SearchEntry sizing inside a header bar

[vcottineau]

Hi,

Not vital for my application but I would like the Gtk.SearchEntry() widget to fill / expand. I tried several setting but without any success.

Below is the code I am using:

    def set_header_bar(self):
        self.header_bar = Gtk.HeaderBar()
        self.header_bar.set_show_title_buttons(True)

        self.button_open = Gtk.Button.new_from_icon_name("document-open-symbolic")
        self.button_open.connect("clicked", self.on_button_open_clicked)
        self.header_bar.pack_start(self.button_open)

        self.search_entry = Gtk.SearchEntry()
        self.search_entry.connect("changed", self.app_column_view.on_search_entry_changed)
        self.header_bar.pack_start(self.search_entry)

        self.popover = Gtk.Popover()
        self.menu_button = Gtk.MenuButton()
        self.menu_button.set_icon_name("view-more-symbolic")
        self.menu_button.set_popover(self.popover)
        self.header_bar.pack_end(self.menu_button)

        self.button_refresh = Gtk.Button.new_from_icon_name("view-refresh-symbolic")
        self.button_refresh.connect("clicked", self.on_button_refresh_clicked)
        self.header_bar.pack_end(self.button_refresh)

        self.spinner = Gtk.Spinner()
        self.header_bar.pack_end(self.spinner)

        self.set_titlebar(self.header_bar)

Kind regards,
Vincent

[mazharhussain]

I’m not that familiar with GTK3 (which your app seems to use) but in GTK4, doing something like

self.search_entry = Gtk.SearchEntry(hexpand=True)

would do the trick. Try it. Maybe, it will work in GTK3 too.

[vcottineau]

Hi @mazharhussain,

Actually I am using Gtk4. I tried your suggested but it has no effect.

Regards

[mazharhussain]

Then maybe you need to do something like

title_widget = self.header_bar.get_title_widget()
title_widget.set_hexpand(False)

Along with my previous solution.

[vcottineau]

@mazharhussain,

Well, it’s not better with your suggestion. The title widget is not expanded but neither the entry widget. I tried with a Gtk.CenterBox() and it’s working as expected. However, with this widget I don’t have the native title buttons and the ability to move the window.

Some related topic but quite old: python - Gtk HeaderBar doesn't expand children - Stack Overflow

Code extract:

    def set_header_bar(self):
        header_bar = Gtk.HeaderBar()
        header_bar.set_show_title_buttons(True)

        title_widget = Gtk.Label()
        title_widget.set_markup(f"<b>{Config.PROGRAM_NAME}</b>")
        title_widget.set_hexpand(False)
        header_bar.set_title_widget(title_widget)

        # button_open = Gtk.Button.new_from_icon_name("document-open-symbolic")
        # button_open.connect("clicked", self.on_button_open_clicked)
        # header_bar.pack_start(button_open)

        search_entry = Gtk.SearchEntry()
        search_entry.set_hexpand(True)
        search_entry.connect("changed", self.app_column_view.on_search_entry_changed)
        header_bar.pack_start(search_entry)

        # popover = Gtk.Popover()
        # menu_button = Gtk.MenuButton()
        # menu_button.set_icon_name("view-more-symbolic")
        # menu_button.set_popover(popover)
        # header_bar.pack_end(menu_button)

        # button_refresh = Gtk.Button.new_from_icon_name("view-refresh-symbolic")
        # button_refresh.connect("clicked", self.on_button_refresh_clicked)
        # header_bar.pack_end(button_refresh)

        # self.spinner = Gtk.Spinner()
        # header_bar.pack_end(self.spinner)

        self.set_titlebar(header_bar)

Kind regards,
Vincent

[mazharhussain]

@vcottineau

I tried with a Gtk.CenterBox() and it’s working as expected. However, with this widget I don’t have the native title buttons and the ability to move the window.

Make CenterBox a child of Gtk.WindowHandle to regain the ability to move the window

And in order to regain title buttons, addGtk.WindowControls(side='start') as first child of the start wigdet of the CenterBox and Gtk.WindowControls(side='end') as last child of the end widget of CenterBox.

Note: Even though we added WindowControls widget on both sides, it will only show up on one side according to the user’s preferences.

[zbrown (Zander Brown)]

@mazharhussain

Note: Even though we added WindowControls widget on both sides, it will only show up on one side according to the user’s preferences.

Note: The user preference may be to have controls on both sides

[vcottineau]

Hi @mazharhussain,

Thanks a lot for helping. I gave a try of your suggestion and it’s working fine.
However, I think I will stick to the native HeaderBar widget and let the SearchEntry not expanded.

Kind regards,
Vincent