Python tkinter tutorials for GUI programs

Tkinter is a standard Python library used for creating graphical user interfaces (GUIs). It provides a set of tools and widgets for building desktop applications that can run on different platforms such as Windows, macOS, and Linux. Tkinter is based on the Tk GUI toolkit, which was originally developed for the Tcl programming language, but has been ported to other languages including Python. With Tkinter, developers can create interactive and intuitive user interfaces for their applications with features such as buttons, menus, text boxes, checkboxes, radio buttons, sliders, and many more.

How to install Tkinter Module

Tkinter comes with Python and while installing python check the tcl/tk and IDLE checkbox. To install Tkinter subsequently we have to use the command like this .

C:\Users\user name>pip install tk

Installation of Python is to be completed before installing Tkinter library . ( how to check Python installation is here. )

If you are getting error modulenotfounderror: no module named 'tkinter' then use the above steps to install Tkinter library.

What is my Tkinter Installed Version?

import tkinter
print(tkinter.TkVersion) # 8.6

check tkinter installation

Run this command at your command prompt ( type cmd in your system.)
One small window will open showing you the details.

C:\Users\user name>python -m tkinter

Show one blank window.

import tkinter as tk
my_w = tk.Tk()
my_w.geometry("500x500")  # Size of the window 
my_w.title("www.plus2net.com")  # Adding a title
my_w.mainloop()  # Keep the window open

Close window by using Esc

my_w.bind('<Escape>', lambda e:my_w.quit()) # to close.

my_w.destroy() Close the window

geometry()

my_w.geometry("400x350+410+100")  # Size & Position

400 : width of the window
350 : Height of the window
410 : Position (opening ) of the window from left or X position
100 : Position (opening ) of the window from Top or Y position

Using height and width variables with geometry of the window. Inside our script we can use these variables.

width,height=710,710 # set the variables 
d=str(width)+"x"+str(height)
my_w.geometry(d)

Resizing of window is possible by default, but we can manage this setting by making resizing height, width to False

my_w.resizable(width=0,height=0) # resizing of window is not allowed

While opening we can set to full screen

my_w.state('zoomed') # default is 'normal'

More about managing geometry

Python GUI basic window code using Tkinter library for displaying first blank window

Change the background colour

my_w.configure(background='black')
#OR
#my_w.configure(background='#FFFF00')

To above code we will add different components.

List of widgets in Tkinter

askopenfile	Dialog box to show file browser & upload file from local system
askopenfile	Upload and display images using file browser
Button	Add button with click events and style
Canvas	Draw Line, Arc, Oval, Polygon ,rectangle etc
Checkbutton	Read data and manage (set or get) of a checkbutton
Combobox	Managing options of a dropdown Combobox
colors	Tkinter supported colors list
colorchooser	access the native colour picker dialog
config()	access the access the object's attributes after its initialization
Entry	Add Text box , Single line text entry
Events	Mouse and Keyboard Events using Call back functions
frame	Group widgets and add separator to window
image	Displaying icon and Images on Window
Label	Add Label and change text & other attributes
LabelFrame	Group Widgets and add Label
Listbox	Read selection , add elements to a listbox
MessageBox	Show Message box and take user choice
Menu	Menu with option and methods
Notebook	Methods and options to manage Tabs
OptionMenu	Drop down box to select one of many options
PanedWindow	Container allowing user to adjust the size by using the mouse
Progressbar	Displaying status of process with options and methods
Radiobutton	Read data and manage (set or get) of a Radio button
Scale	Use slider to fix value
Scrollbar	Scrollbar options and uses
simpledialog	Dialog box to take user input.
StringVar	tk.StringVar() and trace with callback functions
Spinbox	User selection from a range of options
Text	Add Text box , Multi line text entry
Toplevel	Display pop-up or child window from Parent
Parent-child	Parent Child node of Treeview
Treeview	Basics of Treeview
Treeview	Adding row to Treeview using insert()
Treeview	Adding row to Treeview after inserting data to MySQL table
validation	Validating user inputs
clock	Display time with Date
Calendar	Display Date picker
DateEntry	Display Drop-down Date entry

