Tkinter activation workaround

osx_tkinter_workaround.py

#!/usr/bin/env python

## This script demonstrates a workaround for the Tkinter (Tcl/Tk?) activation
## bug under OS X. More on that here:
##  http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/64f3bc64de5dc773/973c208be03d1514
##  
##  - Nick Fisher

from easygui import msgbox
from Tkinter import Tk
from subprocess import Popen, PIPE
from re import search

## Force the Tk subsystem to initalize so it can be manipulated
## A blunt way around the chicken/egg problem with trying to bring a UI to the 
## foreground when it doesn't exsist yet.
t = Tk()
# Hope that the destroy is fast enough not to be seen (is for me)
t.destroy()

## Find the path for Python.app; A little less fragile than hardcodeing...
# Find the script's process command
find_cmd_str = 'ps -o command | grep "%s"'%__file__
find_results = Popen(find_cmd_str, shell=True, stdout=PIPE).stdout.read()
# Pull out the interpreter app path
py_path = search('(.*Python\.app)', find_results).groups()[0]

## Use 'open' to bring Python.app to the foreground...
## If there is more than one instance of the same Python.app with a running UI 
## then there is trouble. There is no way (I can find) to tell 'open' which 
## Python.app to activate.
# Use the OSX command 'open' to bring Python.app to the foreground
Popen(['open',py_path])

## Start using Tkinter/EasyGUI/Grun with the interface in the Foreground
msgbox('Hello world!')

Popen(['osascript', '-e', 'tell application "Python" to activate'])
is a more durable approach. Your approach doesn't work for Snow Leopard +