Create a Simple Python Text Editor!

In this Instructable I will be teaching you how to create a simple text editor with Python and the module Tkinter.

To do this tutorial you need some basic knowledge of Python.

First create a python file called texteditor.py or something like that. Then open it with a text editor like Atom or Notepad ++.

Step 1: Making a Window

To make a text editor we need a window. Type in the file:

import sys
v=sys.python_version

if "2.7" in v:
    from Tkinter import *
elif "3.3" in v or "3.4" in v:
    from tkinter import *
root=Tk("Text Editor")

root.mainloop()

Then if you are on a mac go Cmd+Shift - search and open "terminal" - then type

python /pathto/texteditor.py 

and hit enter.

If you are on a windows, search and open Command prompt, type

python /pathto/texteditor.py

and hit enter. You should se a screen that looks like the picture above.

Congrats!

Step 2: Add a Text Widget

Now we need to add something to type in.

Underneath root=Tk() add two lines like this:

text=Text(root)

text.grid()

Then run the file again like in step one. You should get a bigger screen with a text box in it when you click on it. It will look like the picture above.

Your full code will look like this now:

import sys
v=sys.version()

if "2.7" in v: 

    from Tkinter import * 

elif "3.3" in v or "3.4" in v:

    from tkinter import * 

root=Tk("Text Editor")

text=Text(root)

text.grid()

root.mainloop()

Step 3: Saving Your Text

You need to be able to save your text of course, so we will add a button to save.

Under import Tkinter add

import tkFileDialog

and under import tkinter add

import tkinter.tkFileDialog

Under the last line you added write this:

def saveas():
    global text  

    t = text.get("1.0", "end-1c")

    savelocation=tkFileDialog.asksaveasfilename()

    file1=open(savelocation, "w+")

    file1.write(t)

    file1.close()

button=Button(root, text="Save", command=saveas) 

button.grid()

Clicking on the button will save your file.

The full code:

import sys
v=sys.version()

if "2.7" in v:

    from Tkinter import * 
    import tkFileDialog

elif "3.3" in v or "3.4" in v: 

    from tkinter import *
    import tkinter.tkFileDialog

root=Tk("Text Editor")

text=Text(root)

text.grid()

def saveas():

    global text

    t = text.get("1.0", "end-1c")

    savelocation=tkFileDialog.asksaveasfilename()

    file1=open(savelocation, "w+")

    file1.write(t)

    file1.close()

button=Button(root, text="Save", command=saveas)

button.grid() 

root.mainloop()

Step 4: Font Changer

Under the last line you added, add this:

def FontHelvetica():

   global text

    text.config(font="Helvetica")

def FontCourier():

    global text

    text.config(font="Courier")

font=Menubutton(root, text="Font") 

font.grid() 

font.menu=Menu(font, tearoff=0) 

font["menu"]=font.menu

helvetica=IntVar() 

courier=IntVar()

font.menu.add_checkbutton(label="Courier", variable=courier,
command=FontCourier)
font.menu.add_checkbutton(label="Helvetica", variable=helvetica, 
command=FontHelvetica)

Congratulations! You have finished a very simple text editor. If you want more tutorials like this tell me what here.

Run the file to use it!

Full Code:

import sys

v=sys.version()

if "2.7" in v:

    from Tkinter import * 

    import tkFileDialog

elif "3.3" in v or "3.4" in v:

    from tkinter import *

    import tkinter.tkFileDialog

root=Tk("Text Editor")
text=Text(root) 

text.grid() 

def saveas():

    global text

    t = text.get("1.0", "end-1c")

    savelocation=tkFileDialog.asksaveasfilename()

    file1=open(savelocation, "w+")

    file1.write(t)

    file1.close()

button=Button(root, text="Save", command=saveas) 

button.grid()

def FontHelvetica():

    global text

    text.config(font="Helvetica")

def FontCourier():

    global text

    text.config(font="Courier")

font=Menubutton(root, text="Font") 

font.grid() 

font.menu=Menu(font, tearoff=0) 

font["menu"]=font.menu

Helvetica=IntVar() 

arial=IntVar() 

times=IntVar() 

Courier=IntVar()

font.menu.add_checkbutton(label="Courier", variable=Courier, 
command=FontCourier)
font.menu.add_checkbutton(label="Helvetica", variable=helvetica,
command=FontHelvetica) 

root.mainloop()