Python tkinter place geometry manager
The place geometry manager is a layout manager in the Tkinter module of Python programming language that allows developers to specify the precise location and size of widgets within a container. It is a relatively simple geometry manager, but it provides a high degree of control over the layout of widgets.
To use the place geometry manager, developers must specify the x and y coordinates of each widget within the container using the place() method. The coordinates can be specified using either absolute values or relative values to the size of the container.
1-The place geometry manager allows for precise control over the layout of widgets, which can be useful in certain applications where pixel-perfect placement is important. However, it can be more difficult to create responsive layouts using the place manager, since widgets will not automatically adjust their positions when the size of the container changes.
2-The place geometry manager can be more time-consuming to create layouts since developers must manually specify the location and size of each widget.
This can be especially challenging when working with complex user interfaces that contain many different widgets.
3-The place geometry manager can be a useful tool for creating precise layouts in Tkinter applications. However, it may not be the best choice for all applications and developers should consider the specific needs of their application when choosing a layout manager.
The steps to create The place geometry manager with code examples
1-Import the Tkinter module and create a new window object:
import tkinter as tk root = tk.Tk()
2-Create the widgets that you want to add to the layout:
label1 = tk.Label(root, text="Widget 1") label2 = tk.Label(root, text="Widget 2") button1 = tk.Button(root, text="Button 1")
3-Use the place() method to specify the location and size of each widget:
label1.place(x=50, y=50, width=100, height=25) label2.place(x=200, y=50, width=100, height=25) button1.place(x=125, y=100, width=75, height=25)
n this example, label1 is placed at position (50, 50) with a width of 100 pixels and a height of 25 pixels. label2 is placed at position (200, 50) with the same dimensions. button1 is placed at position (125, 100) with a width of 75 pixels and a height of 25 pixels.
4-Finally, start the main event loop to display the window and its contents:
root.mainloop()
Here’s the full example code:
import tkinter as tk root = tk.Tk() label1 = tk.Label(root, text="Widget 1") label2 = tk.Label(root, text="Widget 2") button1 = tk.Button(root, text="Button 1") label1.place(x=50, y=50, width=100, height=25) label2.place(x=200, y=50, width=100, height=25) button1.place(x=125, y=100, width=75, height=25) root.mainloop()
When you run this code, you should see a window containing two labels and a button arranged according to the coordinates and sizes specified in the place() method calls.
Sure! Here are some of the most commonly used options of the place geometry manager in Tkinter:
Specifies the x-coordinate of the widget’s upper-left corner relative to its parent container. This option is required for every widget placed using the place manager.
label1.place(x=50, y=50, width=100, height=25)
Specifies the y-coordinate of the widget’s upper-left corner relative to its parent container.
This option is required for every widget placed using the place manager.
label1.place(x=50, y=50, width=100, height=25)
Specifies the width of the widget in pixels.
label1.place(x=50, y=50, width=100, height=25)
Specifies the height of the widget in pixels.
label1.place(x=50, y=50, width=100, height=25)
Specifies the position within the widget to use as its reference point.
The anchor can be specified as a string, with possible values being ‘n’, ‘s’, ‘e’, ‘w’, ‘ne’, ‘nw’, ‘se’, ‘sw’, and ‘center’.
label1.place(x=50, y=50, width=100, height=25, anchor='nw')
Specifies the x-coordinate of the widget’s upper-left corner relative to the width of its parent container. This option is used when relative positioning is desired.
label1.place(relx=0.25, rely=0.25, width=100, height=25)
Specifies the y-coordinate of the widget’s upper-left corner relative to the height of its parent container. This option is used when relative positioning is desired.
