# Binary/decimal/hex converter using Tkinter

I debated long and hard before posting this question, and I did a lot of experimenting. I just can't seem to work out an 'elegant', concise way to get done what I want done in the manner I want it done. I found it very hard to research because of the difficulty in not knowing exactly what to search for.

Again, I am writing a converter for binary, decimal and hex using Tkinter and not using any of Python's built-in math functions.

In the code I have one class, within it many methods. I have the methods to convert from binary to decimal and hex working correctly (bin_to_dec & bin_to_hex, respectively). I am now working on the 'from decimal' conversions. I have the dec_to_bin method working correctly, as well. My issue is with the dec_to_hex method. I want it to use the dec_to_bin method to convert the string to binary first and then use the bin_to_hex method for the final conversion. In doing this it has to overlook the lines of code that tell the 2 methods to display their results; but rather to store the results and transport them to the dec_to_hex method.

I'm going to post the entire code except for the method that creates the Tkinter widgets:

def base_check(self):
""" Disable Checkbox that's connected with chosen Radiobutton. """

cb.configure(state = DISABLED)
else:
cb.configure(state = NORMAL)

def conv_segue(self):
""" Decides and directs towards proper conversion method.
base = self.base.get()

if base == 'bin':
bits = self.input_str.get()

# test string validity
bit_list = list(bits)
ill_bits = ['2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9']
for bit in bit_list:
if bit in ill_bits:
self.output_disp.delete(0.0, END)
self.output_disp.insert(0.0, "That bit string is invalid.")
break
else:
self.from_binary(self.dec_bttn, self.hex_bttn)

##
# learned here that I had to break once the match was found (if found) and that a 'for'
# loop can use an else block too
##

elif base == 'dec':
self.from_dec(self.bin_bttn, self.hex_bttn)
elif base == 'hex':
self.from_hex(self.bin_bttn, self.dec_bttn)

def from_binary(self, dec_bttn, hex_bttn):
""" Finds what base to convert to (Decimal or Hex) from binary. """

if self.dec_bttn.get():
self.bin_to_dec()

if self.hex_bttn.get():
self.bin_to_hex()

#if self.dec_bttn.get() and self.hex_bttn.get():
#(self.bin_to_dec, self.bin_to_hex)

def from_dec(self, bin_bttn, hex_bttn):
""" Finds what base to convert to (Binary or Hex) from decimal. """

if self.bin_bttn.get():
self.dec_to_bin()

if self.hex_bttn.get():
self.dec_to_hex()

def dec_to_bin(self):
""" Convert from decimal to binary. """

# get input string and convert to an integer
digits = self.input_str.get()
digits = int(digits)

bit_string = ""

# do the conversion
while digits:
bit, ans = digits%2, digits//2
bit = str(bit)
bit_string += bit
digits = ans

total = bit_string[::-1]
self.total = total

# print output
self.print_result(total)

def dec_to_hex(self):
bit_str = self.dec_to_bin().self.total
self.bit_str = bit_str
print(self.bit_str)

def bin_to_dec(self):
""" Convert from binary to decimal. """
# get input string
bits = self.input_str.get()

# set exponent
exp = len(self.input_str.get()) - 1

tot = 0

# do conversion
while exp >= 1:
for i in bits[:-1]:
if i == '1':
tot += 2**exp
elif i == '0':
tot = tot
exp -= 1

if bits[-1] == '1':
tot += 1

total = tot
# print output
self.print_result(total)

def bin_to_hex(self):
""" Convert from binary to hex. """
# get input string
bits = self.input_str.get()

# define hex digits
hex_digits = {
10: 'a', 11: 'b',
12: 'c', 13: 'd',
14: 'e', 15: 'f'
}

# add number of necessary 0's so bit string is multiple of 4
string_length = len(bits)
number_stray_bits = string_length % 4

# test if there are any 'stray bits'
if number_stray_bits > 0:
number_zeros = 4 - number_stray_bits
bits = '0'*number_zeros + bits
string_length = len(bits)

# index slicing positions
low_end = 0
high_end = 4

total = ""

# slice bit string into half byte segments
while high_end <= string_length:
exp = 3
half_byte = bits[low_end:high_end]

# do conversion
tot = 0
while exp >= 1:
for i in half_byte[:-1]:

if i == '1':
tot += 2**exp

elif i == '0':
tot = tot
exp -= 1

if half_byte[-1] == '1':
tot += 1

# check if tot needs conversion to hex digits
for i in hex_digits.keys():
if i == tot:
tot = hex_digits[i]
else:
tot = tot

# store and concatenate tot for each while iteration
tot = str(tot)
total += tot

# move right to next half byte string
low_end += 4
high_end += 4

# print the output
self.print_result(total)

def print_result(self, total):
""" display the result of conversion. """
self.output_disp.delete(0.0, END)
self.output_disp.insert(0.0, total)


I've tried to make it as easy to read for anyone who attempts to help me as possible. The dec_to_hex method is a bit of a mess right now, I have been messing with it. With the code posted I think its a bit more clear what exactly I'm trying to do. Its very simple code as I haven't a lot of Python experience.

