Problems with python file(.py) to executable(.exe) with cx_Freeze

Question

TO BE MORE SPECIFIC: This program is not running AT ALL, only opening the command prompt and suddenly shutting down... Heres my setup.py file... I imported os and added the links to tcl and tk to prevent another issue for occurring. After solving that issue and now I am able to successfully build an .exe from my raw python code but, when opening the freshly created .exe file... All it will do it open a command prompt screen for mere milliseconds and close once again. I am assuming there was some build error possibly with tk.mainLoop() or tkinter in general? I am also importing the math module and a couple of other tkinter items such as tkinter.font and tkinter.messagebox. Would really appreciate the help, I've been having a TON of issues with cx_Freeze and python-to-executable programs/modules in general...

import os
from cx_Freeze import setup, Executable
os.environ['TCL_LIBRARY'] = 'c:/python36-32/tcl/tcl8.6'
os.environ['TK_LIBRARY'] = 'c:/python36-32/tcl/tk8.6'
base = None


executables = [Executable("formulas_tkinter_replace2.py", base=base, icon="pi-outline-128.ico")]
packages = ["tkinter", "math"]
options = {
    'build_exe': {

        'packages':packages,
    },
}

setup(
    name = "Formula",
    version = "1.0",
    description = 'Mathematics made easy...',
    executables = executables
)

Answer 1

Download pyinstaller-1.5.1 and Use python makespec.py --noconsole --onefile 'YourFile' and python build.py 'yourfile'/'yourfile.spec'

Answer 2

Basically the Tk and Tcl DLL are both missing. There are two ways you correct this.

1) This is more of a hack and only sometimes works but in this case it should:

Copy tcl86t.dll and tk86t.dll from your Python installation to the location of your exe. These can be found at Python36-32/DLLs. That's it.

2) The 'proper' way to do it would be to do something like this: Put this before executable:

files = {"include_files": ["C:/File_to_python/Python36-32/DLLs/tcl86t.dll", "C:/File_to_python/Python36-32/DLLs/tk86t.dll"]}

and

options = {
    'build_exe': {

        'packages':packages,
        'build_exe':files 
    },
}

in the place of what you had before.

---

EDIT: Right. This script should work. I completely rewrote the setup script you provided however essentially what you did is correct however the error appeared because the file tcl8.6 was not found and you also forgot to use the include_files function. This can be done manually though.

from cx_Freeze import setup, Executable

import os
os.environ['TCL_LIBRARY'] = "FilePathToPython/Python36-32/tcl/tcl8.6"
os.environ['TK_LIBRARY'] = "FilePathToPython/Python36-32/tcl/tk8.6"
files = {"include_files":["FilePathToPython/Python36-32/DLLs/tcl86t.dll", "FilePathToPython/Python36-32/DLLs/tk86t.dll", "pi-outline-128.ico"], "packages": ["tkinter"]}

base = None
setup( name = "Name of exe",
       version = "0.0",
       author = "Reader",
       description = "compile with setup.py build",
       options = {"build_exe": files},
       executables = [Executable("formulas_tkinter_replace2.py", icon="pi-outline-128.ico", base=base)])

Just replace what you need to.

As I already said. You can hide the console completely by using base = 'Win32GUI'

Answer 3

Here is the code of the python file I am attempting to make into an .exe... prepare for a few hundred lines of code... sorry.

