Updating Python Tkinter GUI using .after method

Question

I have a listbox that I want to update every minute or so. It pulls XML data, parses it and put it into the list box automatically. I have figured out to use the .after method but upon implementing it outside of the class I run into bug after bug trying to make it run. I believe my main issue is just not calling the application correctly but I could be wrong. Here is some of the relevent code.

This is all outside the main class

def refresher(frame):
    subreddit=Application.entryVar(Application)
    Application.getXML(subreddit)
    frame.after(1000,refresher,frame)

main = tk.Tk()
main.wm_title("Readdit")
# main.geometry("350x400")
app = Application(master=main)
# Begins the applications GUI loop
# app.__init__()
refresher(main)
app.mainloop()

Here is the beginning of the program and this is where it ultimately falls back upon with all the bugs.

class Application(tk.Frame):

    print("what about this?")
    def __init__(self, master=None):
        self.threadTitle = tk.StringVar()
        self.threadAuth = tk.StringVar()
        self.threadPub = tk.StringVar()
        self.threadArtLink = tk.StringVar()
        self.threadLink = tk.StringVar()
        self.threadImg = tk.StringVar()
        self.threadArtLink.set('Click something to display thread info')
        self.photo = Image.open("temp.png")
        self.photo = self.photo.resize((250,250), Image.ANTIALIAS)
        self.threadImage = ImageTk.PhotoImage(self.photo)
        self.errMes = tk.StringVar()
        if not os.path.exists('Pics'):
            os.makedirs('Pics')
        # print('Something')



        # Intializes tkinter gui framework
        tk.Frame.__init__(self, master)
        # Packs widgets needed
        self.grid()
        # Creates the widgets functions
        self.createWidgets()
        # Intializes the man rss.xml
        self.initial()

    def createWidgets(self):
        # Create entrybox and align to grid
        self.send_entry = tk.Entry(self)
        self.send_entry.grid(row=0,column=0)

        # Create button,allign to grid, get xml
        self.change_sub = tk.Button(self,text='Change Subreddit',padx=5, pady=5, command=lambda :self.entryVar())

And here is the full error

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "S:/Projects/xmlParser.py", line 306, in <module>
    refresher(main)
  File "S:/Projects/xmlParser.py", line 296, in refresher
    subreddit=Application.entryVar(Application)
  File "S:/Projects/xmlParser.py", line 290, in entryVar
    rawInput=self.createWidgets(self).send_entry.get()
  File "S:/Projects/xmlParser.py", line 40, in createWidgets
    self.send_entry = tk.Entry(self)
  File "C:\Python33\lib\tkinter\__init__.py", line 2506, in __init__
    Widget.__init__(self, master, 'entry', cnf, kw)
  File "C:\Python33\lib\tkinter\__init__.py", line 2068, in __init__
    BaseWidget._setup(self, master, cnf)
  File "C:\Python33\lib\tkinter\__init__.py", line 2046, in _setup
    self.tk = master.tk
AttributeError: type object 'Application' has no attribute 'tk'

Answer 1

I think you should use your app directly in the function call to refresher:

def refresher(frame):
    frame.getXML()# I Don`t know what do this function, just an example
    frame.after(1000,refresher,frame)

main = tk.Tk()
main.wm_title("Readdit")
# main.geometry("350x400")
app = Application(master=main)
# Begins the applications GUI loop
# app.__init__()
refresher(app) #use app here
app.mainloop()

Answer 2

It looks like the problem is here:

Application.entryVar(Application)

Application is a class rather than an object, so my guess is that you should be using an instance of Application both places in that code.