Python Tkinter

Python offers multiple options for developing GUI (Graphical User Interface). Out of all the GUI methods, tkinter is the most commonly used method. It is a standard Python interface to the Tk GUI toolkit shipped with Python. Python Tkinter is the fastest and easiest way to create GUI applications. Creating a GUI using Tkinter is an easy task.

To create a Tkinter Python app, you follow these basic steps:

1. Import the tkinter module: This is done just like importing any other module in Python. Note that in Python 2.x, the module is named ‘Tkinter’, while in Python 3.x, it is named ‘tkinter’.
2. Create the main window (container): The main window serves as the container for all the GUI elements you’ll add later.
3. Add widgets to the main window: You can add any number of widgets like buttons, labels, entry fields, etc., to the main window to design the interface as desired.
4. Apply event triggers to the widgets: You can attach event triggers to the widgets to define how they respond to user interactions.

Create First Tkinter GUI Application

There are two main methods used which the user needs to remember while creating the Python application with GUI.

Tk()

To create a main window, tkinter offers a method ‘Tk(screenName=None,  baseName=None,  className=’Tk’,  useTk=1)’. To change the name of the window, you can change the className to the desired one. The basic code used to create the main window of the application is:

mainloop()

There is a method known by the name mainloop() is used when your application is ready to run. mainloop() is an infinite loop used to run the application, wait for an event to occur, and process the event as long as the window is not closed.

Example

import tkinter
m = tkinter.Tk()
'''
widgets are added here
'''
m.mainloop()

Output

Tkinter Widget

There are a number of widgets which you can put in your tkinter application. Some of the major widgets are explained below:

1. Label

It refers to the display box where you can put any text or image which can be updated any time as per the code. The general syntax is:

w=Label(master, option=value)
master is the parameter used to represent the parent window.

from tkinter import *
root = Tk()
w = Label(root, text='GeeksForGeeks.org!')
w.pack()
root.mainloop()

Output

2. Button

To add a button in your application, this widget is used. The general syntax is:

w=Button(master, option=value)

master is the parameter used to represent the parent window. There are number of options which are used to change the format of the Buttons. Number of options can be passed as parameters separated by commas. Python

import tkinter as tk

r = tk.Tk()
r.title('Counting Seconds')
button = tk.Button(r, text='Stop', width=25, command=r.destroy)
button.pack()
r.mainloop()

Output

3. Entry

It is used to input the single line text entry from the user.. For multi-line text input, Text widget is used. The general syntax is:

w=Entry(master, option=value)

master is the parameter used to represent the parent window. There are number of options which are used to change the format of the widget. Number of options can be passed as parameters separated by commas. Some of them are listed below.

from tkinter import *

master = Tk()
Label(master, text='First Name').grid(row=0)
Label(master, text='Last Name').grid(row=1)
e1 = Entry(master)
e2 = Entry(master)
e1.grid(row=0, column=1)
e2.grid(row=1, column=1)
mainloop()

Output

4. CheckButton

To select any number of options by displaying a number of options to a user as toggle buttons. The general syntax is:

w = CheckButton(master, option=value)

There are number of options which are used to change the format of this widget. Number of options can be passed as parameters separated by commas. Some of them are listed below.

from tkinter import *

master = Tk()
var1 = IntVar()
Checkbutton(master, text='male', variable=var1).grid(row=0, sticky=W)
var2 = IntVar()
Checkbutton(master, text='female', variable=var2).grid(row=1, sticky=W)
mainloop()

Output

5. RadioButton

It is used to offer multi-choice option to the user. It offers several options to the user and the user has to choose one option. The general syntax is:

w = RadioButton(master, option=value)

There are number of options which are used to change the format of this widget. Number of options can be passed as parameters separated by commas. Some of them are listed below.

from tkinter import *

root = Tk()
v = IntVar()
Radiobutton(root, text='GfG', variable=v, value=1).pack(anchor=W)
Radiobutton(root, text='MIT', variable=v, value=2).pack(anchor=W)
mainloop()

Output

6. Listbox

It offers a list to the user from which the user can accept any number of options. The general syntax is:

w = Listbox(master, option=value)
master is the parameter used to represent the parent window.

There are number of options which are used to change the format of the widget. Number of options can be passed as parameters separated by commas. Some of them are listed below.

from tkinter import *

top = Tk()
Lb = Listbox(top)
Lb.insert(1, 'Python')
Lb.insert(2, 'Java')
Lb.insert(3, 'C++')
Lb.insert(4, 'Any other')
Lb.pack()
top.mainloop()

Output

7. Scrollbar

It refers to the slide controller which will be used to implement listed widgets. The general syntax is:

w = Scrollbar(master, option=value)
master is the parameter used to represent the parent window.

There are number of options which are used to change the format of the widget. Number of options can be passed as parameters separated by commas. Some of them are listed below.

from tkinter import *

root = Tk()
scrollbar = Scrollbar(root)
scrollbar.pack(side=RIGHT, fill=Y)
mylist = Listbox(root, yscrollcommand=scrollbar.set)

for line in range(100):
    mylist.insert(END, 'This is line number' + str(line))
    
mylist.pack(side=LEFT, fill=BOTH)
scrollbar.config(command=mylist.yview)
mainloop()

Output

8. Menu

It is used to create all kinds of menus used by the application. The general syntax is:

w = Menu(master, option=value)
master is the parameter used to represent the parent window.

