Handle multi-directories for project templates by Djedouas · Pull Request #67476 · qgis/QGIS

Djedouas · 2026-09-17T13:20:33Z

Description

This PR adds the feature to have multiple directories for the project templates.

The need behind it is for instance having a team with its set of project templates, plus some templates coming from another centralized directory from an organization.

To clean the menu UI, the sub-menu for creating a project from a template is only available if there is at least one project template in one template directory.

A toolbar button has been added to be coherent with the menu.

A new icon for project templates is proposed:

The welcome screen has been adapted to show the directories as sections.

See screencast below:

Enregistrement.d.ecran_20260917_160105.webm

AI tool usage

AI tool(s) (Copilot, Claude, or something similar) supported my development of this PR. See our policy about AI tool use. Use of AI tools must be indicated. Failure to be honest might result in banning.

Claude Fable 5.1 used

to create the widget to save a project as a template (src/app/qgssaveprojecttemplatedialog.[cpp/h])
to adapt the qml welcome screen file

Djedouas · 2026-09-17T13:25:06Z

I tried to split the PR in multiple commits, but couldn't find a logic to make more atomic commits, so I submit the feature in one commit only.

troopa81 · 2026-09-17T13:57:29Z

We don't see the menu in the video it seems

Djedouas · 2026-09-17T14:03:54Z

We don't see the menu in the video it seems

Oops, screencast updated

troopa81 · 2026-09-17T14:05:23Z

To clean the menu UI, the sub-menu for creating a project from a template is only available if there is at least one project template in one template directory.

That's not the actual behavior where there is an empty menu if there is no template. IMHO, I think it's better to see an empty menu than not seeing a menu at all. It can confuse the user who would not understand why the menu is not there.

Djedouas · 2026-09-17T14:05:46Z

Related to #66024

troopa81 · 2026-09-17T14:08:54Z

I like the proposed UI, but I would like to have @nirvn opinion, especially on the template look on welcoming page

Djedouas · 2026-09-17T14:09:26Z

That's not the actual behavior where there is an empty menu if there is no template. IMHO, I think it's better to see an empty menu than not seeing a menu at all. It can confuse the user who would not understand why the menu is not there.

Yes, we could gray them (menu + toolbar button) out with setEnabled(False).

But it's also arguable to lighten the UI I think.

troopa81 · 2026-09-17T14:12:57Z


+// The default template directory depends on the active profile, which is not known now, so we use an empty default,
+// and it will be handled later on by the getter QgsApplication::projectTemplatePaths.
+const QgsSettingsEntryStringList *QgsApplication::settingsProjectTemplatePaths = new QgsSettingsEntryStringList( u"projectTemplatePaths"_s, QgsSettingsTree::sTreeQgis, QStringList() );


Shall we not add this settings to sTreeProject instead ?

troopa81 · 2026-09-17T14:17:49Z

+  /**
+   * Returns the paths to project template directories.
+   *
+   * Defaults to the template directory of the active user profile when no path


What happen if the user destroy the default path from the qgsoptions widget ? It would reappear next opening no? It seems it was the existing behavior but maybe we can do better here

troopa81 · 2026-09-17T14:21:32Z

+  // Dialog that shows QGIS projects inside the current directory, but only directories are selectable.
+  QFileDialog dialog( this, tr( "Choose a directory" ), QDir::toNativeSeparators( QDir::homePath() ) );
+  dialog.setFileMode( QFileDialog::Directory );
+  dialog.setOption( QFileDialog::DontUseNativeDialog ); // to have the desired behavior on most platforms
+  dialog.setNameFilter( tr( "QGIS project files (*.qgs *.qgz)" ) );
+  if ( dialog.exec() != QDialog::Accepted || dialog.selectedFiles().isEmpty() )
+    return;


Cannot we not replace all this with QFileDialog::getExistingDirectory like it was done before ?

troopa81 · 2026-09-17T14:23:08Z

+    for ( int i = 0; i < mListProjectTemplatePaths->count(); ++i )
+    {
+      if ( mListProjectTemplatePaths->item( i )->text() == myDir )
+      {


may I suggest to use std::find_if here to be more consise ?

troopa81 · 2026-09-17T14:25:19Z

+void QgsOptions::moveProjectTemplatePathUp()
+{
+  QList<QListWidgetItem *> selectedItems = mListProjectTemplatePaths->selectedItems();
+  QList<QListWidgetItem *>::iterator itemIt = selectedItems.begin();


we autorize the use of auto for iterator

troopa81 · 2026-09-17T14:57:46Z

+    if ( templateFiles.count() > 0 )
+    {
+      const QString label = directoryNameCount.value( templateDir.dirName() ) > 1 ? QDir::toNativeSeparators( templateDirName ) : templateDir.dirName();
+      QMenu *dirMenu = mProjectFromTemplateMenu->addMenu( fontMetrics.elidedText( label, Qt::ElideLeft, maxLabelWidth ) );


Can we add the tooltip with the non-elided text

troopa81 · 2026-09-17T14:58:57Z

-    mProjectFromTemplateMenu->addAction( tr( "< Blank >" ) );
+    mProjectFromTemplateMenu->addAction( tr( "< Blank >" ), [this]() { fileNewBlank(); } );
+
+  mProjectFromTemplateMenu->menuAction()->setVisible( !mProjectFromTemplateMenu->isEmpty() );


Like I said, I prefer an empty menu, or a disabled one

troopa81 · 2026-09-17T15:04:10Z

    }
  }

+  const QStringList watchedDirectories = mFileSystemWatcher.directories();


this code is very much alike than the one in QgisApp. Can we put somewhere and reuse it?

troopa81 · 2026-09-17T15:05:00Z


+  const QStringList watchedDirectories = mFileSystemWatcher.directories();
+  if ( !watchedDirectories.isEmpty() )
+    mFileSystemWatcher.removePaths( watchedDirectories );


It would be cool to avoid to have 2 QFileSystemWatcher because it is ressource consuming, and move it elwere (QgsApplication maybe?). But it was already this way, so non blocking

troopa81 · 2026-09-17T15:10:48Z

    QHash<int, QByteArray> roleNames() const override;

-  private slots:
+    /**


Why do we need to reload if we have the file watcher ? Maybe it would be interesting to centralize all in QgsApplication maybe with a signal templatePathsChanged() ?

github-actions · 2026-09-17T16:25:03Z

🪟 Windows Qt6 builds

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To execute locally, unzip the downloaded zip file and run bin\qgis-bin.exe in the extracted directory.
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(Built from commit 1c10666)

🍎 MacOS Qt6 builds

Download MacOS Qt6 builds of this PR for testing.
This app is not notarized, run sudo xattr -d com.apple.quarantine /Applications/QGIS*.app to avoid the warning
(Built from commit 1c10666)

github-actions Bot added this to the 4.4.0 milestone Sep 17, 2026

github-actions Bot added the GUI/UX Related to QGIS application GUI or User Experience label Sep 17, 2026

Djedouas added Feature and removed GUI/UX Related to QGIS application GUI or User Experience labels Sep 17, 2026

feat(project_templates): handle multi-directories for project templates

1c10666

Djedouas force-pushed the multi_dirs_project_templates branch from becd36e to 1c10666 Compare September 17, 2026 13:24

github-actions Bot added the GUI/UX Related to QGIS application GUI or User Experience label Sep 17, 2026

troopa81 reviewed Sep 17, 2026

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Djedouas commented Sep 17, 2026 •

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