label1.place(relx=0.25, rely=0.25, width=100, height=25)
Here is an example code that uses some of these options:
import tkinter as tk root = tk.Tk() label1 = tk.Label(root, text="Widget 1", bg='red') label2 = tk.Label(root, text="Widget 2", bg='green') button1 = tk.Button(root, text="Button 1", bg='blue') # absolute positioning label1.place(x=50, y=50, width=100, height=25) label2.place(x=200, y=50, width=100, height=25) button1.place(x=125, y=100, width=75, height=25) # relative positioning label3 = tk.Label(root, text="Widget 3", bg='yellow') label3.place(relx=0.5, rely=0.5, anchor='center') root.mainloop()
In this example, label1, label2, and button1 are placed using absolute positioning using the x and y options. label3 is placed using relative positioning using the relx and rely options, and the anchor option is used to center the label within its parent container.
When you run this code, you should see a window containing three labels and a button arranged according to the options specified in the place() method calls.
Specifies how the widget’s border affects its placement.
The default value is INSIDE. The possible values are INSIDE, OUTSIDE, and IGNORE.
label1.place(x=50, y=50, width=100, height=25, bordermode='outside')
If you use negative values for the x or y coordinates, the widget will be placed relative to the opposite edge of the container. For example, if you use x=-10 and y=20, the widget will be placed 10 pixels to the left of the right edge of the container, and 20 pixels down from the top edge of the container.
label1.place(x=-10, y=20, width=100, height=25)
Specifies the container widget in which to place the widget.
frame1 = tk.Frame(root, width=200, height=100, bg='gray') frame2 = tk.Frame(root, width=100, height=50, bg='white') frame1.pack() frame2.place(in_=frame1, x=50, y=25)
Specifies the width of the widget as a fraction of the width of its parent container.
label1.place(relx=0.25, rely=0.25, relwidth=0.5, height=25)
Specifies the height of the widget as a fraction of the height of its parent container.
label1.place(relx=0.25, rely=0.25, relwidth=0.5, relheight=0.5)
Here is an example code that uses some of these options:
import tkinter as tk root = tk.Tk() label1 = tk.Label(root, text="Widget 1", bg='red') label2 = tk.Label(root, text="Widget 2", bg='green') label3 = tk.Label(root, text="Widget 3", bg='blue') # absolute positioning with negative values label1.place(x=-10, y=20, width=100, height=25) label2.place(x=200, y=50, width=100, height=25) # placing a widget in a specific container frame1 = tk.Frame(root, width=200, height=100, bg='gray') frame2 = tk.Frame(root, width=100, height=50, bg='white') frame1.pack() frame2.place(in_=frame1, x=50, y=25) # relative positioning with relwidth and relheight label3.place(relx=0.25, rely=0.25, relwidth=0.5, relheight=0.5) root.mainloop()
note : resize the window to see the effect of the option
In this example, label1 is placed using absolute positioning with a negative x coordinate.
label2 is placed using absolute positioning with positive x and y coordinates.
frame2 is placed inside frame1 using the in_ option.
label3 is placed using relative positioning with the relx, rely, relwidth, and relheight options.
When you run this code, you should see a window containing three labels and a frame arranged according to the options specified in the place() method calls.
Specifies the height and width of the widget as a percentage of the height and width of the container.
label1.place(relx=0.1, rely=0.1, relwidth=0.8, relheight=0.8)
relx and rely coordinates with values less than 0.0:
If you use values less than 0.0 for the relx or rely coordinates, the widget will be placed outside the container.
label1.place(relx=-0.1, rely=0.5, width=100, height=25)
x and y coordinates with values greater than the width or height of the container:
If you use values greater than the width or height of the container for the x or y coordinates, the widget will be partially or completely hidden.
label1.place(x=300, y=300, width=100, height=25)
relx and rely coordinates with values greater than 1.0:
If you use values greater than 1.0 for the relx or rely coordinates, the widget will be placed outside the container.
label1.place(relx=1.5, rely=0.5, width=100, height=25)
x and y coordinates with negative values:
If you use negative values for the x or y coordinates, the widget will be placed outside the container.
