GUI is one of the most important parts of any web application. It is considered as such for a reason. The point is that… If the usability is at a low point, it will simply not be used by people. Anyone will uninstall it and forget about. Easy as that. (but don’t worry, we’ll tell you about the best Python GUI frameworks next)
You see, any novice programmers experiment with GUI creation after they have mastered the basics of programming. And that’s when the truth hits and they learn that, well, they will need a framework for effective GUI development.
And as a consequence, a pretty reasonable question arises: which one is the best?
To answer that, we first need to understand why GUIs are important in the first place.
Think of them as a kind of lifeline. They exist just to make developers’ lives easier. When we’re talking specifically about GUI frameworks for Python, they make writing interfaces dozens (hundreds, perhaps) of times easier – you don’t have to rack your brains trying to figure out how to recreate this or that element from scratch.
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Best Python GUI frameworks
We’ve covered what GUIs are and why you might need a framework. Next, we will list the top 5 (well, in our humble opinion) best GUI to use with Python. But before we do, it’s probably worth mentioning the criteria we used to choose them.
Separation of concerns
Separation of concerns is a software design principle according to which different aspects should be divided into separate and logically independent components. In general, all Python GUI frameworks support this principle, which not only ensures modularity but also simplifies the code.
This is what you should be looking for.
Layout managers
Layout managers are components used in interfaces to layout elements (buttons, fields, tables, etc.).
In general, the more of these components, the better.
Handling user input
This refers to the input of data via web forms. In a way that the application continues to work correctly. Even if the input is not as expected (e.g., incorrect format or no data at all).
Python frameworks provide tools and methods to validate and process input so that applications can respond to incorrects in a flexible and informative way.
In fact, you should look for a base that can do this.
Performance
The performance aspect affects the stability of the system.
However, when they mention it, they also mean efficiency in terms of resource consumption. In the context of Python GUI frameworks, performance optimization can include the use of algorithms, data structure improvements, asynchronous programming, or even caching of query results.
The more of these features you find in your chosen platform, the better.
Testing and debugging
Different frameworks have different systems for testing and debugging.
This should be taken into account.
For example, if you are not very good at auditing, you should look for platforms that can do it in an automated way.
Best library for GUI in Python
We’ve rounded up five of the best platforms below.
PyOpenGL
PyOpenGL is probably one of the most popular cross-platform places. It is tied to OpenGL and its associated APIs. The connection here is made using ctypes (a standard library) and is provided under the free and open-source BSD license.
PyGTK
PyGTK is a framework with an easy-to-use graphical interface that can simplify the creation of UIs a hundredfold. The underlying GTK+ library provides many utilities, and you can even extend it manually if needed.
wxPython
wxPython is a kind of swiss knife for building cross-platform interfaces. With wxPython, you can create elegant and powerful GUIs that are relatively easy to use. In terms of layout, wxPython has modules that act as a bridge to the elements of wxWidgets – a versatile cross-platform library coded in C++.
The beauty of wxPython lies in its ability to create native-looking interfaces without weighing down the application with an enormous amount of baggage.
Oh, yes, there are other highlights:
- It’s open source.
- It works damn well across platforms.
- It supports both Python 2.7 and 3+, so you have options (of course, you probably won’t want to use anything other than Python 3+, but still).
gui2py
gui2py is not just a framework.
It is all are full visual tools.
For example, GUI Designer, Inspector and even Property Editor. gui2py supports all current versions of Python, from 2.5 to 3.2.
It also has advanced controls like ListView, GridView, TreeView with lists and controls with smooth layout, sizers and basic HTML.
And gui2py also has a simplified event model (similar to JavaScript, by the way).
PySimpleGUI
The name ‘PySimpleGUI’ captures its essence very well.
Many Python GUI frameworks can seem intimidating at first. Well, that’s true. But one prominent developer, Mike B., created PySimpleGUI in 2018 to make it easier for beginners to develop. So that they don’t have to spend time learning the finer points.
That is, it is primarily focused on simple development.
PySimpleGUI uses four of the most popular Python GUIs. These are, for example, Qt, Tkinter, the aforementioned wxPython, and Remi.
It doesn’t just use them, but modifies them to reduce their complexity by several notches. PySimpleGUI implements most of the template code.
The result?
You save a lot of time.
Definitely one of the best GUI designer for Python.
Conclusion
GUI Python frameworks are something that can greatly simplify your development work. When choosing one, you should consider functionality, responsiveness, and stability.
