Tkinter doesn’t suck!
Honest!
Saturday, 7 November 2009

“What GUI toolkit
should I use?”
– random poster in random forum
Saturday, 7 November 2009

wxWindows!
Saturday, 7 November 2009

import wx
class Application(wx.Frame):
def __init__(self, parent):
wx.Frame.__init__(self, parent, -1, 'My GUI', size=(300, 200))
panel = wx.Panel(self)
sizer = wx.BoxSizer(wx.VERTICAL)
panel.SetSizer(sizer)
txt = wx.StaticText(panel, -1, 'Hello, world')
sizer.Add(txt, 0, wx.TOP|wx.LEFT, 20)
self.Centre()
self.Show(True)
app = wx.App(0)
Application(None)
app.MainLoop()
Saturday, 7 November 2009

pyGTK
Saturday, 7 November 2009

import gtk
window = gtk.Window()
label = gtk.Label("Hello, world")
window.add(label)
window.show_all()
gtk.main()
Saturday, 7 November 2009

PyQt!
Saturday, 7 November 2009

import sys
import PyQt4.Qt as qt
a=qt.QApplication(sys.argv)
w=qt.QLabel("Hello, world")
w.show()
a.exec_()
Saturday, 7 November 2009

“whatever you do...
Saturday, 7 November 2009

...don’t use Tkinter!”
Saturday, 7 November 2009

“Tkinter sucks!”
Saturday, 7 November 2009

import Tkinter as tk
root = tk.Tk()
tk.Label(root, text="Hello, world").pack()
root.mainloop()
Saturday, 7 November 2009

“yeah, OMG, Tkinter
sucks!”
Saturday, 7 November 2009

I disagree
Saturday, 7 November 2009

1. it’s simple to use
- rich base widget set
- which is not verbose
- automatic packing
Saturday, 7 November 2009

2. it’s always there
on Windows & OS X
-- on Linuxes you might
need to install an
optional package
Saturday, 7 November 2009

3. it’s mature
first release 1991
8.0 released August 1999
8.5 released December 2007
Saturday, 7 November 2009

how I discovered this
I had this project that I wanted to be click-to-run, but needed to select a file
Looked for a cross-platform “file dialog” solution and found some hacks
Then I noticed a reference to Tkinter, and lo and behold...
Saturday, 7 November 2009

filename = tkFileDialog.askopenfilename(parent=root,
filetypes=[('ReStructuredText Files', '.rst .txt'),
('All Files', '.*')],
title='Select your presentation file')
Saturday, 7 November 2009

Saturday, 7 November 2009

well, if it can do that...
what about the program’s command-line options?
Saturday, 7 November 2009

Saturday, 7 November 2009

self.root = tk.Tk()
frame = Tk.Frame(self.root)
frame.pack()
Tk.Label(frame, text='Bruce, the Presentation Tool!').pack()
self.fullscreen = Tk.IntVar()
Tk.Checkbutton(frame, text='Fullscreen?', variable=self.fullscreen).pack()
# screen selection
display = pyglet.window.get_platform().get_default_display()
N = len(display.get_screens())
self.screen = Tk.IntVar(0)
if N > 1:
for n in range(N):
Tk.Radiobutton(frame, text="Display on screen %d"%(n+1),
variable=self.screen, value=n).pack()
self.timer = Tk.IntVar()
Tk.Checkbutton(frame, text='Show Timer?', variable=self.timer).pack()
self.page_count = Tk.IntVar()
Tk.Checkbutton(frame, text='Show Page Count?', variable=self.page_count).pack()
self.bullet_mode = Tk.IntVar()
Tk.Checkbutton(frame, text='Run in Bullet Mode?', variable=self.bullet_mode).pack()
self.source = Tk.IntVar()
Tk.Checkbutton(frame, text='Display source in console?', variable=self.source).pack()
Tk.Button(frame, text='Play Presentation', command=self.go).pack()
Saturday, 7 November 2009

specific Tkinter gripes
Saturday, 7 November 2009

1. it’s not pretty
Saturday, 7 November 2009

1. it’s not pretty
1. it doesn’t look native,
2. fonts are not anti-aliased
Saturday, 7 November 2009

2. extending is tricky
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native look and feel
(since Tk 8.0, 1999)
Saturday, 7 November 2009

native look and feel
(since Tk 8.0, 1999)
(much improved in Tk 8.5, 2008)
Saturday, 7 November 2009

native look and feel
(since Tk 8.0, 1999)
(much improved in Tk 8.5, 2008)
(“less ugly but not perfect”)
Saturday, 7 November 2009