label1.place(x=-50, y=50, width=100, height=25)
Here is an example code that uses some of these options:
import tkinter as tk root = tk.Tk() frame1 = tk.Frame(root, width=200, height=100, bg='gray') frame1.pack() label1 = tk.Label(frame1, text="Widget 1", bg='red', bd=2, relief='groove') label2 = tk.Label(frame1, text="Widget 2", bg='green', bd=2, relief='groove') # in_ option label1.place(x=50, y=50, width=100, height=25, in_=frame1) # relheight and relwidth options label2.place(relx=0.1, rely=0.1, relwidth=0.8, relheight=0.8) # relx coordinate less than 0.0 label1.place(relx=-0.1, rely=0.5, width=100, height=25) # x and y coordinates greater than the container width and height label2.place(x=300, y=300, width=100, height=25) # relx coordinate greater than 1.0 label1.place(relx=1.5, rely=0.5, width=100, height=25) # x coordinate less than 0.0 label2.place(x=-50, y=50, width=100, height=25) root.mainloop()
In this example, label1 is placed in the frame1 widget using the in_ option. label2 is placed using the relwidth and relheight
The place geometry manager in Tkinter is used to precisely position widgets on a parent container using x and y coordinates or relative positioning.
Here are some use cases of the place geometry manager with complete code examples:
The place geometry manager in Tkinter is used to precisely position widgets on a parent container using x and y coordinates or relative positioning.
Here are some use cases of the place geometry manager with complete code examples:
You can use the place geometry manager to create a custom interface with widgets placed at specific locations.
Here is an example:
import tkinter as tk root = tk.Tk() root.geometry("300x200") label1 = tk.Label(root, text="Widget 1", bg='red', bd=2, relief='groove') label1.place(x=50, y=50, width=100, height=25) button1 = tk.Button(root, text="Button 1", bg='green', bd=2, relief='groove') button1.place(x=50, y=100, width=100, height=25) entry1 = tk.Entry(root, bg='white', bd=2, relief='groove') entry1.place(x=50, y=150, width=100, height=25) root.mainloop()
You can use the place geometry manager to create a game interface with multiple widgets placed at specific locations.
Here is an example:
import tkinter as tk root = tk.Tk() root.geometry("400x300") canvas1 = tk.Canvas(root, bg='white', width=300, height=200) canvas1.place(x=50, y=50) button1 = tk.Button(root, text="New Game", bg='green', bd=2, relief='groove') button1.place(x=300, y=50, width=100, height=25) label1 = tk.Label(root, text="Score: 0", bg='white', bd=2, relief='groove') label1.place(x=300, y=100, width=100, height=25) entry1 = tk.Entry(root, bg='white', bd=2, relief='groove') entry1.place(x=300, y=150, width=100, height=25) root.mainloop()
In this example, a canvas, a button, a label, and an entry widget are placed at specific locations on the root window using the place geometry manager.
You can use the place geometry manager to create a tooltip that appears when the user hovers over a widget.
Here is an example:
import tkinter as tk def show_tooltip(event): tooltip.place(x=event.x_root+10, y=event.y_root+10) def hide_tooltip(event): tooltip.place_forget() root = tk.Tk() root.geometry("400x300") button1 = tk.Button(root, text="Hover Here") button1.bind("<Enter>", show_tooltip) button1.bind("<Leave>", hide_tooltip) button1.place(x=150, y=100, width=100, height=25) tooltip = tk.Label(root, text="This is a tooltip", bg='yellow', bd=2, relief='solid') root.mainloop()
You can use the place geometry manager to create a custom progress bar that updates based on a value.
Here is an example:
import tkinter as tk def update_progress(value): progress_bar.place(x=50, y=100, width=value, height=25) root = tk.Tk() root.geometry("400x300") button1 = tk.Button(root, text="Increase Progress", command=lambda: update_progress(progress_bar.winfo_width()+10)) button1.place(x=50, y=150, width=150, height=25) progress_bar = tk.Label(root, bg='blue', bd=2, relief='groove') progress_bar.place(x=50, y=100, width=0, height=25) root.mainloop()
In this example, a label widget is created to serve as the progress bar, and it is updated using the update_progress function that takes a value as an argument and sets the width of the label widget accordingly.