Its all in one class, and I'm trying to do it without the need to copy the code from the two methods I want to use for the dec_to_hex method (dec_to_bin & bin_to_hex).

I thought about breaking it into different classes and using inheritance, but I can't see where that will help me at all

My final decision to post the question now while I continue to mess with it came because I'm sure once its figured out I'm going to have learned something very important, and probably a concept or two that I don't have a complete grasp on will become clearer.

I hope someone will be willing to give me a little direction in this matter. I get an adrenalin rush when I see progress getting made. Its also very well commented and docstringed so it shouldn't be a problem for anyone.

I also thought that this would be a great situation to use some equivalent to the XHTML anchors, but then I realized they are about the same as the old goto command from my 6th grade BASIC days and figured Python was too 'clean' to use that.

• Kill dead code and variables; from_binary arguments dec_bttn and hex_bttn are useless and should be removed.
– Chris Morgan
Feb 7, 2012 at 9:57

Use more python, e.g. instead of:

for i in hex_digits.keys():
if i == tot:
tot = hex_digits[i]
else:
tot = tot


Remove extraneous keys() and it becomes:

for i in hex_digits:
if i == tot:
tot = hex_digits[i]
else:
tot = tot


Then remove unnecessary else and it is:

for i in hex_digits:
if i == tot:
tot = hex_digits[i]


And finally remove the loop:

tot = hex_digits.get(i, tot)


There I saved you a loop, a branch and 4 out of 5 lines of code.

A few iterations like this over the entire module and you might like your code after all!

• Thanks, I'll go through it and clean it up a bit. My problem is I don't prep with any pseudo-code, I just kinda wing it as I go. Terrible habit, I know.
– Icsilk
Feb 7, 2012 at 10:00
• @Icsilk, no pseudo code is a terrible habit. I don't know of any serious coders who actually use it. Feb 7, 2012 at 15:39
• I write pseudocode from time to time, and I'd consider myself a serious (albeit not professional) coder... but I certainly wouldn't say not using pseudocode is a terrible habit. Feb 7, 2012 at 21:51
def base_check(self):
""" Disable Checkbox that's connected with chosen Radiobutton. """

cb.configure(state = DISABLED)
else:
cb.configure(state = NORMAL)

def conv_segue(self):
""" Decides and directs towards proper conversion method.
base = self.base.get()

if base == 'bin':
bits = self.input_str.get()

# test string validity
bit_list = list(bits)


It's not neccessary to listify the bits. You can iterate over a string just like a list.

        ill_bits = ['2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9']


I'd make this a string rather then a list and iterate over that.

        for bit in bit_list:
if bit in ill_bits:


Instead, I'd use if any(bit in ill_bits for bit in bit_list). Also, why don't you check for bits that are 1 or 0, rather then explicitly listing the other options. What if the user inputs a letter?

                self.output_disp.delete(0.0, END)
self.output_disp.insert(0.0, "That bit string is invalid.")
break
else:
self.from_binary(self.dec_bttn, self.hex_bttn)

##
# learned here that I had to break once the match was found (if found) and that a 'for'
# loop can use an else block too
##

elif base == 'dec':
self.from_dec(self.bin_bttn, self.hex_bttn)
elif base == 'hex':
self.from_hex(self.bin_bttn, self.dec_bttn)


I don't see this function anywhere

Why do you perform sanity checks for binary, and not the other bases?

def from_binary(self, dec_bttn, hex_bttn):
""" Finds what base to convert to (Decimal or Hex) from binary. """


Why are you ussing dec_bttn and hex_bttn around if you just use self.dec_bttn anyways?

    if self.dec_bttn.get():
self.bin_to_dec()

if self.hex_bttn.get():
self.bin_to_hex()

#if self.dec_bttn.get() and self.hex_bttn.get():
#(self.bin_to_dec, self.bin_to_hex)

def from_dec(self, bin_bttn, hex_bttn):
""" Finds what base to convert to (Binary or Hex) from decimal. """

if self.bin_bttn.get():
self.dec_to_bin()

if self.hex_bttn.get():
self.dec_to_hex()

def dec_to_bin(self):
""" Convert from decimal to binary. """

