GCF Training Outline

Generic Component Framework (GCF) is a C++ framework for Qt applications. It can be used to build large scale, extensible and maintainable applications. GCF provides a ready-made application architecture that fosters the use of component programming. GCF training is designed for groups of developers from a company, interested in basing their applications on top of GCF.

• Duration: 2 days
• Pre-Requisites: Developer with sound knowledge of C++ Programming and with atleast one year of experience in Qt.

The following is the agenda for the 2 day training

1. Downloading and Compiling GCF.
2. Getting Started: Creating a new GCF application using CreateAppTemplate.
3. Coding conventions in GCF.
4. Composing components.
   1. The GCF::AbstractComponent class
   2. The GUIXML
5. Creating new components with CreateComponentTemplate
6. Creating user interfaces
   1. Adding menu items
   2. Adding toolbar items
   3. Connecting items to C++ code
   4. Sharing menu/toolbar items among components
   5. Adding widgets to the menu
   6. Associating open-url slots with menu/toolbar items
7. Using packaged components in GCF
   1. Using the Property Editor
   2. Using the Script Editor
8. Authoring components for external access
   1. Declaring interfaces
   2. Implementing interfaces
   3. Searching for interfaces
9. Remote Procedure Calls
   1. Exposing components for RPC
   2. Exposing objects for RPC
   3. Invoke methods on a remote object (residing in a remote GCF application)
   4. Local Signal to Remote Slot connections
   5. Security
10. Maintain your applications
    1. What are automatic updates
    2. How to create updates
    3. How to host updates in a central server
    4. How to enable GCF applications to download updates
    5. How GCF downloads and installs updates
11. Using ActiveX components in GCF
12. Case Study: How GCF is used in VTK Designer 2
    1. Survey of components in VTK Designer 2
    2. Survey of core system Interfaces in VTK Designer 2
    3. Using ComponentGen (based on CreateComponentTemplate) to create new components for VTK Designer 2
    4. Using VNFComponentGen to create new node-factory components for VTK Designer 2