categorical slider

examples/labeled_sliders.py

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
     QLabeledRangeSlider,
     QLabeledSlider,
 )
+from superqt.sliders._labeled import QLabeledCategoricalSlider
 
 app = QApplication([])
 
@@ -36,6 +37,8 @@
 qldrs.setSingleStep(0.01)
 qldrs.setValue((0.2, 0.7))
 
+qlcs = QLabeledCategoricalSlider()
+qlcs.setCategories(["dog", "cat", "elephant", "bird", "fish"])
 
 w.setLayout(
     QVBoxLayout() if ORIENTATION == Qt.Orientation.Horizontal else QHBoxLayout()
@@ -44,6 +47,7 @@
 w.layout().addWidget(qlds)
 w.layout().addWidget(qlrs)
 w.layout().addWidget(qldrs)
+w.layout().addWidget(qlcs)
 w.show()
 w.resize(500, 150)
 app.exec_()

src/superqt/sliders/__init__.py

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from ._labeled import (
+    QLabeledCategoricalSlider,
     QLabeledDoubleRangeSlider,
     QLabeledDoubleSlider,
     QLabeledRangeSlider,
@@ -10,6 +11,7 @@
 __all__ = [
     "QDoubleRangeSlider",
     "QDoubleSlider",
+    "QLabeledCategoricalSlider",
     "QLabeledDoubleRangeSlider",
     "QLabeledDoubleSlider",
     "QLabeledRangeSlider",

src/superqt/sliders/_categorical_slider.py

@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+from typing import Generic, Iterable, Sequence, TypeVar, overload
+
+from qtpy.QtCore import Qt, Signal
+from qtpy.QtWidgets import QSlider, QWidget
+
+T = TypeVar("T")
+
+
+class QCategoricalSlider(QSlider, Generic[T]):
+    """A Slider that can only take on a finite number of values."""
+
+    categoryChanged = Signal(object)
+    categoriesChanged = Signal(tuple)
+
+    @overload
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        parent: QWidget | None = ...,
+        /,
+        *,
+        categories: Iterable[T] = ...,
+    ) -> None: ...
+    @overload
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        orientation: Qt.Orientation,
+        parent: QWidget | None = ...,
+        /,
+        *,
+        categories: Iterable[T] = ...,
+    ) -> None: ...
+
+    def __init__(
+        self, *args: Qt.Orientation | QWidget | None, categories: Iterable[T] = ()
+    ) -> None:
+        # default to horizontal orientation
+        if len(args) == 0:
+            args = (Qt.Orientation.Horizontal, None)
+        elif len(args) == 1:
+            args = (Qt.Orientation.Horizontal, args[0])
+        super().__init__(*args)  # type: ignore [arg-type]
+
+        self._categories: Sequence[T] = ()
+        self.setCategories(categories)
+        self.setTickPosition(QSlider.TickPosition.TicksAbove)
+        self.setTickInterval(1)
+        self.valueChanged.connect(self._on_value_changed)
+
+    def categories(self) -> Sequence[T]:
+        """Return the categories of the slider."""
+        return self._categories
+
+    def setCategories(self, categories: Iterable[T]) -> None:
+        """Set the categories of the slider."""
+        self._categories = tuple(categories)
+        self.setRange(0, len(self._categories) - 1)
+        self.categoriesChanged.emit(self._categories)
+
+    def category(self) -> T:
+        """Return the current categorical value of the slider."""
+        try:
+            return self._categories[super().value()]
+        except IndexError:
+            return None
+
+    def setCategory(self, value: T) -> None:
+        """Set the current categorical value of the slider."""
+        try:
+            # we could consider indexing this up-front during setCategories
+            # to save .index() calls here
+            idx = self._categories.index(value)
+        except ValueError:
+            # the behavior of the original QSlider is to (quietly) pin to the nearest
+            # value when the value is out of range.  Here we do nothing.
+            return None
+        super().setValue(idx)
+
+    def _on_value_changed(self, value: int) -> None:
+        self.categoryChanged.emit(self._categories[value])