Tkinter, the standard GUI library for Python, empowers developers to effortlessly create visually appealing and interactive desktop applications. This cheat sheet offers a quick reference for the most common Tkinter widgets and commands, along with valuable tips and tricks for crafting well-designed UIs.

In this Cheat Sheet, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer, this resource will help you with essential knowledge to create engaging desktop applications with Tkinter.

Get ready to elevate your Python GUI skills and embark on an exciting journey with this Tkinter Cheat Sheet.

What is Tkinter?

Tkinter is the de facto way in Python to create Graphical User interfaces (GUIs) and it contains all standard Python Distributions. Tkinter is the only framework built into the Python standard library. Tkinter provides an interface to the Tk toolkit and works as an object-oriented layer on top of Tk. Tk toolkit is a cross-platform collection of ‘graphical control elements’, known as widgets, for building application GUIs.

Tkinter Cheat Sheet: All Tips and Techniques for Crafting Your User Interface

Design well crafted UIs with the help of our Tkinter Cheat Sheet. Learn how to use Tkinter, Python’s most popular GUI tool to create essential widgets, advanced layout management and event handling, this Cheat Sheet covers it all.

Here’s an overview of the main concepts of Tkinter:

• Tkinter Modules
• Tkinter Application Main Window
• Tkinter Interactive Widgets
• Tkinter Informative Widgets
• Tkinter Grouping Widget
• Tkinter Position Widgets

Tkinter Modules

from tkinter import * (generic)
from tkinter.ttk import * (styles)

Tkinter Application Main Window

The main Application Window is a graphical window with the title bar, minimize, maximize, and close buttons. This handle allows us to put the widgets on the window and reconfigure it as necessary.

root = Tk()
root.mainloop()

Tkinter Interactive Widgets

In Python Tkinter, interactive widgets are the widgets that allow the users to interact with them. These widgets can be combined with various properties and events that perform some task to make them interactive.

Button

The Button in Tkinter is a widget that is used to perform a particular task when clicked.

Button(master, text, command)

Checkbutton

The Checkbutton widget is used to implement on/off selections. Checkbuttons can contain text or images. When the button is pressed, Tkinter calls that function or method.

Checkbutton(master, options)

Menu

A common use of the Menu widget is to provide convenient access to various operations such as saving or opening a file, quitting a program, or manipulating data.

Menu(master, **options)

Menubutton

The Menubutton widget can be defined as the drop-down menu that is always shown to the user.

Menubutton(master, options)

Entry

The Entry Widget is a Tkinter Widget used to Enter or display a single line of text.

Entry(master, options)

Text

The Text Widget is used when a user wants to insert multiline text fields. This widget can be used for a variety of applications where multiline text is required such as messaging, sending information or displaying information, and many other tasks.

Text(master, options)

Canvas

The Canvas widget lets us display various graphics on the application. It can be used to draw simple shapes to complicated graphs. We can also display different kinds of custom widgets according to our needs.

Canvas(master, height, width, options)

Radiobutton

The Radiobutton is used to implement one-of-many selections. When the button is pressed, Tkinter automatically calls that function or method.

Radiobutton(master, text, variable, value, options)

ListBox

The ListBox widget is used to display different types of items. These items must be of the same type of font and having the same font color. The items must also be of Text type. The user can select one or more items from the given list according to the requirement.

Listbox(master, options) 

ComboBox

The Combobox is a combination of Listbox and an entry field. It is one of the Tkinter widgets containing a down arrow to select from a list of options. It helps the users to select according to the list of options displayed.

Combobox(master, options)

Scale

The Scale widget is used whenever we want to select a specific value from a range of values. It provides a sliding bar through which we can select the values by sliding from left to right or top to bottom depending upon the orientation of our sliding bar.

Scale(master, options)

ScrollBar

The ScrollBar widget is used to scroll down the content. We can also create horizontal scrollbars for the Entry widget.

Scrollbar(master, options) 

Tkinter Informative Widgets

In Python Tkinter, informative widgets are the widgets that provide some information to the users. These widgets are typically used to display data, messages, or status updates to the user. These widgets can be combined with various properties and events to make them interactive.

Label

Tkinter Label is a widget that is used to implement display boxes where you can place text. It is important to note that a label can use only one font at a time to display text.

Label(master, option)

Message

The Message widget is used to show the message to the user regarding the behavior of the Python application. The message text contains more than one line.

Message(master, options)

Separator

The Separator widget is used to partition the tkinter widgets such as labels, buttons, etc. Using this widget we can make our design more attractive and intuitive.

Separator(master, orient)

Progress bar

The purpose of the progressbar widget is to reassure the user that something is happening. It can operate in one of two modes – determinate mode or indeterminate mode.

Progressbar(master **options)

Tkinter Grouping Widget

In Python Tkinter, grouping widgets are the widgets that act like a container and allow to group widgets together. These types of widgets are very useful in organizing multiple widgets together on one application window.

Frame

A frame is a rectangular region on the screen. A frame can also be used as a foundation class to implement complex widgets. It is used to organize a group of widgets.

frame(master, options)

LabelFrame

The LabelFrame is a framed widget that provides a labeled border around other widgets.

LabelFrame(parent, options)

PanedWindow

The PanedWindow widget is a geometry manager widget, which can contain one or more child widget panes. The child widgets can be resized by the user, by moving separator lines sashes using the mouse.

PanedWindow(master, **options)

Tkinter Position Widgets

Position widgets are the widgets that are used to specify the position of other widgets on the main window.

Pack

The Pack geometry manager packs widgets relative to the earlier widget. Tkinter literally packs all the widgets one after the other in a window. We can use options like fill, expand, and side to control this geometry manager.

widget.pack(options)

Place

The Place geometry manager is the simplest of the three general geometry managers provided in Tkinter. It allows you explicitly set the position and size of a window, either in absolute terms or relative to another window.

widget.place(relx, rely, options)

Grid

The Grid geometry manager puts the widgets in a 2-dimensional table. The master widget is split into a number of rows and columns, and each “cell” in the resulting table can hold a widget.

widget.grid(row, column, options)

Conclusion

We hope this Tkinter cheat sheet has proven to be an invaluable resource in your journey to master Python’s leading GUI library. With its comprehensive coverage of essential widgets, layouts, and techniques, coupled with practical tips, we’re confident that this guide will be your go-to referenc. Remember, mastering Tkinter is not just about learning the syntax; it’s about understanding how to create interactive and visually appealing applications that resonate with users. So, keep practicing, keep exploring, and let this cheat sheet be your compass.

With the knowledge you’ve gained here, we have no doubt that your creations will stand out, and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a Tkinter maestro. Happy coding!

Tkinter Cheat Sheet – FAQs

1. Is Tkinter the only GUI library available for Python?

No, there are other GUI libraries for Python, such as PyQt, wxPython, and Kivy. However, Tkinter is the most commonly used and comes pre-installed with Python.

2. Can we use Tkinter to create cross-platform applications?

Yes, Tkinter is cross-platform, meaning applications built with Tkinter can run on different operating systems without modification.

3. Are there any resources to learn Tkinter in-depth?

Certainly! You can find various tutorials, documentation, and books dedicated to Tkinter that will help you master this library.

4. How do I handle user input in Tkinter?

You can use various widgets like Entry fields, Checkboxes, and Radio Buttons to collect user input in Tkinter.

5. Can I use Tkinter for commercial projects?

Yes, Tkinter is open-source and free to use, even in commercial projects. You don’t need to worry about licensing issues.