Creating a Standalone Python Executable with Tkinter GUI – Tutorial 40

In this tutorial, we will learn how to create a standalone Python EXE executable for a Python Tkinter GUI application. This will allow you to distribute your GUI application to users who do not have Python installed on their systems.

Step 1: Install the necessary libraries
First, you will need to install two libraries: pyinstaller and pywin32. Pyinstaller is a tool that can convert Python scripts into standalone executables, and pywin32 is a library that enables Pyinstaller to work correctly with Tkinter.

You can install these libraries using pip by running the following commands in your terminal:

pip install pyinstaller
pip install pywin32

Step 2: Create your Python Tkinter GUI application
Next, you will need to create your Python Tkinter GUI application. For the purposes of this tutorial, we will create a simple calculator application. Here is an example code for a basic calculator GUI:

import tkinter as tk

def calculate():
    result.set(eval(expression.get()))

root = tk.Tk()
root.title("Calculator")

expression = tk.StringVar()
result = tk.StringVar()

entry = tk.Entry(root, textvariable=expression)
entry.pack()

button = tk.Button(root, text="Calculate", command=calculate)
button.pack()

label = tk.Label(root, textvariable=result)
label.pack()

root.mainloop()

Save this code in a file named calculator.py.

Step 3: Create the executable
Now that you have created your Python Tkinter GUI application, you can use Pyinstaller to create a standalone executable. In your terminal, navigate to the directory where your calculator.py file is located and run the following command:

pyinstaller --onefile --windowed calculator.py

This command tells Pyinstaller to create a standalone executable with a single file (--onefile) and to hide the console window (--windowed).

After running this command, Pyinstaller will generate a dist folder in the same directory as your Python script. Inside this folder, you will find the standalone executable file for your GUI application.

Step 4: Distribute your executable
You can now distribute your standalone executable to users who do not have Python installed on their systems. Simply share the executable file with them, and they will be able to run your Python Tkinter GUI application without any additional setup.

In conclusion, creating a standalone Python EXE executable for a Python Tkinter GUI application is a straightforward process that allows you to easily share your GUI applications with others. By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you can create and distribute standalone executables for your Tkinter applications with ease.