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Python: tkinter window presented in an OO manner

I have been trying to represent tkinter window in an OO manner. There are few answers here, and I have managed to produce a working code, but I simply do not understand why it's working.
import tkinter as tk
class CurrConv:
def __init__(self, window, date):
self.window = window
window.title("Currency Converter")
window.geometry("350x150+300+300")
self.label = tk.Label(text="Date: {}\n".format(date))
self.label.pack()
self.text_box = tk.Text()
self.text_box.insert("2.0", "100 is: {}\n".format(100))
self.text_box.insert("3.0", "24 is: {}".format(24))
self.text_box.pack()
self.button = tk.Button(text="Quit", width=8, command=window.quit)
self.button.place(relx=0.5, rely=0.9, anchor="center",)
def main():
window = tk.Tk()
app = CurrConv(window, 1234)
window.mainloop()
if __name__ == "__main__":
main()
The thing I don't understand is the usage of "app" object. It is used nowhere, and usually when we create an object (in any programing language), we invoke certain actions on it. However here we do nothing with the app object. Class encapsulation appears to indirectly modify "window", which is confusing, to say the least.
Next, I don't understand how labels and text boxes are added to "window", when in the code I nowhere create those in "window", I create them on "self", which would be "app", which is no longer used.
Bottom line is, for the reasons above, I do not understand how the above code works.
Thanks in advance.
I hope I was clear enough.

Class encapsulation appears to indirectly modify "window", which is confusing, to say the least.
Yes, that is what the code is doing, and it's incorrect IMHO. The code inside of CurrConv.__init__ at least arguably should not be directly modifying the root window for some of the very reasons you put in your question.
Next, I don't understand how labels and text boxes are added to "window", when in the code I nowhere create those in "window", I create them on "self", which would be "app", which is no longer used.
Your terminology is a bit incorrect. "I nowhere create those in 'window'" isn't true. By creating the widgets without an explicit master they default to being created in the root window. The reference to the widget is created in the class (self.label, etc) but the widget itself is created in the root window. IMHO this is also not the proper way to write a tkinter application. Explicit is better than implicit.
For me, the proper way to write this class would be for CurrConv to inherit from a tkinter Frame (or some other widget). Everything it creates should go inside itself, and then the code that creates the instance of CurrConv is responsible for adding it to a window. This solves your problem of not being able to create multiple windows.
Also, the widgets inside of CurrConv should explicitly set the master of any child widgets it creates rather than relying on a default master.
Example:
class CurrConv(tk.Frame):
def __init__(self, window, date):
super().__init__(window)
self.label = tk.Label(self, ...)
self.text_box = tk.Text(self, ...)
self.button = tk.Button(self, ...)
...
...
With that, everything is nicely encapsulated inside the class, and you can create multiple instances inside multiple windows very easily:
root = tk.Tk()
conv1 = CurrConv(root)
conv1.pack(fill="both", expand=True)
top = tk.Toplevel(root)
conv2 = CurrConv(top)
conv2.pack(fill="both", expand=True)
In the above case, it's perfectly fine for the class to modify the window because it's part of the code that creates the window in the first place.
You can still use a class for the application as a whole which you can use to hold some global state. To further prove the usefulness of creating CurrConv as a subclass of Frame, the following example adds currency converters to a notebook instead of separate windows.
class CurrConvApp():
def __init__(self):
self.root = tk.Tk()
self.root.title("Currency Converter")
self.root.geometry("350x150+300+300")
self.notebook = ttk.Notebook(self.root)
cc1 = CurrConv(self.notebook)
cc2 = CurrConv(self.notebook)
self.notebook.add(cc1, text="USD to EUR")
self.notebook.add(cc2, text="EUR to USD")
...
def start(self):
self.root.mainloop()
if __name__ == "__main__":
app = CurrConvApp()
app.start()

For the first question, yes app is an object. But it is an instance of the class CurrConv. When you initialize a class, you call the class's __init__ method, and this case, by doing so, you execute the statements in that method: modifying the window (which you passed as a parameter whin you created app) and adding widgets to it. So although app is not directly used, it had the side effect of doing those things when it was created. And for that reason, since you only need the initialization method, assigning to a variable is not necessary, you can just make it like CurrConv(window, 1234).
For the second, yes, you didn't mention window when you created the widgets, but when the master of a new Tkinter widget is not specified, it takes the main master (the root, created using tk.Tk()) as it's master.

plt.savefig stops working when called from another file

I have a code that works well for bulk data analysis and plotting. But now i'm trying to incorporate it into a larger data analysis GUI. I find that when i run my code on its own, all goes well. But when i call it from the main code and run it from a tkinter button, it's not the same. Everything looks the same and it runs smoothly, the only difference is that no files are saved.
i think maybe it's a problem with which window is defined with "____init____"? or something with how i create and destroy Tk() windows within the subcode?
**the stackoverflow text editor uses underscores to make text bold/itallic, so for all cases that double underscores are used to wrap "init" or "main" in python, i had to use four on each side here
my code (saved as SubCode.py):
def AnalysisFunction():
*does things*
main = Tk()
os.chdir(OutputFolder)
plt.savefig('image.png')
main.destroy()
if __name__ == '__main__':
AnalysisFuntion()
the code i want to add mine into:
import SubCode
class TopLevel(Frame):
def __init__(self, master):
Frame.__init__(self,master)
*Creates main GUI window*
MyButton = Button(root, command = self.CallSubCode)
def CallSubCode(self):
SubCode.AnalysisFunction()
root = Tk()
main_window = TopLevel(root)
root.mainloop()
Any ideas why the subcode alone can save figures but it cannot when called by the larger GUI? FYI, it still creates all variables correctly when running through the larger GUI.

