14.3. Welcome Page Banner Slides

14.3. Welcome Page Banner Slides
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The welcome page displays a rotating banner carousel with slides for events, sponsorship, and tips. Slide content and display configuration are loaded from JSON resource files at runtime rather than being hardcoded.

14.3.1. File Layout

Path	Purpose
resources/json/slides.json	Default slide deck and configuration shipped in the source tree.
resources/json/slides.schema.json	JSON Schema for validating slide files.
resources/json/banners/	Banner images referenced by slides. All files in this directory are automatically embedded via `file(GLOB)` in CMake.
ui/qt/widgets/info_banner_widget.h	`BannerSlide` struct, `SlideTypeConfig` struct, and `InfoBannerWidget` class.
ui/qt/widgets/info_banner_widget.cpp	JSON loading, config merging, rotation logic, and rendering.
ui/qt/CMakeLists.txt	QRC resource generation for Wireshark.
ui/stratoshark/CMakeLists.txt	QRC resource generation for Stratoshark.

14.3.2. JSON Schema

Slide files use the following structure:

{
    "schema_version": 1,
    "config": {
        "colors": {
            "default": { "start": "#333333", "end": "#222222" },
            "events": { "start": "#1a4a6e", "end": "#234d6e" }
        },
        "types": {
            "events": { "randomized": false, "maxdisplay": 0, "only": false },
            "tips": { "randomized": true, "maxdisplay": 3 }
        }
    },
    "slides": [
        {
            "type": "events",
            "tag": "Conference",
            "title": "SharkFest'26 US",
            "description": "Nashville, Tennessee",
            "description_sub": "July 18-23, 2026",
            "body_text": "Join the annual Wireshark developer...",
            "button_label": "Learn More",
            "url": "https://sharkfest.wireshark.org/sfus/",
            "image": "sharkfestus.png",
            "date_from": "2025-12-01",
            "date_until": "2026-07-23"
        }
    ]
}

A formal JSON Schema is available at resources/json/slides.schema.json for editor-based and CI validation.

The type, title, description, and url fields are required per slide. Slides missing any of these are skipped with a warning. The type must be one of "events", "sponsorship", or "tips". Note that "sponsorship" is reserved for the predefined slides.json and cannot be used in custom slide files. All other slide fields are optional and default to empty strings.

The image field is a filename resolved at runtime under :/json/banners/. If empty or missing, a generic semi-transparent overlay is shown instead.

The date_from and date_until fields use ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD). Slides are hidden before date_from and after date_until. Omitting either field removes that constraint.

14.3.3. Configuration Section

The optional config section controls slide display behavior and colors.

Colors (config.colors): Per-type gradient color overrides with "start" and "end" fields in #RRGGBB format. The "default" entry provides fallback colors for types without explicit colors. Available keys: "default", "events", "sponsorship", "tips".

Type settings (config.types): Per-type display settings. Available keys: "events", "sponsorship", "tips". Each entry supports:

Field	Description
`randomized`	Boolean (default `false`). Shuffles slides of this type at startup before maxdisplay windowing applies. Mixes custom and predefined slides.
`maxdisplay`	Integer (default `0` = show all). Maximum slides of this type shown per rotation cycle. After one full cycle through all displayed slides, the window advances. Example: `maxdisplay=2` with 5 slides shows slides 1-2 in cycle 1, slides 3-4 in cycle 2, slides 5-1 in cycle 3.
`only`	Boolean (default `false`). When `true`, only slides from this file are used for this type. `slides.json` always wins: if `slides.json` sets `only=true`, custom slides of that type are ignored. A custom file’s `only=true` only takes effect if the predefined file does not set it.
`hidden`	Boolean (default `false`). Only valid in custom files. When `true`, suppresses this type entirely. Allows company builds to hide predefined types like sponsorship.

All config fields are optional. Missing values use defaults. Config from a custom file merges over the predefined config on a per-type basis.

14.3.4. Adding a New Default Slide

Edit resources/json/slides.json and add a new entry to the slides array.
If the slide needs a banner image, place the file in resources/json/banners/. Recommended dimensions are 900x360 pixels (3x the logical 300x120 display area for HiDPI support). The image is scaled to fill the area and center-cropped. Top corners are rounded at 8px radius.
Use date_from and date_until to time-limit slides for specific events.
Rebuild. CMake picks up new images automatically via file(GLOB).

14.3.5. Custom Slides at Build Time

Distributors can inject additional slides without modifying the source tree using the CUSTOM_SLIDES_JSON CMake variable:

cmake -DCUSTOM_SLIDES_JSON=/path/to/my_slides.json ..

The custom file uses the same JSON schema. Custom slides are merged with predefined slides per type, respecting only and hidden flags. If the path does not exist, it is silently ignored.

Custom file restrictions:

Sponsorship slides are not allowed in custom files. Any sponsorship slides in a custom file are skipped with a warning during loading.
The hidden flag in config.types is only valid in custom files.
The only flag in a custom file only takes effect if the predefined slides.json does not set only=true for that type.

	Important
	Custom slides in publicly distributed binaries (e.g. Linux distribution packages) must adhere to the Wireshark Code of Conduct. Slides must not link to deceptive downloads, trick users into purchasing unrelated products, or otherwise exploit or mislead users. The welcome page is a trust surface — users expect its content to be relevant and honest.

See also doc/README.slides for a standalone reference.

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