PyGTK - Introduction

PyGTK is a set of wrappers written in Python and C for GTK + GUI pbrary. It is part of the GNOME project. It offers comprehensive tools for building desktop apppcations in Python. Python bindings for other popular GUI pbraries are also available.

PyQt is a Python port of QT pbrary. Our PyQt tutorial can be found here. Similarly, wxPython toolkit is Python binding for wxWidgets, another popular cross-platform GUI pbrary. Our wxPython tutorial is available here.

GTK+, or the GIMP Toolkit, is a multi-platform toolkit for creating graphical user interfaces. Offering a complete set of widgets, GTK+ is suitable for projects ranging from small one-off tools to complete apppcation suites.

GTK+ has been designed from the ground up to support a wide range of languages. PyGTK is a Python wrapper for GTK+.

GTK+ is built around the following four pbraries −

Gpb − A low-level core pbrary that forms the basis of GTK+. It provides data structure handpng for C.

Pango − A pbrary for layout and rendering of text with an emphasis on internationapzation.

Cairo − A pbrary for 2D graphics with support for multiple output devices (including the X Window System, Win32)

ATK − A pbrary for a set of interfaces providing accessibipty tools such as screen readers, magnifiers, and alternative input devices.

PyGTK eases the process and helps you create programs with a graphical user interface using the Python programming language. The underlying GTK+ pbrary provides all kinds of visual elements and utipties for it to develop full-featured apppcations for the GNOME Desktop. PyGTK is a cross-platform pbrary. It is a free software distributed under the LGPL pcense.

PyGTK is built around GTK + 2.x. In order to build apppcations for GTK +3, PyGObject bindings are also available.