 __author__ = 'Mike'; 'Intuitive Design'

from tkinter import *
from tkinter import ttk
from tkinter import font
from tkinter.simpledialog import askstring
import math
import tkinter.messagebox

# Variables & Core objects section
#   tk(), and ttk():
root = Tk()
root.config(bg='light grey')
root2 = ttk
s = ttk.Style()
s.theme_use('clam')
s.configure('TButton', background="grey32", fg="white")
#   ______________
#   Frames:
frame = Frame(root)
frame2 = Frame(root, pady=10, width=400)
frame2.config(bg="grey10")
#   ______________
#   Program window:
root.title("Formula")
root.iconbitmap('pi-outline-128.ico')
#   ______________
#   Other:
box = tkinter.messagebox
output_txt = "Output here"
pi = math.pi
underscore = "_________________________________"
unnecessary = 1
code_to_get = 2
key_binding_to_work = 3
#   _______________
string_num = {'one': '1', 'two': '2', 'three': '3', 'four': '4', 'five': '5', 'six': '6', 'seven': '7', 'eight': '8',
              'nine': '9', 'ten': '10', 'eleven': '11', 'twelve': '12', 'thirteen': '13', 'fourteen': '14',
              'fifteen': '15', 'sixteen': '16', "seventeen": '17', 'eighteen': '18', 'eightteen': '18', 'nineteen': '19'
              , 'twenty': '20', 'twenty-one': '21', 'twenty-two': '22', 'twenty-three': '23', 'twenty-four': '24',
              'twenty-five': '25', 'twenty-six': '26', 'twenty-seven': '27', 'twenty-eight': '28', 'twenty-nine': '29',
              'thirty': '30', 'thirty-one': '31', 'thirty-two': '32', 'thirty-three': '33', 'thirty-four': '34',
              'thirty-five': '35', 'thirty-six': '36', 'thirty-seven': '37', 'thirty-eight': '38', 'thirty-nine': '39',
              'forty': '40', 'fourty': '40', 'forty-one': '41', 'forty-two': '42', 'forty-three': '43', 'forty-four':
              '44', 'forty-five': '45', 'forty-six': '46', 'forty-seven': '47', 'forty-eight': '48', 'forty-nine': '49',
              'fifty': '50', 'sixty': '60', 'seventy': '70', 'eighty': '80', 'ninety': '90', 'one-hundred': '100',
              'one-thousand': '1000', 'ten-thousand': '10000', 'one-hundred-thousand': '100000',
              'one-million': '1000000', 'one-billion': '1000000000', 'one-trillion': '1000000000000', 'vegeta':
              '9000', 'dragon-ball-z': '9000', 'goku': '9000'}
# ---(end of variable section)-----------------------

#   Functions: -----
args = [unnecessary, code_to_get, key_binding_to_work]
def radius_input(*args):
    try:
        output = entry_pi.get()
        radius = float(output)
    except ValueError:
        try:
            if ord(output[0]) >= 65 and ord(output[0]) <= 90:
                replacement = chr((ord(output[0]) + 32))
                output = output.replace(output[0], replacement)
            if " " in output:
                output = output.replace(" ", "-")
            output = output.replace(output, string_num[output])
            radius = float(output)

        except KeyError:
            try:
                if output[1] == '/':
                    first_num = int(output[0])
                    second_num = int(output[2])
                    answer = first_num / second_num
                    radius = float(answer)
                else:
                    box.showinfo("Error Occurred", "Sorry, you forgot the input or caused an unknown error!")
            except Exception:
                pass
    try:
        A = pi * (radius ** 2)
        A_spec = "{:,.5f}".format(A)
        # ------Background info (True value of circle's area; no rounding at all -----
        print("True Value: ", A, "\n", underscore)
        # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
        print("Specific Value:", "\n", A_spec, "\n", underscore, "\n")
        entry_pi_out.delete(0, 100)
        entry_pi_out2.delete(0, 100)
        entry_pi_out.insert(0, A_spec)

        if A < A // 1 + 0.499995:
            A_rounddown = (A // 1)
            A_rounddown = "{:,}".format(A_rounddown)
            print("Rounded Value:", "\n", A_rounddown, "\n", underscore, "\n")
            entry_pi_out2.insert(0, A_rounddown)

