Some tkinter query methods return int or a raw value instead of bool

[serhiy-storchaka]

Feature or enhancement

A few tkinter query methods with a boolean result return int or a raw Tcl value instead of bool:

• Misc.winfo_exists(), Misc.winfo_ismapped() and Misc.winfo_viewable() return int (they use getint()).
• Text.edit_modified() returns the raw result of edit modified, so its type depends on wantobjects: int when it is on, str ('0'/'1') when it is off.

All the other boolean-valued query methods already return a proper bool: Misc.winfo_colormapfull(), winfo_isdark(), tk_busy_status(), wm_overrideredirect(), wm_stackorder(isabove/isbelow), Text.compare(), edit_canundo(), edit_canredo(), pendingsync(), the selection_present()/selection_includes()/validate() methods of Entry, Listbox and Spinbox, PhotoImage.transparency_get(), ttk.Widget.instate(), and the ttk.Treeview predicates (haschildren(), visible(), detached(), cellselection_includes(), cellselection_present(), tag_cell_has()).

I propose to make the four outliers consistent:

• the three winfo_* methods use getboolean() instead of getint();
• edit_modified() coerces the query result with getboolean() (the setter form, with an argument, is unchanged).

bool is a subclass of int, so existing boolean and arithmetic uses keep working; only code relying on the exact int/str type of the result is affected.

The winfo_* methods have coerced the result to int since the initial revision of tkinter, predating the bool type (added in Python 2.3) -- at the time there was no boolean type to return, and the choice was never revisited when bool was introduced.

Linked PRs

• gh-153422: Return bool from some tkinter query methods #153429
• [3.15] gh-153422: Assert bool return type in tkinter tests (GH-153429) #153439
• [3.14] gh-153422: Assert bool return type in tkinter tests (GH-153429) (GH-153439) #153442
• [3.13] gh-153422: Assert bool return type in tkinter tests (GH-153429) (GH-153439) #153443

[terryjreedy]

IDLE uses Misc.winfo_viewable in tooltip tests, passed to assertTrue/False called, so no problem. edit_modified and edit modified are not found, so IDLE is keeping track of dirty windows otherwise.