PySide6 & PyQt6 Comprehensive Tutorial

Welcome to the comprehensive guide for building desktop applications with Python using Qt frameworks. This repository contains complete teaching materials covering PySide6 and PyQt6 from beginner to advanced levels.

Table of Contents

  1. Overview & Comparison
  2. Installation Guide
  3. Tutorial Structure
  4. Quick Start

Overview & Comparison

What is Qt?

Qt is a powerful, cross-platform C++ framework for developing graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and applications. Both PySide6 and PyQt6 are Python bindings that allow you to use Qt 6 with Python.

PySide6 vs PyQt6

Feature PySide6 PyQt6
Maintainer The Qt Company (Official) Riverbank Computing
Current Version 6.10.1 6.10.2
License LGPL/GPL (Commercial friendly) GPL v3 (Commercial requires license)
Python Support 3.9 - 3.14 3.9+
Documentation doc.qt.io/qtforpython riverbankcomputing.com
API Compatibility Nearly identical Nearly identical
Commercial Use Free for commercial apps Requires commercial license

Which Should You Choose?

  • PySide6: Recommended for commercial projects due to LGPL licensing
  • PyQt6: Great for open-source projects; extensive community resources
  • Both: API is 99% identical, skills transfer easily between them

Installation Guide

Prerequisites

  • Python 3.9 or higher
  • pip (Python package manager)

Installing PySide6

pip install PySide6

Installing PyQt6

pip install PyQt6

Verify Installation

# For PySide6
from PySide6.QtWidgets import QApplication
print(f"PySide6 installed successfully!")

# For PyQt6
from PyQt6.QtWidgets import QApplication
print(f"PyQt6 installed successfully!")

Tutorial Structure

UI_APP/
├── README.md                           # This file
├── requirements.txt                    # Dependencies
│
├── docs/
│   ├── PySide6_Tutorial.md            # Complete PySide6 Guide
│   └── PyQt6_Tutorial.md              # Complete PyQt6 Guide
│
├── pyside6_examples/
│   ├── 01_beginner/                   # Beginner examples
│   │   ├── 01_hello_world.py
│   │   ├── 02_widgets_basic.py
│   │   ├── 03_layouts.py
│   │   ├── 04_signals_slots.py
│   │   └── 05_dialogs.py
│   │
│   ├── 02_intermediate/               # Intermediate examples
│   │   ├── 01_custom_widgets.py
│   │   ├── 02_model_view.py
│   │   ├── 03_threading.py
│   │   ├── 04_styling.py
│   │   └── 05_menus_toolbars.py
│   │
│   └── 03_advanced/                   # Advanced examples
│       ├── 01_graphics_view.py
│       ├── 02_animations.py
│       ├── 03_qml_integration.py
│       ├── 04_database.py
│       ├── 05_networking.py
│       └── 06_media_player.py        # Audio/Video player with repeat
│
└── pyqt6_examples/
    ├── 01_beginner/                   # Beginner examples
    ├── 02_intermediate/               # Intermediate examples
    └── 03_advanced/                   # Advanced examples

Quick Start

Your First Application (PySide6)

import sys
from PySide6.QtWidgets import QApplication, QMainWindow, QLabel

class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__()
        self.setWindowTitle("My First PySide6 App")
        self.setGeometry(100, 100, 400, 300)

        label = QLabel("Hello, PySide6!", self)
        label.setGeometry(150, 130, 200, 40)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
    window = MainWindow()
    window.show()
    sys.exit(app.exec())

Your First Application (PyQt6)

import sys
from PyQt6.QtWidgets import QApplication, QMainWindow, QLabel

class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__()
        self.setWindowTitle("My First PyQt6 App")
        self.setGeometry(100, 100, 400, 300)

        label = QLabel("Hello, PyQt6!", self)
        label.setGeometry(150, 130, 200, 40)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
    window = MainWindow()
    window.show()
    sys.exit(app.exec())

Learning Path

Beginner Level (1-2 weeks)

  • Understanding Qt architecture
  • Basic widgets (buttons, labels, text fields)
  • Layout management
  • Signals and slots mechanism
  • Dialog boxes and message boxes

Intermediate Level (2-4 weeks)

  • Custom widgets and painting
  • Model-View programming
  • Multithreading with QThread
  • Styling with Qt Style Sheets (QSS)
  • Menus, toolbars, and status bars

Advanced Level (4+ weeks)

  • Graphics View Framework
  • Animations and transitions
  • QML and Qt Quick integration
  • Database connectivity
  • Networking and web services
  • Application packaging and deployment

Next Steps

  1. Read the detailed tutorials: - PySide6 Complete Tutorial - PyQt6 Complete Tutorial

  2. Run the examples in the respective example folders

  3. Build your own project using the patterns learned

Resources

Official Documentation

Community

Happy coding! Build amazing desktop applications with Python and Qt.