VPN connect app. PyQt5. how to display output in second display?

[JonB]

@Al3x
I don't know whether your goal/requirement is to use XML or JSON. The code you show is actually just Python (objects, arrays), which is pretty close to JSON. If that is all the data there is you don't really need more than JSON. You have to decide whether you want JSON or XML.

If you want to use Qt classes there is QJsonDocument for JSON or, as @Axel-Spoerl said, QDomDocument for XML. Python also has its own classes/code for both of these, if you want to use them you are on your own.

If your issue is about wanting to read from XML/JSON file instead of hard-coding then both of those, whether Qt's or Python's, have methods to read/create a complete document from an external file.

Both XML and JSON produce a hierarchical tree structure. QTreeView can display a hierarchical tree. It needs a model, derived from QAbstractItemModel. You can either take the simpler but less efficient route of copying your data into, say, a QStandardItemModel, which can create a hierarchical tree model suitable for use with a QTreeView (maybe see https://www.qtcentre.org/threads/44877-Convert-XML-to-QTreeView), or you can take the more ambitious route of writing your own subclass of QAbstractItemModel which links directly to your in-memory JSON or XML model, whether that is with Qt classes or Python ones. For example, https://forum.qt.io/topic/49771/jsonmodel-for-qtreeview appears to give a couple of links where someone has done so for JSON.

For the code you appear to have started on but commented out. It uses some Python class import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET. But nobody here knows anything about what structure that Python produces and what you have to do with it to populate a QTreeWidget. If you say "it does not work" you might step through your code in Python debugger and diagnose what is going on.

If nothing else, in the code you show self.tree.addtTopLevelItems(a) is simply wrong and will produce an error, even if self.tree existed. Which as per your __init__() it does not, you have no self.tree.

(And btw don't use the same variable name, tree, for two quite different things: the Qt QTreeWidget and whatever parsed tree structure xml.etree.ElementTree produces. It simply leads to confusion and potential mishaps. Use different, meaningful variable names.)

[Al3x]

@JonB
Thanks for the lengthy reply!! This i class as an answer, as oppose to through-ing out a link and saying "go read it all".

No, what i still very much wish to do is use XML. DOM from reading is old and is more mem/cpu intensive. Whats your take on that?

The script that i have is using ElementTree, its opening and reading the XML succesfully. i can also write to it succesfully
And i can print it to string successfully:

XMLtoStr = ET.tostring(root, encoding='utf8').decode('utf8')

The problem is i cant manage to print into the Tree!
Im using Qwidget.
So perhaps thats the problem? -i should use QTreeView? with a model?

This is the script now, if you run it, you will see it print the XML in the terminal, but it doesnt print it in the UI widget.

tree.py

import sys
from PyQt5 import QtCore, QtGui, QtWidgets
from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QTreeWidgetItem
import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
## access and set root for XML file
tree = ET.parse('data.xml')
root = tree.getroot()

class Widget(QtWidgets.QWidget):
    def __init__(self):
        super(Widget, self).__init__()
        lay = QtWidgets.QVBoxLayout(self)
        tree = QtWidgets.QTreeWidget()
        tree.setColumnCount(3)
        tree.setHeaderLabels(["VPN", "2", "3"])
        lay.addWidget(tree)
        #self.tree = QTreeView()
        XMLtoStr = ET.tostring(root, encoding='utf8').decode('utf8')
        #self.printtree(f)

## print XML data in the file to string
XMLtoStr = ET.tostring(root, encoding='utf8').decode('utf8')
print(XMLtoStr)


def printtree(self, s):
    #tree = ET.fromstring(s)
    tree = ET.tostring(root, encoding='utf8').decode('utf8')

    a = QTreeWidgetItem([tree.tag])
    self.tree.addtTopLevelItems(a)

    def displaytree(a,s):
        for child in s:
            branch = QTreeWidgetItem([child.tag])
            a.addChild(branch)
            displaytree(branch,child)
        if s.text is not None:
            content=s.text
            a.addChild(QTreeWidgetItem([content]))


    displaytree(a,tree)


