Add tooltips

[joshjaysalazar]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe. The GUI is lacking more detailed information in the name of keeping the interface simple. Without an instruction manual, this means there are options which may not be clear to the user.

Describe the solution you'd like Add hover tooltips to every option, so the user can get more information.

Describe alternatives you've considered Writing more detailed instructions in the README is also a reasonable option. Really, both should probably be implemented.

Additional context To whomever takes on this issue, I have a tooltip class from a previous program I can share, which will make this extremely easy to implement.

[praneetheus]

I would like to take a crack at this, could you share the tooltip class?

[joshjaysalazar]

I would like to take a crack at this, could you share the tooltip class?

Yup, sure thing. Here's the code (be sure to keep the attribution the same at the top, as this is code from another open source repository):

""" tk_ToolTip_class101.py
gives a Tkinter widget a tooltip as the mouse is above the widget
tested with Python27 and Python34  by  vegaseat  09sep2014
www.daniweb.com/programming/software-development/code/484591/a-tooltip-class-for-tkinter

Modified to include a delay time by Victor Zaccardo, 25mar16
"""

try:
    # for Python2
    import Tkinter as tk
except ImportError:
    # for Python3
    import tkinter as tk

class CreateToolTip(object):
    """
    create a tooltip for a given widget
    """
    def __init__(self, widget, text='widget info'):
        self.waittime = 500     #miliseconds
        self.wraplength = 180   #pixels
        self.widget = widget
        self.text = text
        self.widget.bind("<Enter>", self.enter)
        self.widget.bind("<Leave>", self.leave)
        self.widget.bind("<ButtonPress>", self.leave)
        self.id = None
        self.tw = None

    def enter(self, event=None):
        self.schedule()

    def leave(self, event=None):
        self.unschedule()
        self.hidetip()

    def schedule(self):
        self.unschedule()
        self.id = self.widget.after(self.waittime, self.showtip)

    def unschedule(self):
        id = self.id
        self.id = None
        if id:
            self.widget.after_cancel(id)

    def showtip(self, event=None):
        x = y = 0
        x, y, cx, cy = self.widget.bbox("insert")
        x += self.widget.winfo_rootx() + 25
        y += self.widget.winfo_rooty() + 20
        # creates a toplevel window
        self.tw = tk.Toplevel(self.widget)
        # Leaves only the label and removes the app window
        self.tw.wm_overrideredirect(True)
        self.tw.wm_geometry("+%d+%d" % (x, y))
        label = tk.Label(self.tw, text=self.text, justify='left',
                       background="#ffffff", relief='solid', borderwidth=1,
                       wraplength = self.wraplength)
        label.pack(ipadx=1)

    def hidetip(self):
        tw = self.tw
        self.tw= None
        if tw:
            tw.destroy()

I'd put this tooltip class in its own file (say core/tooltip.py, for example) and import it wherever you need to create tooltips. Let me know if you need me to clarify the content of any tooltips, or anything else.

NOTE: It's worth mentioning that there's a library called Tix that can do tooltips, but it is not maintained anymore, so I'd like to avoid using it.

[joshjaysalazar]

Oh, and if you need a usage example, I used them here: https://github.com/joshjaysalazar/AutoRGB/blob/master/autorgb/MainWindow.py

You do not have to follow the style of that code--that is some very old code from me at this point. But you can at least see how it gets implemented if you need to.

[joshjaysalazar]

@praneetheus Just wanted to see if you needed any help with this. No pressure, there's no timeline. Just wanted to check in.

[praneetheus]

@joshjaysalazar I am not a python dev, I took a crack at it, but ran into env issues (PyInstaller) and then windows defender being a pain by removing some build files as they are marked as a trojan. I need to look up setting virtual environments perhaps

[joshjaysalazar]

@praneetheus A virtual env will definitely help. Pyinstaller does unfortunately get flagged by Windows now. It's definitely a problem that needs solving. I told Windows to ignore it, myself.