Building Your Recipe Recommendation App with PySimpleGUI

In this post, we'll walk through creating a Recipe Recommendation App which we introduced in the last post using Python and PySimpleGUI.

This app will allow users to filter recipes based on dietary needs, view images of selected recipes, and save their favorites.

By the end, you'll have a fully functioning GUI app that's not only practical but also a fun project to enhance your Python skills.

Let's break down the code step by step:

Step 1: Importing PySimpleGUI and Setting Up Recipes

import PySimpleGUI as sg

# Sample Recipes

recipes = {

    'Spaghetti': {'ingredients': ['pasta', 'tomato sauce', 'cheese'], 'tags': ['vegetarian'], 'image': 'spaghetti.png'},

    'Grilled Chicken': {'ingredients': ['chicken', 'spices', 'lemon'], 'tags': ['non-vegetarian'], 'image': 'chicken.png'},

    'Vegan Salad': {'ingredients': ['lettuce', 'tomato', 'cucumber'], 'tags': ['vegan', 'gluten-free'], 'image': 'salad.png'},

}

Here, we start by importing PySimpleGUI (abbreviated as sg) and defining a dictionary of sample recipes.

Each recipe includes a list of ingredients, tags for dietary restrictions, and an image filename.

This structure which uses Python Dictionary and List makes it easy to manage and display the information within the GUI.

Step 2: Creating the Save Function

def save_recipe(recipe_name, recipe_details):

    ingredients = ', '.join(recipe_details['ingredients'])

    tags = ', '.join(recipe_details['tags'])

    formatted_recipe = f"Recipe: {recipe_name}\nIngredients: {ingredients}\nTags: {tags}\n"

    with open('favorites.txt', 'a') as file:

        file.write(formatted_recipe)

    sg.popup('Saved!', f'{recipe_name} has been saved to your favorites.')

The save_recipe function formats the selected recipe's details into a string and saves it to a file named favorites.txt.

If the user selects a recipe and clicks "Save to Favorites," this function is triggered.

A popup window confirms that the recipe has been saved.

Step 3: Filtering Recipes by Dietary Needs

def filter_recipes(dietary_needs, recipes):

    filtered = [recipe for recipe, details in recipes.items() if dietary_needs in details['tags']]

    return filtered

This function helps to filter recipes based on the user's selected dietary needs.

For example, if a user is looking for vegan recipes, the function will return only the recipes tagged as vegan.

Step 4: Designing the GUI Layout

layout = [

    [sg.Text('Select Dietary Needs:')],

    [sg.Checkbox('Vegetarian', key='-VEG-', enable_events=True),

     sg.Checkbox('Vegan', key='-VEGAN-', enable_events=True),

     sg.Checkbox('Gluten-Free', key='-GF-', enable_events=True)],

    [sg.Listbox(values=list(recipes.keys()), size=(30, 6), key='-RECIPE LIST-', enable_events=True)],

    [sg.Image(key='-IMAGE-')],

    [sg.Button('Save to Favorites'), sg.Button('Exit')]

]

In this step, we define the layout of our GUI.

The layout includes checkboxes for dietary preferences, a Listbox to display recipe names, an Image element to show the selected recipe's image, and buttons to save a recipe or exit the application.

Step 5: Handling Events and Updating the GUI

window = sg.Window('Recipe Recommendation App', layout)

selected_recipe = None

while True:

    event, values = window.read()

    if event in (sg.WINDOW_CLOSED, 'Exit'):

        break

    if event == '-RECIPE LIST-':

        selected_recipe = values['-RECIPE LIST-'][0] if values['-RECIPE LIST-'] else None

        if selected_recipe:

            display_image = recipes[selected_recipe]['image']

            try:

                window['-IMAGE-'].update(filename=display_image)

            except Exception as e:

                sg.popup_error(f"Failed to load image: {e}")

    if event == 'Save to Favorites':

        if selected_recipe:

            save_recipe(selected_recipe, recipes[selected_recipe])

        else:

            sg.popup_error('No recipe selected!', 'Please select a recipe to save.')

    dietary_filter = []

    if values['-VEG-']:

        dietary_filter.append('vegetarian')

    if values['-VEGAN-']:

        dietary_filter.append('vegan')

    if values['-GF-']:

        dietary_filter.append('gluten-free')

    if dietary_filter:

        filtered_recipes = []

        for need in dietary_filter:

            filtered_recipes += filter_recipes(need, recipes)

        window['-RECIPE LIST-'].update(values=filtered_recipes)

    else:

        window['-RECIPE LIST-'].update(values=list(recipes.keys()))

window.close()

This is the heart of the app where the event loop continuously checks for user interactions:

Event Handling:

• The event variable tracks what the user clicks or selects.

• If they select a recipe, the app updates the image display accordingly.

• If they click "Save to Favorites," the app saves the selected recipe.

Filtering:

• The code checks which dietary checkboxes are selected and filters the recipes accordingly.

• The Listbox is then updated to show only the filtered recipes.

Error Handling:

• The app includes error handling to manage cases like failed image loading or no recipe being selected when attempting to save.

Wrapping Up!

By following these steps, you've now built a dynamic Recipe Recommendation App with Python and PySimpleGUI!

This app not only helps users find and save recipes based on dietary needs but also makes it easier to visualize and interact with the information.

Download the completed code below:

Coding with a Smile 🤣 😂

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It’s powerful and a bit arcane, but once mastered, it can transform even the messiest strings into something usable.

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