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Navigating Around Your Code with Locator

With Qt Creator, navigating to different locations in your project or on your disk, e.g., files, classes, methods, etc., is simple using Locator -- a smart line edit at the bottom left in Qt Creator window.

For example, to open your project's main.cpp file:

1. Click on Locator or press Ctrl+K (Mac OS X: Cmd+K).
2. Type in the file name.
3. Press Return.

The file opens in the editor.

You can also type part of a file name and use the wildcard characters * and ? to match any number of any characters. A list of files matching your criteria is displayed.

Locator allows you to navigate files both on disk and in other "locations", which are organized with Filters. There are filters for:

• Files anywhere on your hard disk (browsing through the file system)
• Files from a subdirectory structure defined by you
• Files mentioned in your .pro files, such as source, header resource, and .ui files
• Any open document
• Class and method definitions in your project or anywhere referenced from your project
• Help topics, including Qt's documentation
• Specific line in the document displayed on your editor

Some of these filters require you to activate them by typing an assigned prefix. This prefix is usually a single character followed by Space. For example, to jump to the definition of the class QDataStream, activate Locator. Then type a colon (:) followed by a Space and the class name.

Below is a full list of QDataStream related output:

Filters can be added to provide quick navigation around files in a subdirectory structure defined by you. This way, you can acccess files you need that are not directly mentioned in your project.

1. Click the button

   

2. Select Configure... from the menu displayed:

   

3. To create a new filter, select Add from the Configure... dialog (Options on Mac Os X).
4. In the Filter Configuration dialog below:
   • Give your filter a name.
   • Select your preferred directories.
   • Set file patterns with a comma separated list.
   • Specify a prefix string.

   

5. Close the dialog.

Locator searches the directories you selected for files matching your file patterns. Information is cached. To update the cached information:

1. Click the button

   

2. Select Refresh.

The following table lists available filters:

Note: By default, if you press Ctrl+K and do not use a prefix to specify a filter, three filters are enabled: o, l, and a.

Note: On Mac OS X, press Cmd+K instead of Ctrl+K.

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