{"id":1591,"date":"2020-12-10T09:49:15","date_gmt":"2020-12-10T09:49:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pythontutorial.net\/?page_id=1591"},"modified":"2021-01-06T04:05:32","modified_gmt":"2021-01-06T04:05:32","slug":"tkinter-open-file-dialog","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.pythontutorial.net\/tkinter\/tkinter-open-file-dialog\/","title":{"rendered":"Tkinter Open File Dialog"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Summary<\/strong>: in this tutorial, you’ll learn how to show an open file dialog in Tkinter applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction to the Tkinter Open File Dialog functions #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When developing a Tkinter application that deals with the file system, you need to provide a dialog that allows file selections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To do that, you can use the tkinter.filedialog<\/code> module. The following steps show how to display an open file dialog:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, import the tkinter.filedialog<\/code> module:<\/p>\n\n\n

from<\/span> tkinter import<\/span> filedialog as<\/span> fd<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Second, call the fd.askopenfilename()<\/code> function to show a dialog that allows a single file selection:<\/p>\n\n\n
filename = fd.askopenfilename()<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
The askopenfilename()<\/code> function returns the file name that you selected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The askopenfilename()<\/code> also supports other useful options including the initial directory displayed by the dialog or filtering files by their extensions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The following program displays a button: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
If you click the button, it’ll open a file dialog:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
After you select a file, the program will show the full path of the selected file:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
The program:<\/p>\n\n\n
import<\/span> tkinter as<\/span> tk\nfrom<\/span> tkinter import<\/span> ttk\nfrom<\/span> tkinter import<\/span> filedialog as<\/span> fd\nfrom<\/span> tkinter.messagebox import<\/span> showinfo\n\n# create the root window<\/span>\nroot = tk.Tk()\nroot.title('Tkinter Open File Dialog'<\/span>)\nroot.resizable(False<\/span>, False<\/span>)\nroot.geometry('300x150'<\/span>)\n\n\ndef<\/span> select_file<\/span>()<\/span>:<\/span>\n    filetypes = (\n        ('text files'<\/span>, '*.txt'<\/span>),\n        ('All files'<\/span>, '*.*'<\/span>)\n    )\n\n    filename = fd.askopenfilename(\n        title='Open a file'<\/span>,\n        initialdir='\/'<\/span>,\n        filetypes=filetypes)\n\n    showinfo(\n        title='Selected File'<\/span>,\n        message=filename\n    )\n\n\n# open button<\/span>\nopen_button = ttk.Button(\n    root,\n    text='Open a File'<\/span>,\n    command=select_file\n)\n\nopen_button.pack(expand=True<\/span>)\n\n\n# run the application<\/span>\nroot.mainloop()\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Selecting multiple files #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The askopenfilenames()<\/code> function displays a file dialog for multiple file selections. It returns the selected file names as a tuple. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n
import<\/span> tkinter as<\/span> tk\nfrom<\/span> tkinter import<\/span> ttk\nfrom<\/span> tkinter import<\/span> filedialog as<\/span> fd\nfrom<\/span> tkinter.messagebox import<\/span> showinfo\n\n# create the root window<\/span>\nroot = tk.Tk()\nroot.title('Tkinter File Dialog'<\/span>)\nroot.resizable(False<\/span>, False<\/span>)\nroot.geometry('300x150'<\/span>)\n\n\ndef<\/span> select_files<\/span>()<\/span>:<\/span>\n    filetypes = (\n        ('text files'<\/span>, '*.txt'<\/span>),\n        ('All files'<\/span>, '*.*'<\/span>)\n    )\n\n    filenames = fd.askopenfilenames(\n        title='Open files'<\/span>,\n        initialdir='\/'<\/span>,\n        filetypes=filetypes)\n\n    showinfo(\n        title='Selected Files'<\/span>,\n        message=filenames\n    )\n\n\n# open button<\/span>\nopen_button = ttk.Button(\n    root,\n    text='Open Files'<\/span>,\n    command=select_files\n)\n\nopen_button.pack(expand=True<\/span>)\n\nroot.mainloop()<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Opening files directly #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
After getting the selected file names, you can open them using the open()<\/code> method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To make it more convenient, the tkinter.filedialog<\/code> module also provides some functions that allow you to select one or more files and return the file objects directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The askopenfile()<\/code> function displays a file dialog and returns a file object of the selected file:<\/p>\n\n\n
f = fd.askopenfile()<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
And the askopenfiles()<\/code> function shows a file dialog and returns file objects of the selected files:<\/p>\n\n\n
f = fd.askopenfiles()<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
The following program illustrates how to use the askopenfile()<\/code> function:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
It’ll allow you to open a text file and display the file content on a Text<\/a> widget:<\/p>\n\n\n
import<\/span> tkinter as<\/span> tk\nfrom<\/span> tkinter import<\/span> ttk\nfrom<\/span> tkinter import<\/span> filedialog as<\/span> fd\n\n# Root window<\/span>\nroot = tk.Tk()\nroot.title('Display a Text File'<\/span>)\nroot.resizable(False<\/span>, False<\/span>)\nroot.geometry('550x250'<\/span>)\n\n# Text editor<\/span>\ntext = tk.Text(root, height=12<\/span>)\ntext.grid(column=0<\/span>, row=0<\/span>, sticky='nsew'<\/span>)\n\n\ndef<\/span> open_text_file<\/span>()<\/span>:<\/span>\n    # file type<\/span>\n    filetypes = (\n        ('text files'<\/span>, '*.txt'<\/span>),\n        ('All files'<\/span>, '*.*'<\/span>)\n    )\n    # show the open file dialog<\/span>\n    f = fd.askopenfile(filetypes=filetypes)\n    # read the text file and show its content on the Text<\/span>\n    text.insert('1.0'<\/span>, f.readlines())\n\n\n# open file button<\/span>\nopen_button = ttk.Button(\n    root,\n    text='Open a File'<\/span>,\n    command=open_text_file\n)\n\nopen_button.grid(column=0<\/span>, row=1<\/span>, sticky='w'<\/span>, padx=10<\/span>, pady=10<\/span>)\n\n\nroot.mainloop()<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Summary #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
  • Use the askopenfilename()<\/code> function to display an open file dialog that allows users to select one file.<\/li>
  • Use the askopenfilenames()<\/code> function to display an open file dialog that allows users to select multiple files.<\/li>
  • Use the askopenfile()<\/code> or askopenfiles()<\/code> function to display an open file dialog that allows users to select one or multiple files and receive a file or multiple file objects.<\/li><\/ul>\n
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