QMdiArea¶

The QMdiArea widget provides an area in which MDI windows are displayed. More…

Inheritance diagram of PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea

Synopsis¶

Functions¶

Slots¶

Signals¶

Detailed Description¶

QMdiArea functions, essentially, like a window manager for MDI windows. For instance, it draws the windows it manages on itself and arranges them in a cascading or tile pattern. QMdiArea is commonly used as the center widget in a QMainWindow to create MDI applications, but can also be placed in any layout. The following code adds an area to a main window:

QMainWindow *mainWindow = new QMainWindow;
mainWindow->setCentralWidget(mdiArea);

Unlike the window managers for top-level windows, all window flags ( WindowFlags ) are supported by QMdiArea as long as the flags are supported by the current widget style. If a specific flag is not supported by the style (e.g., the WindowShadeButtonHint ), you can still shade the window with showShaded().

Subwindows in QMdiArea are instances of QMdiSubWindow . They are added to an MDI area with addSubWindow() . It is common to pass a QWidget , which is set as the internal widget, to this function, but it is also possible to pass a QMdiSubWindow directly.The class inherits QWidget , and you can use the same API as with a normal top-level window when programming. QMdiSubWindow also has behavior that is specific to MDI windows. See the QMdiSubWindow class description for more details.

A subwindow becomes active when it gets the keyboard focus, or when setFocus() is called. The user activates a window by moving focus in the usual ways. The MDI area emits the subWindowActivated() signal when the active window changes, and the activeSubWindow() function returns the active subwindow.

The convenience function subWindowList() returns a list of all subwindows. This information could be used in a popup menu containing a list of windows, for example.

The subwindows are sorted by the current WindowOrder . This is used for the subWindowList() and for activateNextSubWindow() and activatePreviousSubWindow() . Also, it is used when cascading or tiling the windows with cascadeSubWindows() and tileSubWindows() .

QMdiArea provides two built-in layout strategies for subwindows: cascadeSubWindows() and tileSubWindows() . Both are slots and are easily connected to menu entries.

mdi-cascade1

mdi-tile2

Note

The default scroll bar property for QMdiArea is ScrollBarAlwaysOff .

See also

QMdiSubWindow

class PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea([parent=None])¶

Constructs an empty mdi area. parent is passed to QWidget ‘s constructor.

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.AreaOption¶

This enum describes options that customize the behavior of the QMdiArea .

Constant

Description

QMdiArea.DontMaximizeSubWindowOnActivation

When the active subwindow is maximized, the default behavior is to maximize the next subwindow that is activated. Set this option if you do not want this behavior.
PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.WindowOrder¶

Specifies the criteria to use for ordering the list of child windows returned by subWindowList() . The functions cascadeSubWindows() and tileSubWindows() follow this order when arranging the windows.

Constant

Description

QMdiArea.CreationOrder

The windows are returned in the order of their creation.

QMdiArea.StackingOrder

The windows are returned in the order in which they are stacked, with the top-most window being last in the list.

QMdiArea.ActivationHistoryOrder

The windows are returned in the order in which they were activated.

See also

subWindowList()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.ViewMode¶

This enum describes the view mode of the area; i.e. how sub-windows will be displayed.

Constant

Description

QMdiArea.SubWindowView

Display sub-windows with window frames (default).

QMdiArea.TabbedView

Display sub-windows with tabs in a tab bar.

See also

setViewMode()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.activateNextSubWindow()¶

Gives the keyboard focus to another window in the list of child windows. The window activated will be the next one determined by the current activation order .

See also

activatePreviousSubWindow() WindowOrder

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.activatePreviousSubWindow()¶

Gives the keyboard focus to another window in the list of child windows. The window activated will be the previous one determined by the current activation order .

See also

activateNextSubWindow() WindowOrder

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.activationOrder()¶
Return type:

WindowOrder

This property holds the ordering criteria for subwindow lists.

This property specifies the ordering criteria for the list of subwindows returned by subWindowList() . By default, it is the window creation order.

See also

subWindowList()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.activeSubWindow()¶
Return type:

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiSubWindow

Returns a pointer to the current active subwindow. If no window is currently active, None is returned.

Subwindows are treated as top-level windows with respect to window state, i.e., if a widget outside the MDI area is the active window, no subwindow will be active. Note that if a widget in the window in which the MDI area lives gains focus, the window will be activated.

See also

setActiveSubWindow() WindowState

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.addSubWindow(widget[, flags=Qt.WindowFlags()])¶
Parameters:
Return type:

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiSubWindow

Adds widget as a new subwindow to the MDI area. If windowFlags are non-zero, they will override the flags set on the widget.

The widget can be either a QMdiSubWindow or another QWidget (in which case the MDI area will create a subwindow and set the widget as the internal widget).

Note

Once the subwindow has been added, its parent will be the viewport widget of the QMdiArea .

QMdiArea mdiArea;
QMdiSubWindow *subWindow1 = new QMdiSubWindow;
subWindow1->setWidget(internalWidget1);
subWindow1->setAttribute(Qt::WA_DeleteOnClose);
mdiArea.addSubWindow(subWindow1);

QMdiSubWindow *subWindow2 =
    mdiArea.addSubWindow(internalWidget2);

When you create your own subwindow, you must set the WA_DeleteOnClose widget attribute if you want the window to be deleted when closed in the MDI area. If not, the window will be hidden and the MDI area will not activate the next subwindow.

Returns the QMdiSubWindow that is added to the MDI area.

See also

removeSubWindow()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.background()¶
Return type:

PySide2.QtGui.QBrush

This property holds the background brush for the workspace.

