Nokia Boosts Dev Tools With Qt 4.6

Nokia updated the Qt development tookit and the release version of Qt 4.6 has multiple features to enable developers to reach a wider audience.

The Qt framework is based on C++ and it has been used to create applications and user interfaces for multiple devices like smartphones, set-top boxes, and computers. One of Qt's most appealing factors is its cross-platform nature, and the 4.6 version expands this by including official support for Symbian S60 and the Linux-based Maemo mobile operating system. This means content creators will be able to write their programs once, and have them run on multiple devices without much tweaking.

"Developers can easily create visually appealing and Web-connected applications for desktops or devices, including targeting the hundreds of millions of Symbian and Maemo-based devices," said Sebastian Nystrom, VP at Nokia, in a statement.

The latest version of Qt adds multi-touch support, as well as support for various gesture inputs. Qt 4.6 will also enable developers to include more eye candy in their programs, as it includes graphical improvements like a new animation framework for advanced graphics, a rewritten graphics rendering algorithm, and a new OpenGL paint engine.

Earlier this year, Nokia relicensed Qt under the Lesser General Public License in order to boost its community engagement, and the 4.6 version is the first to include significant code contributions from third-party developers.

Nokia also released Qt Creator 1.3, a cross-platform integrated development environment that could enable developers to get Qt frameworks up and running quickly. Both Qt 4.6 and Qt Creator 1.3 can be downloaded from Nokia's Web site.