python - Tkinter window not playing well with threads -

i've got program receive data external source on serial, i'm trying develop display-side first.

i've got "main" module has simulated data send , receive. updates global used matplotlib stripchart. of works.

#------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # name:        bbqdata # purpose:  gets data arduino, , runs threads. #------------------------------------------------------------------------------- import time import math import random threading import thread import my_globals bbq import sys import bbqstripchart sc import serial import bbqcontrol control   ser = serial.serial_for_url('loop://', timeout=10)  def simdata():     newtime = time.time()     if not hasattr(simdata, "lastupdate"):         simdata.lastupdate = newtime  # doesn't exist yet, initialize         simdata.firsttime = newtime  # doesn't exist yet, initialize     if newtime > simdata.lastupdate:         simdata.lastupdate = newtime         return (140 + 0.05*(simdata.lastupdate - simdata.firsttime), \             145 + 0.022*(simdata.lastupdate - simdata.firsttime), \             210 + random.randrange(-10, 10))     else:         return none  def serialdatapump():     testctr = 0;     while not bbq.closing , testctr<100:         newdata = simdata()         if  newdata != none:             reportstr = "d " + "".join(['{:3.0f} ' x in newdata]) + '\n'             reportstr = reportstr.format(*newdata)             ser.write(bytes(reportstr, 'ascii'))             testctr+=1             time.sleep(1)     bbq.closing = true  def serialdatarcv():     while not bbq.closing:         line = ser.readline()         rcvdtime = time.time()         temps = str(line, 'ascii').split(" ")         temps = temps[1:-1]         j, x in enumerate(temps):             bbq.temps[j].append(float(x))             bbq.plottimes.append(rcvdtime)  def main():     sendthread = thread(target = serialdatapump)     receivethread = thread(target = serialdatarcv)     sendthread.start()     receivethread.start() #    sc.runui()      control.runcontrol() #blocks until user closes window     bbq.closing = true     time.sleep(2)     exit()   if __name__ == '__main__':     main() ##    testsermain() 

however, i'd add separate tkinter window has recent data on it, close button, etc. can window come up, , show data initially, none of other threads run. (and nothing works when try run window , plot @ same time.)

#------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # name:        bbq display/control # purpose:      displays current temp data, , control options #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------  import tkinter tk import tkinter.font import my_globals bbq import threading  fontsize = 78  class bbqcontrol(tk.tk):     def __init__(self,parent):         tk.tk.__init__(self,parent)         self.parent = parent         self.labelfont = tkinter.font.font(family='helvetica', size=int(fontsize*0.8))         self.datafont = tkinter.font.font(family='helvetica', size=fontsize, weight = 'bold')         self.makewindow()       def makewindow(self):         self.grid()          btnclose = tk.button(self,text=u"close")         btnclose.grid(column=1,row=5)          lblfood = tk.label(self,anchor=tk.center, text="food temps", \             font = self.labelfont)         lblfood.grid(column=0,row=0)         lblpit = tk.label(self,anchor=tk.center, text="pit temps", \             font = self.labelfont)         lblpit.grid(column=1,row=0)          self.food1temp = tk.stringvar()         lblfoodtemp1 = tk.label(self,anchor=tk.e, \             textvariable=self.food1temp, font = self.datafont)         lblfoodtemp1.grid(column=0,row=1)          #spawn thread update temps         updatethread = threading.thread(target = self.updateloop)         updatethread.start()      def updateloop(self):         self.food1temp.set(str(bbq.temps[1][-1]))  def runcontrol():     app = bbqcontrol(none)     app.title('bbq display')     app.after(0, app.updateloop)     app.mainloop()     bbq.closing = true  if __name__ == '__main__':     runcontrol() 

any thoughts appreciated.

your title sums problem nicely: tkinter doesn't play threads. that's not question, that's answer.

you can access tkinter widgets same thread created widgets. if want use threads, you'll need non-gui threads put data on queue , have gui thread poll queue periodically.