Creating a Calculator with Python Tkinter

In this article, we will learn how to create a simple calculator using Python’s Tkinter library. Tkinter is a popular GUI toolkit for Python, and it is commonly used for creating desktop applications with graphical user interfaces.

Prerequisites

In order to follow along with this tutorial, you will need to have Python installed on your computer. You can download and install Python from the official website here. You will also need to have a code editor, such as Visual Studio Code, installed on your computer.

Creating the Calculator

Let’s start by creating a new Python file and importing the Tkinter library:

“`python
import tkinter as tk
“`

Next, we will create a new Tkinter window and set its title:

“`python
root = tk.Tk()
root.title(“Python Tkinter Calculator”)
“`

Now, let’s create the layout for our calculator. We will use Tkinter’s grid layout manager to arrange the buttons and input field in the window:

“`python
entry = tk.Entry(root, width=20)
entry.grid(row=0, column=0, columnspan=4)

buttons = [
‘7’, ‘8’, ‘9’, ‘/’,
‘4’, ‘5’, ‘6’, ‘*’,
‘1’, ‘2’, ‘3’, ‘-‘,
‘0’, ‘.’, ‘=’, ‘+’
]

row = 1
col = 0

for button in buttons:
if button == ‘=’:
btn = tk.Button(root, text=button, width=15, command=calculate)
else:
btn = tk.Button(root, text=button, width=3, command=lambda value=button: add_to_display(value))
btn.grid(row=row, column=col)
col += 1
if col > 3:
col = 0
row += 1
“`

Finally, we will define the functions calculate and add_to_display to handle the calculations and user input:

“`python
def calculate():
expression = entry.get()
try:
result = str(eval(expression))
entry.delete(0, tk.END)
entry.insert(tk.END, result)
except:
entry.delete(0, tk.END)
entry.insert(tk.END, “Error”)

def add_to_display(value):
current = entry.get()
entry.delete(0, tk.END)
entry.insert(tk.END, current + value)
“`

Running the Calculator

Once you have saved the Python file, you can run it from your code editor or from the command line. This will open a new window with the calculator interface, allowing you to perform simple arithmetic calculations.

Conclusion

In this article, we have learned how to create a basic calculator using Python’s Tkinter library. With just a few lines of code, we were able to create a functional user interface for performing mathematical operations. You can further customize the design and functionality of the calculator to suit your specific needs.

Happy coding!