# get input string and convert to an integer
digits = self.input_str.get()
digits = int(digits)

bit_string = ""

# do the conversion
while digits:
bit, ans = digits%2, digits//2
bit = str(bit)
bit_string += bit
digits = ans

total = bit_string[::-1]


Python has a function, bin that does this conversion to binary for you.

    self.total = total

# print output
self.print_result(total)

def dec_to_hex(self):
bit_str = self.dec_to_bin().self.total


What?

    self.bit_str = bit_str
print(self.bit_str)


I'm not seeing the hex.

def bin_to_dec(self):
""" Convert from binary to decimal. """
# get input string
bits = self.input_str.get()

# set exponent
exp = len(self.input_str.get()) - 1

tot = 0

# do conversion
while exp >= 1:
for i in bits[:-1]:
if i == '1':
tot += 2**exp
elif i == '0':
tot = tot
exp -= 1

if bits[-1] == '1':
tot += 1

total = tot
# print output
self.print_result(total)


Use int(string_number, 2) to read in a binary number.

def bin_to_hex(self):
""" Convert from binary to hex. """
# get input string
bits = self.input_str.get()

# define hex digits
hex_digits = {
10: 'a', 11: 'b',
12: 'c', 13: 'd',
14: 'e', 15: 'f'
}

# add number of necessary 0's so bit string is multiple of 4
string_length = len(bits)
number_stray_bits = string_length % 4

# test if there are any 'stray bits'
if number_stray_bits > 0:
number_zeros = 4 - number_stray_bits
bits = '0'*number_zeros + bits
string_length = len(bits)


Python has an rjust method on strings that'll pad strings to a desired length. I think you can simplify this code using that.

    # index slicing positions
low_end = 0
high_end = 4

total = ""

# slice bit string into half byte segments
while high_end <= string_length:


You should really use a for loop like for high_end in xrange(0, string_length, 4): exp = 3 half_byte = bits[low_end:high_end]

        # do conversion
tot = 0


Don't abbreviate variables. It saves you almost nothing and makes your code harder to read.

        while exp >= 1:


This doesn't really serve a purpose because exp is decremented by the inner loop.

            for i in half_byte[:-1]:


I'd use for exponent, letter in enumerate(halt_byte[::-1]).

                if i == '1':
tot += 2**exp

elif i == '0':
tot = tot


Completely pointless. Doesn't assign variables to themselves

                exp -= 1

if half_byte[-1] == '1':
tot += 1


Why didn't you do this in the loop: exp**0 = 1

        # check if tot needs conversion to hex digits
for i in hex_digits.keys():
if i == tot:
tot = hex_digits[i]
else:
tot = tot


Its a dictionary. don't use a loop on it. Put all of the numbers in it, not just the non-digit ones. Then use tot = hex_digits[tot]

        # store and concatenate tot for each while iteration
tot = str(tot)
total += tot


I'd combine those two lines

        # move right to next half byte string
low_end += 4
high_end += 4


If you use a for loop like I suggested this should be unneccesary.

Actually python has a hex function which will convert a number to hex. It'll replace pretty much this entire function.

    # print the output
self.print_result(total)

def print_result(self, total):
""" display the result of conversion. """
self.output_disp.delete(0.0, END)
self.output_disp.insert(0.0, total)


This function doesn't really print. So I'd find a better name.

Here's how I'd approach it.

def convert_base(number_text, from_base, to_base):
BASES = {
'decimal' : 10,
'hex' : 16,
'binary', 2)
number = int(number_text, BASES[from_base])

if to_base == 'decimal':
return str(number)
elif to_base == 'hex':
return hex(number)[2:]
elif to_base == 'binary':
return bin(number)[2:]
else:
raise ValueError('Unknown base: ' + base)


In general conversions work best by converting to some neutral format, (in this case, a python integer), and then into your final format. That way you don't have to write conversion between every possible format. Instead, you just a conversion for each format into the neutral format and then out of the neutral format.

you could pass a second parameter to dec_to_bin and dec_to_hex to let the function know whether you want to return a value or print it.

def dec_to_bin(self,ret=0):

....
if ret == 0:
self.print_result(total)
else:


Then call the function like:

binstr = dec_to_bin(1) #to assign the return value to binstr

• When python has True and False built in, using numbers to approximate them seems odd...
– Shish
Feb 7, 2012 at 12:11

I'd split out the x_to_y methods into a separate package, and rather than having them do all of input, processing, output, have them just do processing.

def hex_to_bin(hex_input):
... processing goes here ...
return bin_output


And then in your GUI app, you have the input and output:

hex_input = self.input_box.get_value()
bin_output = hex_to_bin(hex_input)
self.output_box.set_value(bin_output)