Trolltech
Encyclopedia
Qt Development Frameworks (formerly known as Qt Software, Trolltech and as Quasar Technologies) is an Oslo
, Norway
-based software company best known for its Qt toolkit and application framework. Qt Development Frameworks is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nokia Corporation
. Nokia sold the commercial licensing business of Qt to Digia PLC on March 2011.
, a multi-platform Graphical User Interface (GUI
) framework written in C++
. Qt is popular with application developers using C++ but is supported by bindings for other programming languages too, such as Python
. Qt also includes packages such as data structures and a networking library. The popular, Free
, and cross-platform
KDE
desktop environment
and software compilation uses Trolltech's Qt library. Trolltech also employs several KDE
developers.
In 2001 Trolltech introduced Qtopia
which is based on Qt. Qtopia is an application platform for Linux-based devices such as mobile phones, portable media players, and home media. It is also used in many non-consumer products such as medical instruments and industrial devices. Qtopia Phone Edition was released in 2004, and their Greenphone
smartphone
is based on this platform.
The following products exist but commercial support and development has stopped:
(IPO) on the Oslo Stock Exchange
in July, 2006.
On January 28, 2008, Nokia
announced that they had entered into an agreement that Nokia would make a public voluntary tender offer to acquire Trolltech. The total cost for Nokia is approximately € 104 million. Trolltech has since accepted this offer.
On June 5, 2008 Nokia’s voluntary tender offer was approved for all the shares in Trolltech. And by 17 June 2008, Nokia had completed its acquisition of Trolltech. On September 30, 2008, Trolltech was renamed as Qt Software, and Qtopia has been renamed as Qt Extended. On 11 August 2009, the company's name was changed to Qt Development Frameworks.
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
-based software company best known for its Qt toolkit and application framework. Qt Development Frameworks is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nokia Corporation
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
. Nokia sold the commercial licensing business of Qt to Digia PLC on March 2011.
Products
They provide software development platforms and frameworks, as well as expert consulting services. Their flagship product is QtQt (toolkit)
Qt is a cross-platform application framework that is widely used for developing application software with a graphical user interface , and also used for developing non-GUI programs such as command-line tools and consoles for servers...
, a multi-platform Graphical User Interface (GUI
Gui
Gui or guee is a generic term to refer to grilled dishes in Korean cuisine. These most commonly have meat or fish as their primary ingredient, but may in some cases also comprise grilled vegetables or other vegetarian ingredients. The term derives from the verb, "gupda" in Korean, which literally...
) framework written in C++
C++
C++ is a statically typed, free-form, multi-paradigm, compiled, general-purpose programming language. It is regarded as an intermediate-level language, as it comprises a combination of both high-level and low-level language features. It was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup starting in 1979 at Bell...
. Qt is popular with application developers using C++ but is supported by bindings for other programming languages too, such as Python
PyQt
PyQt is a Python binding of the cross-platform GUI toolkit Qt. It is one of the alternatives for GUI programming in Python to Tkinter, which is bundled with Python. Other popular alternatives are PySide, PyGTK, and wxPython. Like Qt, PyQt is free software. PyQt is implemented as a Python...
. Qt also includes packages such as data structures and a networking library. The popular, Free
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
, and cross-platform
Cross-platform
In computing, cross-platform, or multi-platform, is an attribute conferred to computer software or computing methods and concepts that are implemented and inter-operate on multiple computer platforms...
KDE
KDE
KDE is an international free software community producing an integrated set of cross-platform applications designed to run on Linux, FreeBSD, Microsoft Windows, Solaris and Mac OS X systems...
desktop environment
Desktop environment
In graphical computing, a desktop environment commonly refers to a style of graphical user interface derived from the desktop metaphor that is seen on most modern personal computers. These GUIs help the user in easily accessing, configuring, and modifying many important and frequently accessed...
and software compilation uses Trolltech's Qt library. Trolltech also employs several KDE
KDE
KDE is an international free software community producing an integrated set of cross-platform applications designed to run on Linux, FreeBSD, Microsoft Windows, Solaris and Mac OS X systems...
developers.
In 2001 Trolltech introduced Qtopia
Qtopia
Qt Extended is an application platform for embedded Linux-based mobile computing devices such as personal digital assistants, video projectors and mobile phones...
which is based on Qt. Qtopia is an application platform for Linux-based devices such as mobile phones, portable media players, and home media. It is also used in many non-consumer products such as medical instruments and industrial devices. Qtopia Phone Edition was released in 2004, and their Greenphone
Greenphone
The Greenphone was a smartphone developed by Trolltech with Qtopia Phone Edition, a GUI and application platform embedded in Linux using mostly free and open source software....
smartphone
Smartphone
A smartphone is a high-end mobile phone built on a mobile computing platform, with more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a contemporary feature phone. The first smartphones were devices that mainly combined the functions of a personal digital assistant and a mobile phone or camera...
is based on this platform.
The following products exist but commercial support and development has stopped:
- Qt JambiQt JambiQt Jambi is a Java binding of the cross-platform application framework Qt. It enables Java developers to use Qt within Java programming language...
– Qt for JavaJava (programming language)Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities... - Qt Extended – Application platform for Embedded LinuxEmbedded LinuxEmbedded Linux is the use of Linux in embedded computer systems such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants, media players, set-top boxes, and other consumer electronics devices, networking equipment, machine control, industrial automation, navigation equipment and medical instruments...
-based mobile computing devices
History
Trolltech was founded by Eirik Chambe-Eng and Haavard Nord on March 4, 1994. They started writing Qt in 1991, and since then Qt has steadily expanded and improved. Trolltech completed an initial public offeringInitial public offering
An initial public offering or stock market launch, is the first sale of stock by a private company to the public. It can be used by either small or large companies to raise expansion capital and become publicly traded enterprises...
(IPO) on the Oslo Stock Exchange
Oslo Stock Exchange
The Oslo Stock Exchange serves as the main market for trading in the shares of Norwegian companies. It opens at 9:00am and closes 5:30pm local time...
in July, 2006.
On January 28, 2008, Nokia
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
announced that they had entered into an agreement that Nokia would make a public voluntary tender offer to acquire Trolltech. The total cost for Nokia is approximately € 104 million. Trolltech has since accepted this offer.
On June 5, 2008 Nokia’s voluntary tender offer was approved for all the shares in Trolltech. And by 17 June 2008, Nokia had completed its acquisition of Trolltech. On September 30, 2008, Trolltech was renamed as Qt Software, and Qtopia has been renamed as Qt Extended. On 11 August 2009, the company's name was changed to Qt Development Frameworks.
See also
- GreenphoneGreenphoneThe Greenphone was a smartphone developed by Trolltech with Qtopia Phone Edition, a GUI and application platform embedded in Linux using mostly free and open source software....
, a mobile phone developed by Trolltech that uses mostly free and open source software - Nokia N900Nokia N900The Nokia N900 is a smartphone made by Nokia. It supersedes the Nokia N810. Its default operating system, Maemo 5, is a Linux-based OS originally developed for the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet. It is the first Nokia device based upon the Texas Instruments OMAP3 microprocessor with the ARM Cortex-A8...
, a phone with support for Qt built in - SymbianSymbianSymbian is a mobile operating system and computing platform designed for smartphones and currently maintained by Accenture. The Symbian platform is the successor to Symbian OS and Nokia Series 60; unlike Symbian OS, which needed an additional user interface system, Symbian includes a user...
, which is moving towards Qt as the main development framework.