The major initiative for QElectroTech is QET 2.0, a comprehensive code modernization addressing technical debt accumulated since the project's 2006 origin.

What is QET 2.0?

A substantial architectural redesign to:

Decouple code into clean, maintainable modules
Modernize file formats for better efficiency
Improve extensibility and scalability
Remove accumulated "band-aid" solutions
Support future features more easily

Timeline: No explicit date set; deferred until prerequisites complete.

Prerequisites: Before Major Refactoring

QET 2.0 cannot begin until these features are complete:

Terminal Strip Generator — Programmatic terminal block creation
Cable Generator — Automated cable/harness documentation
Project Structure Improvements — Foundation for new architecture

Status: In progress; community contributions welcome!

Planned Architectural Changes

Phase 1: File Format Modernization (Planned)

Element Files (.elmt → .selmt):

Proper SVG namespace for graphics components
Separate non-graphical data outside SVG:
- Dynamic text fields
- Terminal definitions
- Element metadata
Enables direct SVG import to element editor
Better compatibility with external tools

Project Files (.qet → Structured Zip):

Main .qet file: Simplified manifest with folios and element coordinates
SQLite database: Comprehensive project metadata

Organized folder structure:

project.qet/
├── project.qet      (manifest)
├── metadata.db      (SQLite database)
├── images/          (embedded diagrams)
├── elements/        (custom elements)
├── titleblocks/     (custom title blocks)
└── config/          (settings)

UUID-based cross-referencing for robust linking
Benefits: Better performance, easier collaboration, cleaner structure

Phase 2: Code Architecture Improvements (Planned)

ActionPool Singleton:

Consolidate scattered QActions in QetDiagramEditor
Reduce class complexity
Better code localization and maintenance

Serialization Abstraction Layer:

Dedicated classes for XML/database handling
Separate persistence from domain logic
Potentially plugin-based for extensibility
Support multiple serialization backends

Element Information System:

Redesign to interface with SQLite database
Remove direct in-memory storage
Better scalability for large projects

Conductor System Redesign:

Electrical potential as first-class concept
Group conductor properties by potential
Individual overrides per conductor for edge cases
Better electrical relationship modeling

Phase 3: Feature Enhancements (Planned)

Intelligent Auto-Numbering:

Formula-based system using variables
Examples: %{prefix}, %{element_type}, %{sequence}
Adapts automatically to different element types
More flexible and powerful numbering schemes

Element Prefix Standardization:

Standardize by element type (S for switches, R for relays, etc.)
Support for norm specifications (IEC, DIN, EN 61346)
Automatic prefix assignment

Cross-Reference (Xref) Expansion:

Increased flexibility in display options
Better positioning and sizing control
More intuitive multi-folio linking
Improved link visualization

Text Rendering Modernization:

Switch from points to pixels for text sizing
Consistent text handling across the codebase
Better HDPI support
Simplified independent text handling

Phase 4: Code Quality & Maintenance

Issues Requiring Significant Work:

Titleblock code simplification and redesign
Conductor creation complexity reduction
Text handling inconsistencies
Comprehensive data validation
Better error handling throughout

Current Release Status

Latest Stable: v0.100 (January 25, 2024)

Major Features:

Terminal Strip Editor — Draw, display, and edit terminal strips
8,000+ professional symbols in collection
Enhanced export/print handling
Improved conductors with better properties
Multi-arch support (aarch64/arm64)

Recent Improvements:

CMake build refinements
Improved internationalization (i18n)
Dependency upgrades (Catch2, googletest)
Expanded unit test coverage
Better QA processes

Active Development: Nightly Builds

Qt6 migration — Active work on modernizing to Qt6
Qt5 frozen — Legacy, no longer maintained
Testing frameworks — Continuous improvement

Open Issues: 30+ Awaiting Help

Contributors can work on these areas:

Critical Bugs (High Priority)

#781: NaN coordinates cause application hang during project load
- Impact: Users cannot load corrupted projects
- Fix: Proper coordinate validation on load
#782: Non-finite coordinates saved to project files
- Impact: Corrupted data persists across saves
- Root cause: Missing validation on coordinate operations
#783: Duplicated UUIDs in elements/links
- Impact: Non-deterministic resave behavior
- Fix: UUID uniqueness validation

UI/UX Issues

#735: Folio report link picker displays valid candidates as blank rows
- Impact: Users cannot see available links
- Fix: Fix link picker rendering logic
#734: Conductor rendering includes unwanted spurs at terminals
- Impact: Diagram quality reduced
- Fix: Improve terminal connection rendering
#757: Shortcuts configuration incorrectly reports 60/95 bindings as conflicts
- Impact: Confusing shortcut management
- Fix: Correct conflict detection logic