Python 3+ Tkinter Center Label Text

Question

This is a tkinter question for Python 3+ on Windows OS. So I know how to center Label text (justify=CENTER) and I know from everything I've searched for the Label text by default is justified center.

Can someone look at my code below and please tell me what I'm doing wrong. I've searched online for hours about this and I just can't see what I'm incorrectly doing.

from tkinter import *
from tkinter.ttk import *


class MainApplication():

    def __init__(self, master):
        self.master = master
        self.master.title("OOP GUI Example")
        self.master.iconbitmap("Blank.ico")


        label = Label(self.master, text="Test Callback", )
        greet_button = Button(self.master, width=25, text="Greet", command=self.greet)
        close_button = Button(self.master, width=25, text="Close", command=self.close)

        Grid.columnconfigure(self.master, 0, weight=1)
        Grid.rowconfigure(self.master, (0,1,2), weight=1)

        label.grid(row=0, column=0, sticky="NSWE",padx=(10, 10), pady=(7.5, 0))
        greet_button.grid(row=1, column=0, sticky="NSWE", padx=(10, 10), pady=(10, 1.5))
        close_button.grid(row=2, column=0, sticky="NSWE", padx=(10, 10), pady=(1.5, 10))


    def greet(self):
        print("Greetings!")
        return


    def close(self):
        self.master.quit()
        return


root = Tk()
root.style = Style()
#  ('winnative', 'clam', 'alt', 'default', 'classic', 'vista', 'xpnative')
root.style.theme_use("clam")
gui = MainApplication(root)
root.mainloop()

This line here label.grid(row=0, column=0, sticky="NSWE",padx=(10, 10), pady=(7.5, 0)) is making the text left justified. Particularly sticky="NSWE" but I want this here so the label widget resizes with the window, so I'm stuck.

Answer 1

I know this is old, but I feel it still needs some clarification.

There are two issues with the question:

1. In python import * is considered to be bad practice (see answers to this question). When you have been using python for a little while you will have been bitten by it and will adopt a more explicit approach. I am astounded by the number answers to questions about tkinter on python that start:

    from tkinter import *  # Do not do this!
   

   I always start my tkinter modules thus:

    import tkinter as tk
    from tkinter import ttk
   

   In this way I always know the version (type) of each widget I create (see the code in part 2.)

2. The tk.Label and ttk.Label widgets behave differently (justfy is not a valid option - use anchor). Note, that by default, the tk.Label text is anchored to the centre, but the ttk.Label text is anchored to the left.

    import tkinter as tk
    from tkinter import ttk
   
    def main() -> None:
        root = tk.Tk()
   
        label = tk.Label(root, text='tk - default', width=25, relief=tk.SUNKEN)
        label.grid(row=0, column=0)
   
        label = tk.Label(root, text='tk - left', width=25, relief=tk.SUNKEN, anchor=tk.W)
        label.grid(row=1, column=0)
   
        label = ttk.Label(root, text='ttk-default', width=25, relief=tk.SUNKEN)
        label.grid(row=2, column=0)
   
        label = ttk.Label(root, text='ttk-centered', width=25, relief=tk.SUNKEN, anchor=tk.CENTER)
        label.grid(row=3, column=0)
   
        root.mainloop()
   
    if __name__ == '__main__':
        main()
   

Answer 2

label=Label(root,text="Type your text here...",font="arial 13 bold")
label.place(x=70,y=60,anchor="center")

Answer 3

1rst way:

from tkinter import *
import tkinter.ttk as ttk

2nd way:

from tkinter import *
from tkinter import ttk

With both ways, the first line imports the tk widgets and the second line imports the ttk widgets. The 1rst way is more clear but most tutorials uses the 2nd way.

Example:

root = Tk()

button_1 = ttk.Button(root, text='Button 1').pack(padx=20, pady=10)
button_2 = Button(root, text='Button 2').pack(padx=20, pady=10)

root.mainloop()

So if you want to use the Button widgets from tkinter.ttk you write ttk.Button (like button_1). If you want to use the Button widget from tkinter (the older one) you just call the Button (like button_2).

Answer 4

This is a textbook example of namespace clustering. You're clustering python's namespace, with the lines:

from tkinter import *
from tkinter.ttk import *

this means if there's a tkinter.ttk class that has the same name that of tkinter class, ttk one will be used, such as Button and Label. And apparently ttk not necessarily have the tkinter.Label's justify option. A simple position swap is sufficed to demonstrate the difference swap the imports to:

from tkinter.ttk import *
from tkinter import *

Instead and see what happens.

---

See below example with center justified text where no namespaces are clustered, using tkinter.Label as label:

import tkinter as tk
import tkinter.ttk as ttk

root = tk.Tk()

label = tk.Label(root, text="Test Callback")
btn = tk.Button(root, text="Text so long that root has to resize.")
btn.pack()
label.pack(fill='both', expand=True)

root.mainloop()

See below example center justified text where no namespaces are clustered, using tkinter.ttk.Label as label:

import tkinter as tk
import tkinter.ttk as ttk

root = tk.Tk()

label = ttk.Label(root, text="Test Callback")
btn = tk.Button(root, text="Text so long that root has to resize.")
btn.pack()
label.pack(expand=True)

root.mainloop()

Answer 5

The problem is that you are reading the documentation for the tkinter label but you are using a ttk label. This is why you should not use wildcard imports -- when two modules export objects with the same name (eg: tkinter.Label and ttk.Label) it becomes difficult to know which one is being used in your code. The default for a ttk label is to be aligned left, but the tkinter label is aligned center, and the order of your imports means that you're using a ttk Label.

The quick fix for your example is to explicitly set the anchor option for the ttk label (eg: label.configure(anchor="center")).

You should also fix your imports so that this problem doesn't happen to you again. Instead of doing a wildcard import (eg: from tkinter import *) you should explicitly import the module as a unit, optionally with a shorter name. Once you do that, you need to prefix your widgets with the name of the module.

For example, given these import statements:

import tkinter as tk
from tkinter import ttk

... you would then create a ttk label with ttk.Label(...), and a tkinter label with tk.Label(...) which makes your code much easier to understand, and it removes all ambiguity.