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# QMessageBox Class Reference

The QMessageBox class provides a modal dialog with a short message, an icon, and some buttons. More...

`#include <qmessagebox.h>`

Inherits QDialog.

List of all member functions.

## Public Members

- enum Icon { NoIcon = 0, Information = 1, Warning = 2, Critical = 3 }
- QMessageBox ( QWidget * parent = 0, const char * name = 0 )
- QMessageBox ( const QString & caption, const QString & text, Icon icon, int button0, int button1, int button2, QWidget * parent = 0, const char * name = 0, bool modal = TRUE, WFlags f = WStyle_DialogBorder )
- ~QMessageBox ()
- QString text () const
- void setText ( const QString & )
- Icon icon () const
- void setIcon ( Icon )
- const QPixmap * iconPixmap () const
- void setIconPixmap ( const QPixmap & )
- QString buttonText ( int button ) const
- void setButtonText ( int button, const QString & text )
- virtual void adjustSize ()
- TextFormat textFormat () const
- void setTextFormat ( TextFormat )

## Static Public Members

- int information ( QWidget * parent, const QString & caption, const QString & text, int button0, int button1 = 0, int button2 = 0 )
- int information ( QWidget * parent, const QString & caption, const QString & text, const QString & button0Text = QString::null, const QString & button1Text = QString::null, const QString & button2Text = QString::null, int defaultButtonNumber = 0, int escapeButtonNumber = -1 )
- int warning ( QWidget * parent, const QString & caption, const QString & text, int button0, int button1, int button2 = 0 )
- int warning ( QWidget * parent, const QString & caption, const QString & text, const QString & button0Text = QString::null, const QString & button1Text = QString::null, const QString & button2Text = QString::null, int defaultButtonNumber = 0, int escapeButtonNumber = -1 )
- int critical ( QWidget * parent, const QString & caption, const QString & text, int button0, int button1, int button2 = 0 )
- int critical ( QWidget * parent, const QString & caption, const QString & text, const QString & button0Text = QString::null, const QString & button1Text = QString::null, const QString & button2Text = QString::null, int defaultButtonNumber = 0, int escapeButtonNumber = -1 )
- void about ( QWidget * parent, const QString & caption, const QString & text )
- void aboutQt ( QWidget * parent, const QString & caption = QString::null )
- int message ( const QString & caption, const QString & text, const QString & buttonText = QString::null, QWidget * parent = 0, const char * = 0 ) (obsolete)
- bool query ( const QString & caption, const QString & text, const QString & yesButtonText = QString::null, const QString & noButtonText = QString::null, QWidget * parent = 0, const char * = 0 ) (obsolete)
- QPixmap standardIcon ( Icon icon, GUIStyle style ) (obsolete)
- QPixmap standardIcon ( Icon icon )

## Properties

- Icon icon - the messagebox icon
- QPixmap iconPixmap - the current icon
- QString text - the message box text to be displayed
- TextFormat textFormat - the format of the text displayed by the message box

## Detailed Description

The QMessageBox class provides a modal dialog with a short message, an icon, and some buttons.

A message box is a modal dialog that displays an icon, some text and up to three push buttons. It's used for simple messages and questions.

QMessageBox provides a range of different messages, arranged roughly along two axes: severity and complexity.

Severity is

- Information - for message boxes that are part of normal operation
- Warning - for message boxes that tell the user about unusual errors
- Critical - as Warning, but for critical errors

The message box has a different icon for each of the severity levels.

Complexity is one button (OK) for a simple messages, or two or even three buttons for questions.

