5 Best Ways to Create a GUI to Find the IP of a Domain Name Using Python

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💡 Problem Formulation: In this article, we will explore how to construct a graphical user interface (GUI) in Python that allows users to input a domain name and retrieve its associated IP address. For example, inputting “www.example.com” should output the IP address “93.184.216.34”. This capability is essential for network diagnostics and web development tasks.

Method 1: Using Tkinter and socket library

TKinter is Python’s standard GUI library, providing a fast and easy way to create simple GUI applications. Combined with the socket library, which can perform DNS lookups, we can create a functional GUI for finding IP addresses of domain names.

Here’s an example:

import socket
from tkinter import Tk, Label, Entry, Button

def find_ip():
    domain = entry.get()
    ip = socket.gethostbyname(domain)
    result_label.config(text=f"IP: {ip}")

root = Tk()
root.title("Domain to IP")
Label(root, text="Enter Domain:").grid(row=0, column=0)
entry = Entry(root)
entry.grid(row=0, column=1)
Button(root, text="Find IP", command=find_ip).grid(row=1, column=0, columnspan=2)
result_label = Label(root, text="")
result_label.grid(row=2, column=0, columnspan=2)

root.mainloop()

Output: The GUI window with an entry field, a button, and a label that will display the IP after the lookup.

This code snippet sets up a simple Tkinter window with a text entry field and a button. When the button is clicked, the find_ip function is triggered, which uses the socket library’s gethostbyname function to fetch the IP address of the entered domain name. The result is then displayed on the label within the GUI.

Method 2: Using PyQt5 and socket library

PyQt5 is a set of Python bindings for Qt application framework, allowing you to create modern and complex GUIs. Like Tkinter, it can be used in tandem with the socket library for our IP finder application.

Here’s an example:

import sys
import socket
from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QApplication, QWidget, QLabel, QLineEdit, QPushButton, QVBoxLayout

class IPFinder(QWidget):
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__()
        self.initUI()
        
    def initUI(self):
        self.setWindowTitle('Domain to IP')
        self.layout = QVBoxLayout()
        
        self.label = QLabel('Enter Domain:')
        self.layout.addWidget(self.label)
        
        self.lineEdit = QLineEdit()
        self.layout.addWidget(self.lineEdit)
        
        self.button = QPushButton('Find IP', self)
        self.button.clicked.connect(self.find_ip)
        self.layout.addWidget(self.button)
        
        self.resultLabel = QLabel('')
        self.layout.addWidget(self.resultLabel)
        
        self.setLayout(self.layout)
        self.show()
        
    def find_ip(self):
        domain = self.lineEdit.text()
        ip = socket.gethostbyname(domain)
        self.resultLabel.setText(f"IP: {ip}")

app = QApplication(sys.argv)
ex = IPFinder()
sys.exit(app.exec_())

Output: The application window with input field, button, and result label.

This PyQt5 example creates a class for our application window with a layout containing an input field, button, and label. After inputting a domain name and clicking the ‘Find IP’ button, the find_ip method gets the text from the input field, retrieves the IP using the socket library, and updates the result label.

Method 3: Using PyGTK and socket library

PyGTK is the set of Python wrappers for the GTK+ graphical user interface library, which is part of the GNOME project. This combination allows for the creation of cross-platform GUIs for the IP finder application.

Here’s an example:

import socket
import gi
gi.require_version("Gtk", "3.0")
from gi.repository import Gtk

class IPFinder(Gtk.Window):
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__(title="Domain to IP Finder")
        self.set_border_width(10)

        self.box = Gtk.Box(orientation=Gtk.Orientation.VERTICAL, spacing=8)
        self.add(self.box)

        self.entry = Gtk.Entry()
        self.entry.set_placeholder_text("Enter domain name here...")
        self.box.pack_start(self.entry, True, True, 0)

        self.button = Gtk.Button(label="Find IP")
        self.button.connect("clicked", self.on_find_ip_clicked)
        self.box.pack_start(self.button, True, True, 0)

        self.label = Gtk.Label()
        self.box.pack_start(self.label, True, True, 0)

        self.show_all()

    def on_find_ip_clicked(self, widget):
        domain = self.entry.get_text()
        ip = socket.gethostbyname(domain)
        self.label.set_text(f"IP: {ip}")

win = IPFinder()
win.connect("destroy", Gtk.main_quit)
Gtk.main()

Output: GTK window with entry, button, and label widgets.

This snippet employs PyGTK to construct a window for our IP finder. Upon clicking the ‘Find IP’ button, on_find_ip_clicked is invoked, which looks up the domain’s IP address and updates the label.

Method 4: Using Kivy and socket library

Kivy is an open-source Python library for rapid development of applications that make use of innovative user interfaces, such as multi-touch apps. This method leverages Kivy’s capabilities alongside the socket library to build a touch-friendly GUI for IP lookup.

Here’s an example:

import socket
from kivy.app import App
from kivy.uix.boxlayout import BoxLayout
from kivy.uix.textinput import TextInput
from kivy.uix.button import Button
from kivy.uix.label import Label

class IPFinderApp(App):
    def build(self):
        self.box_layout = BoxLayout(orientation='vertical')

        self.textinput = TextInput(text='Enter domain here...', size_hint=(1, 0.2))
        self.box_layout.add_widget(self.textinput)

        self.button = Button(text='Find IP', size_hint=(1, 0.2))
        self.button.bind(on_press=self.find_ip)
        self.box_layout.add_widget(self.button)

        self.label = Label(text='', size_hint=(1, 0.6))
        self.box_layout.add_widget(self.label)

        return self.box_layout

    def find_ip(self, instance):
        domain = self.textinput.text
        ip = socket.gethostbyname(domain)
        self.label.text = f"IP: {ip}"

if __name__ == '__main__':
    IPFinderApp().run()

Output: A Kivy application with text input, button, and label.

Using Kivy, this code creates an app with a simple layout including a text input field, a button, and a label. The button press triggers the find_ip function, which fetches and displays the entered domain’s IP address.

Bonus One-Liner Method 5: Using Tkinter and a lambda function

If you’re looking for the simplest, most concise way to resolve a domain’s IP address with a GUI, this method achieves that with minimal code by directly embedding the resolving logic in a lambda function on button click.

Here’s an example:

from tkinter import Tk, Label, Entry, Button
import socket

root = Tk()
root.title("Domain to IP")
Label(root, text="Enter Domain:").pack()
entry = Entry(root)
entry.pack()
Button(root, text="Find IP", command=lambda: print(f"IP: {socket.gethostbyname(entry.get())}")).pack()
root.mainloop()

Output: A compact Tkinter GUI to input a domain and print its IP to the console.

This minimal code sets up a Tkinter window and uses a lambda function tied to the button click to directly print the IP address result to the console. While not displayed within the GUI itself, this one-liner method is a succinct demonstration of the GUI IP lookup concept.

Summary/Discussion

  • Method 1: Tkinter and socket. Simple and straightforward. Limited in terms of visual styling.
  • Method 2: PyQt5 and socket. Offers a more modern look and customization. Slightly more complex.
  • Method 3: PyGTK and socket. Great for cross-platform compatibility. Less popular than other libraries.
  • Method 4: Kivy and socket. Best for touch interfaces. Different from traditional GUI development.
  • Method 5: Tkinter and lambda function. Extremely concise. Best for quick testing or light applications.