Friday 14 November 2014

HsQML 0.3.2.0 released: Enters the Third Dimension

Last night I released HsQML 0.3.2.0, the latest edition of my Haskell binding to the Qt Quick GUI library. As usual, it's available for download from Hackage.

HsQML allows you to bind declarative user interfaces written in QML against a Haskell back-end, but sometimes you can't just let QML hog all the graphical fun to itself. This latest release allows you incorporate 3D (OpenGL) graphics rendered from Haskell into your QML scenes using the new Canvas module.

The screenshot below shows off the OpenGL demo in the samples package. The colourful triangle is rendered using the regular Haskell Platform's OpenGL bindings, but HsQML sets up the environment so that it renders into a special HaskellCanvas element inside the QML scene. If you run the actual program you can see it being animated too, moving around and changing colour.


This release also adds the Objects.Weak module which allows you to hold weak references to QML objects and keep track of their life cycles using finalisers. The new FactoryPool abstraction uses these primitives to help you efficiently keep track of instances you've created, especially for when you need to fire change signals on them for data-binding.

London Haskell User Group

I've been fortunate enough to get a speaking slot at the London Haskell User Group and will be giving a talk on Building Pragmatic User Interfaces in Haskell with HsQML on the 26th of November. Please feel free to come along and watch. You can RSPV on the group's meet-up page.

The talk should be videoed and materials will be available online afterwards.

release-0.3.2.0 - 2014.11.13

  * Added OpenGL canvas support.
  * Added weak references and object finalisers.
  * Added FactoryPool abstraction.
  * Added To-only custom marshallers.
  * Added Ignored type.
  * Relaxed Cabal dependency constraint on 'text'.