There are number of options which are used to change the format of this widget. Number of options can be passed as parameters separated by commas. Some of them are listed below.

from tkinter import *

root = Tk()
menu = Menu(root)
root.config(menu=menu)
filemenu = Menu(menu)
menu.add_cascade(label='File', menu=filemenu)
filemenu.add_command(label='New')
filemenu.add_command(label='Open...')
filemenu.add_separator()
filemenu.add_command(label='Exit', command=root.quit)
helpmenu = Menu(menu)
menu.add_cascade(label='Help', menu=helpmenu)
helpmenu.add_command(label='About')
mainloop()

Output

9. Combobox

Combobox widget is created using the ttk.Combobox class from the tkinter.ttk module. The values for the Combobox are specified using the values parameter. The default value is set using the set method. An event handler function on_select is bound to the Combobox using the bind method, which updates a label with the selected item whenever an item is selected.

import tkinter as tk
from tkinter import ttk

def on_select(event):
    selected_item = combo_box.get()
    label.config(text="Selected Item: " + selected_item)

root = tk.Tk()
root.title("Combobox Example")

# Create a label
label = tk.Label(root, text="Selected Item: ")
label.pack(pady=10)

# Create a Combobox widget
combo_box = ttk.Combobox(root, values=["Option 1", "Option 2", "Option 3"])
combo_box.pack(pady=5)

# Set default value
combo_box.set("Option 1")

# Bind event to selection
combo_box.bind("<<ComboboxSelected>>", on_select)

root.mainloop()

Output

10. Scale

It is used to provide a graphical slider that allows to select any value from that scale. The general syntax is:

w = Scale(master, option=value)master is the parameter used to represent the parent window.

There are number of options which are used to change the format of the widget. Number of options can be passed as parameters separated by commas. Some of them are listed below.

from tkinter import *

master = Tk()
w = Scale(master, from_=0, to=42)
w.pack()
w = Scale(master, from_=0, to=200, orient=HORIZONTAL)
w.pack()
mainloop()

Output

11. TopLevel

This widget is directly controlled by the window manager. It don’t need any parent window to work on.The general syntax is:

w = TopLevel(master, option=value)

There are number of options which are used to change the format of the widget. Number of options can be passed as parameters separated by commas. Some of them are listed below.

from tkinter import *

root = Tk()
root.title('GfG')
top = Toplevel()
top.title('Python')
top.mainloop()

Output

12. Message

It refers to the multi-line and non-editable text. It works same as that of Label. The general syntax is:

w = Message(master, option=value)
master is the parameter used to represent the parent window.

There are number of options which are used to change the format of the widget. Number of options can be passed as parameters separated by commas. Some of them are listed below.

from tkinter import *

main = Tk()
ourMessage = 'This is our Message'
messageVar = Message(main, text=ourMessage)
messageVar.config(bg='lightgreen')
messageVar.pack()
main.mainloop()

Output

13. MenuButton

It is a part of top-down menu which stays on the window all the time. Every menubutton has its own functionality. The general syntax is:

w = MenuButton(master, option=value)
master is the parameter used to represent the parent window.

There are number of options which are used to change the format of the widget. Number of options can be passed as parameters separated by commas. Some of them are listed below.

from tkinter import *

top = Tk() 
mb = Menubutton ( top, text = "GfG") 
mb.grid() 
mb.menu = Menu ( mb, tearoff = 0 ) 
mb["menu"] = mb.menu 
cVar = IntVar() 
aVar = IntVar() 
mb.menu.add_checkbutton ( label ='Contact', variable = cVar ) 
mb.menu.add_checkbutton ( label = 'About', variable = aVar ) 
mb.pack() 
top.mainloop() 

Output

14. Progressbar

Tkinter application with a Progressbar widget and a button to start the progress. When the button is clicked, the progressbar fills up to 100% over a short period, simulating a task that takes time to complete.

import tkinter as tk
from tkinter import ttk
import time

def start_progress():
    progress.start()

    # Simulate a task that takes time to complete
    for i in range(101):
      # Simulate some work
        time.sleep(0.05)  
        progress['value'] = i
        # Update the GUI
        root.update_idletasks()  
    progress.stop()

root = tk.Tk()
root.title("Progressbar Example")

# Create a progressbar widget
progress = ttk.Progressbar(root, orient="horizontal", length=300, mode="determinate")
progress.pack(pady=20)

# Button to start progress
start_button = tk.Button(root, text="Start Progress", command=start_progress)
start_button.pack(pady=10)

root.mainloop()

Output

15. SpinBox

It is an entry of ‘Entry’ widget. Here, value can be input by selecting a fixed value of numbers.The general syntax is:

w = SpinBox(master, option=value)

There are number of options which are used to change the format of the widget. Number of options can be passed as parameters separated by commas. Some of them are listed below.

from tkinter import *

master = Tk()
w = Spinbox(master, from_=0, to=10)
w.pack()
mainloop()

Output:

16. Text

To edit a multi-line text and format the way it has to be displayed. The general syntax is:

w  =Text(master, option=value)

There are number of options which are used to change the format of the text. Number of options can be passed as parameters separated by commas. Some of them are listed below.

from tkinter import *

root = Tk()
T = Text(root, height=2, width=30)
T.pack()
T.insert(END, 'GeeksforGeeks\nBEST WEBSITE\n')
mainloop()

Output

17. Canvas

It is used to draw pictures and other complex layout like graphics, text and widgets. The general syntax is:

w = Canvas(master, option=value)
master is the parameter used to represent the parent window.

