Sending Desktop Notifications with Plyer in Python
Need to alert users about events in your Python application without interrupting their workflow? Desktop notifications are a great way to provide gentle reminders, display important messages, or inform users about ongoing processes.
Plyer is a versatile Python library that simplifies the process of sending cross-platform notifications. In this article, we'll explore how to leverage Plyer to create desktop notifications in your Python projects.
Setting Up Plyer
Before we dive into the code, let's get Plyer installed. Using pip, the package manager for Python, run the following command in your terminal:
pip install plyer
A Basic Notification Example
Now, let's create a simple Python script to send a notification:
from plyer import notification
notification.notify(
title="Hello from Plyer!",
message="This is a sample notification message.",
app_name="My Python App",
timeout=5,
)
This script utilizes the notify() function from the plyer.notification module. Here's a breakdown of the key parameters:
- title: The title of the notification, which will be displayed prominently.
- message: The main body of the notification message.
- app_name: The name of your application, displayed in some notification centers.
- timeout: The duration (in seconds) for which the notification will remain visible.
Tailoring Your Notifications
Plyer offers various ways to customize your notifications:
- Icon: You can specify an icon to represent your application in the notification.
notification.notify(
title="New Message",
message="You have a new email!",
app_name="Email Client",
timeout=5,
app_icon="path/to/your/icon.ico" # Replace with the actual path
)
- Sound: Some platforms support playing a sound when a notification is displayed.
notification.notify(
title="Download Complete",
message="Your file has been downloaded.",
app_name="Download Manager",
timeout=5,
ticker="Download finished" # This is the ticker text on some platforms
)
- Alert: You can set the notification's urgency level (e.g., "critical" or "low") to control its visibility.
notification.notify(
title="System Warning",
message="System storage is running low.",
app_name="System Monitor",
timeout=5,
app_icon="path/to/your/icon.ico",
urgency="critical"
)
Beyond Simple Notifications
Plyer is designed to be adaptable. It handles platform-specific differences behind the scenes, ensuring your notifications work seamlessly across Windows, macOS, Linux, and other operating systems.
For more complex scenarios, Plyer provides additional features like:
- Progress bars: Displaying the progress of long-running tasks.
- Custom actions: Allowing users to interact with your application through buttons in the notification.
Conclusion
Plyer simplifies the process of adding desktop notifications to your Python projects. Its cross-platform compatibility and customizable options make it a valuable tool for enriching user experience and providing timely updates.
Remember to consult the official Plyer documentation for a complete overview of its features and options: https://plyer.readthedocs.io/