I think you should just save the image in SubCode.py without creating a tkinter window. i.e
def AnalysisFunction():
*does things*
os.chdir(OutputFolder)
plt.savefig('image.png')
if __name__ == '__main__':
AnalysisFuntion()

i figured it out, I had to put the whole SubCode within a class structure, then call it as its own Toplevel app. I think otherwise the plt.savefig command doesn't know which Tkinter window it is working with, and tries to find data in the "host" window, not the one which is handling the data.

What is causing this cascade menu failure with tkinter in python?

The following code exhibits a problem I do not understand:
from Tkinter import *
root = Tk()
cheese_var = IntVar()
parrot_var = IntVar(value=1)
check_menu = Menu(tearoff=0)
check_menu.add_checkbutton(label="Cheese", variable=cheese_var)
check_menu.add_checkbutton(label="Parrot", variable=parrot_var)
count = 0
class Top():
def __init__(self):
global count
count += 1
self.tl = Toplevel(root)
Label(self.tl, text="Window " + str(count)).pack()
self.mb = Menubutton(self.tl, text="Push Me", bg='pink')
self.menu = Menu(self.mb, tearoff=0)
self.menu.add_cascade(label="Choices", menu=check_menu)
self.menu.add_command(label="New Window", command=new_top)
self.mb.config(menu=self.menu)
self.mb.pack()
def new_top():
Top()
Top()
root.mainloop()
The menu brought up by the menu button in the created top level window initially behaves as expected. Clicking on the New Window command there creates a new such window, which also behaves as expected. Indeed, as long as you keep creating new top level windows, everything continues to work as expected. However, once you delete (close) any one of those windows, then, in a subsequently created new window, the Choices cascade on the new menu is not functional. (It is still OK in the windows created before the closing of one.)
The situation in which I initially encountered this symptom was much more complex, but I was able to simplify it down to the above example which exhibits the issue. I have discovered that I can avoid the problem by having each instance of Top create its own check_menu as an attribute; but I do not understand why this should be necessary. Please point me the way if there is one to avoid the problem without such replication of a cascade menu used in multiple windows.

Unfortunately, I don't think it is possible to do what you want. I'll try to explain as best as I can.
When you first run the script, check_menu is created and works fine for the first window. As you create more windows, check_menu is simply shared between them. However, when you close one of them, check_menu (and everything under it) is destroyed. So, when you create a new window after that, check_menu no longer exists and it doesn't show.
However, the script doesn't throw an error because, for some reason, Tkinter allows you to assign menus to things that aren't menus. Believe it or not, none of the following code:
self.menu.add_cascade(label="Choices", menu=None)
self.menu.add_cascade(label="Choices", menu=1)
self.menu.add_cascade(label="Choices", menu="")
will break the script. Each line simply does nothing but create an empty cascade "Choices".
That is basically what is happening. After closing one window, check_menu and everything under it is destroyed. Yet, Tkinter doesn't throw an error but instead assigns a menu to something that is no longer a menu (as far as what it is assigning the menu to, I believe it is using the old instance of check_menu, which was destroyed).
To solve this problem, recreate check_menu and everything under it each time you call Top. In other words, put the code for check_menu (and its options) in the __init__ method of Top. That way, each time Top is called, check_menu will exist.
Hope this helps (and that I explained it sufficiently :)

