PyQt Tutorial for Beginners: Learn How to Install and Use PyQt

PyQt can be seen as a wrapper around the Qt framework. The latter was designed for building graphical user interfaces or GUIs for short. As you might know, there are other frameworks for developing GUI applications with Python. For instance, Tkinter is one of the options that you can use for the same purpose. However, in this PyQt tutorial, I focus on the PyQt wrapper, which is one of the most up-to-date frameworks that let you create GUI elements that will look the same on all operating systems. This cross-system compatibility feature is an excellent reason to choose PyQt for learning how to make a GUI in Python. 

This PyQt tutorial will focus on the PyQt framework, its use, and the process of creating desktop applications. To make your learning process less theory-based, we will work on three individual projects. During these development procedures, we will apply many of the PyQt features to build a web browser, a text editor, and a simple calculator. 

Before focusing on the actual steps of how to make a GUI in Python, I will explain some of the basic concepts of PyQt. For this course, you do not need to have any prior experience with PyQt, but you should know the principles of Python programming. 

What is PyQt? 

As I have mentioned, PyQt is a tool that makes the creation of GUI applications easier. Differently than Tkinter, PyQt is not the standard Python library, meaning that you need to install it separately. However, this process is going to be explained in the first lectures. To be all-inclusive, I provide tutorials for installing PyQt on Ubuntu Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows operating systems. For future reference, I also add the document files with instructions for these installation processes.

In this PyQt tutorial, you will see PyQt in action since we will be building actual desktop applications. One of the main reasons why developers use PyQt is its support for cross-platform compatibility. Another advantage of learning how to use PyQt is the number of styles and widgets that you can apply with it (for instance, Tkinter lacks this). 

What will you find in this course? 

In this PyQt tutorial, I provide you with the main principles of PyQt that are essential when creating a GUI in Python. For instance, I explain windows, signals and slots, message boxes, text input, file menus, layouts, and the use of the graphical designer tool. If you want to learn how to use PyQt, you need to have a strong theoretical foundation as well.

As I have mentioned, we will be creating a GUI in Python (several, in fact). To be more specific, this PyQt tutorial will use the resources available to build a browser, a text editor, and a BMI calculator. After you finish the last lecture, you will be more prepared to create your own GUI applications!