Python and Tkinter Programming

Explains basic concepts in the first section that give you a helpful start. However, the book includes documentation for a lot of widgets with no instructional examples. Nor is there any description of how to use the documentation. There is good coverage of PMW mega widgets, but stay away from them. If you try to compile or freeze the programs you create, pmw will complicate and probably not work. Stick to the builtins, you can get it done and distribute easily.

While I cannot find another book that would be better, this book is outdated. First, the code is Python 2.0. Second, there is a heavy reliance on pmw (python megawidgets), a package that I don't believe is fully maintained for Python 3.x.

This book contains buggy, poorly structured code and terrible advice. E.g. it completely overlooks the standard Menu widget, which is implemented by native OS menus, and instead suggests cobbling together your own crappy menus. Maybe that's how you did it 20 years ago but that's not how you do it today. It's also positively riddled with annoying and distracting typographical errors. It's like nobody proofread it. God forbid you should actually try to use it to learn Python or Tkinter. If you were unfortunate enough to have bought a copy, I suggest recycle or burn it, and google some good Tkinter web pages, like I have done. I've been developing software for almost thirty years and this is easily the worst software development book I've ever owned.

Very useful...

This is getting kind of old but the information is still relevant. This and 'Programming Python' by Mark Lutz are about it for books on Tkinter.

This book is chock full of examples, with annotations, step by step progress, giving the reader a grasp of GUI construction techniques. It is quite a dive into the full range the TK package offers. Tkinter, Pmw, and Tk are all covered.Not a bad book for GUI programmers. The only drawback is at the beginning of the book where the examples start, the examples are quite complex, well beyond "hello world" fundamentals of some programming language books, and if one is not comfortably familiar with Tk, there's some catch up reading to do.

i like reading real paper books to learn a technology. when i am writing a program, electronic documentation may work better, but just starting out i like a paper book. this book is a bit older but the contents are what i was looking for. i am not very far in but so far i love it.

The book is good, but still heavy going for me. I find it does not stand alone but needs a companion book on the Python language.

This book is targetted at programmers who know Python and want to learn Tkinter. In my opinion the book has some failings, however it seems to be the only show in town in terms of providing both a tutorial and a reference to Tkinter.Its main failings as a tutorial are that it tends to use concepts before it explains them, without providing a forward reference. It also ducks some issues: the chapter on geometry management warns that there are rules to follow if you want to combine GM's on a form. However, if the book actually lists these rules, I haven't found it yet.For all its failings I'd hate to try to learn Tkinter without it, so it gets my recommendation.It seems pretty comprehensive, and it has a good selection of detailed code examples.

The best (and probably only) usable book on this subject. Although it was first printed some time ago the information is still current enough to be very usable. The links to the code are no longer current but, fortunately, the code is still available on the publishers website.

I am learning how to use Python and was recommended this book as a reference to Tkinter. I am sure that Mr Grayson knows his subject but not how to explain it to those who do not already know what he is saying. There are much better reference sources online - use them. I regret buying this book.

Has a very steep learning curve. But after you survive the first chapters you may find it useful. The Tkinter reference at the end is useful although one can get that from the web any way.

Tkinter has a steep learning curve. For a Python GUI it is well worth the effort. This book serves as both an introduction, tutorial and reference. It covers both Tkinter and the Pmw megawidgets. I learnt Tkinter using this book and use it as a reference all the time. If you want to get into the details it helps to have a Tk reference handy eg. 'Practical Programming in Tcl and Tk by Brent B. Welch, 3rd Edition'