plugin Builder 3''' and '''Plugin Reloaded'''
+# Search for and install '''Plugin Builder 3''' and '''Plugin Reloader'''
 Once installed they should both be immediately accessible through the '''Plugins''' menu.
 === Find Our QGIS User Profile Directory ===

@@ Line 43: / Line 43: @@
 ==== QGIS ====
-QGIS can be installed as a standalone application or through the OSGeo4W Network Installer. This OSGeo4W installer is the recommended installation for regular users and it contains the current ''latest release'' as well as the current ''long term release'' (LTR). Due to its stability and the availability of documentation the current LTR version of QGIS (QGIS 3.16.11) has been used in this tutorial. It is likely that these instructions will work for other QGIS installations but some steps may need to be modified.
+QGIS can be installed as a standalone application or, on Windows machines, through the OSGeo4W Network Installer. This OSGeo4W installer is the recommended installation for regular Windows users and it contains the current ''latest release'' as well as the current ''long term release'' (LTR). Due to its stability and the availability of documentation the current LTR version of QGIS (QGIS 3.16.11) has been used in this tutorial. It is likely that these instructions will work for other QGIS installations but some steps may need to be modified.
 ;Please refer to the following page for download and installation instructions : [https://qgis.org/en/site/forusers/download.html Download QGIS for your platform].
 ==== QT Designer ====

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-Installation:
+'''Installation:'''
 # Open QGIS and navigate to '''Plugins > Manage and Install Plugins...'''
 # Select the '''All''' tab to search the plugin repository
@@ Line 94: / Line 94: @@
 As mentioned, we will use Plugin Builder to generate a template for our plugin. Officialy documentation for the QGIS plugin can be found here: [https://g-sherman.github.io/Qgis-Plugin-Builder/ QGIS Plugin Builder].
 . Open QGIS and in the menu bar navigate to '''Plugins > Plugin Builder > Plugin Builder'''. The Plugin Builder dialog box should open. It is a "wizard" featuring a number of different screens.
@@ Line 123: / Line 122: @@
-. On this last screen we need to select the output directory for the plugin template files. We can either save them to a temporary directory and then move them later, or we can generate them in the correct place right away. Let's go with the latter option. In Plugin Builder, copy and paste the path to the plugins directory which we determined in [[#2) Find Our QGIS User Profile Directory | earlier]]. Click '''Generate''' when ready.
+. On this last screen we need to select the output directory for the plugin template files. We can either save them to a temporary directory and then move them later, or we can generate them in the correct place right away. Let's go with the latter option. In Plugin Builder, copy and paste the path to the plugins directory which we determined [[#2) Find Our QGIS User Profile Directory | earlier]]. Click '''Generate''' when ready.
 [[File:Jf_plugin_builder_6.png|Generate the plugin template.]]
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 . Opening Display Info will now show our updated user interface but none of the widgets will actually do anything until we introduce our Python script to the template. That will come next.
@@ Line 231: / Line 229: @@
 [[File:Jf_output_test.png|Display Info's text file output for a layer of the City of Ottawa's wards.]]
 == Conclusion ==
-In this tutorial we have worked through the steps required to generate a plugin template in QGIS and then assign some basic functionality to it. By using Plugin Builder plugin, QT Designer, and Python it was relatively straightforward to create a working plugin for QGIS. While we did not share Display Info to the to public QGIS repository  The opportunties afforded by QGIS' open-source nature make it possible for users to contribute new plug
+In this tutorial we have worked through the steps required to generate a plugin template in QGIS and then assign some basic functionality to it. By using Plugin Builder plugin, QT Designer, and Python it was relatively straightforward to create a working plugin for QGIS. Please check the resrouces section below for some essential links. A wealth of other resources can also be found online, including guides on how to make the other type of QGIS plugins, such as a processing plugin.
 == Resources ==
@@ Line 244: / Line 244: @@
 * [https://gis-ops.com/qgis-3-plugin-tutorial-qt-designer-explained/ QT Designer Explained]
 * [https://gis-ops.com/qgis-3-plugin-tutorial-set-up-a-plugin-repository-explained/ Set Up a Plugin Repository Explained]

