Nokia has released Qt 4.6, its latest version of the cross-platform application and UI framework. The update, which features new platform support, powerful new graphical capabilities, and support for multi-touch gestures, makes developing applications a hell of a lot more easier, and according to Nokia, more fun. Read on after the jump for more details.
The updated version of Qt 4.2 brings support for the Symbian platform for the first time, as well as Windows 7, Mac OS 10.6 and also Maemo 6 to the list of Qt supported platforms. In addition to this, community support for real-time operating systems QNX and VxWorks has also been added.
"Qt 4.6 marks an exciting time for developers, regardless of their target form factor or platform," said Sebastian Nyström, Vice President, Application Services and Frameworks at Nokia.
He added: "Developers can easily create visually appealing and web-connected applications for desktops or devices, including targeting the hundreds of millions of Symbian and Maemo-based devices,"
Because the QT update includes support for both Symbian and Maemo, it means that developers, for the first time, can target both of these platforms with the same codebase. This means that applications will be able to reach the market faster, as well as appealing to a wider audience of device users.
However, this isn’t all: Nokia also released a technology preview of the new Qt APIs from the Qt Mobility project, which provides developers with improved functionality, such as location for navigation-type devices, as well as messaging, contacts, and bearer management.
Qt 4.6 also includes further graphical improvements, which are enhanced by a new Animation Framework that includes intuitive state machine functionality, plus new advanced graphics effects like opacity, drop shadows, glow, and filtering.
Also improved is the ability to create improved multi-touch applications. For instance, new multi-touch and gesture based input methods such as flicking and kinetic scrolling are now part and parcel of the developers tool base, which means new and improved tactility for users within apps and devices.
Additional performance improvements come in the shape of a re-written Qt GraphicsView rendering algorithm, a new OpenGL paint engine, WebKit, 2D vector graphic support using OpenVG, and new DirectFB support.
Nokia seem confident that this upgrade will yield tangible results, particularly since it will make the lives of developers easier and put a lot more tools in their hands. Commenting on this, Nystrom added:
"The community will enjoy using Qt's intuitive programming interface to quickly create powerful, appealing applications."