Python3: How to dynamically resize button text in tkinter/ttk? - button

Question

I want to know how to arrange for the text on a ttk widget (a label or button, say) to resize automatically.
Changing the size of the text is easy, it is just a matter of changing the font in the style. However, hooking it into changes in the size of the window is a little more tricky. Looking on the web I found some hints, but there was nowhere a complete answer was posted.
So, here below is a complete working example posted as an answer to my own question. I hope someone finds it useful. If anyone has further improvements to suggest, I will be delighted to see them!

Answer 1

The example below shows two techniques, one activated by re-sizing the window (see the resize() method, bound to the <Configure> event), and the other by directly changing the size of the font (see the mutate() method).
Other code necessary to get resizing working is the grid configuration code in the __init__() method.
When running the example, there is some interaction between the two methods, but I think in a 'real' situation one technique would be sufficient, so that issue won't arise.
from tkinter import *
from tkinter.ttk import *
class ButtonApp(Frame):
"""Container for the buttons."""
def __init__(self, master=None):
"""Initialize the frame and its children."""
super().__init__(master)
self.createWidgets()
# configure the frame's resize behaviour
master.columnconfigure(0, weight=1)
master.rowconfigure(0, weight=1)
self.grid(sticky=(N,S,E,W))
# configure resize behaviour for the frame's children
self.columnconfigure(0, weight=1)
self.rowconfigure(0, weight=1)
self.rowconfigure(0, weight=1)
# bind to window resize events
self.bind('<Configure>', self.resize)
def createWidgets(self):
"""Make the widgets."""
# this button mutates
self.mutantButton = Button(self, text='Press Me',
style='10.TButton')
self.mutantButton.grid(column=0, row=0, sticky=(N,S,E,W))
self.mutantButton['command'] = self.mutate
# an ordinary quit button for comparison
self.quitButton = Button(self, text='Quit', style='TButton')
self.quitButton.grid(column=0, row=1, sticky=(N,S,E,W))
self.quitButton['command'] = self.quit
def mutate(self):
"""Rotate through the styles by hitting the button."""
style = int(self.mutantButton['style'].split('.')[0])
newStyle = style + 5
if newStyle > 50: newStyle = 10
print('Choosing font '+str(newStyle))
self.mutantButton['style'] = fontStyle[newStyle]
# resize the frame
# get the current geometries
currentGeometry = self._root().geometry()
w, h, x, y = self.parseGeometry(currentGeometry)
reqWidth = self.mutantButton.winfo_reqwidth()
reqHeight = self.mutantButton.winfo_reqheight()
# note assume height of quit button is constant at 20.
w = max([w, reqWidth])
h = 20 + reqHeight
self._root().geometry('%dx%d+%d+%d' % (w, h, x, y))
def parseGeometry(self, geometry):
"""Geometry parser.
Returns the geometry as a (w, h, x, y) tuple."""
# get w
xsplit = geometry.split('x')
w = int(xsplit[0])
rest = xsplit[1]
# get h, x, y
plussplit = rest.split('+')
h = int(plussplit[0])
x = int(plussplit[1])
y = int(plussplit[2])
return w, h, x, y
def resize(self, event):
"""Method bound to the <Configure> event for resizing."""
# get geometry info from the root window.
wm, hm = self._root().winfo_width(), self._root().winfo_height()
# choose a font height to match
# note subtract 30 for the button we are NOT scaling.
# note we assume optimal font height is 1/2 widget height.
fontHeight = (hm - 20) // 2
print('Resizing to font '+str(fontHeight))
# calculate the best font to use (use int rounding)
bestStyle = fontStyle[10] # use min size as the fallback
if fontHeight < 10: pass # the min size
elif fontHeight >= 50: # the max size
bestStyle = fontStyle[50]
else: # everything in between
bestFitFont = (fontHeight // 5) * 5
bestStyle = fontStyle[bestFitFont]
# set the style on the button
self.mutantButton['style'] = bestStyle
root = Tk()
root.title('Alice in Pythonland')
# make a dictionary of sized font styles in the range of interest.
fontStyle = {}
for font in range(10, 51, 5):
styleName = str(font)+'.TButton'
fontName = ' '.join(['helvetica', str(font), 'bold'])
fontStyle[font] = styleName
Style().configure(styleName, font=fontName)
# run the app
app = ButtonApp(master=root)
app.mainloop()
root.destroy()