Layout of widgets in Tkinter window

grid	Add grid for layout management
pack	Pack for layout management
place	place for absolute and relative coordinates for layout management

ttkbootstrap

MySQL

We can connect to MySQL database from Python and manage the data. Tkinter adds the GUI capability to this data handing capacity. We will learn about adding data, displaying, updating etc by using standard SQL.
Python to MySQL connection and handling data

MySQL	Displaying records from MySQL database in Tkinter window
Treeview	Displaying records from MySQL database in Tkinter window using Treeview
Delete	Deleting selected row from MySQL table and Treeview
Pagination	Pagination of records from MySQL table using Treeview
Paging	Pagination of records of MySQL table using Tkinter window
record display	Displaying record in a Tkinter window by taking user input as row id
record update	Select-Edit-Update row by using Treeview
Image display	Displaying Binary data from MySQL Blob column.
Image display	Displaying all records with Images from MySQL Blob column.
Image add	Inserting uploaded image to Blob column of MySQL table
Image add	Adding data to student table with Photo using Blob column of MySQL table
Image Update	Updating user uploaded image in MySQL Blob column
record add	Adding user entered data through Tkinter window to MySQL table
Login	System for Login with add user and listing users with delete option

Exercise	Exercise on Tkinter and Managing MySQL database

SQlite

SQLite is a file based database with full functional capacity like any other Relational Database. Portability is the main advantage of SQLite database. Using sqlite3 library we can manage SQLite database by using Standard Query languages. By using Tkinter we can add GUI capability to manage SQLite database from Python.
Python to SQLite connection and handling data Without installing use SQLite database from google Drive by using Colab.

Display	Display records from SQLite table in Tkinter window
Display	Paging : Breaking of number of records to pages
Delete	Delete record on button click and after user confirmation
record display	Return details of the record by entering row ID
record add	Insert user entered data through Tkinter window to SQLite table
OptionMenu	Unique data from SQLite as OptionMenu list
Two OptionMenus	Two dependant OptionMenus ( Category and subcategory)
Blob Column	Managing Blob column, changes required in Script managing MySQL database
SQLite Connector	Application to Manage Database and create new database

Dynamic Graphs in Tkinter GUI

Display Pandas DataFrame graphs in Tkinter

To list all available methods of any widget

l3 = tk.Label(my_w,  text='Welcome')
object_methods=[l3 for l3 in dir(tk.Label)
               if callable(getattr(tk.Label,l3))]
print(object_methods)

Download .zip file with .ipynb files
of Video Tutorials

Transparent Window

my_w.attributes('-alpha',0.5)

Time delay using after()

l1 is one Label, this code will update the text on Label l1 after 3000 millseconds ( 3 seconds ).

l1.after(3000,lambda:l1.config(fg='white',bg='white',text=''))

Creating windows EXE file from Tkinter

Developing executable desktop applications by using PyInstaller in Tkinter Python library

Install PyInstaller by using Pip install.

pip install pyinstaller

From command prompt move to the directory where your source file is there ( this is required if path is not set ) . You can run from your existing prompt also.

python3 -m PyIntaller tk-clock.py

This will create several files and directories at the same location. Your application will be inside the dist directory.

Creating single application file

python3  -m PyInstaller  --onefile --windowed  tk-clock.py

importat tips for application development

Don’t initialize any widgets inside a function. Start them from root of your script and manage the options (attributes) from inside the functions by using config() method.

Keep the common requirements like Database connection string in a common file and call them from different scripts. This helps in changing the login details in one location when you shift to different database.

If you have common logo, background colour etc. then store them inside config.py file ( can use any other name ) and call them from different scripts. Easy maintenance.

Project : GUI Text Editor

Text Editor with all file handling operations like New, Open., Save, Save As and Close to add or update data of the file.
The tkinter filedialog is used to display file handling dialog boxes and Menu is used to execute various functions to manage a file.
Tkinter Text Editor to Manage File Operations

QR code generator

Projects using Tkinter

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Python GUI tutorials using Tkinter