There are number of options which are used to change the format of the widget. Number of options can be passed as parameters separated by commas. Some of them are listed below.

from tkinter import *

master = Tk()
w = Canvas(master, width=40, height=60)
w.pack()
canvas_height=20
canvas_width=200
y = int(canvas_height / 2)
w.create_line(0, y, canvas_width, y )
mainloop()

Outpu

18. PannedWindow

It is a container widget which is used to handle number of panes arranged in it. The general syntax is:

w = PannedWindow(master, option=value)

Master is the parameter used to represent the parent window. There are number of options which are used to change the format of the widget. Number of options can be passed as parameters separated by commas. Some of them are listed below.

from tkinter import *

m1 = PanedWindow()
m1.pack(fill=BOTH, expand=1)
left = Entry(m1, bd=5)
m1.add(left)
m2 = PanedWindow(m1, orient=VERTICAL)
m1.add(m2)
top = Scale(m2, orient=HORIZONTAL)
m2.add(top)
mainloop()

Output

Color Option in Tkinter

This example demonstrates the usage of various color options in Tkinter widgets, including active background and foreground colors, background and foreground colors, disabled state colors, and selection colors. Each widget in the example showcases a different color option, providing a visual representation of how these options affect the appearance of the widgets.

import tkinter as tk

root = tk.Tk()
root.title("Color Options in Tkinter")

# Create a button with active background and foreground colors
button = tk.Button(root, text="Click Me", activebackground="blue", activeforeground="white")
button.pack()

# Create a label with background and foreground colors
label = tk.Label(root, text="Hello, Tkinter!", bg="lightgray", fg="black")
label.pack()

# Create an Entry widget with selection colors
entry = tk.Entry(root, selectbackground="lightblue", selectforeground="black")
entry.pack()

root.mainloop()

Output

Learn more to Improve Font: Tkinter Font

Geometry Management

Tkinter also offers access to the geometric configuration of the widgets which can organize the widgets in the parent windows. There are mainly three geometry manager classes class.

pack() method

It organizes the widgets in blocks before placing in the parent widget.

import tkinter as tk

root = tk.Tk()
root.title("Pack Example")

# Create three buttons
button1 = tk.Button(root, text="Button 1")
button2 = tk.Button(root, text="Button 2")
button3 = tk.Button(root, text="Button 3")

# Pack the buttons vertically
button1.pack()
button2.pack()
button3.pack()

root.mainloop()

Output

grid() method

It organizes the widgets in grid (table-like structure) before placing in the parent widget.

import tkinter as tk

root = tk.Tk()
root.title("Grid Example")

# Create three labels
label1 = tk.Label(root, text="Label 1")
label2 = tk.Label(root, text="Label 2")
label3 = tk.Label(root, text="Label 3")

# Grid the labels in a 2x2 grid
label1.grid(row=0, column=0)
label2.grid(row=0, column=1)
label3.grid(row=1, column=0, columnspan=2)

root.mainloop()

Output

place() method

It organizes the widgets by placing them on specific positions directed by the programmer.

import tkinter as tk

root = tk.Tk()
root.title("Place Example")

# Create a label
label = tk.Label(root, text="Label")

# Place the label at specific coordinates
label.place(x=50, y=50)

root.mainloop()

Output

Frequently Asked Questions on Python Tkinter – FAQs

What is Tkinter in Python used for?

Tkinter is a built-in library in Python for creating graphical user interfaces (GUIs). You can use it to design desktop applications with familiar elements like buttons, windows, menus, and more. It allows you to build interactive programs that users can navigate visually.

What does TK() mean in Python?

In Python, Tk() is a function call from the tkinter module, which is the standard interface to the Tk GUI toolkit. Calling Tk() initializes a new Tkinter application, creating the main window where all the GUI components (widgets) will be placed.

Is Tkinter the only GUI for Python?

No, Tkinter is not the only GUI library for Python. There are other options like PyQt, Kivy, wxPython, and GTK+.

What is a Tkinter window in Python?

A Tkinter window is the main graphical element, representing a single on-screen window that can contain other UI elements.

Which GUI is best for Python?

There’s no single “best” GUI. The best choice depends on your needs and preferences. However, here’s a list of GUIs in Python:

• Tkinter
• PyQt
• wxPython
• Kivy
• PySide
• Dear PyGui

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Rishabh Bansal

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