Looking for a General Method to Configure Tkinter Widgets

[W. eWatson]

W. eWatson wrote:
> odeits wrote:
>> On Mar 2, 7:14 am, "W. eWatson" <notval... at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>> I'm modifying a Tkinter Python program that uses hard coded initial 
>>> values
>>> for several widgets. For example, latitude = 40. My plan is to put 
>>> the names
>>> and values for configuration purposes into a file. For example, a pseudo
>>> statement like the one just given. ConfigObj provides a mechanism for 
>>> it.
>>>
>>> I am only at an early stage of learning Tkinter, but it looks like a 
>>> hang up
>>> is in the use of control variables passed between widgets and 
>>> non-Tkinter
>>> objects that setup up the widget and retrieve the changed values. 
>>> Roughly,
>>> the main loop contains code like self.longitude = 40. Non-Tkinter 
>>> objects
>>> set up the parameters to the widgets, and when a widget* is complete the
>>> setup program resets the main loop globals. As I see it, it looks like
>>> IntVar, etc. used must be hard coded, as in the original program, to
>>> preserve types like boolean, strings, integers, floats, etc. It's either
>>> that or use of eval or some like function. Comments?
>>>
>>> * For example, in one setup program, I see code like this after its 
>>> call to
>>> a dialog returns:
>>>
>>>          try:
>>>              s = dialog.stopVar.get()
>>>              d = [ int(x) for x in s.split(":") ]
>>>              self.stop_time = datetime.time(d[0],d[1],d[2])
>>>
>>> stop_time is a string like "10:30:15".
>>> -- 
>>>                                 W. eWatson
>>>
>>>               (121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
>>>                Obz Site:  39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W, 2700 feet
>>>
>>>                      Web Page: <www.speckledwithstars.net/>
>>
>> I am sorry, I am a bit confused. Is your question how to preserve the
>> value and/or type of the data in the config file? Or are you having
>> trouble getting the values from the file to the widget?
> I'm probably confused too. :-) Let's try this. In
>     s=dialog.stopVar.get()
> I'd like to eliminate the statement and replace it with something like:
>     s="dialog." + "stopV.get()"
>         )and execute that--I'm aware of the exec operation--problems)
> where StopV is a string name taken from the config file. That is, in the 
> config file there would be something like:
> stop_time = 18:00:00, stopV.
> 
> Initially, when starting the program, reading that line would create a 
> self.stop_time variable with the value 18:00:00 (string). To communicate 
> with the dialog widget where the user enters a new value, I need to use 
> control variables. but ones that are not in the code itself. Instead, I 
> would like to manufacture them from what I see in the config file.
> 
> 
I've been told that there may be another way to communicate with Tkinter 
than control variables. I'm not quite sure what, but will probably know 
tomorrow. I think I will discontinue this thread, and re-post if necessary.



-- 
                                W. eWatson

              (121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
               Obz Site:  39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W, 2700 feet

                     Web Page: <www.speckledwithstars.net/>