Last Updated : 11 Jul, 2025
Building GUI applications using the PYQT designer tool is comparatively less time-consuming than coding the widgets. It is one of the fastest and easiest ways to create GUIs.
The normal approach is to write the code even for the widgets and for the functionalities as well. But using Qt-designer, one can simply drag and drop the widgets, which is very useful while developing big-scale applications.
In this article, we will explore How to install PyQt and widgets, How to save the file, How to add Signals and Slots, How we can handle events, and so on.
How to install PyQt? For Linux:sudo apt-get install python3-pyqt6For Windows:
pip install pyqt5 pip install pyqt5-tools
Let's create a signup form using the QT designer tool. No code is required for creating forms, buttons, text boxes, etc! It is a rather drag and drops environment. So, using PyQt is a lot simpler than Tkinter.
QT Designer will be located at MyPythonInstallationDir\Lib\site-packages\pyqt5-tools and is named designer.exe (on Windows OS).
Open Qt Designer, then select Main Window and click Create. Set your preferred size of the window by dragging the edges of the window.
Widgets are box that are rectangular and they are the graphical elements or components that users interact with no perform action. It can include a wide range of elements, from a simple button and text boxes to complex items such as table and slider.
To create the layout of the Signup form, the following PyQt widgets are needed :One has to find those widgets in Widget Tool Box. Just drag and drop the required widgets onto the Main Window or the window working on.
To change the appearance of the window or the widget, just right click on the widget and click Change StyleSheet.
To get a preview of the window, press Ctrl + R.
Save the fileThe file will be saved with the .ui extension. To convert this file (.ui extension) to a Python file (.py extension), follow these steps :
Signals and Slots in PyQt are used to communicate between various objects. After creating the GUI in Qt Designer and convert it to Python, users need to connect signals(like button clicks) to slots (functions that handles those clicks). For example , If you have a submit button and when it is clicked to validate user input or save data.
Python3
# In your generated Python file (layout.py)
from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QApplication, QMainWindow
from layout import Ui_MainWindow
class MyApp(QMainWindow, Ui_MainWindow):
def __init__(self):
super().__init__()
self.setupUi(self)
# Connect the button click to a function
self.submitButton.clicked.connect(self.submit_clicked)
def submit_clicked(self):
# Add logic to process the form data
username = self.usernameLineEdit.text()
password = self.passwordLineEdit.text()
# ... (add more code as needed)
Output:
Button clicked!
This is because the button_clicked method contains a print statement that outputs the specified text when the button is clicked. The if __name__ == '__main__': block ensures that the application is executed when the script is run.
Enhancing PyQt GUI ApplicationsEnhancing PyQt GUI applications involves improving the user interface, optimizing performance, and adding new features. Few techniques for optimizing PyQt GUI Applications:
By considering these points, users will not only be able to create a GUI with Qt Designer but also develop a more robust and functional application. They'll have the tools to customize the interface, handle user interactions, and troubleshoot issues effectively.
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