PyQt5: Can QAction function be triggered via QPushButton

Question

I have created a right-click menu function where all the right-click functions are linked to a QAction

Eg:

self.contextMenu = QtWidgets.QMenu(self)
self.contextMenu.addAction(self.actionAdd_Data)
self.pushButton.customContextMenuRequested.connect(self.initContextMenu)

def initContextMenu(self, event):
    action = self.contextMenu.exec_(self.pushButton.mapToGlobal(event))
    if action == self.actionAdd_Data:
        print("Do something")

Is it possible that I can emulate clicking on the right-click button? Something like pushButton.click() but for the QAction instead.

I have tried

self.pushButton2.clicked.connect(self.actionAdd_Data.trigger)

But nothing happens.

Can anyone help? Thanks.

Is that action's `trigger()` signal connected in any way, or are you just adding it to the menu? — musicamante, Oct 16 '20 at 12:15
@musicamante I don't really understand, but I don't think the trigger() signal is connected. — Sean Ang, Oct 16 '20 at 12:29

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 16 '20 at 12:45

While using the returned action from QMenu.exec_() works fine for menus created "on the fly", the general (and preferred) usage of a QAction is to do something when their triggered() signal is emitted.

This allows to keep a single QAction that always does what it's been created for, while being able to add that action anywhere it's needed (could it be a menu, a tool bar, or even a keyboard shortcut) without constantly checking if that action has been triggered.

In the following example, the addData() function is called both when it's activated from the menu and when someOtherButton is clicked.

        self.actionAdd_Data = QAction('Add data', self)
        self.actionAdd_Data.triggered.connect(self.addData)
        self.contextMenu.addAction(self.actionAdd_Data)
        # ...
        self.someOtherButton.clicked.connect(self.actionAdd_Data.trigger)


    def initContextMenu(self, pos):
        self.contextMenu.exec_(self.pushButton.mapToGlobal(pos))

    def addData(self):
        # do something

PyQt5: Can QAction function be triggered via QPushButton

1 Answers1