pymsgbox

library2.0.1pypypi✓ verified 24d ago

PyMsgBox is a simple, cross-platform, pure Python module designed to display JavaScript-like message boxes. It provides `alert()`, `confirm()`, `prompt()`, and `password()` functions. Currently at version 2.0.1, the library leverages Python's built-in Tkinter module for its graphical user interface, offering a consistent experience across different operating systems. While it aims for a pure Python implementation, underlying OS GUI toolkit installations (like `python-tk` on Linux) may sometimes be required for Tkinter to function correctly. The project is actively maintained, with releases primarily driven by bug fixes and minor enhancements.

web-framework

pip install PyMsgBox

github ↗package ↗docs ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · PYMSGBOX

pymsgbox

web-frameworkpythonv2.0.1

Install

1.5s avg

Import

84ms

Disk

16MB

Pass rate

10/ 10

Env Coverage10 / 10

glibc

3.9–3.13

musl

3.9–3.13

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

tested against v2.0.1 · pip install

no network on importno background threads

Install × environment matrix

Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux

musl

py 3.10–3.95 runs

installs and imports cleanly · install 0.0s · import 0.092s · 17.8MB

glibc

py 3.10–3.95 runs

installs and imports cleanly · install 1.5s · import 0.076s · 18MB

16MB installed

● package 16MB

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

alert

✓ import pymsgbox pymsgbox.alert('Hello!')

confirm

✓ import pymsgbox response = pymsgbox.confirm('Proceed?')

prompt

✓ import pymsgbox name = pymsgbox.prompt('Your Name:')

password

✓ import pymsgbox pw = pymsgbox.password('Password:')

This quickstart demonstrates the four main functions of PyMsgBox: `alert`, `confirm`, `prompt`, and `password`. It also shows how to use custom buttons and a timeout parameter.

import pymsgbox # Display a simple alert box pymsgbox.alert('This is an alert message!', 'My Application Alert') # Display a confirmation box response_confirm = pymsgbox.confirm('Do you want to continue?', 'Confirmation', ['Yes', 'No']) print(f'Confirmation response: {response_confirm}') # Display a prompt for text input user_input = pymsgbox.prompt('Please enter your name:', 'Name Input', defaultValue='Guest') print(f'User entered: {user_input}') # Display a password input box user_password = pymsgbox.password('Enter your secret password:', 'Secure Input', mask='*') print(f'Password entered (masked): {user_password if user_password else "None"}') # Example with timeout timeout_response = pymsgbox.alert('This alert will close in 2 seconds.', timeout=2000) print(f'Timeout alert response: {timeout_response}')

Debug

Known issues

gotchaPyMsgBox relies on Python's built-in Tkinter module for its GUI. On some Linux distributions, Tkinter may require an additional system package (e.g., `python-tk` or `tk`) to be installed, even though Python itself is installed.

fix

On Debian/Ubuntu-based systems: `sudo apt-get install python3-tk`. On Arch Linux: `sudo pacman -S tk`.

affects: All versions

gotchaThe `pymsgbox.native` module provides limited support for displaying OS-native message boxes. However, these native dialogs may not support all arguments (e.g., custom buttons for `alert()` or `confirm()` on Windows) and will default back to Tkinter-based dialogs if certain features are unsupported on the platform.

fix

Be aware that using `pymsgbox.native` might result in inconsistent UI/feature behavior across platforms. Test thoroughly or stick to the default `pymsgbox` functions if full customizability is critical.

affects: All versions

gotchaWhen using `prompt()` or `password()` functions, clicking the red 'X' (close) button on the dialog typically behaves the same as clicking the 'Cancel' button, returning `None`. The dialog will block program execution until closed by the user.

fix

Handle `None` as a possible return value for user cancellation or dialog closure via the 'X' button.

affects: All versions

gotchaThere is a discrepancy between the latest PyPI release version (2.0.1) and the `__version__` string found in the `__init__.py` of the GitHub master branch (1.0.9). This may cause confusion for developers who check the source code directly for the latest version or expected features.

fix

Always refer to the PyPI page for the most up-to-date version information when installing via `pip`.

affects: 2.0.1 (PyPI) vs. 1.0.9 (GitHub master branch)

Errors

Common errors & fixes

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named '_tkinter'

PyMsgBox relies on Python's built-in Tkinter module for its graphical interface, and this error indicates that the Tkinter module or its underlying C implementation (_tkinter) is missing or not correctly installed in your Python environment. This is common on Linux distributions where Tkinter is not always installed by default with Python.

fix

On Debian/Ubuntu-based systems, install Tkinter using `sudo apt-get install python3-tk`. For other operating systems or Python distributions, ensure Tkinter is included with your Python installation or installed via your system's package manager.

AssertionError: Tkinter is required for pymsgbox

This error occurs when `pymsgbox` attempts to use Tkinter, but the library detects that Tkinter is not available or properly imported. This often points to the same underlying issue as `ModuleNotFoundError: No module named '_tkinter'`, where the necessary Tkinter components are not present.

fix

Ensure Tkinter is installed for your Python version. On Linux (Debian/Ubuntu), use `sudo apt-get install python3-tk`. If you are in a virtual environment, make sure Tkinter is accessible within that environment.

Failed building wheel for pymsgbox

This error typically arises during the `pip install PyMsgBox` process and indicates a problem compiling or packaging the library, often due to missing build dependencies or issues with the local Python environment.

fix

Try updating `pip`, `setuptools`, and `wheel` (`python -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel`). If on Linux, ensure development headers for Python and Tkinter are installed (e.g., `sudo apt-get install python3-dev python3-tk` for Python 3 on Debian/Ubuntu). Sometimes, a broken `apt` installation can also cause this, which can be fixed by running `sudo apt --fix-broken install` followed by `sudo apt-get update`.

Message box red 'X' button does not work / PyMsgBox window does not close

In some versions or environments, the default behavior of the Tkinter window manager (which `pymsgbox` uses) might not correctly register clicks on the window's close button ('X'), preventing the message box from closing and potentially halting the script.

fix

Upgrade `pymsgbox` to the latest version (`pip install --upgrade pymsgbox`), as this issue might have been resolved in newer releases. Also, ensure your Python and Tkinter installations are up-to-date. In earlier versions, clicking 'X' might return `None` (like 'Cancel'), but if no response is registered at all, an upgrade is recommended.

Upgrade

Version history

2.0.1latest on PyPI · released Sep 9, 2025

Audit

Dependencies

tkinterrequiredUsed for GUI rendering. Included with Python, but may require OS-level installation (e.g., 'python-tk' on Linux).

Agent activity

14 hits · last 30 days

node

OpenAI (training)

Resources

githubhttps://github.com/asweigart/pymsgbox ↗

packagehttps://pypi.org/project/pymsgbox/ ↗

docshttps://github.com/asweigart/pymsgbox ↗