====== *.pro files ======

===== Description =====
For every Qt project there is a ''*.pro'' file in the project directory that describes the project to [[qmake]]. The file takes its name from the project directory.

The project's ''{directory-name}.pro'' file is typically created once in a project's lifetime and then edited to reflect configuration options, the addition of code files, etc.

===== Syntax =====
|''#''                      | comment               |
|'' .''                     | the current directory |
|''{PROPERTY} = {option}''  | sets an option        |
|''{PROPERTY} += {option}'' | adds an option        |
|''{PROPERTY} -+ {option}'' | removes an option     |

===== File creation =====
To create a ''{directory-name}.pro'' file in a project directory, run <code bash>qmake -project</code> in a terminal shell. If there are any source or other project files in the directory when the above is run, those files will be automatically included in ''{directory-name}.pro''.

Running ''qmake -project'' when there is at least a ''main.cpp'' (or similar) file will greatly simplify future modifications. Here is a virgin ''*.pro'' file for a directory that has ''main.cpp'' in it (where main.cpp is a Qt application):<code bash>
######################################################################
# Automatically generated by qmake (2.01a) Tue Dec 7 17:15:59 2010
######################################################################

TEMPLATE = app
TARGET = 
DEPENDPATH += .
INCLUDEPATH += .

# Input
SOURCES += main.cpp
</code>

In contrast, here is a virgin ''*.pro'' file in a virgin (empty) directory:<code bash>
######################################################################
# Automatically generated by qmake (2.01a) Tue Dec 7 17:07:32 2010
######################################################################

TEMPLATE = subdirs

# Directories
</code>
===== Enabling debug/release builds =====
In Unix (including Linux and OS X) you can explicitly specify debug and release build options:
<code bash>CONFIG += debug_and_release</code>
debug only:
<code bash>CONFIG += debug</code>
or release only:
<code bash>CONFIG += release</code>

These options will cause additional Makefiles to be made. If you do not specify an option in Unix, you will get a debug build (assuming the debug versions of Qt libraries are installed). 

I have not yet tested Windows, but the above config option is supposedly not needed and/or invalid in Windows.

===== Adding source code files =====
To add the files ''{YourClass}.h'' and ''{YourClass}.cpp'' to your project, replace
<code>SOURCES += main.cpp</code> with
<code>
SOURCES = main.cpp \
          {YourClass}.cpp
HEADERS = {YourClass}.h          
</code>

===== Adding resource collection files =====
For a resource to be compiled into the binary the *.qrc file must be mentioned in the .pro file:
<code>RESOURCES = foo.qrc</code>

===== Additional Qt libraries =====
The QtCore and QtGUI libraries are included in all projects by default. To add additional Qt libraries to your project, include:
<code>QT += {libname1} {libname2} ... {libnameN}</code>
to remove:
<code>QT -= {libname1}</code>
where ''{libnameX}'' is one of: ''network'', ''opengl'', ''sql'', ''xml'', ''support''. (Note: this list may not be complete as new libraries may have been added since this was written.)

The above names correspond to the QtNetwork, QtOpenGL, QtSQL, QtXML, and QtAssistantClient+Qt3Support libraries.

===== Official documentation =====
[[http://doc.qt.nokia.com/qmake-project-files.html]]