Qt Charts Creator & Renderer (Qt Charts CR)

A comprehensive Qt-based charting application that enables users to create, modify, and visualize various types of charts with an intuitive graphical interface and robust data management capabilities.

🎯 Project Overview

Qt Charts CR is an object-oriented application built with Qt 5.9+ that provides a complete charting solution for data visualization. The application leverages Qt Charts framework to offer four distinct chart types with extensive customization options and file I/O capabilities.

✨ Features

Chart Types

• Line Charts: Multi-series line visualization with customizable axes
• Bar Charts: Vertical bar charts with category-based data representation
• Pie Charts: Circular data visualization with optional donut mode
• Candlestick Charts: Financial data visualization with OHLC (Open, High, Low, Close) values

Core Functionality

• Interactive Data Editing: Real-time table-based data modification
• Dynamic Chart Options: Theme selection, animations, antialiasing, and legend control
• Axis Customization: Configurable X/Y axes with custom labels and ranges
• File I/O Support: Import/export charts in JSON and XML formats
• Exception Handling: Comprehensive error management for file operations and data validation
• Cross-Platform: Compatible with Windows and Linux environments

🏗️ Architecture

Object-Oriented Design

The application follows a hierarchical class structure:

• Abstract Base Class: Chart - Defines common interface for all chart types
• Concrete Implementations: Line, Bar, Pie, CandleStick - Specific chart implementations
• Model-View Architecture: Separation of data logic and presentation
• Exception Hierarchy: Custom exception classes for different error types

Key Components

• Chart Classes: Core logic for data management and chart rendering
• Mapper: Qt Model/View framework implementation for table editing
• TableWidget: View component for chart and table display
• MainWindow: Main GUI controller with dynamic widget management
• Exception System: Comprehensive error handling for runtime safety

📋 Requirements

• Qt Version: 5.9.5 or higher
• Compiler:
  • Windows: MinGW 5.3.0+ or MSVC
  • Linux: GCC with multilib support
• Dependencies: Qt Charts module, Qt XML module

🚀 Installation & Build

Windows

# Using Qt Creator
1. Open Qt_Charts_CR.pro in Qt Creator
2. Configure kit (MinGW recommended)
3. Build and run

# Command line
qmake Qt_Charts_CR.pro
make

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)

# Install dependencies
sudo apt install qt5-default qtcharts5-dev libqt5xml5-dev
sudo apt install gcc-multilib g++-multilib

# Build
qmake Qt_Charts_CR.pro
make

📖 Usage

Getting Started

1. Launch Application: Run the executable to open the main interface
2. Select Chart Type: Choose from Line, Bar, Pie, or Candlestick charts
3. Initial Setup: Enter initial data values and axis labels
4. Data Entry: Use the interactive table to modify chart data
5. Customization: Adjust themes, colors, and display options
6. Save/Load: Export charts to JSON/XML or import existing chart files

Data Management

• Add/Remove Series: Use the editing controls to modify data series
• Real-time Updates: Charts update automatically as you edit table data
• Axis Configuration: Customize X/Y axis labels and ranges
• Color Mapping: Visual feedback with color-coded table cells

File Operations

• Supported Formats: JSON and XML for cross-compatibility
• Import: Load existing chart configurations and data
• Export: Save charts with all settings and data preserved

📁 Project Structure

Qt-Charts_CR/
├── Qt_Charts_CR/           # Main source directory
│   ├── *.cpp, *.h          # Source and header files
│   ├── mainwindow.ui       # UI layout file
│   ├── Qt_Charts_CR.pro    # Qt project file
│   ├── risorse.qrc         # Resource file
│   └── icons/              # Application icons
├── Esempi_file_import-export/ # Sample files
│   ├── *.json              # JSON examples
│   └── *.xml               # XML examples
├── feedback.txt            # Project evaluation feedback
└── Relazione.pdf          # Detailed technical documentation

🛠️ Advanced Features

Exception Handling

• File Exceptions: Robust handling of corrupted or invalid files
• Logic Exceptions: Data validation and consistency checks
• Graphics Exceptions: UI error management and recovery
• Segmentation Fault Management: Custom crash reporting and logging

Polymorphism Implementation

• Virtual Methods: insert(), setAxis(), finaliza(), reloadGrafico()
• Template Support: Generic data structures for extensibility
• Dynamic Type Management: Runtime chart type determination
• Memory Management: Automatic cleanup and resource management

🐛 Known Issues

Linux-Specific Warnings

• XCB Connection Warning: Display-related warning on Ubuntu VM (non-critical)
• GTK Dialog Warning: Native file dialog warning (functionality preserved)

👥 Contributors

• Andrea Crocco (Matr. 1226135)
• Gabriel Rovesti (Matr. 2009088)

📄 License

This project was developed as part of an Object-Oriented Programming course at the University of Padova (2021/2022).

📚 Documentation

For detailed technical specifications, architecture documentation, and implementation details, refer to Relazione.pdf included in the repository.

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Note: This application demonstrates advanced Qt programming concepts including the Model/View framework, custom widgets, XML/JSON processing, and comprehensive object-oriented design patterns.