View source for How to use Share API in macOS and Qt Quick

{{Cleanup | reason=Auto-imported from ExpressionEngine.}}


Hi everyone!

In this article I've tried to explain how to use macOS Share API in your Qt Quick app. Share API was implemented in OS X Yosemite (v10.10).

As you know all frameworks in macOS which you could use in your application created with Objective-C/C+''. That's why you can't use framework in your C''+ classes. You need to rename your .cpp file to .mm and then you can call Objective-C code. But sometimes you need to call methods with arguments with Objective-C. As you know in .h file you can't call Objective-C code. You must create Objective-C class which will call all needed methods to work with target framework.

= Classes with Share API support. =

First you need to create class with all methods in Objective-C/C++ to use Share API. To do this you need follow a few steps:
# Create a new class and rename .cpp file to .mm.
# Add .h file to .pro of your project in section "OBJECTIVE_HEADERS" and .mm to "OBJECTIVE_SOURCES".
# Change .h file content to this code:
<code>#ifdef __cplusplus
extern "C" {
#endif

#import <Foundation/Foundation.h>
#import <Social/Social.h>

/** </code>typedef QfSharePickerItemClicked
 * <code>param sharingService Selected type of sharing.
 * </code>author Andrew Shapovelov*/
typedef void(<sup>QfSharePickerItemClicked)(NSSharingService* sharingService);


/** <code>class QfSharePicker
 * </code>brief Object to show share menu.
 * <code>author Andrew Shapovalov*/
</code>interface QfSharePicker : NSObject

/** <code>brief Create a new object.
 * </code>param view View on what will show share menu.
 * <code>param frame Rect to show share window.
 * </code>param datas Datas items to share.
 * <code>param block Block of code to select item.
 * </code>author Andrew Shapovalov*/
- (instancetype)initWithView:(NSView*)view frame:(NSRect)frame datasArray:(NSArray*)datas onItemClicked:(QfSharePickerItemClicked)block;

<code>end

#ifdef __cplusplus
}
#endif
</code>
# Change .mm file content to this code:
<code>
#import "qfsharepicker.h"
#include <QtCore>

/** </code>brief The private methods and properties of QfSharePicker class.
 * <code>author Andrew Shapovalov*/
</code>interface QfSharePicker () <NSSharingServicePickerDelegate, NSSharingServiceDelegate>

/** Sharing service picker.*/
<code>property (nonatomic, retain) NSSharingServicePicker''' picker;

/** Block of code to select item.*/
</code>property (nonatomic, copy) QfSharePickerItemClicked onItemClicked;

<code>end


</code>implementation QfSharePicker

#pragma mark - Init methods

- (instancetype)initWithView:(NSView''')view frame:(NSRect)frame datasArray:(NSArray*)datas onItemClicked:(QfSharePickerItemClicked)block
{
 self = [super init];

 if(self)
 {
 self.onItemClicked = block;
 self.picker = [[NSSharingServicePicker alloc] initWithItems: datas];
 self.picker.delegate = self;
 [self.picker showRelativeToRect:frame ofView:view preferredEdge:NSMinXEdge];
 }

 return self;
}


#pragma mark - NSSharingServicePickerDelegate methods

- (void)sharingServicePicker:(NSSharingServicePicker ''')sharingServicePicker didChooseSharingService:(NSSharingService''')service
{
 if(self.picker == sharingServicePicker)
 {
 if(self.onItemClicked)
 {
 self.onItemClicked(service);
 }
 }
}

- (id <NSSharingServiceDelegate>)sharingServicePicker:(NSSharingServicePicker ''')sharingServicePicker delegateForSharingService:(NSSharingService''')sharingService
{
 Q_UNUSED(sharingService);

 if(self.picker == sharingServicePicker)
 {
 }

 return self;
}

#pragma mark - NSSharingServiceDelegate methods

- (void)sharingService:(NSSharingService ''')sharingService willShareItems:(NSArray''')items
{
 Q_UNUSED(sharingService);
 Q_UNUSED(items);