        elif A >= A // 1 + 0.499995:
            A_roundup = (A // 1) + 1.0
            A_roundup = "{:,}".format(A_roundup)
            print("Rounded Value:", "\n", A_roundup, "\n", underscore, "\n")
            entry_pi_out2.insert(0, A_roundup)
        else:
            # You created an interesting error...
            box.showinfo("Ol' Easter Egg", """Easter egg no longer possible :( Who knows how you accessed it""")

        hist_A = str(A_spec)
        form_radius = "{:,}".format(radius)
        hist_r = str(form_radius)
        # π - storing the pi symbol in comment due to unicode string errors
        pie = u"π"
        hist_math = hist_r + "(r)" + "^2 * " + pie + " = " + hist_A + "\n"
        hist_prompt = hist_math
        history.insert(1.0, hist_prompt)
    except UnboundLocalError:
        pass


args = [unnecessary, code_to_get, key_binding_to_work]
def distance(*args):
    try:
        r = entry_rate.get()
        int_r = float(r)
    except ValueError:
        try:
            if ord(r[0]) >= 65 and ord(r[0]) <= 90:
                replacement = chr((ord(r[0]) + 32))
                r = r.replace(r[0], replacement)
            if " " in r:
                r = r.replace(" ", "-")
            r = r.replace(r, string_num[r])
            int_r = float(r)
        except KeyError:
            try:
                if r[1] == '/':
                    first_num = int(r[0])
                    second_num = int(r[2])
                    answer = first_num / second_num
                    int_r = float(answer)
                else:
                    box.showinfo("Error Occurred", "Sorry, you forgot the input or caused an unknown error!")
            except Exception:
                pass
    try:
        t = entry_time.get()
        int_t = float(t)
    except ValueError:
        try:
            if ord(t[0]) >= 65 and ord(t[0]) <= 90:
                replacement = chr((ord(t[0]) + 32))
                t = t.replace(t[0], replacement)
            if " " in t:
                t = t.replace(" ", "-")
            t = t.replace(t, string_num[t])
            int_t = float(t)
        except KeyError:
            try:
                if t[1] == '/':
                    first_num = int(t[0])
                    second_num = int(t[2])
                    answer = first_num / second_num
                    int_t = float(answer)
                else:
                    box.showinfo("Error Occurred", "Sorry, you forgot the input or caused an unknown error!")
            except Exception:
                pass
    try:
        D = int_r * int_t
        form_D = "{:,.2f}".format(D)
        print(form_D)
        entry_dist.delete(0, 100)
        entry_dist.insert(0, form_D)
        form_r = "{:,.2f}".format(int_r)
        form_t = "{:,.2f}".format(int_t)
        hist_prompt = form_r + "(r)" + " * " + form_t + "(t)" + " = " + form_D + "\n"
        history.insert(1.0, hist_prompt)
    except UnboundLocalError:
        pass


def leftclick(event):
    if entry_pi.get() == "Input Radius Here":
        entry_pi.delete(0, 100)
    else:
        pass

def leftclick2(event):
    if entry_pi_out.get() == "# Exact Value...":
        entry_pi_out.delete(0, 100)
    else:
        pass

def leftclick3(event):
    if entry_pi_out2.get() == "# Rounded Value ...":
        entry_pi_out2.delete(0, 100)
    else:
        pass

def leftclickdist(event):
    if entry_rate.get() == "Input Rate Here":
        entry_rate.delete(0, 100)
    else:
        pass

def leftclickdist2(event):
    if entry_time.get() == "Elapsed Time Value...":
        entry_time.delete(0, 100)
    else:
        pass

def leftclickdist3(event):
    if entry_dist.get() == "Distance Travelled":
        entry_dist.delete(0, 100)
    else:
        pass

def save():
    answer = ttk.tkinter.messagebox.askquestion("Save:", "Are you sure you want to save your history?")
    if answer == "yes":
        file_name = askstring("File Name:", "What would you like to save it as? \n Please remember to specify\
    the file type (i.e. .txt, .csv, .doc, etc.)")
        fw = open(file_name, 'w', encoding='utf-8')
        write_var = history.get('1.0', END)
        fw.write(write_var)
        fw.close()
    else:
        pass

