Examining a GUI

Before I describe how to program a GUI, I want to define all of the GUI elements you'll meet in this chapter. Figure 10.4 shows off the Mad Lib program, though this time the various elements are labeled.

Figure 10.4: You'll learn to create all of these GUI elements.

To create a GUI with Python, you need to use a GUI toolkit. There are many to pick from, but I use the Tkinter toolkit in this chapter. Tkinter is cross-platform and the most popular Python GUI toolkit around.

HINT

If you're running an operating system other than Windows, you may need to download and install additional software to use the Tkinter toolkit. To find out more, visit the Python Web site's Tkinter page at http://www.python.org/topics/tkinter.

You create GUI elements by instantiating objects from classes of the Tkinter module, which is part of the Tkinter toolkit. Table 10.1 describes each GUI element from Figure 10.4 and lists its corresponding Tkinter class.

Table 10.1: SELECTED GUI ELEMENTS

Element	Tkinter Class	Description
Frame	Frame	Holds other GUI elements
Label	Label	Displays uneditable text or icons
Button	Button	Performs an action when the user activates it
Text entry	Entry	Accepts and displays one line of text
Text box	Text	Accepts and displays multiple lines of text
Check button	Checkbutton	Allows the user to select or not select an option
Radio button	Radiobutton	Allows, as a group, the user to select one option from several

HINT

There's no need to memorize all of these Tkinter classes. I just want to give you an overview of the classes that you learn about in this chapter.