Class 14: tkinter: Simple GUIs in Python

Held: Thursday, March 11, 2010

Summary: We explore TkInter, a simple GUI tookit for Python.

Related Pages:

• EBoard.

Notes:

• Don't forget to get your UML done for Tuesday's class.
• For Tuesday, Read Section 1 of Extreme Programming Explained.
• For Tuesday, Read BC 29.
• Respond to both readings.

Overview:

• TkInter: A simple GUI toolkit.
• TkInter lab.

TkInter Basics

• TkInter is the basic GUI toolkit that comes with Python.
• While there are other GUI toolkits available, TkInter has the benefit that you're almost certain to have it on any installation of Python.
  • And that's why we're using it.
• Thinking in TkInter gives you an overview of how TkInter works.
• Note that most reference works for TkInter focus on one particular layout manager.
  • The TkInter 8.4 reference likes Grid layouts. You add something to a frame using the grid method.
  • Thinking in TKinter prefers Pack layouts. You specify the things that go in the frame (more or less) and it figures out sizing.
  • In some cases, you need the Place layout manager.
• Things you should figure out how to do:
  • Lay out a UI (including menus).
  • Make parts of the UI respond to events.
  • Make parts of the UI respond to procedures.

lab

• Since you should have seen the basics of TkInter in the reading, we'll focus on a few harder problems.
• Problem the first: Create a window with a button that you can drag around the window. (That is, you click on the button and can then drag it anywhere.) Then, make your code work with multiple buttons.
  • Hint 1: You probably want to use the place layout manager.
  • Hint 2: Think about what event(s) to bind.
  • Hint 3: You may find it useful to print messages in the procedure that responds to messages.
  • Hint 4: You'll probably want to create a class to represent these draggable buttons.
• Problem the second: Permit the user to move one of the buttons using the arrow keys (or the legendary hjkl keys).
• Problem the third: Make a ten-by-ten grid of buttons and provide a method that, given a column, row, and color, sets the button at that position to the color.
• Problem the last: Create a simple non-working GUI for iSimGrinLife. You should have the menu items that you expect to be in the GUI.