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<li class="level1"><a href="#basic-elements">Basic Elements</a></li>
<li class="level1"><a href="#properties-and-qt-declarative-module">Properties and Qt Declarative Module</a></li>
<li class="level1"><a href="#item-element">Item Element</a></li>
<li class="level1"><a href="#rectangle-element">Rectangle Element</a></li>
<li class="level1"><a href="#image-element">Image Element</a></li>
<li class="level1"><a href="#text-elements">Text Elements</a></li>
<li class="level1"><a href="#using-elements-as-the-top-level-component">Using Elements as the Top-Level Component</a></li>
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<h1 class="title">QML Basic Elements</h1>
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<p>QML's basic elements allow the easy inclusion of objects into the scene.</p>
<a name="basic-elements"></a>
<h2>Basic Elements</h2>
<p>This is a list of some of the elements readily available for users.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="qml-item.html">Item</a></li>
<li><a href="qml-rectangle.html">Rectangle</a></li>
<li><a href="qml-image.html">Image</a></li>
<li><a href="qml-text.html">Text</a></li>
<li><a href="qml-textinput.html">TextInput</a></li>
<li><a href="qml-textedit.html">TextEdit</a></li>
<li><a href="qml-focusscope.html">FocusScope</a></li>
<li><a href="qml-component.html">Component</a></li>
<li><a href="qml-mousearea.html">MouseArea</a></li>
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<p>For a complete list of QML elements, please visit the <a href="qdeclarativeelements.html">QML Elements</a> page.</p>
<a name="properties-and-qt-declarative-module"></a>
<h2>Properties and Qt Declarative Module</h2>
<p>When using QML elements, keep in mind that elements may possess properties that other elements also possess. This is because QML and its underlying engine is implemented in C++ using Qt. More importantly, the chain of property inheritance is directly due to QML's use of the <a href="qtdeclarative.html">Qt Declarative Module</a> and Qt's <a href="metaobjects.html#meta-object-system">meta-object</a> and <a href="properties.html">property</a> systems. For example, visual elements that have C++ implementation are sublcasses of <a href="qdeclarativeitem.html">QDeclarativeItem</a>. As a result, elements such as <a href="qml-rectangle.html">Rectangle</a> and <a href="qml-text.html">Text</a> elements inherit properties such as <tt>clip</tt> and <tt>smooth</tt>.</p>
<a name="item-element"></a>
<h2>Item Element</h2>
<p>Many QML elements inherit <a href="qml-item.html">Item</a> properties. <tt>Item</tt> possesses important properties such as <tt>focus</tt>, <tt>children</tt>, and dimension properties such as <tt>width</tt> and <tt>height</tt>. Although <tt>Item</tt> has physical properties, it is not a visual element. Using <tt>Item</tt> as the top-level QML element (as the screen) will not produce a visual result, use the <a href="qml-rectangle.html">Rectangle</a> element instead. Use the <tt>Item</tt> to create opacity effects, such as when creating an invisible container to hold other components.</p>
<a name="rectangle-element"></a>
<h2>Rectangle Element</h2>
<p>The <a href="qml-rectangle.html">Rectangle</a> element is the basic visual element, for displaying different types of items onto the screen. The <tt>Rectangle</tt> is customizable and utilizes other elements such as <a href="qml-gradient.html">Gradient</a> and <a href="qml-borderimage.html">BorderImage</a> for displaying advanced customized graphics.</p>
<a name="image-element"></a>
<h2>Image Element</h2>
<p>To insert an image into a QML scene, merely declare an <a href="qml-image.html">Image</a> element. The <tt>Image</tt> element can load images in formats supported by Qt.</p>
<a name="text-elements"></a>
<h2>Text Elements</h2>
<p>The <a href="qml-text.html">Text</a> and <a href="qml-textedit.html">TextEdit</a> elements display formatted text onto the screen. <tt>TextEdit</tt> features multi-line editing while the <a href="qml-textinput.html">TextInput</a> element is for single line text input.</p>
<a name="qml-top-level-component"></a><a name="using-elements-as-the-top-level-component"></a>
<h2>Using Elements as the Top-Level Component</h2>
<p>For creating components (or displaying a simple scene), there are different elements that could be used as the top-level component. To display a simple scene, a <a href="qml-rectangle.html">Rectangle</a> as the top-level component may suffice. <a href="qml-rectangle.html">Rectangle</a>, <a href="qml-focusscope.html">FocusScope</a>, <a href="qml-component.html">Component</a>, <a href="qml-qtobject.html">QtObject</a>, <a href="qml-item.html">Item</a>, are some of the commonly used elements as the top-level component.</p>
<p>When importing components, the top-level component is important because the top-level component's properties are the only properties exposed to the parent.</p>
<p>For example, a <tt>Button</tt> component may be implemented using different elements as its top-level component. When this component is loaded into another QML scene, the component will retain the top-level component's properties. If a non-visual component is the top-level component, the visual properties should be aliased to the top-level to display the component properly.</p>
<p>For more information on how to build upon QML elements, see the <a href="qmlreusablecomponents.html">Importing Reusable Components</a> document.</p>
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