Python Tkinter Loading/Splash Screen Using a GIF & Multithreading to Run a Task in Background

When developing a Python Tkinter application, you may want to provide a loading or splash screen to give users feedback that the application is performing a task. One way to achieve this is by using a GIF image for the loading animation.

Additionally, if the task being performed requires some processing time, it is recommended to run it in a separate thread to prevent the GUI from freezing. This can be achieved using Python’s threading module.

Code Example:

        
import tkinter as tk
from tkinter import ttk
import threading
import time

def task():
    # Simulating a long-running task
    time.sleep(5)
    
def run_task():
    thread = threading.Thread(target=task)
    thread.start()
    
def splash_screen():
    root = tk.Tk()
    root.title("Loading...")
    
    img = tk.PhotoImage(file="loading.gif")
    loading_label = tk.Label(root, image=img)
    loading_label.pack()
    
    ttk.Button(root, text="Run Task", command=run_task).pack()
    
    root.mainloop()

# Run the splash screen
splash_screen()
        
    

In the code example above, we define a task() function that simulates a long-running task with time.sleep(5). We then create a thread to run this task in the background using threading.Thread(target=task). The run_task() function starts this thread.

The splash_screen() function creates a Tkinter window with a GIF image for the loading animation. When the “Run Task” button is clicked, the run_task() function is called to start the background task without freezing the GUI.

By combining a loading splash screen with multithreading in Python Tkinter, you can provide a better user experience and keep your application responsive during long-running tasks.