Saturday, 7 November 2009

Saturday, 7 November 2009

truetype / opentype
fonts
(since Tk 8.5)
Saturday, 7 November 2009

1. Simple to use
Saturday, 7 November 2009

Widgets
Saturday, 7 November 2009

import Tkinter as tk
root = tk.Tk()
tk.Label(root, text="Hello, world").pack()
root.mainloop()
demo image display
label properties:
foreground, background,
font, ???
Saturday, 7 November 2009

import Tkinter as tk
root = tk.Tk()
tk.Label(root, text="Hello, world").pack()
root.mainloop()
No point showing the
other three lines in other
examples
Saturday, 7 November 2009

from PIL import Image, ImageTk
image = ImageTk.PhotoImage(Image.open('kitten.jpg'))
tk.Label(root, image=image).pack()
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def pressed():
print 'You pressed me!'
tk.Button(root, text='Press me!',
command=pressed).pack()
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entry = tk.Entry(root)
entry.pack()
entry.insert(0, 'some text')
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value = tk.IntVar()
tk.Checkbutton(root, text='Checked?',
variable=value).pack()
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value = tk.IntVar()
for n in range(4):
tk.Radiobutton(root, value=n
text="Selection %d"%(n+1),
variable=value).pack()
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value = tk.StringVar(value='One')
tk.OptionMenu(root, value, 'One', 'Two',
'Three').pack()
10 minutes
Saturday, 7 November 2009

listbox = tk.Listbox(root)
listbox.pack()
listbox.insert(tk.END, "a list entry")
for item in ‘one two three four’.split():
listbox.insert(tk.END, item)
Saturday, 7 November 2009

text = tk.Text(root)
text.pack()
text.insert(tk.END, '''some text
more text''')
also allows:
- embedding of images
and widgets
- searching
- tagging (identification,
useful for properties)
- styles
Saturday, 7 November 2009

scale = tk.Scale(root, from_=0, to=100)
scale.pack()
Saturday, 7 November 2009

w = tk.Canvas(root, width=200, height=100)
w.pack()
w.create_line(0, 0, 200, 100)
w.create_line(0, 100, 200, 0,
fill="red", dash=(4, 4))
w.create_rectangle(50, 25, 150, 75,
fill="blue")
- line (with arrows), arc,
image, oval, polygon,
rectangle, text, widgets
- outline, fill
- scrollable (limitable)
- picking (with closest)
Saturday, 7 November 2009

1. Simple to use
Saturday, 7 November 2009

Packing
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rows or columns
the pack manager packs
into rows or columns
the default is column,
centered.
Saturday, 7 November 2009

in the beginning there is
a container, and it is
empty
we’re going to pack this
container at the default
tk.TOP
Saturday, 7 November 2009

tk.Button(root, text='Press me!').pack()
pack a button
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tk.Button(root, text='Press me!').pack()
tk.Button(root, text='Press me too!').pack()
pack a button
Saturday, 7 November 2009

tk.Button(root, text='Press me!').pack()
tk.Button(root, text='Press me too!').pack()
tk.Button(root, text='And me!').pack()
pack a button
Saturday, 7 November 2009

tk.Button(root, text='Press me!').pack(side=tk.LEFT)
tk.Button(root, text='Press me too!').pack(side=tk.LEFT)
tk.Button(root, text='And me!').pack(side=tk.LEFT)
pack on tk.LEFT instead
Saturday, 7 November 2009

tk.Button(root, text='Press me!').pack(side=tk.RIGHT)
tk.Button(root, text='Press me too!').pack(side=tk.RIGHT)
tk.Button(root, text='And me!').pack(side=tk.RIGHT)
pack on tk.RIGHT instead
Saturday, 7 November 2009

more complex packing?
Saturday, 7 November 2009

tk.Button(root, text='Press me!').pack()
horizontal = tk.Frame(root)
horizontal.pack()
tk.Button(horizontal, text='Press me too!').pack(side=tk.LEFT)
tk.Button(horizontal, text='Press me too!').pack(side=tk.LEFT)
Saturday, 7 November 2009

grids
Saturday, 7 November 2009

tk.Button(root, text='Press me!').grid(row=0, column=0)
tk.Message(root, text='Pressnmentoo!').grid(row=1, column=0)
tk.Button(root, text='And me!').grid(row=1, column=1)
those are tk.CENTER “sticky”
other options are the 9 points of the compass
pack() also allows the sticky side to be specified
see I snuck in the multiline “Message” widget
there?
Saturday, 7 November 2009

... or place
Saturday, 7 November 2009

Widget values
Saturday, 7 November 2009

widgets with a variable
variable = tk.IntVar()
value = variable.get()
variable.set(value)
Saturday, 7 November 2009

text widgets
entry = tk.Entry()
value = entry.get()
entry.delete(0, tk.END)
entry.insert(0, value)
Saturday, 7 November 2009

list boxes
listbox = tk.Listbox(root)
listbox.pack()
for item in ‘one two three four’.split():
listbox.insert(tk.END, item)
selected = list.curselection()
Saturday, 7 November 2009

