Updated: Jul 12, 2023
Guide Kit A Tkinter slider is also known as a scale widget. It is a graphical control element. Sliding a draggable handle along a track helps select a value from a specified range. The selected value can represent various settings or options within an application.
A Tkinter slider is more accurately a Tkinter scale. It can create simple user interfaces for applications. It allows users to select specific values or adjust settings. Here are a few examples of how a Tkinter scale can enhance user interfaces. If you're building a media player, you can use a vertical scale to represent the volume level. Users can slide the handle up or down to increase or decrease the volume. In an image editing application, a horizontal slider can adjust the brightness of an image.
Several widgets achieve slider-like functionality or create more complex layouts. They are Scale, Entry Field with Validation, Ttk Scale, Canvas, and Custom Graphics. Different tkinter sliders, like Linear, Vertical, Themed, and Custom Sliders, are available. Scale widget provides properties that can customize their appearance and behavior. Let's discuss the different properties you can use to configure a Tkinter slider:
Range of Values:
from_ (lowercase 'from'): Specifies the minimum value of the slider scale's range.
to: Specifies the maximum value of the slider range.
resolution: Defines the incremental value between two adjacent positions of the slider handle. For example, a resolution of 0.5 would allow values like 1, 1.5, and 2.
Position and Initial Value:
variable: Associates a Tkinter variable with the slider. The variable will store the current slider value.
value: Sets the initial value of the slider. This property specifies the initial position of the handle within the given values.
slider length: Determines the handle length relative to the track length.
Orientation and Appearance:
orient: Specifies the orientation of the slider. It can be set to "horizontal orientation" or "vertical orientation".
length: Sets the length of the slider track. For the horizontal slider, it represents the width. For the vertical slider, it represents the height.
show value: Determines whether the current value is displayed near the slider handle.
Styling and Appearance:
background: Sets the background color of the slider widget.
foreground: Sets the foreground color, which affects the color of the slider handle.
highlight background and color: Control the focus and highlight colors when there is input.
Command and Callbacks:
command: Associates a function to be called whenever the slider value changes. The function is to pass the slider's current value as an argument.
trough color: Sets the color of the slider track.
active background and foreground: Control the slider colors when it is active. You can also control it when the mouse cursor is hovering over it.
To use a Tkinter slider, you follow these steps:
- Import Tkinter module.
- Create the main Tkinter window.
- Define a function that will handle the slider value change.
- Create the slider widget, specifying its properties.
- Pack or grid the slider widget into the main slider window to make it visible.
- Start the Tkinter event loop. This loop listens for user input and responds to events.