Using QToolTip::text() to Retrieve Tooltip Text

What is QToolTip::text()?

How it Works

• No Tooltip
  If no tooltip is currently visible, the function returns an empty QString.
• Retrieving Text
  Calling QToolTip::text() at this point will return the text that is currently being displayed in the tooltip.
• Tooltip Display
  When a user hovers the mouse over a widget with a tooltip set, Qt displays the tooltip after a short delay.

Code Example

#include <QApplication>
#include <QPushButton>
#include <QToolTip>

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    QApplication app(argc, argv);

    QPushButton button;
    button.setToolTip("This is a button tooltip");
    button.show();

    // Simulate hovering over the button (not practical in real code)
    // This is just for demonstration purposes
    QToolTip::showText(button.mapToGlobal(button.rect().center()), "This is a button tooltip");

    // Get the current tooltip text
    QString tooltipText = QToolTip::text();
    qDebug() << tooltipText; // Output: "This is a button tooltip"

    return app.exec();
}

Important Notes

• Custom Tooltips
  While QToolTip is convenient for basic tooltips, you can create custom tooltip widgets for more complex scenarios using QWidget and related classes.
• Tooltip Management
  QToolTip is primarily used for managing tooltips for widgets. The setToolTip() function is used to set the tooltip text for a specific widget.
• Static Function
  QToolTip::text() is a static function, meaning you don't need to create a QToolTip object to use it.

When to Use QToolTip::text()

• Custom Tooltip Handling
  In rare cases, you might need to access the current tooltip text for custom tooltip implementations. However, this is generally not recommended.
• Debugging
  To inspect the content of a tooltip during development.

• Delay
  The tooltip delay can be adjusted using QToolTip::showDelay().
• Custom Positioning
  You can customize the position of the tooltip using QToolTip::showText().
• Rich Text
  Tooltips can support rich text formatting using HTML-like tags.

---

While QToolTip::text() is primarily used for retrieving the currently displayed tooltip text, it's often more practical to use QWidget::setToolTip() to set tooltips for individual widgets.

#include <QApplication>
#include <QPushButton>

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    QApplication app(argc, argv);

    QPushButton button;
    button.setToolTip("This is a button tooltip");

    // Retrieve the tooltip text
    QString tooltipText = button.toolTip();
    qDebug() << tooltipText; // Output: "This is a button tooltip"

    button.show();
    return app.exec();
}

More Complex Example: Custom Tooltip Handling

#include <QApplication>
#include <QPushButton>
#include <QLabel>
#include <QToolTip>

class CustomTooltip : public QLabel {
public:
    CustomTooltip(const QString& text, QWidget* parent = nullptr)
        : QLabel(text, parent)
    {
        // Customize the tooltip appearance here
        setStyleSheet("background-color: lightgray; border: 1px solid black;");
    }
};

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    QApplication app(argc, argv);

    QPushButton button;
    button.setToolTip("This is a button tooltip");

    QObject::connect(&button, &QPushButton::hovered, [&](bool hovered) {
        if (hovered) {
            CustomTooltip* tooltip = new CustomTooltip("Custom tooltip content", &button);
            QPoint globalPos = button.mapToGlobal(button.rect().center());
            QToolTip::showText(globalPos, tooltip);
        } else {
            QToolTip::hideText();
        }
    });

    button.show();
    return app.exec();
}

Key Points

• Always remember to delete custom tooltip widgets when they are no longer needed to avoid memory leaks.
• For custom tooltip behavior, consider creating custom tooltip widgets and using QToolTip::showText().
• QToolTip::text() is primarily for retrieving the currently displayed tooltip text, which is less common.
• QWidget::setToolTip() is the standard way to set tooltips for widgets.

• Delay
  The tooltip delay can be adjusted using QToolTip::showDelay().
• Custom Positioning
  You can customize the position of the tooltip using QToolTip::showText().
• Rich Text
  Tooltips can support rich text formatting using HTML-like tags.

---

Before exploring alternatives, it's essential to clarify why you're seeking an alternative to QToolTip::text(). Are you aiming to:

• Replace tooltips entirely
  Use a different mechanism for providing information on hover.
• Access tooltip information
  Retrieve tooltip text for other purposes.
• Modify tooltip behavior
  Change the appearance, position, or content of tooltips.

Common Alternatives

Based on potential use cases, here are some alternatives:

Custom Tooltip Widgets:

• For modifying tooltip appearance and behavior
  
  • Create a custom widget inheriting from QWidget or QLabel.
  • Set the custom widget as the tooltip using QToolTip::showText().
  • This provides full control over the tooltip's content, styling, and positioning.

Event Filters:

• For accessing tooltip information or modifying tooltip behavior
  
  • Install an event filter on the widget with the tooltip.
  • Intercept QEvent::ToolTip events to access tooltip text or modify tooltip behavior.

Context Menus:

• If the tooltip content is extensive or interactive
  
  • Consider using a context menu instead of a tooltip.
  • Trigger the context menu on right-click or a custom action.

Status Bars or Message Boxes:

• For displaying temporary information
  
  • Use a status bar or message box to show information related to the hovered widget.

Overlay Widgets:

• For complex tooltips or interactive elements
  
  • Create a custom overlay widget that appears on hover.
  • This provides flexibility for complex tooltip designs.

Code Example: Custom Tooltip Widget

#include <QWidget>
#include <QLabel>
#include <QToolTip>

class CustomTooltip : public QLabel {
public:
    CustomTooltip(const QString& text, QWidget* parent = nullptr)
        : QLabel(text, parent)
    {
        // Customize tooltip appearance here
        setStyleSheet("background-color: lightgray; border: 1px solid black;");
    }
};

// ...

QPushButton button;
button.installEventFilter(this);

bool MyWidget::eventFilter(QObject* obj, QEvent* event) {
    if (obj == &button && event->type() == QEvent::ToolTip) {
        QToolTipEvent* toolTipEvent = static_cast<QToolTipEvent*>(event);
        CustomTooltip* tooltip = new CustomTooltip(toolTipEvent->text());
        QPoint globalPos = button.mapToGlobal(button.rect().center());
        QToolTip::showText(globalPos, tooltip);
        return true;
    }
    return QObject::eventFilter(obj, event);
}

The best alternative depends on your specific requirements:

• Replacing tooltips entirely
  Consider context menus, status bars, or message boxes.
• Accessing tooltip text
  Use an event filter.
• Complex tooltip interactions
  Create a custom overlay widget.
• Simple tooltip customization
  Use QToolTip::showText() with a custom widget.