There are static functions for common cases. For example:

If a program is unable to find a supporting file, but can do perfectly well without it:

    QMessageBox::information( this, "Application name",
        "Unable to find the user preferences file.\n"
        "The factory default will be used instead." );

warning() can be used to tell the user about unusual errors, or errors which can't be easily fixed:

    switch( QMessageBox::warning( this, "Application name",
            "Could not connect to the <mumble> server.\n"
            "This program can't function correctly "
            "without the server.\n\n",
            "Retry",
            "Quit", 0, 0, 1 ) )
        case 0: // The user clicked the Retry again button or pressed Enter
            // try again
            break;
        case 1: // The user clicked the Quit or pressed Escape
            // exit
            break;
    }

The text part of all message box messages can be either rich text or plain text. If you specify a rich text formatted string, it will be rendered using the default stylesheet. See QStyleSheet::defaultSheet() for details. With certain strings that contain XML meta characters, the auto-rich text detection may fail, interpreting plain text incorrectly as rich text. In these rare cases, use QStyleSheet::convertFromPlainText() to convert your plain text string to a visually equivalent rich text string or set the text format explicitly with setTextFormat().

Below are some examples of how to use the static member functions. After these examples you will find an overview of the non-static member functions.

If a program is unable to find a supporting file, it may do the following:

    QMessageBox::information( this, "Application name here",
        "Unable to find the file \"index.html\".\n"
        "The factory default will be used instead." );

The Microsoft Windows User Interface Guidelines strongly recommend using the application name as the window's caption. The message box has just one button, OK, and its text tells the user both what happened and what the program will do about it. Because the application is able to make do, the message box is just information, not a warning or a critical error.

Exiting a program is part of its normal operation. If there is unsaved data the user probably should be asked if they want to save the data. For example:

    switch( QMessageBox::information( this, "Application name here",
            "The document contains unsaved changes\n"
            "Do you want to save the changes before exiting?",
            "&Save", "&Discard", "Cancel",
            0,      // Enter == button 0
            2 ) ) { // Escape == button 2
        case 0: // Save clicked or Alt+S pressed or Enter pressed.
            // save
            break;
        case 1: // Discard clicked or Alt+D pressed
            // don't save but exit
            break;
        case 2: // Cancel clicked or Alt+C pressed or Escape pressed
            // don't exit
            break;
    }

The application name is used as the window caption in accordance with the Microsoft recommendation. The Escape button cancels the entire exit operation, and pressing Enter causes the changes to be saved before the exit occurs.

Disk full errors are unusual (in a perfect world, they are) and they certainly can be hard to correct. This example uses predefined buttons instead of hard-coded button texts:

    switch( QMessageBox::warning( this, "Application name here",
            "Could not save the user preferences,\n"
            "because the disk is full.  You can delete\n"
            "some files and press Retry, or you can\n"
            "abort the Save Preferences operation.",
            QMessageBox::Retry | QMessageBox::Default,
            QMessageBox::Abort | QMessageBox::Escape )) {
        case QMessageBox::Retry: // Retry clicked or Enter pressed
            // try again
            break;
        case QMessageBox::Abort: // Abort clicked or Escape pressed
            // abort
            break;
    }

The critical() function should be reserved for critical errors. In this example errorDetails is a QString or const char*, and QString is used to concatenate several strings:

    QMessageBox::critical( 0, "Application name here",
            QString("An internal error occurred. Please ") +
            "call technical support at 123456789 and report\n"+
            "these numbers:\n\n" + errorDetails +
            "\n\n<Application> will now exit." );

In this example an OK button is displayed.

QMessageBox provides a very simple About box, which displays an appropriate icon and the string you provide:

    QMessageBox::about( this, "About <Application>",
            "<Application> is a <one-paragraph blurb>\n\n"
            "Copyright 1951-2002 Such-and-such.  "
            "<License words here.>\n\n"
            "For technical support, call 123456789 or see\n"
            "http://www.such-and-such.com/Application/\n" );

See about() for more information.

Finally, you can create a QMessageBox from scratch and with custom button texts:

    QMessageBox mb( "Application name here",
            "Saving the file will overwrite the original file on the disk.\n"
            "Do you really want to save?",
            QMessageBox::Information,
            QMessageBox::Yes | QMessageBox::Default,
            QMessageBox::No,
            QMessageBox::Cancel | QMessageBox::Escape );
    mb.setButtonText( QMessageBox::Yes, "Save" );
    mb.setButtonText( QMessageBox::No, "Discard" );
    switch( mb.exec() ) {
        case QMessageBox::Yes:
            // save and exit
            break;
        case QMessageBox::No:
            // exit without saving
            break;
        case QMessageBox::Cancel:
            // don't save and don't exit
            break;
    }

QMessageBox defines two enum types: Icon and an unnamed button type. Icon defines the Information, Warning, and Critical icons for each GUI style. It is used by the constructor and by the static member functions information(), warning() and critical(). A function called standardIcon() gives you access to the various icons.

