[python-win32] Keeping a Tkinter window above all other

[Metz, Bobby W, WWCS]

Bertrand,
	This is somewhat easy to google for, but you come up with many
hints and pieces of the puzzle.  At least when I searched for this
awhile back there was no one answer that held all the pieces to the
puzzle.  So, below is what I learned along between google and just
trial/error.
	There's two ways to do it.  Note, the redrawing of the window
may not do exactly what you expect...it is tkinter after all.  Just
replace <toplevel> below with the name of your toplevel window.

Tkinter way
------------------------
<toplevel>.wm_attributes("-topmost", 1)   # Make sure window remains on
top of all others
<toplevel>.focus()                        # Set focus to window

win32com way
------------------------
import win32ui, win32con, win32gui
hwnd = int(eval(<toplevel>.wm_frame()))	# Get the window info from the
window manager
win32gui.SetWindowPos(hwnd, win32con.HWND_TOPMOST, 0, 0, 0, 0,
win32con.SWP_NOMOVE | win32con.SWP_NOSIZE)

	Some things to note if your "topmost" window will be a child
window of another Tkinter window.  If you open a child window and set it
as "topmost", e.g. the IE or Firefox Help-->About windows, then minimize
the entire application to the taskbar, the methods below won't force the
child window  above the parent window on restoral from minimization if
you select the main window icon in the Windows taskbar.  I work around
this by disabling the parent window so it's still visible but it ignores
user clicks.

<toplevel_parent>.wm_attributes("-disabled", 1)     # Disable parent so
user has to use child

	I also never could figure out how to get the Windows taskbar to
not show an icon for the "topmost" child window.  The transient() call
was supposed to do this I thought but in practice it doesn't work for
me.  Perhaps someone else on the list knows the answer.

<toplevel>.transient()                              # Make it a
transient of the parent

If you're making your primary app window "topmost" then these concerns
are moot but thought I'd mention them.  

Bobby

-----Original Message-----
From: python-win32-bounces at python.org
[mailto:python-win32-bounces at python.org]On Behalf Of Bertrand Bine
Sent: Sunday, May 14, 2006 10:27 AM
To: python-win32 at python.org
Subject: [python-win32] Keeping a Tkinter window above all other


Could someone tell me how to keep a Tkinter windows above all others
(under Windows) ?

Being able to intercept the unvisibility of Tk windows when it occurs
would certainly be usefull...

Thanks for your help

Bertrand.

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