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# The Symbian platform - Introduction to Qt

- Required tools
- Installing Qt and running demos
- Building your own applications
- Installing your own applications
- Running applications from command line

### Required tools

See Qt for the Symbian platform Requirements to see what tools are required to use Qt for the Symbian platform.

### Installing Qt and running demos

Follow the instructions found in Installing Qt on the Symbian platform from a Binary Package to learn how to install Qt using a binary package and how to build and run Qt demos.

Follow the instructions found in Installing Qt on the Symbian platform to learn how to install Qt using using source package and how to build and run the Qt demos.

### Building your own applications

If you are new to Qt development, have a look at How to Learn Qt. In general, the difference between developing a Qt application on the Symbian platform compared to any of the other platforms supported by Qt is not that big.

Once you have created a `.pro` file for your project, generate the Symbian specific `Bld.inf` and `.mmp` files this way:

         qmake

For more information on how to use qmake have a look at the qmake Tutorial.

Now you can build the Qt for the Symbian platform application with standard build tools. By default, running `make` will produce binaries for the emulator. However, the Symbian platform comes with several alternative build targets, as shown in the table below:

`debug-winscw` | Build debug binaries for the emulator (default). It is currently not possible to build release binaries for the emulator.
`debug-gcce` | Build debug binaries for hardware using GCCE.
`release-gcce` | Build release binaries for hardware using GCCE.
`debug-armv5` | Build debug binaries for hardware using RVCT.
`release-armv5` | Build release binaries for hardware using RVCT.
`run` | Run the application on the emulator.
`runonphone` | Run the application on a device.
`sis` | Create signed `.sis` file for project.

The following lines perform a debug build for the emulator and deploy all the needed files:

         make debug-winscw

To work on your project in Carbide, simply import the `.pro` file by right clicking on the project explorer and executing "Import...".

### Installing your own applications

To install your own applications on hardware, you need a signed `.sis` file. (Refer to the Platform Security Article for more informations about self-signing.) The signed `.sis` file can be created with `make` `sis` target. `sis` target is only supported for executables or projects with `DEPLOYMENT` statements. By default the `sis` target will create signed `.sis` file for last build target. For example, the following sequence will generate the needed makefiles, build the project for `debug-winscw` and `release-armv5`, and create self-signed `.sis` file for `release-armv5` target:

         qmake
         make debug-winscw release-armv5
         make sis

If you want to use different certificate information or override the default target for `.sis` file creation you can use the environment variables as shown in the table below:

`QT_SIS_OPTIONS` | Options accepted by `.sis` creation. See Supported options below. By default no otions are given.
`QT_SIS_TARGET` | Target for which `.sis` file is created. Accepted values are build targets listed in previous table. By default last build target.
`QT_SIS_CERTIFICATE` | The certificate file used for signing. By default self-signed certificate.
`QT_SIS_KEY` | The certificate's private key file. By default key is associated to self-signed certificate.
`QT_SIS_PASSPHRASE` | The certificate's private key file's passphrase. By default empty.

The suppported options for `QT_SIS_OPTIONS`:

-i | Install the package right away using PC suite.
-p | Only preprocess the template `.pkg` file.
-c=<file> | Read certificate information from a file.

Execute the `createpackage.pl` script without any parameters for detailed information about options. By default no otions are given.

For example:

        set QT_SIS_TARGET=debug-armv5
        make sis

The environment variables for `make` can also be given as parameters:

        make sis QT_SIS_TARGET=debug-armv5

If you want to install the program immediately, make sure that the device is connected to the computer in "PC Suite" mode, and run `sis` target with the `QT_SIS_OPTIONS=-i`, like this:

        set QT_SIS_OPTIONS=-i
        make sis

### Running applications from command line

The application can be launched on the emulator using `make run` command.

The application can be launched on a device using `make runonphone` command. When this command is invoked, a `.sis` file is first created as if `make sis` command was invoked (see above for details). Note: Running the application on a device using this command requires `TRK` application to be running on the device.

Additional environment variables that can be utilized with these commands are:

`QT_RUN_OPTIONS` | Any command line parameters you wish to pass to your application.
`QT_RUN_ON_PHONE_OPTIONS` | Options for runonphone application. Execute `runonphone` from command line for more information about available options. `make runonphone` only.