#####################################################################
if __name__ == '__main__':
    import sys

    app = QtWidgets.QApplication(sys.argv)
    w = Widget()
    w.show()
    sys.exit(app.exec_())

data.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<catalog>
    <vpn id="vpn01">
        <config>1.1.1.1.ovpn</config>
        <ip>1.1.1.1</ip>
        <port>443</port>
        <protocol>TCP</protocol>
        <country>US</country>
        <details>
        'info....'
      </details>
    </vpn>
    <vpn id="vpn02">
        <config>1.1.1.1.ovpn</config>
        <ip>1.1.1.1</ip>
        <port>443</port>
        <protocol>TCP</protocol>
        <country>US</country>
        <details>
        'info....'
      </details>
    </vpn>
    <vpn id="vpn03">
        <config>1.1.1.1.ovpn</config>
        <ip>1.1.1.1</ip>
        <port>443</port>
        <protocol>TCP</protocol>
        <country>US</country>
        <details>
        'info....'
      </details>
    </vpn>

</catalog>

Im still strugling to get to grips with QT
Many thanks!

[Axel Spoerl]

I would definitively use a QTreeView and implement a model to view the XML tree.
You can have a look a the document viewer example, to see how this can be implemented. It's in C++ and has a JSON viewer, but the principle is the same.

[Al3x]

@Axel-Spoerl
So would you care to share how you would do this?
Im trying to do this in Python and XML.
You think me being new to QT and python that a C++ example is going to help me alot?

[Axel Spoerl]

There is no example in our library, that demonstrates how to implement a QAbstractItemModel subclass in Python and I usually don't work with Python. This forum mainly offers support, when someone is stuck, something is unclear or even wrong in our library. It happens once in a while, that somebody asks for a concrete solution to a specific problem like yours - and gets it.
But that's not a guarantee, not something you can expect. Everybody around here contributes to the forum in their free time, me included - even though I am employed by Qt.

That said, implementing such a model is not a trivial task. Implementing it for XML even less. That's why I suggested you to go with JSON. The document viewer example I mentioned does exactly this. If you know a bit of Python, you will probably understand the mechanisms by reading the C++ code. Then there is ChatGPT and other tools, which can help you accomplish that.

It doesn't help that you insult me in private messages of being a joker and an old man.
It's forgiven, it probably happened in a wave of expectations to receive a ready made solution, and the frustration of not getting it.
Please re-consider this attitude.

[Al3x]

Yes, precisely, i am stuck,and hence the post (again).
Hence the last post that i wish to use XML.
ChatGPT and other tools. ha Youre a real Joker! arent you? ......circus coming!

If you feel insulted by my general comment(PM), thats your problem, sorry but, if you write to me in a chaotic matter, dont expect a pleasant response. You should know better as a Moderator! Take it to ur psychologist or mom/dad

and it certainly does not append to some wave of expectation to do the code for me!
you have given no kind of direction other than misc links.

If you dont have a solution to my post, dont post at all!

[jsulm]

@Al3x Please stop writing rude posts and read and follow https://forum.qt.io/topic/113070/qt-code-of-conduct

[Al3x]

Thats great the Code of Conduct! im all for it! But i dislike @Axel-Spoerl! his energy is very negative!
When you begin your first post in an arrogant matter and give a vaugue answer and no explanation . And then get mad at my words and close the topic saying im waisting time! ---Get outta here!! And Then hes still writing to this topic(even tho im waisting his time! according to him!) .
?

[Al3x]

and then... be a donkey like he is and tell me to use ChatGPT. Because hes an ignorant fool! and because the man can not answer his own answers.. its deplorable! WaisteMan! its the real definition of a Real WaisteMan!
I came to congretate in peace, but its been turned around thanks to this grow man maloquee . So much for grown men? Looks like a man in a skirt giving orders of no succession...
"Software Enginner" yea why not!

Rude comes with the turff.
Dont blame me for someone else's stupidity!

[Christian Ehrlicher]

@Al3x Please stop insulting other people and follow the Forum guidlines and Code of Conduct. or search another forum where insults on other people are tolerated - here it's for sure not.

[jsulm]

@Al3x said in VPN connect app. PyQt5. how to display output in second display?:

Because hes an ignorant fool!

I already told you to stop to behave this way.
You will be banned if you continue to insult other people.
Last warning...