Styling
Saturday, 7 November 2009

2 methods:
1. direct
2. themed (py2.6+, py3k+)
Saturday, 7 November 2009

tk.Label(root, text="Hello, world!",
background='black',
foreground='white',
font='Courier').pack()
Saturday, 7 November 2009

tk.Button(root, text="Hello, world!",
background='black',
foreground='white',
font='Courier').pack()
some limitations
(sometimes depending on
your theme)
Saturday, 7 November 2009

Option 2: Themed
Saturday, 7 November 2009

from [tT]kinter import ttk
lower-case “t” in py3k+
If you want it earlier you
can install the tile
extension
Saturday, 7 November 2009

complementary
Though the themed widget commands work similarly to the originals,
there are important differences.
Themed widgets are not a drop-in replacement.
In particular, themed widgets generally provide less options for
customizing their appearance than regular Tk widgets (e.g. they will
often not have options like "-background").
Such changes, if needed (and they should be needed much less often)
must be done by defining new widget styles, using the facilities offered
by the themed widget package.
Saturday, 7 November 2009

Implements
button, checkbutton, entry, label,
menubutton, radiobutton, scale,
scrollbar, frame, labelframe,
panedwindow
Saturday, 7 November 2009

Added
combobox, notebook,
progressbar, separator,
sizegrip
Saturday, 7 November 2009

Not present
canvas, listbox,
menu, spinbox, text
these aren’t really
needed
Saturday, 7 November 2009

“classes” and “styles”
>>> from tkinter import ttk
>>> l = ttk.Label('hello, world!')
>>> l.winfo_class()
'TLabel'
>>> l['style']
''
Saturday, 7 November 2009

layout example (button)
Saturday, 7 November 2009

>>> style = ttk.Style()
>>> style.layout('TButton')
[("Button.border", {"children": [("Button.focus", {"children":
[("Button.spacing", {"children": [("Button.label", {"sticky":
"nswe"})], "sticky": "nswe"})], "sticky": "nswe"})], "sticky":
"nswe", "border": "1"})]
Saturday, 7 November 2009

element options
>>> style = ttk.Style()
>>> style.element_options('Button.label')
('-compound', '-space', '-text', '-font', '-foreground', '-underline',
'-width', '-anchor', '-justify', '-wraplength', '-embossed', '-image',
'-stipple', '-background')
Saturday, 7 November 2009

style = ttk.Style()
style.configure("Red.TLabel", foreground="red", font="Courier 32")
ttk.Label(text="Test Styled", style="Red.TLabel").pack()
ttk.Label(text="Test Unstyled").pack()
Saturday, 7 November 2009

switching themes
style = ttk.Style()
current_theme = style.theme_use()
new_theme = style.theme_create(...)
style.theme_use(new_theme)
Saturday, 7 November 2009

Events
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bind(), unbind()
def callback(event):
print "clicked at", event.x, event.y
frame = Frame(root, width=100, height=100)
frame.bind("<Button-1>", callback)
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<modifier-type-detail>
Saturday, 7 November 2009

mouse event types
mouse button <Button-1>, <Button-2>, <Button-3>
mouse drag <B1-Motion>
mouse release <ButtonRelease-1>, ...
double click <Double-Button-1>, ...
triple click <Triple-Button-1>, ...
mouse entered <Enter>
mouse left <Leave>
Saturday, 7 November 2009

keyboard event types
focus <FocusIn>, <FocusOut>
<Enter>, <Delete>, <Left>,
specific keys <Right>, ...
any key <Key>
any text a, b, 1, 2, ...
<Shift-Up>, <Alt-Enter>,
modified keys <Control-Tab>, ...
Saturday, 7 November 2009

special event types
configuration <Configure>
The widget changed size (or location, on some
platforms). The new size is provided in the width
and height attributes of the event object passed to
the callback.
Saturday, 7 November 2009

Canvas
w = tk.Canvas(root, width=400, height=300)
w.pack()
Saturday, 7 November 2009

w.create_line(0, 0, 400, 300)
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w.create_line(0, 300, 400, 0,fill="red", dash=(4, 4))
Saturday, 7 November 2009

w.create_rectangle(150, 125, 250, 175, outline="green", fill="blue")
specify corders, outline and fill colors
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w.create_arc(50, 50, 200, 200, outline="blue", fill="green")
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w.create_oval(200, 200, 250, 250, outline="blue", fill="green")
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from PIL import Image, ImageTk
image = ImageTk.PhotoImage(Image.open('kitten.jpg'))
w.create_image((0, 0), image=image, anchor=tk.NW)
Saturday, 7 November 2009

Tips
Saturday, 7 November 2009

self.attributes('-topmost', True)
Saturday, 7 November 2009