 //Some code here
}

- (void)sharingService:(NSSharingService ''')sharingService didFailToShareItems:(NSArray''')items error:(NSError ''')error
{
 Q_UNUSED(sharingService);
 Q_UNUSED(items);
 Q_UNUSED(error);

 //Some code here
}

- (void)sharingService:(NSSharingService''')sharingService didShareItems:(NSArray ''')items
{
 Q_UNUSED(sharingService);
 Q_UNUSED(items);

 //Some code here
}

#pragma mark - Clear memory

- (void)dealloc
{
 [super dealloc];

 [self.picker autorelease];
 [self.onItemClicked release];
 self.onItemClicked = nil;
}

<code>end
</code>
p. More information you can find in official Apple [https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/DOCUMENTATION/AppKit/Reference/NSSharingServicePicker_Class/index.html documentation]. And you need to see information about class [https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/DOCUMENTATION/AppKit/Reference/NSSharingServicePickerDelegate_Protocol/index.html#//apple_ref/occ/intf/NSSharingServicePickerDelegate NSSharingServicePickerDelegate].

= Create QtQuick Item to use Share API from App. =
p. Second class which you need to create is a class to call from C+''. This class will call Objective-C/C. To do this you need follow a few steps:
# Create a new C''+ class.
# Rename .cpp file to .mm and added it to "OBJECTIVE_SOURCES".
# Change .h file content to code:
<code>

#include <QtCore>
#include <QtQuick>

/'''* </code>class QfShareItem
 * <code>brief Manager to use share logic.
 * </code>author Andrew Shapovalov*/
class QfShareItem : public QQuickPaintedItem
{
 Q_OBJECT
 Q_PROPERTY(QString shareString READ getShareString WRITE setShareString NOTIFY shareStringChanged)
 Q_PROPERTY(QUrl shareUrl READ getShareUrl WRITE setShareUrl NOTIFY shareUrlChanged)

 private:
 /** The share string info.*/
 QString m_shareString;

 /'''* The share link.*/
 QUrl m_shareUrl;

 /'''* <code>brief Strip all HTML tags from string.
 * </code>param body The source string.
 * <code>return Plain text.
 * </code>author Andrew Shapovalov*/
 QString stripHTMLTags(QString body);

 /** <code>brief Works with all applications events.
 * </code>param obj The object which call event.
 * <code>param event The event of call.
 * </code>author Andrew Shapovalov*/
 bool eventFilter(QObject* obj, QEvent* event);

 /** <code>brief Share current content.
 * </code>author Andrew Shapovalov*/
 void shareCurrentContent();

 public:
 /** <code>brief Create a new object.
 * </code>param parent Parent object.
 * <code>author Andrew Shapovalov*/
 explicit QfShareItem(QQuickPaintedItem '''parent = 0);

 //Others
 /'''* </code>brief Called when current object will redrawing.
 * <code>param painter The object for draw data.
 * </code>author Andrew Shapovalov*/
 void paint(QPainter '''painter);

 //Getters
 /'''* <code>brief Get share content string.
 * </code>return Share string content.
 * <code>author Andrew Shapovalov*/
 inline QString getShareString(){return m_shareString;}

 /** </code>brief Get share url.
 * <code>return Share url.
 * </code>author Andrew Shapovalov*/
 inline QUrl getShareUrl(){return m_shareUrl;}

 //Setters
 /** <code>brief Set share content string.
 * </code>param value Share string content.
 * <code>author Andrew Shapovalov*/
 inline void setShareString(QString value){m_shareString = value; emit shareStringChanged(m_shareString);}

 /** </code>brief Set share url.
 * <code>param value Share url.
 * </code>author Andrew Shapovalov*/
 inline void setShareUrl(QUrl value){m_shareUrl = value; emit shareUrlChanged(m_shareUrl);}

 /** <code>brief Share content and url.
 * </code>param text The text of share.
 * <code>param url The url to share.
 * </code>author Andrew Shapovalov*/
 Q_INVOKABLE void shareContent(QString text = QString(), QUrl url = QUrl());

 signals:
 /** <code>brief Called when share content string was changed.
 * </code>param value Share string content.
 * <code>author Andrew Shapovalov*/
 void shareStringChanged(QString value);

