Implement Serial Chat: Qt5 C++ application with MVC architecture for serial port visualization

[Copilot]

Qt5-based C++ application that visualizes serial port data streams as chat message bubbles. Implements clean MVC separation with signal/slot architecture, targeting Qt 5.12+ with Qt6 migration path.

Architecture

Models (src/models/)

• SerialPort: QSerialPort wrapper with signals for data flow (dataReceived, errorOccurred, connectionStatusChanged)
• Message: Immutable message data with direction enum (incoming/outgoing) and timestamp
• Session: Message collection manager with lifecycle signals

Views (src/views/)

• MainWindow: Split layout with connection sidebar (port/baud selection) and QScrollArea-based chat display
• MessageBubbleWidget: Custom QPainter-based bubble rendering with directional styling

Build System

CMakeLists.txt uses find_package(Qt5 5.12 REQUIRED COMPONENTS Core Gui Widgets SerialPort) with automatic MOC/UIC/RCC. Structure supports Qt6 migration via package name change.

Key Implementation Details

Message flow: SerialPort::dataReceived → Session::addMessage → MainWindow::onMessageAdded → MessageBubbleWidget rendering

Error handling improvements:

• Port validation prevents "No ports available" placeholder connection attempts
• Write operations use waitForBytesWritten() for proper flushing
• QTimer-based scroll ensures layout completion before positioning
• Null-safe bubble rendering with explicit fallback states

Warning

Firewall rules blocked me from connecting to one or more addresses (expand for details)

I tried to connect to the following addresses, but was blocked by firewall rules:

• esm.ubuntu.com
  • Triggering command: /usr/lib/apt/methods/https (dns block)

If you need me to access, download, or install something from one of these locations, you can either:

• Configure Actions setup steps to set up my environment, which run before the firewall is enabled
• Add the appropriate URLs or hosts to the custom allowlist in this repository's Copilot coding agent settings (admins only)

Original prompt

Build "Serial Chat" - a Qt C++ app visualizing serial port data as chat bubbles.

Generate CMake project compatible with Qt5 (min 5.12). Structure:

• Models: SerialPort (QSerialPort), Message, Session
• Views: MainWindow with sidebar + chat area (QScrollArea + MessageBubbleWidget)
• Clean separation between data models and UI views

Deliverables: CMakeLists.txt using find_package(Qt5), class skeletons with signals/slots. Focus on portable code that could later work with Qt6.

---

✨ Let Copilot coding agent set things up for you — coding agent works faster and does higher quality work when set up for your repo.