Make Notepad using Tkinter

Last Updated : 07 Sep, 2021

Let’s see how to create a simple notepad in Python using Tkinter. This notepad GUI will consist of various menu like file and edit, using which all functionalities like saving the file, opening a file, editing, cut and paste can be done.

Now for creating this notepad, Python 3 and Tkinter should already be installed in your system. You can download suitable python package as per system requirement. After you have successfully installed python you need to install Tkinter (a Python’s GUI package).

Use this command to install Tkinter :

pip install python-tk

Importing Tkinter :

Python

import tkinter 
import os 
from tkinter import *
 
# To get the space above for message
from tkinter.messagebox import *
 
# To get the dialog box to open when required
from tkinter.filedialog import *

Note : messagebox is used to write the message in the white box called notepad and filedialog is used for the dialog box to appear when you are opening file from anywhere in your system or saving your file in a particular position or place.

Adding Menu :

Python

# Add controls(widget)
 
self.__thisTextArea.grid(sticky = N + E + S + W)
 
# To open new file
self.__thisFileMenu.add_command(label = "New",
                                command = self.__newFile)
 
# To open a already existing file
self.__thisFileMenu.add_command(label = "Open",
                                command = self.__openFile)
 
# To save current file
self.__thisFileMenu.add_command(label = "Save",
                                command = self.__saveFile)
 
# To create a line in the dialog
self.__thisFileMenu.add_separator()
 
# To terminate
self.__thisFileMenu.add_command(label = "Exit",
                                command = self.__quitApplication)
self.__thisMenuBar.add_cascade(label = "File",
                               menu = self.__thisFileMenu)
 
# To give a feature of cut
self.__thisEditMenu.add_command(label = "Cut",
                                command = self.__cut)
 
# To give a feature of copy
self.__thisEditMenu.add_command(label = "Copy",
                                command = self.__copy)
 
# To give a feature of paste
self.__thisEditMenu.add_command(label = "Paste",
                                command = self.__paste)
 
# To give a feature of editing
self.__thisMenuBar.add_cascade(label = "Edit",
                               menu = self.__thisEditMenu)
 
# To create a feature of description of the notepad
self.__thisHelpMenu.add_command(label = "About Notepad",
                                command = self.__showAbout)
self.__thisMenuBar.add_cascade(label = "Help",
                               menu = self.__thisHelpMenu)
 
self.__root.config(menu = self.__thisMenuBar)
 
self.__thisScrollBar.pack(side = RIGHT, fill = Y)
 
# Scrollbar will adjust automatically
# according to the content
self.__thisScrollBar.config(command = self.__thisTextArea.yview)
self.__thisTextArea.config(yscrollcommand = self.__thisScrollBar.set)

With this code we will add the menu in the windows of our notepad and will add the things like copy, paste, save etc, to it.

Adding The Functionality :

Python

def __quitApplication(self):
    self.__root.destroy()
    # exit()
 
def __showAbout(self):
    showinfo("Notepad", "Mrinal Verma")
 
def __openFile(self):
         
    self.__file = askopenfilename(defaultextension=".txt",
                                  filetypes=[("All Files","*.*"),
                                      ("Text Documents","*.txt")])
 
    if self.__file == "":
 
        # no file to open
        self.__file = None
    else:
        # try to open the file
        # set the window title
        self.__root.title(os.path.basename(self.__file) + " - Notepad")
        self.__thisTextArea.delete(1.0,END)
 
        file = open(self.__file,"r")
 
        self.__thisTextArea.insert(1.0,file.read())
 
        file.close()
 
         
def __newFile(self):
    self.__root.title("Untitled - Notepad")
    self.__file = None
    self.__thisTextArea.delete(1.0,END)
 
def __saveFile(self):
 
    if self.__file == None:
        #save as new file
        self.__file = asksaveasfilename(initialfile='Untitled.txt',
                                        defaultextension=".txt",
                                        filetypes=[("All Files","*.*"),
                                            ("Text Documents","*.txt")])
 
        if self.__file == "":
            self.__file = None
        else:
             
            # try to save the file
            file = open(self.__file,"w")
            file.write(self.__thisTextArea.get(1.0,END))
            file.close()
            # change the window title
            self.__root.title(os.path.basename(self.__file) + " - Notepad")
                 
             
    else:
        file = open(self.__file,"w")
        file.write(self.__thisTextArea.get(1.0,END))
        file.close()
 
def __cut(self):
    self.__thisTextArea.event_generate("<<Cut>>")
 
def __copy(self):
    self.__thisTextArea.event_generate("<<Copy>>")
 
def __paste(self):
    self.__thisTextArea.event_generate("<<Paste>>")

In this we have added all the functionality that is required in the notepad, you can add other functionality too in this like the font size, font color, bold, underlined, etc.

