How to Make Tkinter Text Widget Read Only

1. Set the Text State to disable to Make Tkinter Text Read Only
2. Bind Any Key Press to the break Function to Make Tkinter Text Read Only
3. Conclusion
4. FAQ

We will introduce methods to make the Tkinter Text widget read-only,

1. Set the Text state to be disable
2. Bind any key press to the break function

Set the Text State to disable to Make Tkinter Text Read Only

The Text widget becomes read-only after its state is set to be disable.

import tkinter as tk

root = tk.Tk()
readOnlyText = tk.Text(root)
readOnlyText.insert(1.0, "ABCDEF")
readOnlyText.configure(state="disabled")
readOnlyText.pack()

root.mainloop()

The default state of a Text widget is NORMAL, that means the user could edit, append, insert or edit text content in it.

readOnlyText.configure(state="disabled")

You need to change the Text widget state to DISABLED to make it read-only. Any attempt to change the text inside that widget will be silently ignored.

Bind Any Key Press to the break Function to Make Tkinter Text Read Only

If we bind any key stroke to the function that only return break to the Text widget, we could get the same result that the Text becomes read-only.

import tkinter as tk

root = tk.Tk()
readOnlyText = tk.Text(root)
readOnlyText.insert(1.0, "ABCDEF")
readOnlyText.bind("<Key>", lambda a: "break")
readOnlyText.pack()

root.mainloop()

import tkinter as tk


def ctrlEvent(event):
    if 12 == event.state and event.keysym == "c":
        return
    else:
        return "break"


root = tk.Tk()
readOnlyText = tk.Text(root)
readOnlyText.insert(1.0, "ABCDEF")
readOnlyText.bind("<Key>", lambda e: ctrlEvent(e))
readOnlyText.pack()

root.mainloop()

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we explored various methods to make a Tkinter Text widget read-only, including setting the state to disabled and intercepting key events. Each method has its unique advantages, depending on your application’s specific requirements. By implementing these techniques, you can enhance the usability of your Tkinter applications while ensuring that critical information remains intact. Now that you have the tools, go ahead and experiment with these methods in your projects!

FAQ

1. Can I still copy text from a read-only Text widget?
   Yes, even if the Text widget is set to read-only, users can still select and copy the text.

2. Is it possible to change the appearance of a read-only Text widget?
   Yes, you can customize the appearance of the Text widget using various configuration options like font, color, and background.

3. Can I make a Text widget editable again after setting it to read-only?
   Yes, you can change the state back to normal using text_widget.config(state=tk.NORMAL) to make it editable again.