PyQt Automatic Repeating Forms

Question

I'm currently attempting to migrate a legacy VBA/Microsoft Access application to Python and PyQt. I've had no problems migrating any of the logic, and most of the forms have been a snap, as well. However, I've hit a problem on the most important part of the application--the main data-entry form.

The form is basically a row of text boxes corresponding to fields in the database. The user simply enters data in to a fields, tabs to the next and repeats. When he comes to the end of the record/row, he tabs again, and the form automatically creates a new blank row for him to start entering data in again. (In actuality, it displays a "blank" row below the current new record, which the user can actually click in to to start a new records as well.) It also allows the user to scroll up and down to see all the current subset of records he's working on.

Is there a way to replicate this functionality in PyQt? I haven't managed to find a way to get Qt to do this easily. Access takes care of it automatically; no code outside the form is required. Is it that easy in PyQt (or even close), or is this something that's going to need to be programmed from scratch?

Answer 1

You should look into QSqlTableModel, and the QTableView Objects. QSqlTableModel offers an abstraction of a relational table that can be used inside on of the Qt view classes. A QTableView for example. The functionality you describe can be implemented with moderate effort just by using these two classes.

The QSqlTableModel also supports editing on database fields.

My guess the only functionality that you will have to manually implement is the "TAB" at the end of the table to create a new row if you want to keep that.

I don't know much about Access, but using the ODBC-SQL driver you should be able use the actual access database for your development or testing there is some older information here, you might want to consider moving to Sqlite, Mysql or another actual SQL database.