You can use the place geometry manager in combination with the pack and grid geometry managers to create a responsive layout that adjusts based on the size of the parent container.
Here is an example:
import tkinter as tk root = tk.Tk() root.geometry("400x300") label1 = tk.Label(root, text="Widget 1", bg='red', bd=2, relief='groove') label1.place(relx=0.1, rely=0.1, width=100, height=25) button1 = tk.Button(root, text="Button 1", bg='green', bd=2, relief='groove') button1.place(relx=0.5, rely=0.5, anchor='center') label2 = tk.Label(root, text="Widget 2", bg='blue', bd=2, relief='groove') label2.pack(side='bottom', fill='x') root.mainloop()
In this example, the label and button widgets are placed using the place geometry manager with relative positioning, while the label2 widget is placed using the pack geometry manager with the fill option set to ‘x’. This creates a layout that adjusts based on the size of the parent container.
You can use the place geometry manager to create a draggable widget that the user can move around the screen using the mouse.
Here is an example:
import tkinter as tk def drag_start(event): widget.startX = event.x widget.startY = event.y def drag_motion(event): x = widget.winfo_x() - widget.startX + event.x y = widget.winfo_y() - widget.startY + event.y widget.place(x=x, y=y) root = tk.Tk() root.geometry("400x300") widget = tk.Label(root, text="Drag me!", bg='yellow', bd=2, relief='solid') widget.place(x=150, y=100, width=100, height=25) widget.bind("<Button-1>", drag_start) widget.bind("<B1-Motion>", drag_motion) root.mainloop()
In this example, a label widget is made draggable by binding it to the mouse button events and updating its position using the drag_start and drag_motion functions.
You can use the place geometry manager in combination with the canvas widget to create a canvas with draggable objects.
Here is an example:
import tkinter as tk def drag_start(event): widget.startX = event.x widget.startY = event.y def drag_motion(event): x = widget.winfo_x() - widget.startX + event.x y = widget.winfo_y() - widget.startY + event.y canvas.coords(widget.canvas_id, x, y) root = tk.Tk() root.geometry("400x300") canvas = tk.Canvas(root, bg='white') canvas.pack(fill='both', expand=True) widget = tk.Label(root, text="Drag me!", bg='yellow', bd=2, relief='solid') widget.place(x=150, y=100, width=100, height=25) widget.canvas_id = canvas.create_window(150, 100, window=widget) widget.bind("<Button-1>", drag_start) widget.bind("<B1-Motion>", drag_motion) root.mainloop()
In this example, a label widget is placed on a canvas using the create_window method of the canvas widget. The widget is made draggable by binding it to the mouse button events and updating its position using the drag_start and drag_motion functions.
You can use the place geometry manager to create a resizable widget that adjusts its size based on the size of the parent container.
Here is an example:
import tkinter as tk def resize(event): widget.place_configure(relwidth=event.width/root.winfo_width(), relheight=event.height/root.winfo_height()) root = tk.Tk() root.geometry("400x300") widget = tk.Label(root, text="Resize me!", bg='yellow', bd=2, relief='solid') widget.place(relx=0.1, rely=0.1, relwidth=0.8, relheight=0.8) root.bind("<Configure>", resize) root.mainloop()
In this example, a label widget is placed using the place geometry manager with relative positioning and sizing. The widget is made resizable by binding it to the Configure event of the parent container and updating its size using the resize function.
