void MainWindow::saveMWSettings(QSettings* settings)

{

    // save window geometry

    settings->beginGroup(SettingGroup_MainWindow);

    settings->setValue(SG_MainWindow_Size, size());

    settings->setValue(SG_MainWindow_Pos, pos());

    // save active panel

    settings->setValue(SG_MainWindow_ActivePanel,

                       panelSettingMap.value(ui->tabWidget->currentIndex()));

    // save panel minimization

    settings->setValue(SG_MainWindow_HidePanels,

                       ui->tabWidget->hideAction.isChecked());

    settings->endGroup();

}

void MainWindow::loadMWSettings(QSettings* settings)

{

    settings->beginGroup(SettingGroup_MainWindow);

    // load window geometry

    resize(settings->value(SG_MainWindow_Size, size()).toSize());

    move(settings->value(SG_MainWindow_Pos, pos()).toPoint());

    // set active panel

    QString tabSetting =

        settings->value(SG_MainWindow_ActivePanel, QString()).toString();

    ui->tabWidget->setCurrentIndex(

        panelSettingMap.key(tabSetting, ui->tabWidget->currentIndex()));

    // hide panels

    ui->tabWidget->hideAction.setChecked(

        settings->value(SG_MainWindow_HidePanels,

                        ui->tabWidget->hideAction.isChecked()).toBool());

    settings->endGroup();

}

void MainWindow::onSaveSettings()

{

    QString fileName = QFileDialog::getSaveFileName(

        this, tr("Save Settings"), QString(), "INI (*.ini)");

    if (!fileName.isNull()) // user canceled

    {

        QSettings settings(fileName, QSettings::IniFormat);

        saveAllSettings(&settings);

const char SettingGroup_Binary[] = "DataFormat_Binary";

const char SettingGroup_ASCII[] = "DataFormat_ASCII";

const char SettingGroup_CustomFrame[] = "DataFormat_CustomFrame";

const char SettingGroup_Channels[] = "Channels";

const char SettingGroup_Plot[] = "Plot";

const char SettingGroup_Commands[] = "Commands";

// mainwindow setting keys

const char SG_MainWindow_Size[] = "size";

const char SG_MainWindow_Pos[] = "pos";

const char SG_MainWindow_ActivePanel[] = "activePanel";

const char SG_MainWindow_HidePanels[] = "hidePanels";

// port setting keys

const char SG_Port_SelectedPort[] = "selectedPort";

const char SG_Port_BaudRate[] = "baudRate";

const char SG_Port_Parity[] = "parity";

const char SG_Port_DataBits[] = "dataBits";

const char SG_Port_StopBits[] = "stopBits";

const char SG_Port_FlowControl[] = "flowControl";

// data format panel keys

const char SG_DataFormat_Format[] = "format";