can't get a simple dialog working

[Mike]

If I read your code in the main function correctly, then you're including the wrong header. You include the header that was generated by the uic compiler for your dialog resource.
However as correctly done, you created a dialog class that inherits from the uic generated class. Your class correctly inherits QDialog, and with that comes the show() method. However now it seems that you're not using your own class in the main method. Try doing this instead:

#include "handmade.h" // <-- Use your own dialog class
#include <QApplication>
 
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    QApplication app(argc, argv);
    // Create an instance of your own dialog
    handmade *dialog = new handmade;
 
    dialog->show();        
    return app.exec();
}

#include "handmade.h" // <-- Use your own dialog class
#include <QApplication>

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    QApplication app(argc, argv);
    // Create an instance of your own dialog
    handmade *dialog = new handmade;
  
    dialog->show();        
    return app.exec();
}

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Then your dialog should work as expected.

Ups, I think it was answered just before...

[Mike]

Another thing I noticed. In the constructor of your own "handmade" dialog class you invoke show(). I don't think you are suppose to do that. Normally you want to setup the dialog, set some additional stuff, maybe invoke an init method, and only then, in the calling method,

handmade->show()

handmade->show()

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or for a modal dialog

handmade->exec()

handmade->exec()

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should be invoked. Does this make sense to you?