A Tkinter to wxPython Conversion

Robert Ramsdell

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company

Tkinter

• Comes standard with cPython.
• Based on Tcl/Tk
• A list of resources can be found on the python wiki
• The one I use most is An Introduction To Tkinter by Fredrik Lundh: www.pythonware.com/library/tkinter/an-introduction-to-tkinter.pdf

wxPython

• Simple download for windows, not quite as simple for Linux.
• Based on the wxWidgets C++ class library (wxWindgets.org)
• Documentation of wxPython can be found in the wiki: wiki.wxpython.org
• The documentation provided with the package is the C++ documentation with a few python notes
• NB Despite what the wiki says, use import wx rather than import wxPython.wx

SimpleInput - My test bed

• Developed for one of my projects
• The idea was to provide a generic form that can make changes to various classes
• The SimpleInput is a panel or frame that is meant to be displayed on another window

Tkinter versus wx - Validating

• Tkinter: Handwritten

   def inputCheck(self, event=None):

• wxPython: Validator

class SIValidator(wx.PyValidator):

Tkinter versus wx - The application

• Tkinter: Tk

    F = Tkinter.Tk()
    F.title("Test SimpleInput")

• wxPython: PySimpleApp & Frame

    app = wx.PySimpleApp()
    F = wx.Frame(None, -1, 'Test SimpleInput_wx')

Tkinter versus wx - Frame or Panel

• Tkinter: Frame

class SimpleInput(Tkinter.Frame):

• wxPython: Panel

class SimpleInput(wx.Panel):

Tkinter versus wx - Labels

• Tkinter: Label

    L = Tkinter.Label(self, text=s)

• wxPython: StaticText

    L = wx.StaticText(self, -1, s)

Tkinter versus wx - Entry Boxes

• Tkinter: Entry

    e = Tkinter.Entry(self, width=8, justify=Tkinter.RIGHT)

• wxPython: TextCtrl

    e = wx.TextCtrl(self, -1,  style=textCtrlStyle,
                    validator=eValidator)

• Note the validator defined in the wxPython definition!

Tkinter versus wx - Buttons

• Tkinter: Button

    OK = Tkinter.Button(F, text='OK', command=OK_Clicked)

• wxPython: Button

    OK = wx.Button(F, -1, 'OK')
    F.Bind(wx.EVT_BUTTON, OK_Clicked, OK)

Tkinter versus wx - Events

• Tkinter: .bind

    e.bind('< Return>', self.focusOK)
    e.bind('< FocusOut>', self.inputCheck)

• wxPython: .Bind

    self.Bind(wx.EVT_TEXT_ENTER, self.focusOK, e)

• wxPython.wx: EVT_...

    EVT_BUTTON(self.buttons[-1], buttonIDs[i],
               buttonCallbacks[i])

Tkinter versus wx - Geometry

• Tkinter: .grid, .pack, .place

    e.grid(row=i, column=1)

• wxPython: Gridsizer, BoxSizer

    bs = wx.BoxSizer(wx.VERTICAL)
    ...
    bs.Add(SI)
    F.SetSizer(bs)

How do They Look

• Windows

How do They Look

• Linux