PySide, also known as Qt for Python, is a Python library for creating GUI applications using the Qt toolkit. PySide is the official binding for Qt on Python and is now developed by The Qt Company itself.

This complete PySide6 tutorial takes you from first concepts to building fully-functional GUI applications in Python. It requires some basic Python knowledge, but no previous familiarity with GUI concepts. Everything will be introduced step by by step, using hands-on examples.

PySide6 is the Qt6-based edition of the Python GUI library PySide from The Qt Company.

There are two major versions currently in use: PySide2 based on Qt5 and PySide6 based on Qt6. Both versions are almost completely compatible aside from imports, and lack of support for some advanced modules in Qt6. PyQt6 also makes some changes to how namespaces and flags work, but these are easily manageable.

Looking for something else? I also have a PyQt5 tutorial, PyQt6 tutorial and PySide2 tutorial.

This track consists of 26 tutorials. Keep checking back as I'm adding new tutorials regularly — last updated 3 September 2024.

Getting started with PySide6

Take your first steps building Python & Qt6 apps with PySide6

Like writing any code, building PySide6 applications is all about approaching it in the right way. In the first part of the course we cover the fundamentals necessary to get you building Python GUIs as quickly as possible. By the end of the first part you'll have a running QApplication which we can then customize.

7 tutorials 1:21:20

Creating your first app with PySide6 (07:35)
A simple Hello World! application with Python and Qt

PySide6 Signals, Slots & Events (10:00)
Triggering actions in response to user behaviors and GUI events

PySide6 Widgets (20:00)
Using QPushButton, QCheckBox, QComboBox, QLabel, and QSlider widgets

PySide6 Layouts (18:00)
Use layouts to effortlessly position widgets within the window

PySide6 Toolbars & Menus — QAction (12:00)
Defining toolbars, menus and keyboard shortcuts with QAction

PySide6 Dialogs and Alerts (05:00)
Notify your users and ask for their input

Creating additional windows (08:45)
Opening new windows for your application

Creating applications with Qt Designer

Using the drag-drop designer to develop your PySide apps

As your applications get larger or interfaces become more complicated, it can get a bit cumbersome to define all elements programmatically. The good news is that Qt comes with a graphical editor Qt Designer (or Qt Creator) which contains a drag-and-drop UI editor — Qt Designer. In this PySide6 tutorial we'll cover the basics of creating Python GUIs with Qt Designer.

2 tutorials 15:58

First steps with Qt Designer (07:12)
Use Qt Designer's drag and drop interface to design your GUI

The QResource System (08:46)
Using the QResource system to package additional data with your applications

Extended UI features

Extending your PySide apps with complex GUI behaviour

In this PySide6 tutorial we'll cover some advanced features of Qt that you can use to improve your Python GUIs.

2 tutorials 09:53

Transmitting extra data with Qt Signals (06:05)
Modifying widget signals to pass contextual information to slots

System tray & Mac menu bar applications (03:48)
Add quick access functions to your apps

Threads & Processes

Run concurrent tasks without impacting your PySide UI

As your applications become more complex you may finding yourself wanting to perform long-running tasks, such as interacting with remote APIs or performing complex calculations. By default any code you write exists in the same thread and process, meaning your long-running code can actually block Qt execution and cause your Python GUI app to "hang". In this PySide6 tutorial we'll cover how to avoid this happening and keep your applications running smoothly, no matter the workload.

2 tutorials 23:19

Multithreading PySide6 applications with QThreadPool (12:55)
Run background tasks concurrently without impacting your UI

Using QProcess to run external programs (10:24)
Run background programs without impacting your UI

ModelViews and Databases

Connecting your PySide application to data sources

All but the simplest of apps will usually need to interact with some kind of external data store — whether that's a database, a remote API or simple configuration data. The Qt ModelView architecture simplifies the linking and updating your UI with data in custom formats or from external sources. In this PySide6 tutorial we'll discover how you can use Qt ModelViews to build high performance Python GUIs.

2 tutorials 29:58

The ModelView Architecture (12:38)
Qt's MVC-like interface for displaying data in views

Displaying tabular data in Qt ModelViews (17:20)
Create customized table views with conditional formatting, numpy and pandas data sources.

Graphics and Plotting

Vector graphics and plotting using PyQtGraph in PySide6

Python is one of the most popular languages in the data science and machine learning fields. Effective visualization of data is a key part of building usable interfaces for data science. Matplotlib is the most popular plotting library in Python, and comes with support for PySide built in. In addition, there are PySide6 specific plotting options available such as PyQtGraph which provide a better interactive experience. In this tutorial we'll look at these alternatives and build some simple plot interfaces.

2 tutorials 26:13

Plotting with PyQtGraph (14:16)
Create custom plots in PySide6 with PyQtGraph

Plotting with Matplotlib (11:57)
Create PySide6 plots with the popular Python plotting library

QGraphics Framework

Vector graphic interfaces in PySide6

The PySide6 Graphics View framework is a scene-based vector graphics API. Using this you can create dynamic interactive interfaces for anything from vector graphics tools, data analysis workflow designers to simple 2D games. The Graphics View Framework allows you to develop fast & efficient scenes, containing millions of items, each with their own distinct graphic features and behaviors.

1 tutorial 12:54

Introduction to the QGraphics framework (12:54)
Creating vector interfaces using the QGraphics View framework

Custom Widgets

Designing your own custom widgets in PySide6

Widgets in Qt are built on bitmap graphics — drawing pixels on a rectangular canvas to construct the "widget". To be able to create your own custom widgets you first need to understand how the QPainter system works and what you can do with it. In this PySide6 tutorial we'll go from basic bitmap graphics to our own entirely custom widget.

3 tutorials 50:37

QPainter and Bitmap Graphics (16:25)
Introduction to the core features of QPainter

Creating custom GUI widgets in PySide6 (19:15)
Build a completely functional custom widget from scratch using QPainter

Animating custom widgets with QPropertyAnimation (14:57)
Add dynamic visual effects to your custom widgets

Packaging and distribution

Sharing your PySide6 applications with other people

There comes a point in any app's development where it needs to leave home — half the fun in writing software is being able to share it with other people. Packaging Python GUI apps can be a little tricky, but in this PySide6 tutorial we'll cover how to package up your apps to share, whether commercially or just for fun.

3 tutorials 1:05:51

Packaging PySide6 applications for Windows with PyInstaller & InstallForge (25:56)
Turn your PySide6 application into a distributable installer for Windows

Packaging PySide6 applications into a macOS app with PyInstaller (23:48)
Turn your PySide6 application into a distributable app

Using QResource to package data files with PyInstaller (16:07)
Serialize data files for easy packaging in Python

QtQuick & QML

Building modern PySide6 GUIs with QtQuick & QML

Qt Quick is Qt's declarative UI design system, using the Qt Modeling Language (QML) to define custom user interfaces. Originally developed for use in mobile applications, it offers dynamic graphical elements and fluid transitions and effects allowing you to replicate the kinds of UIs you find on mobile devices. Qt Quick is supported on all desktop platforms too and is a great choice for building desktop widgets or other interactive tools. Qt Quick is also a great choice for developing UIs for hardware and microcontrollers with PySide6.

2 tutorials 28:17