[Development] Prefix includes with module name

[Olivier Goffart]

On Wednesday 06 November 2013 12:43:16 Kurt Pattyn wrote:
> What is the general rule to include files in a Qt add-on module, more
> specific, when should include files be prefixed with the module name?
> 
> If I look at QTcpSocket.h I see:
> #include <QtNetwork/qabstractsocket.h>
> #include <QtCore/qvariant.h>
> 
> Includes prefixed with the module name.
> 
> In QTcpSocket.cpp:
> #include “qtcpsocket.h”
> #include “qtcpsocket_p.h”
> #include “qlist.h”
> #include “qhostaddress.h”
> 
> Includes not prefixed.
> 
> If I look at qdbusabstractadaptor.cpp:
> #include <QtCore/qcoreapplication.h>
> #include <QtCore/qset.h>
> …
> #include “qdbusabstractadaptor.h”
> 
> Includes not related to the dbus adaptor are prefixed with the QtCore module
> name, the other is not prefixed.
> 
> Sometimes private header files are included prefixed with private
> (private/…_p.h), sometimes not.
> 
> Is there a general rule, best practice to follow for include files when
> implementing a module or add-on for Qt?


In public header files, you must include the module name:
#include <QtCore/foo.h>

The rationale is that then users only need to specify the root include path 
(if that's not already /usr/include)  when compiling, and not every single sub 
modules include paths.

Other than that, there is no real rules.
The private header from other sub-directories need to specify the "private/".
In QtCreator, one does not include the module name so it compiles both with 
Qt4 and Qt5 despite the move to QtWidgets.
Just follow the convention of the file you modify.

See also
https://qt-project.org/wiki/Coding-Conventions#32bc73e08b315a2d85bfd10b2e8c867a

-- 
Olivier

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