Main Code After Merging All :

Python

import tkinter
import os    
from tkinter import *
from tkinter.messagebox import *
from tkinter.filedialog import *
 
class Notepad:
 
    __root = Tk()
 
    # default window width and height
    __thisWidth = 300
    __thisHeight = 300
    __thisTextArea = Text(__root)
    __thisMenuBar = Menu(__root)
    __thisFileMenu = Menu(__thisMenuBar, tearoff=0)
    __thisEditMenu = Menu(__thisMenuBar, tearoff=0)
    __thisHelpMenu = Menu(__thisMenuBar, tearoff=0)
     
    # To add scrollbar
    __thisScrollBar = Scrollbar(__thisTextArea)     
    __file = None
 
    def __init__(self,**kwargs):
 
        # Set icon
        try:
                self.__root.wm_iconbitmap("Notepad.ico") 
        except:
                pass
 
        # Set window size (the default is 300x300)
 
        try:
            self.__thisWidth = kwargs['width']
        except KeyError:
            pass
 
        try:
            self.__thisHeight = kwargs['height']
        except KeyError:
            pass
 
        # Set the window text
        self.__root.title("Untitled - Notepad")
 
        # Center the window
        screenWidth = self.__root.winfo_screenwidth()
        screenHeight = self.__root.winfo_screenheight()
     
        # For left-align
        left = (screenWidth / 2) - (self.__thisWidth / 2) 
         
        # For right-align
        top = (screenHeight / 2) - (self.__thisHeight /2) 
         
        # For top and bottom
        self.__root.geometry('%dx%d+%d+%d' % (self.__thisWidth,
                                              self.__thisHeight,
                                              left, top)) 
 
        # To make the textarea auto resizable
        self.__root.grid_rowconfigure(0, weight=1)
        self.__root.grid_columnconfigure(0, weight=1)
 
        # Add controls (widget)
        self.__thisTextArea.grid(sticky = N + E + S + W)
         
        # To open new file
        self.__thisFileMenu.add_command(label="New",
                                        command=self.__newFile)    
         
        # To open a already existing file
        self.__thisFileMenu.add_command(label="Open",
                                        command=self.__openFile)
         
        # To save current file
        self.__thisFileMenu.add_command(label="Save",
                                        command=self.__saveFile)    
 
        # To create a line in the dialog        
        self.__thisFileMenu.add_separator()                                         
        self.__thisFileMenu.add_command(label="Exit",
                                        command=self.__quitApplication)
        self.__thisMenuBar.add_cascade(label="File",
                                       menu=self.__thisFileMenu)     
         
        # To give a feature of cut 
        self.__thisEditMenu.add_command(label="Cut",
                                        command=self.__cut)             
     
        # to give a feature of copy    
        self.__thisEditMenu.add_command(label="Copy",
                                        command=self.__copy)         
         
        # To give a feature of paste
        self.__thisEditMenu.add_command(label="Paste",
                                        command=self.__paste)         
         
        # To give a feature of editing
        self.__thisMenuBar.add_cascade(label="Edit",
                                       menu=self.__thisEditMenu)     
         
        # To create a feature of description of the notepad
        self.__thisHelpMenu.add_command(label="About Notepad",
                                        command=self.__showAbout) 
        self.__thisMenuBar.add_cascade(label="Help",
                                       menu=self.__thisHelpMenu)
 
        self.__root.config(menu=self.__thisMenuBar)
 
        self.__thisScrollBar.pack(side=RIGHT,fill=Y)                    
         
        # Scrollbar will adjust automatically according to the content        
        self.__thisScrollBar.config(command=self.__thisTextArea.yview)     
        self.__thisTextArea.config(yscrollcommand=self.__thisScrollBar.set)
     
         
    def __quitApplication(self):
        self.__root.destroy()
        # exit()
 
    def __showAbout(self):
        showinfo("Notepad","Mrinal Verma")
 
    def __openFile(self):
         
        self.__file = askopenfilename(defaultextension=".txt",
                                      filetypes=[("All Files","*.*"),
                                        ("Text Documents","*.txt")])
 
        if self.__file == "":
             
            # no file to open
            self.__file = None
        else:
             
            # Try to open the file
            # set the window title
            self.__root.title(os.path.basename(self.__file) + " - Notepad")
            self.__thisTextArea.delete(1.0,END)
 
            file = open(self.__file,"r")
 
            self.__thisTextArea.insert(1.0,file.read())
 
            file.close()
 
         
    def __newFile(self):
        self.__root.title("Untitled - Notepad")
        self.__file = None
        self.__thisTextArea.delete(1.0,END)
 
    def __saveFile(self):
 
        if self.__file == None:
            # Save as new file
            self.__file = asksaveasfilename(initialfile='Untitled.txt',
                                            defaultextension=".txt",
                                            filetypes=[("All Files","*.*"),
                                                ("Text Documents","*.txt")])
 
            if self.__file == "":
                self.__file = None
            else:
                 
                # Try to save the file
                file = open(self.__file,"w")
                file.write(self.__thisTextArea.get(1.0,END))
                file.close()
                 
                # Change the window title
                self.__root.title(os.path.basename(self.__file) + " - Notepad")
                 
             
        else:
            file = open(self.__file,"w")
            file.write(self.__thisTextArea.get(1.0,END))
            file.close()
 
    def __cut(self):
        self.__thisTextArea.event_generate("<<Cut>>")
 
    def __copy(self):
        self.__thisTextArea.event_generate("<<Copy>>")
 
    def __paste(self):
        self.__thisTextArea.event_generate("<<Paste>>")
 
    def run(self):
 
        # Run main application
        self.__root.mainloop()
 
 
 
 
# Run main application
notepad = Notepad(width=600,height=400)
notepad.run()

To run this code, save it by the extension .py and then open cmd(command prompt) and move to the location of the file saved and then write the following