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:21, 2 October 2021
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	; Download and installation instructions for Microsoft Visual Studio Code can be found here : [https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/ Visual Studio Code - Getting Started]		; Download and installation instructions for Microsoft Visual Studio Code can be found here : [https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/ Visual Studio Code - Getting Started]


	==== Plugin Builder and Plugin Reloader ====		==== Plugin Builder and Plugin Reloader ====

@@ Line 59: / Line 59: @@
 A text editor is required to make changes to the plugin's Python source code. Notepad, IDLE, or a full fledged editor such as Microsoft Visual Studio Code will all suffice.
-Download and installation instructions for Microsoft Visual Studio Code can be found here:
+; Download and installation instructions for Microsoft Visual Studio Code can be found here : [https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/ Visual Studio Code - Getting Started]
-* [https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/ Visual Studio Code - Getting Started]
 ==== Plugin Builder and Plugin Reloader ====

@@ Line 44: / Line 44: @@
 ==== QGIS ====
 QGIS can be installed as a standalone application or through the OSGeo4W Network Installer. This OSGeo4W installer is the recommended installation for regular users and it contains the current ''latest release'' as well as the current ''long term release'' (LTR). Due to its stability and the availability of documentation the current LTR version of QGIS (QGIS 3.16.11) has been used in this tutorial. It is likely that these instructions will work for other QGIS installations but some steps may need to be modified.
 ;Please refer to the following page for download and installation instructions : [https://qgis.org/en/site/forusers/download.html Download QGIS for your platform].
@@ Line 52: / Line 51: @@
 QGIS was developed using the QT toolkit to create its graphical user interfaces. QT Designer is an application that is used to design these interfaces and comes packaged with QGIS installers. Depending on how you installed QGIS you can find QT Designer in the following locations:
+; Standalone installation : <code>C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.16.11\apps\qt5\bin\designer.exe</code>
-* Standalone installation:
+; OSGeo4W installation : <code>C:\OSGeo4W\apps\Qt5\bin\designer.exe</code>
-    C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.16.11\apps\qt5\bin\designer.exe
-* OSGeo4W installation:
-    C:\OSGeo4W\apps\Qt5\bin\designer.exe

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
-In this tutorial we will work through the process of creating a simple '''Tool button with dialog''' plugin called DisplayInfo. While the functionality of the plugin itself is quite limited (it writes a layer's file path, extent, and coordinate reference system to a text file), following the steps in this guide will provide a starting point for development of more advanced Python plugins. Provided we don't run into any serious hurdles it should take about 1-2 hours to complete all the steps.
+In this tutorial we will work through the process of creating a simple '''Tool button with dialog''' plugin called Display Info. While the functionality of the plugin itself is quite limited (it writes a layer's file path, extent, and coordinate reference system to a text file), following the steps in this guide will provide a starting point for development of more advanced Python plugins. Provided we don't run into any serious hurdles it should take about 1-2 hours to complete all the steps.
 Please note that this is not a guide to the process of writting Python code for your own plugin, nor does it include complete instructions on the use of QT Designer. What it does attempt to accomplish is to demonstrate the various steps necessary to generate a plugin template, create a simple user interface, and point out where to insert the necessary Python code.
@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 === Install Required Software ===
-If you are reading this tutorial you are likely already a QGIS user and have some or all of the required software. To ensure we are on the same page, here are the software requirements for this tutorial.
+If you are reading this tutorial you are likely already a QGIS user and have some or all of the required software. To ensure we are on the same page, here are the software requirements:
@@ Line 46: / Line 46: @@
-Please refer to the following page for download and installation instructions:
+;Please refer to the following page for download and installation instructions : [https://qgis.org/en/site/forusers/download.html Download QGIS for your platform].
-* [https://qgis.org/en/site/forusers/download.html Download QGIS for your platform].