 /** </code>brief Called when share url was changed.
 * <code>param value Share url.
 * </code>author Andrew Shapovalov*/
 void shareUrlChanged(QUrl value);

 /** <code>brief Called when user select share service.
 * </code>param serviceName The name of selected service.
 * <code>author Andrew Shapovalov*/
 void selectedService(QString serviceName);

 public slots:
};
</code>
# Change .mm file content to code:
<code>
#include "qfshareitem.h"
#include "qfsharepicker.h"

QString QfShareItem::stripHTMLTags(QString body)
{
 body.replace("<br>","");
 body.replace("</br>","");
 body.replace("</p>","");
 body.replace("</td>","");
 body.remove(QRegExp("<head>(.''')</head>"));
 body.remove(QRegExp("<form(.''')</form>"));
 body.remove(QRegExp( "<(.)[</sup>>]'''>"));

 return body.trimmed();
}

bool QfShareItem::eventFilter(QObject''' obj, QEvent* event)
{
 if(obj == this)
 {
 if(parentItem())
 {
 return QObject::eventFilter(parentItem(), event);
 }
 }

return QObject::eventFilter(obj, event);
}

void QfShareItem::shareCurrentContent()
{
 QQuickItem* parentItem = this->parentItem();
 if(!m_shareString.isEmpty() && parentItem)
 {
 QRectF rect = parentItem->mapRectToItem(NULL, parentItem->boundingRect());
 NSView* view = reinterpret_cast<NSView *>(parentItem->window()->winId());
 NSRect frame = NSMakeRect(rect.x(), rect.y(), rect.width(), rect.height());

 m_shareString = m_shareString.replace("<style type=quot;text/cssquot;>a {color:#44a51c;text-decoration:none;}</style>", "");
 QString content = stripHTMLTags(m_shareString).trimmed();
 NSMutableArray* datas = [NSMutableArray arrayWithObject: content.toNSString()];
 if(!m_shareUrl.isEmpty())
 {
 NSURL* url = [NSURL URLWithString: m_shareUrl.toString().toNSString()];
 if(url)
 {
 [datas addObject: url];
 }
 }
 QfSharePicker* sharePicker = [[QfSharePicker alloc] initWithView:view frame:frame datasArray:datas onItemClicked:nil];
 [sharePicker autorelease];
 }
}

QfShareItem::QfShareItem(QQuickPaintedItem '''parent) :
 QQuickPaintedItem(parent)
{
 m_shareString.clear();
 m_shareUrl.clear();

 connect(this, &QQuickPaintedItem::parentChanged, [this](QQuickItem''' newParent){

 if(newParent)
 {
 newParent->setFiltersChildMouseEvents(true);
 }
 });
 this->installEventFilter(this);

setFlag(QQuickPaintedItem::ItemHasContents, true);
 setFlag(QQuickPaintedItem::ItemClipsChildrenToShape, true);
 setFlag(QQuickPaintedItem::ItemAcceptsDrops, true);
 setRenderTarget(QQuickPaintedItem::InvertedYFramebufferObject);
}

void QfShareItem::paint(QPainter *painter)
{
 try
 {
 Q_UNUSED(painter);
 }
 catch(std::exception& exception)
 {
 qDebug()<<"exception: "<<exception.what();
 }
}

void QfShareItem::shareContent(QString text, QUrl url)
{
 if(!text.isEmpty())
 {
 m_shareString = text;
 }

if(!url.isEmpty())
 {
 m_shareUrl = url;
 }

shareCurrentContent();
}
</code>
# Register new type to use in QML.
<code>
qmlRegisterType<YourShareItem>(uri, 1, 1, "YourShareItem");
</code>

= How to use in QML. =

Import the new type to your QML file where you need to use share logic and add this code:

<code lang="javascript">
  Button {
      id: btnLink
      width: 22
      height: 22
      
      onClicked: {
          share.shareContent();
      }
      
      QfShareItem {
          id: share
          anchors.fill: btnLink
          shareUrl: userPanelView.shareUrl
      }
  }
</code>

= Summary =