This property sets the background brush for the workspace area itself. By default, it is a gray color, but can be any brush (e.g., colors, gradients or pixmaps).

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.cascadeSubWindows()¶

Arranges all the child windows in a cascade pattern.

See also

tileSubWindows()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.closeActiveSubWindow()¶

Closes the active subwindow.

See also

closeAllSubWindows()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.closeAllSubWindows()¶

Closes all subwindows by sending a QCloseEvent to each window. You may receive subWindowActivated() signals from subwindows before they are closed (if the MDI area activates the subwindow when another is closing).

Subwindows that ignore the close event will remain open.

See also

closeActiveSubWindow()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.currentSubWindow()¶
Return type:

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiSubWindow

Returns a pointer to the current subwindow, or None if there is no current subwindow.

This function will return the same as activeSubWindow() if the QApplication containing QMdiArea is active.

See also

activeSubWindow() activeWindow()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.documentMode()¶
Return type:

bool

This property holds whether the tab bar is set to document mode in tabbed view mode..

Document mode is disabled by default.

See also

documentMode setViewMode()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.removeSubWindow(widget)¶
Parameters:

widget – PySide2.QtWidgets.QWidget

Removes widget from the MDI area. The widget must be either a QMdiSubWindow or a widget that is the internal widget of a subwindow. Note widget is never actually deleted by QMdiArea . If a QMdiSubWindow is passed in, its parent is set to None and it is removed; but if an internal widget is passed in, the child widget is set to None and the QMdiSubWindow is not removed.

See also

addSubWindow()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.setActivationOrder(order)¶
Parameters:

order – WindowOrder

This property holds the ordering criteria for subwindow lists.

This property specifies the ordering criteria for the list of subwindows returned by subWindowList() . By default, it is the window creation order.

See also

subWindowList()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.setActiveSubWindow(window)¶
Parameters:

window – PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiSubWindow

Activates the subwindow window . If window is None , any current active window is deactivated.

See also

activeSubWindow()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.setBackground(background)¶
Parameters:

background – PySide2.QtGui.QBrush

This property holds the background brush for the workspace.

This property sets the background brush for the workspace area itself. By default, it is a gray color, but can be any brush (e.g., colors, gradients or pixmaps).

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.setDocumentMode(enabled)¶
Parameters:

enabled – bool

This property holds whether the tab bar is set to document mode in tabbed view mode..

Document mode is disabled by default.

See also

documentMode setViewMode()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.setOption(option[, on=true])¶
Parameters:

If on is true, option is enabled on the MDI area; otherwise it is disabled. See AreaOption for the effect of each option.

See also

AreaOption testOption()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.setTabPosition(position)¶
Parameters:

position – TabPosition

This property holds the position of the tabs in tabbed view mode..

Possible values for this property are described by the TabPosition enum.

See also

TabPosition setViewMode()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.setTabShape(shape)¶
Parameters:

shape – TabShape

This property holds the shape of the tabs in tabbed view mode..

Possible values for this property are Rounded (default) or Triangular .

See also

TabShape setViewMode()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.setTabsClosable(closable)¶
Parameters:

closable – bool

This property holds whether the tab bar should place close buttons on each tab in tabbed view mode..

Tabs are not closable by default.

See also

tabsClosable setViewMode()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.setTabsMovable(movable)¶
Parameters:

movable – bool

This property holds whether the user can move the tabs within the tabbar area in tabbed view mode..

Tabs are not movable by default.

See also

movable setViewMode()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.setViewMode(mode)¶
Parameters:

mode – ViewMode

This property holds the way sub-windows are displayed in the QMdiArea ..

By default, the SubWindowView is used to display sub-windows.

See also

ViewMode setTabShape() setTabPosition()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.subWindowActivated(arg__1)¶
Parameters:

arg__1 – PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiSubWindow

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.subWindowList([order=CreationOrder])¶
Parameters:

order – WindowOrder

Return type:

Returns a list of all subwindows in the MDI area. If order is CreationOrder (the default), the windows are sorted in the order in which they were inserted into the workspace. If order is StackingOrder , the windows are listed in their stacking order, with the topmost window as the last item in the list. If order is ActivationHistoryOrder , the windows are listed according to their recent activation history.

See also

WindowOrder

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.tabPosition()¶
Return type:

TabPosition

This property holds the position of the tabs in tabbed view mode..

Possible values for this property are described by the TabPosition enum.

See also

TabPosition setViewMode()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.tabShape()¶
Return type:

TabShape

This property holds the shape of the tabs in tabbed view mode..

Possible values for this property are Rounded (default) or Triangular .

See also

TabShape setViewMode()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.tabsClosable()¶
Return type:

bool

This property holds whether the tab bar should place close buttons on each tab in tabbed view mode..

Tabs are not closable by default.

See also

tabsClosable setViewMode()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.tabsMovable()¶
Return type:

bool

This property holds whether the user can move the tabs within the tabbar area in tabbed view mode..

Tabs are not movable by default.

See also

movable setViewMode()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.testOption(opton)¶
Parameters:

opton – AreaOption

Return type:

bool

Returns true if option is enabled; otherwise returns false .

See also

AreaOption setOption()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.tileSubWindows()¶

Arranges all child windows in a tile pattern.

See also

cascadeSubWindows()

PySide2.QtWidgets.QMdiArea.viewMode()¶
Return type:

ViewMode

This property holds the way sub-windows are displayed in the QMdiArea ..

By default, the SubWindowView is used to display sub-windows.

See also

ViewMode setTabShape() setTabPosition()