Here is an example of a simple application
import tkinter as tk root = tk.Tk() root.geometry("400x300") button1 = tk.Button(root, text="Button 1", bg='yellow', bd=2, relief='solid') button1.place(x=50, y=50, width=100, height=30) button2 = tk.Button(root, text="Button 2", bg='yellow', bd=2, relief='solid') button2.place(x=250, y=50, width=100, height=30) label1 = tk.Label(root, text="Label 1", bg='lightblue', bd=2, relief='solid') label1.place(x=50, y=150, width=100, height=30) label2 = tk.Label(root, text="Label 2", bg='lightblue', bd=2, relief='solid') label2.place(x=250, y=150, width=100, height=30) root.mainloop()
In this example, four widgets (two buttons and two labels) are placed on the root window using the place geometry manager with absolute positioning and sizing. The result is a custom user interface with a non-standard layout that is easy to create and modify.
import random class DataVisualizationTool(tk.Tk): def __init__(self): super().__init__() self.title("Data Visualization Tool") self.geometry("500x500") # Create canvas canvas = tk.Canvas(self, bg="white") canvas.place(x=0, y=0, relwidth=1, relheight=1) # Draw random data points for i in range(50): x = random.randint(50, 450) y = random.randint(50, 450) r = random.randint(10, 30) canvas.create_oval(x-r, y-r, x+r, y+r, fill="red") # Create buttons button_reset = tk.Button(self, text="Reset", command=lambda: self.reset(canvas)) button_reset.place(x=10, y=10, width=50, height=30) button_add = tk.Button(self, text="Add", command=lambda: self.add_data(canvas)) button_add.place(x=70, y=10, width=50, height=30) # Set initial values self.data_points = 50 def reset(self, canvas): # Clear canvas and redraw data points canvas.delete("all") for i in range(self.data_points): x = random.randint(50, 450) y = random.randint(50, 450) r = random.randint(10, 30) canvas.create_oval(x-r, y-r, x+r, y+r, fill="red") def add_data(self, canvas): # Add random data point x = random.randint(50, 450) y = random.randint(50, 450) r = random.randint(10, 30) canvas.create_oval(x-r, y-r, x+r, y+r, fill="red") self.data_points += 1 if __name__ == "__main__": app = DataVisualizationTool() app.mainloop()
In this example, the data visualization tool consists of a canvas where data points are drawn as circles in random positions and sizes.
The tool also includes two buttons: a “Reset” button that clears the canvas and redraws the data points, and an “Add” button that adds a new random data point to the canvas.
The positions and sizes of the data points are generated randomly using the random module.
The tool is implemented as a Tkinter application using the place geometry manager to position the canvas and buttons on the window.
Here’s an example of a simple game using the place geometry manager in Tkinter:
import tkinter as tk import random class SimpleGame(tk.Tk): def __init__(self): super().__init__() self.title("Simple Game") self.geometry("300x300") # Create score label self.score = 0 self.score_label = tk.Label(self, text="Score: {}".format(self.score)) self.score_label.place(x=10, y=10) # Create target button self.target_button = tk.Button(self, text="Target", command=self.hit_target) self.target_button.place(relx=0.5, rely=0.5, anchor="center") def hit_target(self): # Increase score and move target button to new location self.score += 1 self.score_label.config(text="Score: {}".format(self.score)) x = random.randint(20, 280) y = random.randint(20, 280) self.target_button.place(x=x, y=y, anchor="center") if __name__ == "__main__": app = SimpleGame() app.mainloop()
In this example, the game consists of a target button that appears at a random location on the window when clicked.
Each time the button is clicked, the score is increased by 1 and the button is moved to a new random location.
The score is displayed in a label at the top of the window using the place geometry manager. The target button is centered on its new location using the anchor parameter of the place method.