def clearAll():
    entry_dist.delete(0, 100)
    entry_time.delete(0, 100)
    entry_rate.delete(0, 100)
    entry_pi.delete(0, 100)
    entry_pi_out.delete(0, 100)
    entry_pi_out2.delete(0, 100)
    history.delete(1.0, 10000.0)
    entry_pi.insert(0, "Input Radius Here")
    entry_pi_out.insert(0, "# Exact Value...")
    entry_pi_out2.insert(0, "# Rounded Value ...")
    entry_rate.insert(0, "Input Rate Here")
    entry_time.insert(0, "Elapsed Time Value...")
    entry_dist.insert(0, "Distance Travelled")

y = ""
def current_formula(y):
    if y == "1":
        history.grid_remove()
        history.grid(row=6, column=0, sticky="s", padx=6, pady=100)
        button1.grid(row=0, column=0, padx=10, pady=10)
        entry_pi.grid(row=0, column=1, padx=10, pady=10)
        entry_pi_out.grid(row=0, column=2, padx=10, pady=10)
        entry_pi_out2.grid(row=1, column=2, padx=10, pady=12)
        root.bind("<Return>", lambda x: radius_input(*args))
        button2.grid_remove()
        entry_rate.grid_remove()
        entry_time.grid_remove()
        entry_dist.grid_remove()
        one.config(bg="maroon")
    elif y == "2":
        history.grid_remove()
        history.grid(row=6, column=0, sticky="s", padx=6, pady=100)
        button2.grid(row=0, column=0, padx=10, pady=10)
        entry_rate.grid(row=0, column=1, padx=10, pady=10)
        entry_time.grid(row=1, column=1, padx=10, pady=10)
        entry_dist.grid(row=0, column=2, padx=10, pady=12)
        root.bind("<Return>", lambda x: distance(*args))
        button1.grid_remove()
        entry_pi.grid_remove()
        entry_pi_out.grid_remove()
        entry_pi_out2.grid_remove()
        one.config(bg="paleturquoise4")
    else:
        one.config(bg="goldenrod4")
        try:
            history.grid_remove()
            entry_pi.delete(0, 100)
            entry_pi_out.delete(0, 100)
            entry_pi_out2.delete(0, 100)
            entry_rate.delete(0, 100)
            entry_time.delete(0, 100)
            entry_dist.delete(0, 100)
            entry_pi.insert(0, "Input Radius Here")
            entry_pi_out.insert(0, "# Exact Value...")
            entry_pi_out2.insert(0, "# Rounded Value ...")
            entry_rate.insert(0, "Input Rate Here")
            entry_time.insert(0, "Elapsed Time Value...")
            entry_dist.insert(0, "Distance Travelled")
            button1.grid_forget()
            entry_pi.grid_forget()
            entry_pi_out.grid_forget()
            entry_pi_out2.grid_forget()
            button2.grid_forget()
            entry_rate.grid_forget()
            entry_time.grid_forget()
            entry_dist.grid_forget()
        finally:
            pass
'''
button1.grid(row=0, column=0, padx=10, pady=10)
entry_pi.grid(row=0, column=1, padx=10, pady=10)
entry_pi_out.grid(row=0, column=2, padx=10, pady=10)
entry_pi_out2.grid(row=1, column=2, padx=10, pady=12)
one.config(bg="maroon")
'''
# ----------------------

#   toolbar: -----
toolframe = Frame(root)
toolbar = Frame(toolframe, bg="gray7")
#   --------

#   Main: -----
#       Labels ---
one = Label(frame, pady=0, padx=20, width=31)
one_trim = Label(frame, bg="gray24", padx=1.5)
two = Label(toolbar, text="Formula", fg='gray34', font='broadway 24 bold italic', bg="gray10", pady=20, padx=20)