The button types are:

- Ok - the default for single-button message boxes
- Cancel - note that this is not automatically Escape
- Yes
- No
- Abort
- Retry
- Ignore

Button types can be combined with two modifiers by using OR, '|':

- Default - makes pressing Enter equivalent to clicking this button. Normally used with Ok, Yes or similar.
- Escape - makes pressing Escape equivalent to clicking this button. Normally used with Abort, Cancel or similar.

The text(), icon() and iconPixmap() functions provide access to the current text and pixmap of the message box. The setText(), setIcon() and setIconPixmap() let you change it. The difference between setIcon() and setIconPixmap() is that the former accepts a QMessageBox::Icon and can be used to set standard icons, whereas the latter accepts a QPixmap and can be used to set custom icons.

setButtonText() and buttonText() provide access to the buttons.

QMessageBox has no signals or slots.

See also QDialog, Isys on error messages, GUI Design Handbook: Message Box and Dialog Classes.

## Member Type Documentation

### QMessageBox::Icon

This enum includes provides the following values:

- `QMessageBox::NoIcon` - the message box does not have any icon.
- `QMessageBox::Information` - an icon indicating that the message is nothing out of the ordinary.
- `QMessageBox::Warning` - an icon indicating that the message is a warning, but can be dealt with.
- `QMessageBox::Critical` - an icon indicating that the message represents a critical problem.

## Member Function Documentation

### QMessageBox::QMessageBox ( QWidget * parent = 0, const char * name = 0 )

Constructs a message box with no text and a button with the label "OK".

If parent is 0, the message box becomes an application-global modal dialog box. If parent is a widget, the message box becomes modal relative to parent.

The parent and name arguments are passed to the QDialog constructor.

### QMessageBox::QMessageBox ( const QString & caption, const QString & text, Icon icon, int button0, int button1, int button2, QWidget * parent = 0, const char * name = 0, bool modal = TRUE, WFlags f = WStyle_DialogBorder )

Constructs a message box with a caption, a text, an icon, and up to three buttons.

The icon must be one of the following:

- QMessageBox::NoIcon
- QMessageBox::Information
- QMessageBox::Warning
- QMessageBox::Critical

Each button, button0, button1 and button2, can have one of the following values:

- QMessageBox::NoButton
- QMessageBox::Ok
- QMessageBox::Cancel
- QMessageBox::Yes
- QMessageBox::No
- QMessageBox::Abort
- QMessageBox::Retry
- QMessageBox::Ignore

Use QMessageBox::NoButton for the later parameters to have fewer than three buttons in your message box.

One of the buttons can be OR-ed with the `QMessageBox::Default` flag to make it the default button (clicked when Enter is pressed).

One of the buttons can be OR-ed with the `QMessageBox::Escape` flag to make it the cancel or close button (clicked when Escape is pressed).

Example:

    QMessageBox mb( "Application Name",
            "Hardware failure.\n\nDisk error detected\nDo you want to stop?",
            QMessageBox::NoIcon,
            QMessageBox::Yes | QMessageBox::Default,
            QMessageBox::No  | QMessageBox::Escape );
    if ( mb.exec() == QMessageBox::No )
        // try again

If parent is 0, the message box becomes an application-global modal dialog box. If parent is a widget, the message box becomes modal relative to parent.

If modal is TRUE the message becomes modal; otherwise it becomes modeless.

The parent, name, modal, and f arguments are passed to the QDialog constructor.

See also caption, text and icon.

### QMessageBox::~QMessageBox ()

Destroys the message box.

