Tkinter and Tile

[Ben Finney]

Howdy all,

Python programmers looking for a built-in GUI toolkit are told two
things: one, Python already comes with a GUI toolkit, and two, it
looks equally ugly on all platforms. This is because the Tk widget
library, that Tkinter uses, defaults to looking like Motif, which
hasn't been the default widget set of *anything* for a long time.

The Tk folks are apparently getting their act together. Tile is a
"theming engine" for Tk with widgets that look and act native::

<URL:http://tktable.sourceforge.net/tile/>

Tile is included with Tcl/Tk 8.5 and Tcl developers, at least, are
encouraged to migrate to using it::

<URL:http://wiki.tcl.tk/11075>

What effect will this have on Python's Tkinter? Is it possible we can
soon expect that the long-time, but much-neglected, built-in GUI
module for Python can take advantage of this and provide widgets that
look and act like the native GUI on Unix, Windows and MacOS?

 

[Eric Brunel]

Howdy all,

Python programmers looking for a built-in GUI toolkit are told two
things: one, Python already comes with a GUI toolkit, and two, it
looks equally ugly on all platforms. This is because the Tk widget
library, that Tkinter uses, defaults to looking like Motif, which
hasn't been the default widget set of *anything* for a long time.

The Tk folks are apparently getting their act together. Tile is a
"theming engine" for Tk with widgets that look and act native::

<URL:http://tktable.sourceforge.net/tile/>

Tile is included with Tcl/Tk 8.5 and Tcl developers, at least, are
encouraged to migrate to using it::

<URL:http://wiki.tcl.tk/11075>

What effect will this have on Python's Tkinter? Is it possible we can
soon expect that the long-time, but much-neglected, built-in GUI
module for Python can take advantage of this and provide widgets that
look and act like the native GUI on Unix, Windows and MacOS?

FYI, changes done in tcl/tk are usually quite rapidly integrated in
Tkinter. For example, for the "panedwindow" widget, introduced in tk8.4
(first version out in the end of 2002), a Tkinter wrapper was available in
Python 2.3 (first version out mid-2003). So I don't doubt that the Tile
extension package will be integrated in Tkinter, as soon as it is
available in an official tcl/tk release.

Note also that there is already an "unofficial" Tkinter wrappers set for
the Tile widgets, done by Kevin Walzer. See:
https://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=165637
(package tkinter-wrapper)

I personnally will surely use this package. Not only does it provide a
native and more pleasing to the eye appearence, but it also finally
provides widgets that are quite standard nowadays (notebook, combo-box,
tree widget, ...), but that weren't available before in tk without an
extension package.

HTH

 

[Hendrik van Rooyen]

FYI, changes done in tcl/tk are usually quite rapidly integrated in
Tkinter. For example, for the "panedwindow" widget, introduced in tk8.4
(first version out in the end of 2002), a Tkinter wrapper was available in
Python 2.3 (first version out mid-2003). So I don't doubt that the Tile
extension package will be integrated in Tkinter, as soon as it is
available in an official tcl/tk release.

Do you imagine that the bizarre behaviour of "ButtonRelease" will be fixed too?

- Hendrik