Tkinter Keyboard Binds

I'm working on an interface using Tkinter and the canvas widget, and so far have found answers to issues I have had from others questions and the answers posted, but I am stumped on this one.
I have several keyboard binds in the class where my GUI elements are created, and they all work fine when the program is started. The binds looks something like this:
self.canvas.get_tk_widget().bind("<Control-o>",self.flash_open)
and are within the __init__ function of the class. As of yesterday, I initialized this class
to start the program, then waited for the user to select open from a menu, which then opened (among other things) a tkmessagebox
self.specfilename =askopenfilename(filetypes=[("spec", "")],initialdir= self.pathname)
With this filename I am able to retrieve my required variable names from a certain filetype (inconsequential to the problem). Today I modified the __init__ function to call the open function when the program starts. Since nothing else can be done until this file is opened, it would make sense to open it first thing. Once the file is selected and the Tkmessagebox is closed, the root window is active, but none of the keyboard binds work. My functions still work using the menu/buttons assigned to them, just not the binds. I have tried binding the shortcuts to the root, with the same result, and am now thinking it may be an issue with the order I am calling them
def __init__(self):
...
self.openfile() #calls the tkmessagebox
self.root.mainloop() #starts gui
I had actually run into this issue before, where a toplevel() instance was closed/destroyed and disabled the binds of the parent window. There isn't any error message to speak of, the binds just don't do anything. I should also mention I have tried to focus on the root window again using
self.openfile()
self.root.mainloop()
self.root.focus_set()
I got around it before by using the wm_withdraw() and wm_deiconify() functions to simply hide the child window, then close it after the program is complete. This fix is a little more difficult to apply in this case however. If anyone can shed some light on the cause of the problem I'd appreciate it.
Edit:
I've written up a runable code segment to show exactly what my issue is.
import os
from tkFileDialog import askopenfilename
from Tkinter import *
class Start:
def __init__(self):
self.root = Tk()
self.root.title('Binding Troubles')
menubar = Menu(self.root)
#add items and their commands to the menubar
filemenu = Menu(menubar, tearoff=0)
filemenu.add_command(label="Do work", command=self.do_work)
filemenu.add_command(label="Open File",command=self.openfile)
menubar.add_cascade(label="File", menu=filemenu)
#bind control-o to perform the do work function
self.root.bind("<Control-o>",self.flash_do_work)
self.root.bind("<Control-O>",self.flash_do_work)
#add the menubar to the GUI
self.root.config(menu=menubar)
#initially open a tkdialog to open a file
self.openfile()#comment out this line to make the bind work
self.root.focus()#also tried self.root.focus_set()
self.root.mainloop()
def flash_do_work(self,event):
#indirect tie to the do_work() function, I'm don't know a
#proper way to make functions handle calls from both events and non-events
self.do_work()
def openfile(self):
#gets current path
self.pathname = os.getcwd()
#Requests filename using a tkdialog
self.filename =askopenfilename(initialdir= self.pathname)
print self.filename
def do_work(self):
#placeholder for actual function; shows whether the bind is working or not
print "work"
Start()
The bind will work if self.openfile() is removed from __init__, and used only from the menu
Another Edit: I've updated the example again, giving a menu option to run the openfile() function. I noticed that if openfile() is called in __init__, the bind will not work. But if next the openfile function is called again, this time manually from the menu, the bind will start working again. Not exactly sure what to take from this. Also, my apologies for the post getting so long.

Change
self.openfile()
to
self.root.after(1, self.openfile)
This moves the call to askopenfilename into the main event loop. Having it outside the main event loop is somehow clobbering your event bindings.

I had this kind of problem a couple of times and it took quite a while until I found a solution I was comfortable with. As #Steven Rumbalski suggests I tried with delaying the application, which works but seems shaky.
Then I found the functions for waiting until something is complete, in this case wait_visibility(widget). This will delay execution until the widget is visible, which seems to be the thing to be waiting for. Try this:
self.root.wait_visibility(self.root) # Wait for root to be displayed
self.openfile()
Now; I'm not sure why this is so, and it seems that there may be differences depending on platform: Tkinter window event . This has nevertheless worked for me on Windows10 and Python 3.10.5.

Tkinter Label bound to StringVar is one click behind when updating

The problem I'm running into here is that, when I click on the different file names in the Listbox, the Label changes value one click behind whatever I'm currently clicking on.
What am I missing here?
import Tkinter as tk
class TkTest:
def __init__(self, master):
self.fraMain = tk.Frame(master)
self.fraMain.pack()
# Set up a list box containing all the paths to choose from
self.lstPaths = tk.Listbox(self.fraMain)
paths = [
'/path/file1',
'/path/file2',
'/path/file3',
]
for path in paths:
self.lstPaths.insert(tk.END, path)
self.lstPaths.bind('<Button-1>', self.update_label)
self.lstPaths.pack()
self.currentpath = tk.StringVar()
self.lblCurrentPath = tk.Label(self.fraMain, textvariable=self.currentpath)
self.lblCurrentPath.pack()
def update_label(self, event):
print self.lstPaths.get(tk.ACTIVE),
print self.lstPaths.curselection()
self.currentpath.set(self.lstPaths.get(tk.ACTIVE))
root = tk.Tk()
app = TkTest(root)
root.mainloop()

The problem has to do with the fundamental design of Tk. The short version is, bindings on specific widgets fire before the default class bindings for a widget. It is in the class bindings that the selection of a listbox is changed. This is exactly what you observe -- you are seeing the selection before the current click.
The best solution is to bind to the virtual event <<ListboxSelect>> which is fired after the selection has changed. Other solutions (unique to Tk and what gives it some of its incredible power and flexibility) is to modify the order that the bindings are applied. This involves either moving the widget bindtag after the class bindtag, or adding a new bindtag after the class bindtag and binding it to that.
Since binding to <<ListboxSelect>> is the better solution I won't go into details on how to modify the bindtags, though it's straight-forward and I think fairly well documented.