Create a chat application interface with Python Tkinter

Last update on April 25 2025 12:53:34 (UTC/GMT +8 hours)

Write a Python program that designs a chat application interface with message history and an input field. Organize these elements using the Grid geometry manager.

Sample Solution:

Python Code:

import tkinter as tk

# Function to send a message
def send_message():
    message = message_entry.get()
    if message:
        message_history.config(state=tk.NORMAL)
        message_history.insert(tk.END, f"You: {message}\n")
        message_history.config(state=tk.DISABLED)
        message_entry.delete(0, tk.END)

# Create the main window
parent = tk.Tk()
parent.title("Chat Application")

# Create a Text widget for message history
message_history = tk.Text(parent, wrap=tk.WORD, width=40, height=10)
message_history.grid(row=0, column=0, columnspan=2, padx=10, pady=10)
message_history.config(state=tk.DISABLED)

# Create an Entry widget for entering messages
message_entry = tk.Entry(parent, width=30)
message_entry.grid(row=1, column=0, padx=10, pady=10)

# Create a "Send" button
send_button = tk.Button(parent, text="Send", command=send_message)
send_button.grid(row=1, column=1, padx=10, pady=10)

# Start the Tkinter event loop
parent.mainloop()

Explanation:

In the exercise above -

First we create the main window using tk.Tk() and set its title to "Chat Application."
To display the message history, a Text widget is created (message_history). It is configured to wrap words, have a width of 40 characters, and a height of 10 lines. To prevent user input, the state is initially set to tk.DISABLED. It spans across two columns and is placed in the grid at row 0.
Messages are entered using an Entry widget (message_entry). It has a width of 30 characters and is placed in the grid at row 1.
The "Send" button is created and associated with the send_message function, which sends the message entered in the Entry widget to the message history Text widget. The button is placed in the grid at row 1.
The Tkinter Grid geometry manager is used to organize the widgets within rows and columns in the main window.
The program starts the Tkinter event loop with root.mainloop(), allowing the GUI to run and respond to user interactions.

Sample Output:

Flowchart:

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