How to Build a Basic GUI App in Python Using PySimpleGUI

In this tutorial, we will be creating a simple GUI app using PySimpleGui in Python. PySimpleGui is a lightweight GUI library that makes it easy to create user interfaces quickly and easily. It is well-suited for beginners and experienced developers alike, as it offers a simple syntax and a wide range of customization options.

Step 1: Install PySimpleGUI
Before we start creating our GUI app, we need to install the PySimpleGUI library. You can do this by running the following command in your terminal or command prompt:

pip install PySimpleGUI

Step 2: Import the necessary library
Once you have PySimpleGUI installed, you can start creating your GUI app. Start by importing the PySimpleGUI library at the beginning of your Python script:

import PySimpleGUI as sg

Step 3: Create the layout
Next, we need to create the layout for our GUI app. The layout specifies the visual components that will be displayed on the screen. In this example, we will create a simple app with a text input field and a button. Add the following code to define the layout:

layout = [
    [sg.Text('Enter your name: '), sg.InputText()],
    [sg.Button('Submit')]
]

Step 4: Create the window
After defining the layout, we can create the window for our GUI app using the sg.Window() function. You can customize the window’s title, size, and other properties by passing arguments to the function. Here’s an example of how to create a window with the layout we defined earlier:

window = sg.Window('Simple GUI App', layout)

Step 5: Event loop
To make our GUI app interactive, we need to create an event loop that listens for user input. The event loop will continuously check for user actions, such as clicking a button or typing in a text field. Add the following code to start the event loop:

while True:
    event, values = window.read()

    if event == sg.WIN_CLOSED:
        break

    if event == 'Submit':
        name = values[0]
        sg.popup(f'Hello, {name}!')

Step 6: Close the window
Finally, make sure to close the window and release any resources when the user closes the app. Add the following code at the end of your script to close the window:

window.close()

That’s it! You have successfully created a simple GUI app using PySimpleGUI in Python. You can customize the app further by adding more components, styling elements, and handling different user actions. Experiment with the layout, event handling, and customization options to create a unique and fully-functional GUI app.