Python Tkinter Tooltip

This is a simple and basic python class aimed to show a tooltip when hovering a tkinter widget.

How to use it

To use the tooltip class in your project just follow these simple steps:

1. install it with pip install python-tkinter-tooltip
2. import it in your python file with from tkinter_tooltip import Tooltip
3. create an instance of the tooltip class
4. set the tooltip

Insert this line of code to create a tooltip object

my_tooltip = Tooltip(root)

When creating a new tooltip object only one parameter is required, the main window of your application (the root Tk() window). The tooltip is drawn inside that window and its position is calculated relative to it, so don't pass a Toplevel or a frame. There are few parameters that can be optionally configured.

delay=1500,             # milliseconds to wait before showing the tooltip
bg="yellow",            # tooltip background color
fg="#666666",           # tooltip foreground color
pad=(3, 3),             # padding value (x, y)
offset=(20, -10),       # (x, y) offset in pixels from the mouse pointer
size=7                  # font size

Set the tooltip calling this method using the following syntax:

my_tooltip.set(target_widget, tooltip_content, follow)

Three parameters can be set:

1. target_widget.

   Which object will activate the tooltip. It can be a label, a button or any other tkinter widget

2. tooltip_content.

   The actual text to be displayed on the tooltip.

   If no tooltip_content is provided the tooltip itself will be shown. This way you can setup complex tooltips by adding content to my_tooltip using standard tkinter methods.

3. follow.

   Boolean value True or False. If set to true the tooltip will follow your mouse pointer. Default value is False

Demo examples

Inside the file called demo.py you will find examples of simple and advanced usage. The demos are only in the repository, not in the pip package, and they need Pillow (pip install pillow).

Notes

• The tooltip automatically changes its position if there's not enough space
• Clicking the target widget with any mouse button hides the tooltip
• The tooltip is also hidden if the target widget is destroyed
• Your own bindings on the target widget keep working: the tooltip adds its bindings without replacing yours. If you bind the same event later with bind(), pass add="+" or you will replace the tooltip's binding
• Calling set() again on the same widget updates its text and follow setting

Project page

www.egw.it/projects/tkinter-tooltip