It seems to be very hard to test shortcuts with QTestLib.
This example reproduces that triggering a QShortcut by generating an event works when done from within a mousePressEvent but otherwise not.

(Whether it just creates a QKeyEvent like this and calls notify or uses the QTest convenience functions makes no difference. The setSpontaneous() doesn't help either)

#include <QtTest/qtestspontaneevent.h>
#include <QTimer>
#include <QWidget>
#include <QShortcut>
#include <QKeySequence>
#include <QMouseEvent>
#include <QKeyEvent>
#include <QEvent>
#include <QApplication>
#include <QDebug>

class Widget : public QWidget
{
Q_OBJECT
public:
Widget(QWidget *parent = 0)
: QWidget(parent)

{ new QShortcut(QKeySequence(Qt::Key_R), this, SLOT(onShortcutInvoked())); QTimer::singleShot(1000, this, SLOT(generateEvent())); }

void mousePressEvent(QMouseEvent *)

{ generateEvent(); }

public slots:
void generateEvent()

{ QKeyEvent ev(QEvent::KeyPress, Qt::Key_R, Qt::NoModifier, "r"); reinterpret_cast<QSpontaneKeyEvent *>(&ev)->setSpontaneous(); qApp->notify(this, &ev); }

void onShortcutInvoked()

{ qDebug() << "foo"; }

};

#include "main.moc"

int main(int argc, char **argv)
{
QApplication a(argc, argv);
Widget w;
w.show();
return a.exec();
}