multiple tasks on tkinter canvas? - python-2.7

Question

I am trying to update canvas background at the same time running a binding event.
(from code)In do_popup popup menu will be implemented and conti will continuously change the canvas background color. how can i use popup option while canvas is updating continuously.
Sample code:
from Tkinter import *
root = Tk()
def do_popup(event,w2):
print w2 # inplace of print some popupmenu will be implemented
def conti():
idt=1
while idt==1:
w.config(bg="red") # in place of red it will be a random color
w.update_idletasks()
w= Canvas(root, width=600, height=600)
w.grid(row=0, column=0)
line1 = w.create_line(200,200,300,300, width=10, tags="line1", fill="black")
w.tag_bind(line1, "<Button-3>", lambda e, w2="test1" :do_popup(e,w2))
f = Frame(root)
f.grid(row=0, column=1, sticky=N)
f1=Button(f, text='visual', command=lambda :conti())
f1.grid(row=0, column=1,columnspan=1, sticky=W+N+S+E)
mainloop()
will multiprocessing work?
I am using windows 7 32 bit with python 2.7.3
Thanks in advance

Answer 1

When your script enters the mainloop then the events are executed.
To make reoccurring updates I like to do this:
def conti():
try:
w.config(bg="red") # in place of red it will be a random color
finally:
# start conti after 10 milliseconds,
root.after(10, conti)
# could also be 0ms to handle events
root.after(0, conti)
You can see root.mainloop as
while not (root.quit was called):
root.update()
This way wou can do:
root.quit()
and conti automatically stops.
There is no concurrency as with threads in mainloops.
But you can put a mainloop() somewhere when you create an own dialog box and conti will go on.
If you use the modules tkMessageBox(Python2) or tkinter.messagebox(Python3) then you conti should run while the dialog is open.
Does this answer your questions?
PS: do root.protocol("WM_DELETE_WINDOW", root.quit) to make the mainloop end when you close the window.