### void QMessageBox::about ( QWidget * parent, const QString & caption, const QString & text )`[static]`

Displays a simple about box with caption caption and text text. The about box's parent is parent.

about() looks for a suitable icon in four locations:

1. It prefers parent->icon() if that exists.
2. If not, it tries the top-level widget containing parent.
3. If that fails, it tries the main widget.
4. As a last resort it uses the Information icon.

The about box has a single button labelled OK.

See also QWidget::icon and QApplication::mainWidget().

Examples: action/application.cpp, application/application.cpp, helpviewer/helpwindow.cpp, mdi/application.cpp, menu/menu.cpp and themes/themes.cpp.

### void QMessageBox::aboutQt ( QWidget * parent, const QString & caption = QString::null )`[static]`

Displays a simple message box about Qt, with caption caption and optionally centered over parent. The message includes the version number of Qt being used by the application.

This is useful for inclusion in the Help menu. See the examples/menu/menu.cpp example.

Examples: action/application.cpp, application/application.cpp, helpviewer/helpwindow.cpp, mdi/application.cpp, menu/menu.cpp, themes/themes.cpp and trivial/trivial.cpp.

### void QMessageBox::adjustSize ()`[virtual]`

Adjusts the size of the message box to fit the contents just before QDialog::exec() or QDialog::show() is called.

This function will not be called if the message box has been explicitly resized before showing it.

Reimplemented from QWidget.

### QString QMessageBox::buttonText ( int button ) const

Returns the text of the messagebox button button, or null if the message box does not contain the button.

See also setButtonText().

### int QMessageBox::critical ( QWidget * parent, const QString & caption, const QString & text, int button0, int button1, int button2 = 0 )`[static]`

Opens a critical message box with the caption caption and the text text. The dialog may have up to three buttons. Each of the button parameters, button0, button1 and button2 may be set to one of the following values:

- QMessageBox::NoButton
- QMessageBox::Ok
- QMessageBox::Cancel
- QMessageBox::Yes
- QMessageBox::No
- QMessageBox::Abort
- QMessageBox::Retry
- QMessageBox::Ignore

If you don't want all three buttons, set the last button, or last two buttons to QMessageBox::NoButton.

Returns the index of the button that was clicked.

If parent is 0, the message box becomes an application-global modal dialog box. If parent is a widget, the message box becomes modal relative to parent.

See also information() and warning().

Examples: network/ftpclient/ftpmainwindow.cpp, process/process.cpp and xml/outliner/outlinetree.cpp.

### int QMessageBox::critical ( QWidget * parent, const QString & caption, const QString & text, const QString & button0Text = QString::null, const QString & button1Text = QString::null, const QString & button2Text = QString::null, int defaultButtonNumber = 0, int escapeButtonNumber = -1 )`[static]`

This is an overloaded member function, provided for convenience. It behaves essentially like the above function.

Displays a critical error message box with a caption, a text, and 1..3 buttons. Returns the number of the button that was clicked (0, 1 or 2).

button0Text is the text of the first button and is optional. If button0Text is not supplied, "OK" (translated) will be used. button1Text is the text of the second button and is optional, and button2Text is the text of the third button and is optional. defaultButtonNumber (0..2) is the index of the default button; pressing Return or Enter is the same as clicking the default button. It defaults to 0 (the first button). escapeButtonNumber is the index of the Escape button; pressing Escape is the same as clicking this button. It defaults to -1 (pressing Escape does nothing); supply 0, 1, or 2 to make pressing Escape equivalent to clicking the relevant button.

If parent is 0, the message box becomes an application-global modal dialog box. If parent is a widget, the message box becomes modal relative to parent.

See also information() and warning().

### Icon QMessageBox::icon () const

Returns the messagebox icon. See the "icon" property for details.

### const QPixmap * QMessageBox::iconPixmap () const

Returns the current icon. See the "iconPixmap" property for details.