Here’s an example of a multiple choice quiz with answers using the place geometry manager in Tkinter:
import tkinter as tk class MultipleChoiceQuiz(tk.Tk): def __init__(self): super().__init__() self.title("Multiple Choice Quiz") self.geometry("400x300") # Create question label self.question_label = tk.Label(self, text="What is the capital of France?") self.question_label.place(x=10, y=10) # Create answer options self.answer_options = [ "London", "Paris", "Berlin", "Rome" ] self.answer_var = tk.StringVar() self.answer_var.set(None) self.answer_labels = [] for i, answer in enumerate(self.answer_options): answer_label = tk.Label(self, text=answer) answer_label.place(x=10, y=40+i*30) answer_radio = tk.Radiobutton(self, variable=self.answer_var, value=answer) answer_radio.place(x=250, y=40+i*30) self.answer_labels.append(answer_label) # Create submit button self.submit_button = tk.Button(self, text="Submit", command=self.check_answer) self.submit_button.place(relx=0.5, rely=0.8, anchor="center") # Create feedback label self.feedback_label = tk.Label(self, text="") self.feedback_label.place(relx=0.5, rely=0.9, anchor="center") def check_answer(self): if self.answer_var.get() == "Paris": self.feedback_label.config(text="Correct!") else: self.feedback_label.config(text="Incorrect. The capital of France is Paris.") if __name__ == "__main__": app = MultipleChoiceQuiz() app.mainloop()
In this example, the quiz consists of a question label and four answer options displayed using the place geometry manager.
The answer options are created using a loop and stored in a list of labels and radio buttons.
When the submit button is clicked, the answer is checked and feedback is displayed in a label at the bottom of the window. If the correct answer is selected, the feedback label displays “Correct!” otherwise it displays “Incorrect.
The capital of France is Paris.”. The relx and rely parameters of the place method are used to center the submit button and feedback label on the window.
1-What is the Tkinter place geometry manager?
Answer: B
2-Which method of the place geometry manager is used to set the position of a widget?
Answer: C
3-What is the syntax for placing a widget using the place method?
Answer: B
4-How can you center a widget using the place method?
Answer: B
5-Which of the following is an advantage of using the place geometry manager?
Answer: B
6-Which of the following is not a Tkinter widget?
Answer: C
7-What is the purpose of the mainloop method in Tkinter?
Answer: A
8-Which method of the place geometry manager is used to set the size of a widget?
Answer: A
9-What is the syntax for setting the size of a widget using the config method?
Answer: A
10-Which of the following is an advantage of using the grid geometry manager over the place geometry manager?
Answer: C
11-What does GUI stand for?
Answer: B
12-Which of the following is a Tkinter widget for displaying text?
Answer: C
13-What is the purpose of the pack geometry manager in Tkinter?
Answer: C
14-Which of the following is a Tkinter widget for displaying images?
Answer: A
15-What is the purpose of the Canvas widget in Tkinter?
Answer: B
16-Which of the following is not a valid Tkinter geometry manager?
Answer: C
17-Which of the following is a Tkinter widget for displaying a list of items?
Answer: A
18-What is the purpose of the Entry widget in Tkinter?
Answer: B
19-Which of the following is a method of the Tkinter messagebox module for displaying a message dialog?
Answer: A
20-What is the purpose of the Tkinter Menu widget?
Answer: A
Here are some references that you may find useful for this lesson on Tkinter and the place geometry manager:
The official Tkinter documentation:
The Python Software Foundation’s tutorial on Tkinter:
The TkDocs tutorial on Tkinter:
A beginner’s tutorial on Tkinter:
The Python GUI Programming Cookbook by Burkhard Meier (Packt Publishing, 2019)
Tkinter GUI Application Development Blueprints by Bhaskar Chaudhary (Packt Publishing, 2015)
Python GUI Programming with Tkinter by Alan D. Moore (Apress, 2019)
Python GUI Programming Cookbook by Burkhard Meier (Packt Publishing, 2019)
Tkinter GUI Application Development Blueprints by Bhaskar Chaudhary (Packt Publishing, 2015)
Tkinter GUI Programming by Example by David Love (Packt Publishing, 2018)
GUI Programming with Python: QT Edition by Alan D. Moore (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013)