python - What is a better Tkinter geometry manager than .grid()

Question

My Complaint

I am currently delving deeper than "ever" before into the Tkinter GUI, and I have found the .grid() geometry manager to be inadequate for several reasons:

1. The plots are based on the largest widget within them - this relativity leads to inaccuracy.

2. In Windows 7, on Python 2.7.3, the program does not seem to heed my row numbers, instead preferring to use the order of the widgets.

My Code

I am currently working on a really basic text editor, and I want to have multiple buttons on the top of the frame. I have been unable to do this as my widgets are placed either to the far left or right of the massive textbox that dominates the center of the screen.

========Class __init__ Stuff============
def widget(self):#Place widgets here

    #Save Button
    self.saveButton = Button (self, text = "Save", command = self.saveMe)
    self.saveButton.grid(column = 0, row = 0, sticky = W)

    #Open Button
    self.openButton = Button (self, text = "Open", command = self.openMe)
    self.openButton.grid(column = 0, row = 1, sticky = W)
    #Area where you write 
    self.text = Text (self, width = (root.winfo_screenwidth() - 20),
                      height = (root.winfo_screenheight() - 10))
    self.text.grid(row = 2)
==============Mainloop/Command Stuff============

My Question

Is there another way to use the .grid() geometry manager in a way that is more accurate, or should I be using another function altogether?

Thanks!

Answer 1

There are 3 geometry managers that you have available to you -- grid, pack and place. The third is the most general, but also very difficult to use. I prefer grid. Note that you can place widgets inside of other widgets -- Or you can specify columnspan. So, if you want to get the following layout:

  -------------------------
  |    Button1  | Button2 |
  -------------------------
  |     Big Widget        |
  -------------------------

there are 2 canonical ways to do it using .grid. The first method is columnspan:

import Tkinter as Tk
root = Tk.Tk()
b1 = Tk.Button(root,text="Button1")
b1.grid(row=0,column=0)
b2 = Tk.Button(root,text="Button2")
b2.grid(row=0,column=1)
big_widget = Tk.Canvas(root)
big_widget.grid(row=1,column=0,columnspan=2)

*note that there is a completely analogous rowspan option as well.

The second method is to use a Frame to hold your buttons:

import Tkinter as Tk
root = Tk.Tk()
f = Tk.Frame(root)
f.grid(row=0,column=0)
#place buttons on the *frame*
b1 = Tk.Button(f,text="Button1")
b1.grid(row=0,column=0)
b2 = Tk.Button(f,text="Button2")
b2.grid(row=0,column=1)

big_widget = Tk.Canvas(root)
big_widget.grid(row=1,column=0)  #don't need columnspan any more.

This method is SUPER useful for creating complex layouts -- I don't know how you could create a complex layout without using Frame objects like this ...