### int QMessageBox::information ( QWidget * parent, const QString & caption, const QString & text, int button0, int button1 = 0, int button2 = 0 )`[static]`

Opens an information message box with the caption caption and the text text. The dialog may have up to three buttons. Each of the buttons, button0, button1 and button2 may be set to one of the following values:

- QMessageBox::NoButton
- QMessageBox::Ok
- QMessageBox::Cancel
- QMessageBox::Yes
- QMessageBox::No
- QMessageBox::Abort
- QMessageBox::Retry
- QMessageBox::Ignore

If you don't want all three buttons, set the last button, or last two buttons to QMessageBox::NoButton.

Returns the index of the button that was clicked.

If parent is 0, the message box becomes an application-global modal dialog box. If parent is a widget, the message box becomes modal relative to parent.

See also warning() and critical().

Examples: action/application.cpp, application/application.cpp, dirview/dirview.cpp, fileiconview/qfileiconview.cpp, picture/picture.cpp, qwerty/qwerty.cpp and sql/sqltable/main.cpp.

### int QMessageBox::information ( QWidget * parent, const QString & caption, const QString & text, const QString & button0Text = QString::null, const QString & button1Text = QString::null, const QString & button2Text = QString::null, int defaultButtonNumber = 0, int escapeButtonNumber = -1 )`[static]`

This is an overloaded member function, provided for convenience. It behaves essentially like the above function.

Displays an information message box with caption caption, text text and one, two or three buttons. Returns the index of the button that was clicked (0, 1 or 2).

button0Text is the text of the first button and is optional. If button0Text is not supplied, "OK" (translated) will be used. button1Text is the text of the second button and is optional. button2Text is the text of the third button and is optional. defaultButtonNumber (0..2) is the index of the default button; pressing Return or Enter is the same as clicking the default button. It defaults to 0 (the first button). escapeButtonNumber is the index of the Escape button; pressing Escape is the same as clicking this button. It defaults to -1 (pressing Escape does nothing); supply 0, 1 or 2 to make pressing Escape equivalent to clicking the relevant button.

If parent is 0, the message box becomes an application-global modal dialog box. If parent is a widget, the message box becomes modal relative to parent.

See also warning() and critical().

### int QMessageBox::message ( const QString & caption, const QString & text, const QString & buttonText = QString::null, QWidget * parent = 0, const char * = 0 )`[static]`

This function is obsolete. It is provided to keep old source working. We strongly advise against using it in new code.

Opens a modal message box directly using the specified parameters.

Please use information(), warning() or critical() instead.

Example: grapher/grapher.cpp.

### bool QMessageBox::query ( const QString & caption, const QString & text, const QString & yesButtonText = QString::null, const QString & noButtonText = QString::null, QWidget * parent = 0, const char * = 0 )`[static]`

This function is obsolete. It is provided to keep old source working. We strongly advise against using it in new code.

Queries the user using a modal message box with two buttons. Note that caption is not always shown, it depends on the window manager.

Please use information(), warning() or critical() instead.

### void QMessageBox::setButtonText ( int button, const QString & text )

Sets the text of the message box button button to text. Setting the text of a button that is not in the message box is silently ignored.

See also buttonText().

### void QMessageBox::setIcon ( Icon )

Sets the messagebox icon. See the "icon" property for details.

### void QMessageBox::setIconPixmap ( const QPixmap & )

Sets the current icon. See the "iconPixmap" property for details.

### void QMessageBox::setText ( const QString & )

Sets the message box text to be displayed. See the "text" property for details.

### void QMessageBox::setTextFormat ( TextFormat )

Sets the format of the text displayed by the message box. See the "textFormat" property for details.

### QPixmap QMessageBox::standardIcon ( Icon icon )`[static]`

Returns the pixmap used for a standard icon. This allows the pixmaps to be used in more complex message boxes. icon specifies the required icon, e.g. QMessageBox::Information, QMessageBox::Warning or QMessageBox::Critical.

### QPixmap QMessageBox::standardIcon ( Icon icon, GUIStyle style )`[static]`

This function is obsolete. It is provided to keep old source working. We strongly advise against using it in new code.

