Graphical User Interface (GUI) in Python

A Graphical User Interface (GUI) is a user-friendly interface that allows interaction with
software applications using graphical elements such as windows, buttons, menus, and icons
instead of command-line interfaces.

Python offers several GUI frameworks that help in building interactive applications. Some of the
most popular ones are:

Different GUI Tools in Python

●​ Built-in GUI toolkit in Python (part of the standard library).​

●​ Simple and easy to use for basic GUI applications.​

●​ Uses Tk as the underlying framework.​

●​ Provides various widgets like buttons, labels, text fields, frames, and canvas.​

Example:​
​
import tkinter as tk

root = tk.Tk()

label = tk.Label(root, text="Hello, Tkinter!")

label.pack()

root.mainloop()

●​

2. PyQt (Qt for Python)

●​ Developed by Riverbank Computing.​

●​ A powerful, feature-rich GUI framework based on Qt.​

●​ Supports both PyQt5 and PyQt6.​

●​ More complex but provides a lot of customization.​

Example:​
​
from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QApplication, QLabel

import sys

app = QApplication(sys.argv)

label = QLabel('Hello, PyQt!')

label.show()

sys.exit(app.exec_())

●​

3. Kivy

●​ Open-source multi-platform GUI framework.​

●​ Used for mobile and desktop applications.​

●​ Built-in support for multitouch, gestures, and animations.​

●​ Requires OpenGL for rendering.​

Example:​
​
from kivy.app import App

from kivy.uix.label import Label

class MyApp(App):
 def build(self):

return Label(text='Hello, Kivy!')

MyApp().run()

●​

4. PySide (Qt for Python)

●​ Developed by Qt Company (alternative to PyQt).​

●​ API is similar to PyQt.​

●​ Uses LGPL license, making it suitable for commercial applications.​

5. wxPython

●​ Cross-platform GUI toolkit.​

●​ Uses native components, so it looks like a standard desktop application.​

●​ Supports widgets like frames, buttons, text controls.​

6. PyGTK

●​ Based on GTK+ toolkit.​

●​ Supports Linux, Windows, and MacOS.​

●​ Provides an object-oriented API for GUI development.​

Working with Containers

Types of Containers in Python GUI

2.​ Canvas – Used for drawing shapes and custom graphics.​

3.​ PanedWindow – Allows resizing of child widgets.​

4.​ Notebook – Provides tabbed navigation.​

Example:

import tkinter as tk

root = tk.Tk()

frame = tk.Frame(root, width=300, height=200, bg="lightblue")

frame.pack()

root.mainloop()

Canvas
●​ A drawing area that allows users to create custom graphics, shapes, images, and
animations.​

●​ Supports event handling for mouse clicks, key presses, etc.​

Example:

import tkinter as tk

root = tk.Tk()

canvas = tk.Canvas(root, width=300, height=200, bg="white")

canvas.pack()
canvas.create_rectangle(50, 50, 200, 150, fill="blue")

root.mainloop()

Frame
●​ A container widget used to group other widgets together.​

●​ Helps in layout management.​

Example:

import tkinter as tk

root = tk.Tk()

frame = tk.Frame(root, width=200, height=100, bg="gray")

frame.pack()

tk.Label(frame, text="Inside Frame").pack()

root.mainloop()

Widgets in Python GUI

Commonly Used Widgets

Button Clickable button for triggering actions.

Label Displays text or images.

Entry Single-line text input field.

Text Multi-line text input area.

Scrollbar Adds scrolling capability to other widgets.

Checkbutton Allows multiple selections from options.

Radiobutton Allows a single selection from options.

Spinbox A small input box for numeric values.

Message Displays multi-line text like a label but supports word wrapping.

1. Button

Used to trigger actions when clicked.

import tkinter as tk

def on_click():
 print("Button Clicked!")

root = tk.Tk()

btn = tk.Button(root, text="Click Me", command=on_click)

btn.pack()

root.mainloop()

2. Label

Displays text or images.

import tkinter as tk

root = tk.Tk()

label = tk.Label(root, text="Hello, World!", font=("Arial", 16))

label.pack()

root.mainloop()

3. Entry (Single-line Text Field)

Used for text input.

import tkinter as tk

root = tk.Tk()

entry = tk.Entry(root)

entry.pack()

root.mainloop()

4. Text (Multi-line Text Box)

import tkinter as tk

root = tk.Tk()

text_box = tk.Text(root, height=5, width=30)

text_box.pack()

root.mainloop()

5. Scrollbar

Used with Text, Canvas, or Listbox for scrolling.

import tkinter as tk

root = tk.Tk()

text_box = tk.Text(root, height=5, width=30)

text_box.pack(side="left")

scroll = tk.Scrollbar(root, command=text_box.yview)

scroll.pack(side="right", fill="y")

text_box.config(yscrollcommand=scroll.set)

root.mainloop()

6. Checkbutton

Allows multiple selections.

import tkinter as tk
root = tk.Tk()

var1 = tk.IntVar()

chk = tk.Checkbutton(root, text="Option 1", variable=var1)

chk.pack()

root.mainloop()

7. Radiobutton

Allows a single selection from multiple options.

import tkinter as tk

root = tk.Tk()

var = tk.IntVar()

rb1 = tk.Radiobutton(root, text="Option A", variable=var, value=1)

rb2 = tk.Radiobutton(root, text="Option B", variable=var, value=2)

rb1.pack()

rb2.pack()

root.mainloop()

8. Spinbox

Used for selecting numerical values.

import tkinter as tk

root = tk.Tk()
spin = tk.Spinbox(root, from_=0, to=10)

spin.pack()

root.mainloop()

9. Message

Similar to Label but supports multi-line text wrapping.

import tkinter as tk

root = tk.Tk()

msg = tk.Message(root, text="This is a message widget that supports multiple lines of text.")

msg.pack()

root.mainloop()

Conclusion
Python provides several powerful GUI frameworks such as Tkinter, PyQt, and Kivy to create
interactive applications. Understanding containers, widgets, and event-driven programming
helps in building professional and user-friendly applications.