msgBoxPy.py

Published on July 3, 2017

Simple Cross-platform Python Message, Dialog, and Input Boxes Using the Tkinter Standard Library

Purpose and Background

I just needed a simple, small, and easy way to display information, warnings, get input, select a file or directory, or ask a simple response question in a GUI format for my Python scripts. Sure there are many great third party modules I could use that are much better (e.g., guizero), but I prefer to stay as close to the standard Python library as possible and only needed some basic GUI options. That's why I pieced together msgBoxPy's examples to use Tkinter, included in the standard Python library, to show cross-platform message, input, and dialog boxes.

The message boxes available are: * Information * Warning * Error * Yes/No (which returns an answer of 'yes' or 'no') * Ok/Cancel (which returns True or False) * Retry/Cancel (which returns True or False)

The input boxes available are: * String Input Box (returns the string if entered, otherwise returns 'empty' or 'cancel') * Integer Input Box (returns a validated integer, otherwise returns 'cancel') * Listbox Input (returns the selection from a given list, otherwise returns 'None')

The dialog boxes available are: * Select Filename (returns full path to file selected) * Save As Filename (returns full path to file and name for saving) * Select Directory (returns full path to directory selected)

#! /usr/bin/env python3

# Copyright (c) 2016 mlot
# MIT License - https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT

'''msgBoxPy - Quick import or reference for making simple GUI messages, input,
and dialog boxes in Python.
'''
# USAGE: "import msgBoxPy" or copy the examples (including imports) below.
# VERSION: 03/07/2017

from tkinter import Tk
from tkinter import Frame
from tkinter import Listbox
from tkinter import Button
from tkinter import filedialog
from tkinter import simpledialog
import tkinter.messagebox as box


def infobox(title='Title', message='Empty'):
    '''Show information messagebox GUI'''
    Tk().withdraw()
    box.showinfo(title, message)
    return None


def warningbox(title='Title', message='Empty'):
    '''Show warning messagebox GUI'''
    Tk().withdraw()
    box.showwarning(title, message)
    return None


def errorbox(title='Title', message='Empty'):
    '''Show error messagebox GUI'''
    Tk().withdraw()
    box.showerror(title, message)
    return None


def yesnobox(title='Title', message='Empty'):
    '''Show Yes/No messagebox GUI and return yes or no answer'''
    Tk().withdraw()
    answer = box.askquestion(title, message)
    return answer


def okcancelbox(title='Title', message='Empty'):
    '''Show Ok/Cancel messagebox GUI and returns True for Ok and False for
    Cancel'''
    Tk().withdraw()
    answer = box.askokcancel(title, message)
    return answer


def retrycancelbox(title='Title', message='Empty'):
    '''Show Retry/Cancel messagebox GUI and returns True for Retry and False
    for Cancel'''
    Tk().withdraw()
    answer = box.askretrycancel(title, message)
    return answer


def inputbox(title='Title', prompt='Prompt text:'):
    '''Creates a simple string input box with Ok/Cancel buttons. Ok returns
    the string entered unless the string is empty then "empty" is returned.
    Cancel returns "cancel".'''
    Tk().withdraw()
    enteredString = simpledialog.askstring(title, prompt)
    if enteredString is None:
        return 'cancel'
    elif enteredString == '':
        return 'empty'
    else:
        return enteredString


def integerbox(title='Title', prompt='Prompt text:'):
    '''Creates a simple integer input box with Ok/Cancel buttons. Ok returns
    the integer entered. Cancel returns "cancel".'''
    Tk().withdraw()
    enteredInteger = simpledialog.askinteger(title, prompt)
    if enteredInteger is None:
        return 'cancel'
    else:
        return enteredInteger


def selectfilenamebox(**kwargs):
    '''Creates a select file dialog box and returns path to the file
    selected or returns empty if Cancel was selected.
    Example keyword options are "title" and "initialdir".'''
    Tk().withdraw()
    filePath = filedialog.askopenfilename(**kwargs)
    return filePath


def savefilenamebox(**kwargs):
    '''Creates a save file dialog box and returns path to the file
    selected or name entered. Returns empty if Cancel was selected.
    Example keyword options are "title" and "initialdir".'''
    Tk().withdraw()
    filePath = filedialog.asksaveasfilename(**kwargs)
    return filePath


def selectdirectorybox(**kwargs):
    '''Creates a select directory dialog box and returns path to the directory
    selected or returns empty if Cancel was selected.
    Example keyword options are "title", "initialdir", and "mustexist".'''
    Tk().withdraw()
    filePath = filedialog.askdirectory(**kwargs)
    return filePath


def listbox(*args):
    '''
    Creates a listbox based on multiple arguments in the order that they
    are listed. Returns the argument selected or 'None' if the window was
    closed or no list options were choosen.
    '''
    def getSelection():
        global selectionC
        try:
            selectionC = listbox.get(listbox.curselection())
        except:
            selectionC = None
        window.destroy()
    window = Tk()
    window.title('Choices:')
    frame = Frame(window)
    listbox = Listbox(frame)
    for count, arg in enumerate(args):
        count += 1
        listbox.insert(count, arg)
    btn = Button(frame, text='Select', command=getSelection)
    btn.pack(side='bottom', padx=5, pady=10)
    listbox.pack(side='top')
    frame.pack(padx=30, pady=30)
    window.mainloop()
    if 'selectionC' in globals():
        return selectionC
    else:
        return None

License

MIT License for msgBoxPy