Python qt: resources

PySide can store images or other files in a python-compatible module for cross-platform portablility, and convenience (relative paths) while programming. The author used a qrc file (xml) to keep track of all files in a directory. See Rapid GUI Programming with Python and Qt (index 168, page 173).

QResource

Traditionally, I've abused python module's __file__ attribute to locate peripheral datafiles (json, yaml, etc). If you are compiling your program, you lose the ability to use these. Qt allows you to embed these files into importable python modules using the pyrcc(PyQt) or pyside-rcc module.

NOTE:

You'll need to use the pyrcc that matches your Qt version, and possibly the Qt bindings you are using.

• pyside: https://github.com/pyside/Tools/tree/master/pyrcc
• pyside2: https://github.com/PySide/pyside2-tools

NOTE:

pyside on windows hides it's pyside-rcc binary in site-packages/PySide/

in a hypothetical python package:

package/
    media.qrc
    dbsetup.sql
    images/
        fileA.png
        fileB.png

package/media.qrc

<!DOCTYPE RCC><RCC version="1.0">
<qresource>
    <file>dbsetup.sql</file>
    <file>images/fileA.png</file>
    <file>images/fileB.png</file>
</qresource>
</RCC>

embed all files referenced in media.qrc into the module media.py

pyrcc -o media.py media.qrc

After importing the file, you can reference it's contents by prefixing filepaths with :.

from Qt import QtCore
import media

## Read Embedded Files
testfile = QtCore.QFile(':/dbsetup.sql')
while not testfile.atEnd():
    line = testfile.readLine() 
    print( line )

## Reference Embedded Files
## (in qss files, etc)
QtWidgets.QImage( ':/images/fileA.png' )