Can a QAction be used for multiple tasks?

Question

I created a tool using Qt Designer, where it has 3 QLineEdits that is catered for translateX, translateY and translateZ. For each QLineEdit, I have created a context menu that allows me to set a keyframe for one of the above attribute depending on User's choice.

So instead of writing 3 separate functions that catered to each attribute, I thought of 'recycling' them by using 1 method, but I am having issues with it as I am not very sure if it will be possible since I am using a single QAction.

class MyTool(QtGui.QWidget):
    def __init__(self, parent=None):
        super(MyTool, self).__init__(parent = parent)
        # Read off from convert uic file.
        self.ui = Ui_MyWidget()
        self.ui.setupUi(self)

        # translateX
        self.ui.xLineEdit.setContextMenuPolicy(QtCore.Qt.CustomContextMenu)
        self.ui.xLineEdit.customContextMenuRequested.connect(self.custom_menu)
        # translateY
        self.ui.yLineEdit.setContextMenuPolicy(QtCore.Qt.CustomContextMenu)
        self.ui.yLineEdit.customContextMenuRequested.connect(self.custom_menu)
        # translateZ
        self.ui.zLineEdit.setContextMenuPolicy(QtCore.Qt.CustomContextMenu)
        self.ui.zLineEdit.customContextMenuRequested.connect(self.custom_menu)

        self.popMenu = QtGui.QMenu(self)
        set_key_action = QtGui.QAction("Set Key at Current Frame", self)

        # I am having issues here..
        set_key_action.triggered.connect(self.set_key)

        self.popMenu.addAction(set_key_action)

        ...
        ...

    def set_key(self, attr):
        # assuming I am trying to effect this locator1 that already exists in the scene
        current_item = "|locator1" 
        cmds.setKeyframe("{0}.{1}".format(current_item, attr))

    def custom_menu(self, point):
        self.popMenu.exec_(QtGui.QCursor.pos())

Again, because it is only a single QAction and hence I was stumped... Or will it be better for me to stick in using 3 separate functions instead?

Answer 1

The main problem is that when you connect the triggered signal you do not know that QLineEdit is going to be pressed. Where can we know that QLineEdit was pressed? Well, in the method custom_menu since there the method sender() returns the widget that opens its contextual menu, and to transfer it, a property or data is used, so the fine is to compare the property and the QLineEdit:

class MyTool(QtGui.QWidget):
    def __init__(self, parent=None):
        super(MyTool, self).__init__(parent=parent)
        # Read off from convert uic file.
        self.ui = Ui_MyWidget()
        self.ui.setupUi(self)

        for le in (self.ui.xLineEdit, self.ui.yLineEdit, self.ui.zLineEdit):
            le.setContextMenuPolicy(QtCore.Qt.CustomContextMenu)
            le.customContextMenuRequested.connect(self.custom_menu)

        self.popMenu = QtGui.QMenu(self)
        self.set_key_action = QtGui.QAction("Set Key at Current Frame", self)
        self.set_key_action.triggered.connect(self.set_key)
        self.popMenu.addAction(self.set_key_action)

    def set_key(self):
        le = self.set_key_action.property("lineedit")
        # or
        # le = self.set_key_action.data()
        if le is self.ui.xLineEdit:
            print("xLineEdit")
        elif le is self.ui.yLineEdit:
            print("yLineEdit")
        elif le is self.ui.zLineEdit:
            print("zLineEdit")

    def custom_menu(self, p):
        if self.sender() is not None:
            self.set_key_action.setProperty("lineedit", self.sender())
            # or
            # self.set_key_action.setData(self.sender())
            self.popMenu.exec_(QtGui.QCursor.pos())