Returns the pixmap used for a standard icon. This allows the pixmaps to be used in more complex message boxes. icon specifies the required icon, e.g. QMessageBox::Information, QMessageBox::Warning or QMessageBox::Critical.

style is unused.

### QString QMessageBox::text () const

Returns the message box text to be displayed. See the "text" property for details.

### TextFormat QMessageBox::textFormat () const

Returns the format of the text displayed by the message box. See the "textFormat" property for details.

### int QMessageBox::warning ( QWidget * parent, const QString & caption, const QString & text, int button0, int button1, int button2 = 0 )`[static]`

Opens a warning message box with the caption caption and the text text. The dialog may have up to three buttons. Each of the button parameters, button0, button1 and button2 may be set to one of the following values:

- QMessageBox::NoButton
- QMessageBox::Ok
- QMessageBox::Cancel
- QMessageBox::Yes
- QMessageBox::No
- QMessageBox::Abort
- QMessageBox::Retry
- QMessageBox::Ignore

If you don't want all three buttons, set the last button, or last two buttons to QMessageBox::NoButton.

Returns the index of the button that was clicked.

If parent is 0, the message box becomes an application-global modal dialog box. If parent is a widget, the message box becomes modal relative to parent.

See also information() and critical().

Examples: i18n/main.cpp, movies/main.cpp, network/mail/smtp.cpp, qwerty/qwerty.cpp and showimg/showimg.cpp.

### int QMessageBox::warning ( QWidget * parent, const QString & caption, const QString & text, const QString & button0Text = QString::null, const QString & button1Text = QString::null, const QString & button2Text = QString::null, int defaultButtonNumber = 0, int escapeButtonNumber = -1 )`[static]`

This is an overloaded member function, provided for convenience. It behaves essentially like the above function.

Displays a warning message box with a caption, a text, and 1..3 buttons. Returns the number of the button that was clicked (0, 1, or 2).

button0Text is the text of the first button and is optional. If button0Text is not supplied, "OK" (translated) will be used. button1Text is the text of the second button and is optional, and button2Text is the text of the third button and is optional. defaultButtonNumber (0..2) is the index of the default button; pressing Return or Enter is the same as clicking the default button. It defaults to 0 (the first button). escapeButtonNumber is the index of the Escape button; pressing Escape is the same as clicking this button. It defaults to -1 (pressing Escape does nothing); supply 0, 1, or 2 to make pressing Escape equivalent to clicking the relevant button.

If parent is 0, the message box becomes an application-global modal dialog box. If parent is a widget, the message box becomes modal relative to parent.

See also information() and critical().

## Property Documentation

### Icon icon

This property holds the messagebox icon.

The icon of the message box can be one of the following predefined icons:

- QMessageBox::NoIcon
- QMessageBox::Information
- QMessageBox::Warning
- QMessageBox::Critical

The actual pixmap used for displaying the icon depends on the current GUI style. You can also set a custom pixmap icon using the QMessageBox::iconPixmap property.

See also iconPixmap.

Set this property's value with setIcon() and get this property's value with icon().

### QPixmap iconPixmap

This property holds the current icon.

The icon currently used by the message box. Note that it's often hard to draw one pixmap that looks appropriate in both Motif and Windows GUI styles; you may want to draw two pixmaps.

See also icon.

Set this property's value with setIconPixmap() and get this property's value with iconPixmap().

### QString text

This property holds the message box text to be displayed.

The text will be interpreted either as a plain text or as a rich text, depending on the text format setting (QMessageBox::textFormat). The default setting is AutoText, i.e. the message box will try to auto-detect the format of the text.

The initial value of the property is QString::null.

See also textFormat.

Set this property's value with setText() and get this property's value with text().

### TextFormat textFormat

This property holds the format of the text displayed by the message box.

The current text format used by the message box. See the Qt::TextFormat enum for an explanation of the possible options.

The default format is AutoText.

See also text.

Set this property's value with setTextFormat() and get this property's value with textFormat().

This file is part of the Qt toolkit, copyright © 1995-2001 Trolltech, all rights reserved.