Python tkinter tutorials for GUI programs

Show Table of Content

Dashboard using Tkinter frame

Tkinter, an integral part of Python's standard library, is a powerful tool for crafting graphical user interfaces (GUIs). This library equips developers with an array of widgets and tools necessary for building robust desktop applications, ensuring seamless functionality across various platforms like Windows, macOS, and Linux. Rooted in the Tk GUI toolkit, originally designed for the Tcl programming language, Tkinter has been adeptly adapted for Python, enhancing its versatility.

Podcast on Tkinter the Python GUI Development

How to install Tkinter Module 🔝

Tkinter comes with Python and while installing Python, ensure the Tcl/Tk and IDLE checkboxes are selected. To install Tkinter subsequently we have to use the command like this .

C:\Users\user name>pip install tk

Python must be installed before installing the Tkinter library. ( how to check Python installation is here. )

If you encounter the 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

What is mainloop() ? 🔝

The mainloop() function is what keeps a Tkinter application running and responsive. It's the heart of any Tkinter application, it handles events, user interactions, and rendering updates to the GUI. Without calling mainloop(), a Tkinter application would open a window and immediately close it, or not open it at all, since the program would reach its end without waiting for user interaction.

Check the two print commands here, after closing of the Tkinter window the last line will be printed. The line just before the last print command my_w.mainloop() will make the program wait for user interactions and will allow further execution ( below it ) once the window is closed.

import tkinter as tk
my_w = tk.Tk() # root window
my_w.geometry("400x250")  # Size of the window 

print( ' I am before mainloop ')
my_w.mainloop()  # Keep the window open
print(' I am after mainloop')

Explore how the application behaves by toggling the my_w.mainloop() line: comment it out to observe the effect, then uncomment it to see the differences in application functionality.

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 🔝

Basic Widgets

Button: Add button with click events and style
Label: Add Label and change text & other attributes
Entry: Add Text box, Single line text entry
Text: Add Text box, Multi line text entry
Checkbutton: Read data and manage (set or get) of a checkbutton
Radiobutton: Read data and manage (set or get) of a Radio button

Container and Layout Widgets

frame: Group widgets and add separator to window
LabelFrame: Group Widgets and add Label
PanedWindow: Container allowing user to adjust the size by using the mouse
Toplevel: Display pop-up or child window from Parent

Selection and Input Widgets

Listbox: Read selection, add elements to a listbox
OptionMenu: Drop down box to select one of many options
Spinbox: User selection from a range of options
Scale: Use slider to fix value
StringVar: tk.StringVar() and trace with callback functions

Menu and Dialog Widgets

Menu: Menu with option and methods
Menubutton: Dropdown menu
MessageBox: Show Message box and take user choice
askopenfile: Dialog box to show file browser & upload file from local system
askopenfile: Upload and display images using file browser
colorchooser: Access the native colour picker dialog
simpledialog: Dialog box to take user input

Visual and Drawing Widgets

Canvas: Draw Line, Arc, Oval, Polygon, rectangle etc
image: Displaying icon and Images on Window
Scrollbar: Scrollbar options and uses

Special Purpose Widgets

Message: Displaying in-process Messages
DateEntry: Display Drop-down Date entry
clock: Display time with Date
Calendar: Display Date picker
colors: Tkinter supported colors list

ttk : Tkinter Themed widgets 🔝

ttk, which stands for Themed Tk, is a newer addition to Tkinter that provides access to the themed widget set introduced in Tk 8.5. This module allows for the creation of widgets that can more closely match the native look and feel of a user's operating system.

import tkinter as tk
from tkinter import ttk

ttk comes with 18 widgets, twelve of which already existed in tkinter:

Button, Checkbutton, Entry, Frame, Label, LabelFrame, Menubutton, PanedWindow, Radiobutton, Scale, Scrollbar, and Spinbox.

The other six are new:

Combobox	Managing options of a dropdown Combobox
Notebook	Methods and options to manage Tabs
Progressbar	Displaying status of process with options and methods
Separator	Vertical and Horizontal separators
Sizegrip	Adding window resizing capabilities.
Treeview	Basics of Treeview for tabular data

Layout of widgets in Tkinter window 🔝

grid	Organizes widgets in rows and columns, offering more precise control.
pack	Simple, arranges widgets in blocks either vertically or horizontally.
place	Places widgets at exact x, y coordinates for precise positioning.

Handy Reference 🔝

Attributes	How to list, read or update the values
validation	Validating user inputs
Events	Mouse and Keyboard Events using Call back functions
config()	access the access the object's attributes after its initialization

ttkbootstrap 🔝

Tkinter and Database integration 🔝

Tkinter and MySQL Integration

Learn how to connect your Tkinter applications to MySQL databases. Manage records, display data using Treeview, and implement features like search, pagination, and CRUD operations.

Explore MySQL Tutorials

Tkinter and SQLite Integration

Discover how to integrate Tkinter with SQLite for lightweight and efficient database management. Learn to create tables, insert, update, and fetch data directly within your GUI applications.

Explore SQLite Tutorials

Exercise	Exercise on Tkinter and Managing MySQL 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

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

Application development by using PyInstaller

important 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 Python Tkinter Live Session at 7 PM in Hindi

Exception Handling Dictionary Python- Tutorials

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel here

Understanding Tkinter: Python's Gateway to GUI Development