In tkinter, simple dialogs, askstrings, etc. with flexible coordinates and no viewable parent.

[MaharishiCanada]

BPO	39177
Nosy	@serhiy-storchaka, @MaharishiCanada

^{Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.}

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GitHub fields:

assignee = None
closed_at = <Date 2020-12-25.21:51:09.245>
created_at = <Date 2020-01-01.07:21:44.631>
labels = ['type-feature', '3.9']
title = 'In tkinter, simple dialogs, askstrings, etc. with flexible coordinates and no viewable parent.'
updated_at = <Date 2020-12-25.21:51:09.245>
user = 'https://github.com/MaharishiCanada'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2020-12-25.21:51:09.245>
actor = 'serhiy.storchaka'
assignee = 'none'
closed = True
closed_date = <Date 2020-12-25.21:51:09.245>
closer = 'serhiy.storchaka'
components = []
creation = <Date 2020-01-01.07:21:44.631>
creator = 'dominic108'
dependencies = []
files = []
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 39177
keywords = []
message_count = 2.0
messages = ['359147', '383768']
nosy_count = 2.0
nosy_names = ['serhiy.storchaka', 'dominic108']
pr_nums = []
priority = 'normal'
resolution = 'out of date'
stage = 'resolved'
status = 'closed'
superseder = None
type = 'enhancement'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue39177'
versions = ['Python 3.9']

[MaharishiCanada]

Currently, it's not possible to center or change the coordinates in anyway of an askstring, askfloat or askinteger dialog in simpledialog.py. One can see this by looking at the code:

        if parent.winfo_viewable():
            self.transient(parent)

        if title:
            self.title(title)

        self.parent = parent

        self.result = None

        body = Frame(self)
        self.initial_focus = self.body(body)
        body.pack(padx=5, pady=5)

        self.buttonbox()

        if not self.initial_focus:
            self.initial_focus = self

        self.protocol("WM_DELETE_WINDOW", self.cancel)

        if self.parent is not None:
            self.geometry("+%d+%d" % (parent.winfo_rootx()+50,
                                      parent.winfo_rooty()+50))

Here self.parent is never None, because the first statement would create a run time error if parent was None. So, the geometry always depends on the parent. Moreover, if the parent is not viewable, parent.winfo_rootx() and parent.winfo_rooty() are both 0. So, we can only set the coordinates of a simple dialog using a viewable parent. This contradicts a bit "simple" in "simpledialog". For example, what about an application that does not have a root window, like git for example, but, which unlike git, needs to create simple dialogs in some occasions.

I am aware that a messagebox does not use the code that is presented above, but a messagebox is not a simple dialog - it's only a message.

I am also aware of the class SimpleDialog, which also does not use this code, but it only works with buttons. It's not like askstring, askinteger and askfloat.

[serhiy-storchaka]

bpo-42685 improved positioning of dialog windows. Now they are centered at the parent window or screen if there is no parent. It corresponds to behavior of Tk message boxes.

bpo-42721 made dialogs be usable without default root window. Temporary hidden root window can be creat3ed for the time of life of the dialog.