# complicated way to underline "Formula"... would only underline the 'o' without this... uses 'font' import @ top
f = font.Font(two, two.cget("font"))
f.configure(underline=True)
two.configure(font=f)
#       ----------

#       Button, entry boxes, answer boxes --
button1 = root2.Button(frame2, text="Area of a circle ", command=radius_input)
# very poorly written code... resulted in a random *args parameter, lambda statement, and the event to be bound to
# 'root' [i.e. Tk()] instead of button1. Please resolve this. *args is specified above 'radius_input()'.


entry_pi = ttk.Entry(frame2)
entry_pi.bind("<Button-1>", leftclick)

entry_pi_out = ttk.Entry(frame2)
entry_pi_out2 = ttk.Entry(frame2)
entry_pi_out.bind("<Button-1>", leftclick2)
entry_pi_out2.bind("<Button-1>", leftclick3)

button2 = root2.Button(frame2, text="Calculate Distance ", command=distance)
# same backwards *args parameter as 'button1' and 'radius_input()' suffer from are in 'button2' & 'distance()'

entry_rate = ttk.Entry(frame2)
entry_rate.bind("<Button-1>", leftclickdist)

entry_time = ttk.Entry(frame2)
entry_time.bind("<Button-1>", leftclickdist2)

entry_dist = ttk.Entry(frame2)
entry_dist.bind("<Button-1>", leftclickdist3)
#       -------------------------------------

# History text box -----
history = Text(one, height=20, width=30, spacing3=2.5)
# ----------------------------

#   --------

# Dropdown menu -------
menu = Menu(root)
root.config(menu=menu)
submenu = Menu(menu)
menu.add_cascade(label="File", menu=submenu)
submenu.add_command(label="Clear All", command=clearAll)
submenu.add_command(label="Save", command=save)
submenu.add_separator()
submenu.add_command(label="Exit", command=lambda: current_formula(""))
editmenu = Menu(menu)
menu.add_cascade(label="Formulas", menu=editmenu)
editmenu.add_command(label="Area of a circle", command=lambda: current_formula("1"))
editmenu.add_command(label="Distance Formula", command=lambda: current_formula("2"))
# ----------------------
# .pack ------
frame.pack(side="left", fill='y')
frame2.pack(side='right', fill='y')
one.pack(side='left', fill='y')
one_trim.pack(side='right', fill='y')
two.pack(side='top', pady=6)
toolbar.pack(side="top", fill="x")
toolframe.pack(side="top", fill='x', padx=4)


# ----- end/loop program & execute remnant functions -----
current_formula(y)
root.mainloop()

Answer 4

You asked about Win32GUI. I am not entirely sure to be honest but I think it has something to do with the Windows API.

The Cx_Freeze docs mention this:

Version 4.2.2 (December 2010)

Use the Microsoft compiler on Windows for Python 2.6 and up as some strange behaviors were identified with Python 2.7 when compiled using mingw32.

Eliminate warning about -mwindows when using the Microsoft compiler for building the Win32GUI base executable.

MinGW is a C or C++ compiler.

It would make sense to use the Windows API since it can be used to hide the console of a program.

If it does use the Windows API it seems Wikipedia has the answer to why its called "Win32GUI":

User Interface [9] Provides the functions to create and manage screen windows and most basic controls, such as buttons and scrollbars, receive mouse and keyboard input, and other functions associated with the graphical user interface (GUI) part of Windows. This functional unit resides in user.exe on 16-bit Windows, and user32.dll on 32-bit Windows. Since Windows XP versions, the basic controls reside in comctl32.dll, together with the common controls (Common Control Library).

So basically it looks like the GUI is still in 32 bit version even for 64 bit computers. Therefore they would refer to it as Win32GUI because it is in 32 bit version. The Cx_Freeze developers would not risk calling it "Win64GUI" in case a 64 bit version was created.