Python Tkinter Tutorial
Tkinter is the most commonly used library for developing GUI (Graphical User Interface) in Python. It is a standard Python interface to the Tk GUI toolkit shipped with Python. As Tk and Tkinter are available on most of the Unix platforms as well as on the Windows system, developing GUI applications with Tkinter becomes the fastest and easiest.

Getting Started with Tkinter
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the essentials of Tkinter, from installation to creating your first GUI application. We’ll explore the concept of widgets, learn how to create basic GUI elements, and even dive into more advanced topics like destroying windows and gaining an overview of Tkinter in Python.
- Tkinter Overview
- Introduction to Tkinter
- Install Tkinter
- Hello World in Tkinter
- Create the First GUI Application
- Destroying Windows
Basic Widgets in Tkinter
In this Tkinter section, we’ll explore the fundamental building blocks of What are Widgets in Tkinter?, Creating Interactive applications using Tkinter’s, using basic widgets. From simple frames and labels to more complex elements like scrollable frames and treeviews, we’ll cover a wide range of widgets and their customization options.
- Label: Display static text or images.
- Button: Create clickable buttons to trigger actions.
- Entry: Allow user input for single-line text.
- Frame: Organize widgets within a container.
- Checkbutton: Create checkboxes for boolean options.
- Radiobutton: Create radio buttons for mutually exclusive options.
- Listbox: Display a list of items for selection.
- Scrollbar: Add scrollbars to widgets like Listbox.
- Menu: Create simple menus for application navigation.
- Canvas: Draw shapes, lines, text, and images.
Intermediate Widgets in Tkinter
- Combobox: Provide a dropdown list with editable text entry.
- Scale: Create a scale widget for selecting values within a range.
- Toplevel: Create additional windows/dialogs.
- Message: Display simple messages or notifications.
- Menubutton: Create a button that opens a menu.
- Progressbar: Show progress of a task.
- Spinbox: Provide a numerical input with up/down arrows.
Advanced Widgets in Tkinter
- ScrolledText Widget: Create a text widget with built-in scrollbars.
- Treeview: Display hierarchical data in a tree-like structure.
- MessageBox Widget: Display dialog boxes for messages, warnings, etc.
- Treeview scrollbar Widget: Add scrollbars to Treeview widgets.
- Text: Create a multiline text input with advanced editing capabilities.
Geometry Management in Tkinter
Efficiently managing the geometry of Tkinter windows and widgets is essential for creating polished user interfaces. In this section, we’ll cover everything from setting window dimensions to handling resizing, padding, and widget positioning. We’ll explore methods like place(), grid(), and pack() to help you create organized and responsive layouts. Additionally, we’ll delve into advanced techniques like the PanedWindow widget.
- Place() method in Tkinter
- Grid() method in Tkinter
- Pack() method in Tkinter
- Set the dimensions of the Tkinter window
- Setting the position of TKinter labels
- Handling Resize
- Set Padding
- Get the location and total number of grids in Tkinter
- Unmap any widget from the screen or toplevel
- PanedWindow Widget in Tkinter
Fonts, Colors, Images in Tkinter
The choice of fonts, colors, and images can make a significant impact on the user experience and the overall aesthetic appeal of an application. In this section, we will delve into the intricacies of customizing fonts, exploring a variety of color options, and incorporating images into your projects.
Canvas
Tkinter Advance
- Getting screen’s height and width using Tkinter
- How to dynamically change text of Checkbutton
- Set the focus on the desired widget
- Search String in Text
- Autocmplete ComboBox in Python-Tkinter
- Autohiding Scrollbars
- Validating Entry Widget
- Tracing Tkinter variables in Python
- Setting and retrieving values of Tkinter variable
- Adding style to the input text using ttk.Entry widget
- After method in Tkinter
- Destroy widgets in Tkinter
- Text detection using Python
- Check whether the specified widget is visible or not
- Collapsible Pane in Tkinter
- Creating a multiple Selection using Tkinter
- Creating Tabbed Widget With Python-Tkinter
- Open a new Window with a button in Python-Tkinter
- Cryptography GUI using python
- Askopenfile Dialog in Tkinter
- Asksaveasfile Dialog in Tkinter
- Askquestion Dialog in Tkinter
Applications and Projects
- Simple GUI calculator using Tkinter
- Create Table Using Tkinter
- GUI Calendar using Tkinter
- File Explorer in Python using Tkinter
- ToDo GUI Application using Tkinter
- Weight Conversion GUI using Tkinter
- Age Calculator using Tkinter
- Create a GUI Marksheet using Tkinter
- Loan calculator using Tkinter
- Create a digital clock using Tkinter
- Make Notepad using Tkinter
- Color game using Tkinter in Python
- Simple FLAMES game using Tkinter
- Simple registration form using Tkinter
- How to create a COVID19 Data Representation GUI?
Python Tkinter Tutorial – FAQs
What is Tkinter in Python Used For?
Tkinter is the standard GUI (Graphical User Interface) toolkit in Python. It is used to create desktop applications that are easy to use and visually appealing. Tkinter provides various controls, such as buttons, labels, text boxes, checkboxes, and more, which are used to build interactive applications. It is widely appreciated for its simplicity and serves as a straightforward way to create GUI applications quickly.
How to Run Tkinter Program in Python?
To run a Tkinter program, you need to import the Tkinter module (usually imported as
tkinterin Python 3), create a GUI application main window, and then add widgets and event bindings as needed. Here is a basic example to get started:import tkinter as tk
def main():
# Create the main window
root = tk.Tk()
# Create a label widget
label = tk.Label(root, text='Hello, Tkinter!')
label.pack()
# Start the GUI event loop
root.mainloop()
if __name__ == "__main__":
main()In this script, a window containing a single label saying “Hello, Tkinter!” is created, and
mainloop()keeps the window open.
Which GUI is Best for Python?
The choice of GUI toolkit depends on your specific needs:
- Tkinter: Best for simple and small applications, comes with Python, making it easy to get started without installing anything else.
- PyQt or PySide: Good for creating professionally looking applications, offers more widgets and advanced functionalities than Tkinter. Suitable for commercial and larger applications.
- wxPython: Another powerful option for creating cross-platform desktop applications, known for its native look on each platform.
- Kivy: Best for applications on touch-enabled devices. It’s suitable for both mobile and desktop applications that require multitouch features.
Who Invented Tkinter?
Tkinter is based on the Tk GUI toolkit, which was developed by John Ousterhout while at the University of California, Berkeley. Tk was originally designed for the Tcl scripting language but has since been adapted for use with Python through Tkinter.
What are the Benefits of Using Tkinter?
The benefits of using Tkinter include:
- Simplicity: Tkinter is simple to learn and use, making it an excellent choice for beginning programmers and small-scale applications.
- Bundled with Python: It is included with most Python installations, so no additional installation is necessary to get started.
- Cross-platform: Tkinter works on Windows, macOS, and Linux, providing a uniform look across all platforms.
- Sufficient for most needs: For many applications, Tkinter provides enough widgets and functionality without the need for third-party libraries.
- Community and Documentation: There is a large community of users and extensive documentation available to help solve common and uncommon issues that might arise.


