Qt 5.7 Beta has been released for public use and testing. The announcement comes just weeks after Qt 5.7 alpha was released as well as after the release Qt 5.6 Long Term Support (LTS).
This release also comes with the new Licensing model announced a few months ago which gives the developers the options of choosing either the commercial license, LGPLv3 or GPLv2 to go along with their download and requirements.
Qt Creator 4.0 which was released a couple of weeks ago comes bundled in Qt 5.7 Beta as well.
What’s new in Qt 5.7 Beta
With this new release, there is surely a lot to go around. First off there are a few interesting technology preview modules starting with the Qt Wayland Compositor which showcases a pure QML API and an enhanced C++ API. You can also use the Qt Wayland Compositor to make new C++ and QML extensions.
Still, on C++ and QML, there’s Qt SCXML which allows static and runtime integration of SCXML models into Qt code. Integration with gamepads is being experimented via Qt Gamepad and is cross-platform. Finally, Qt Serial Bus brings C++ support for Modbus and CAN bus.
It is also worthwhile knowing that Qt Enginio Module has been removed while Qt Script has been deprecated.
In addition to new features within existing modules, there are totally new modules that Qt 5.7 introduces. These modules include Qt Virtual Keyboard which was previously only available for commercial users. The same goes for Qt Quick 2D Renderer, Qt Data Visualization, Qt Purchasing, and Qt Charts.
Other new modules are the new light-weight set of embedded and mobile-oriented controls Qt Quick Controls 2. Qt 3D also makes its debut with its support for Compute Shaders where applicable. Support for multi-image DDS and KTX textures and many more.
Unified Product Structure is another welcome addition to Qt 5.7 Beta in that now regardless of the license you use, the developer will get the same features across the board. This, however, does not extend to the Qt Quick Compiler as that remains a reserve of the commercial license.
You can get your hands dirty right away with Qt 5.7 Beta by going to the official download link and downloading the Beta version as it is not yet available through the Qt Maintenance Tool.
Meanwhile, you can get more information about this release over here.
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