Using Python Tkinter .config() method - python-2.7

Question

I am trying to use the Python Tkinter .config() method to update some message text. I can't get it to work. What might I be doing wrong (see the update_message method):
#!/usr/bin/python
import alsaaudio as aa
import audioop
import Tkinter as tk
import tkFont
import threading
import Queue
# styles
BACKROUND_COLOR = '#000000'
TYPEFACE = 'Unit-Bold'
FONT_SIZE = 50
TEXT_COLOR = '#777777'
TEXTBOX_WIDTH = 400
# text
TITLE = 'listen closely'
SCORE_MESSAGE = 'your score:\n '
END_MESSAGE = 'too loud!\ntry again'
# configuration
DEVICE = 'hw:1' # hardware sound card index
CHANNELS = 1
SAMPLE_RATE = 8000 # Hz // 44100
PERIOD = 256 # Frames // 256
FORMAT = aa.PCM_FORMAT_S8 # Sound format
NOISE_THRESHOLD = 3
class Display(object):
def __init__(self, parent, queue):
self.parent = parent
self.queue = queue
self._geom = '200x200+0+0'
parent.geometry("{0}x{1}+0+0".format(
parent.winfo_screenwidth(), parent.winfo_screenheight()))
parent.overrideredirect(1)
parent.title(TITLE)
parent.configure(background=BACKROUND_COLOR)
parent.displayFont = tkFont.Font(family=TYPEFACE, size=FONT_SIZE)
self.process_queue()
def process_queue(self):
try:
score = self.queue.get(0)
self.print_message(score)
except Queue.Empty:
pass
self.parent.after(100, self.update_queue)
def update_queue(self):
try:
score = self.queue.get(0)
self.update_message(score)
except Queue.Empty:
pass
self.parent.after(100, self.update_queue)
def print_message(self, messageString):
print 'message', messageString
displayString = SCORE_MESSAGE + str(messageString)
self.message = tk.Message(
self.parent, text=displayString, bg=BACKROUND_COLOR,
font=self.parent.displayFont, fg=TEXT_COLOR, width=TEXTBOX_WIDTH, justify="c")
self.message.place(relx=.5, rely=.5, anchor="c")
def update_message(self, messageString):
print 'message', messageString
displayString = SCORE_MESSAGE + str(messageString)
self.message.config(text=displayString)
def setup_audio(queue, stop_event):
data_in = aa.PCM(aa.PCM_CAPTURE, aa.PCM_NONBLOCK, 'hw:1')
data_in.setchannels(2)
data_in.setrate(44100)
data_in.setformat(aa.PCM_FORMAT_S16_LE)
data_in.setperiodsize(256)
while not stop_event.is_set():
# Read data from device
l, data = data_in.read()
if l:
# catch frame error
try:
max_vol = audioop.rms(data, 2)
scaled_vol = max_vol // 4680
print scaled_vol
if scaled_vol <= 3:
# Too quiet, ignore
continue
queue.put(scaled_vol)
except audioop.error, e:
if e.message != "not a whole number of frames":
raise e
def main():
root = tk.Tk()
queue = Queue.Queue()
window = Display(root, queue)
stop_event = threading.Event()
audio_thread = threading.Thread(target=setup_audio,
args=[queue, stop_event])
audio_thread.start()
try:
root.mainloop()
finally:
stop_event.set()
audio_thread.join()
pass
if __name__ == '__main__':
main()
I don't want to be laying down a new message every time I update. If the .config() doesn't work, is there another method to update the text configuration of the message?

Answer 1

I would use string variables, first create your string variable then set it to want you want it to display at the start next make your object and in text put the sting variable then when you want to change the text in the object change the string variable.
self.messaget = StringVar()
self.messaget.set("")
self.message = tk.Message(
self.parent, textvariable=self.messaget, bg=BACKROUND_COLOR,
font=self.parent.displayFont, fg=TEXT_COLOR,
width=TEXTBOX_WIDTH, justify="c").grid()
#note renember to palce the object after you have created it either using
#.grid(row = , column =) or .pack()
#note that it is textvariable instead of text if you put text instead it will run but
#but will show PY_Var instead of the value of the variable
edit
to change the text without recreating the object you do the name of the string variable you have used and .set
self.messaget.set("hi")