How to Autocomplete Last Typed Word in a PyQt5 GUI

Learn how to implement an effective word autocomplete feature in a PyQt5 application, allowing independent word suggestions for your text inputs.
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How to Autocomplete Last Typed Word in a PyQt5 GUI

When building user interfaces that involve text input, providing users with useful features like autocomplete can significantly enhance their experience. If you've ever implemented basic autocomplete functionality but encountered limitations—like suggestions being made for the entire input string instead of the last typed word—you’re not alone.

In this guide, we’ll delve into a solution that allows individual word suggestions as users type in a text input field using PyQt5.

Understanding the Problem

As you type in a text box, you might want each word to have its own autocomplete suggestions. This is particularly useful for phrases where a user may switch contexts or topics. The challenge comes when the QCompleter attempts to provide suggestions for the whole string, instead of focusing on the most recent word typed.

The Common Setup

Many developers start with a straightforward implementation using the QCompleter in combination with a QLineEdit. Here’s a typical code snippet you might see:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This basic setup might work for single-word inputs; however, as you type multiple words, you quickly find that it no longer acts intuitively.

In-Depth Solution

To tackle this problem, we need a customized QLineEdit that can handle word completion independently from the rest of the text. Below, I will take you through the necessary steps to implement this.

Step-by-Step Implementation

1. Create a Custom LineEdit Class

We'll create a class that extends QLineEdit and manages its own QCompleter. This allows us to focus on the last typed word without affecting the entire input string.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

2. Define the Class Structure

The custom class will integrate essential functionalities like changing the text and activating the completer.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

3. Implement the Model and Completer

Both the word model (to store autocomplete options) and the completer need to be defined:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

4. Manage Word Suggestions

We’ll add logic in the method handle_text_changed to manage word input and provide suggestions:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

5. Finalize with Activation Logic

When an autocomplete option is selected, additional logic needs to handle the input correctly:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Putting It All Together

Finally, to get this application running, you will set up the main function to initiate your PyQt application.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Conclusion

With these steps, you’ll have a powerful GUI application that allows users to type phrases seamlessly while providing word suggestions for each individual word typed. This enhances user experience by making text entry fast and efficient.

Try implementing this solution in your own PyQt5 projects and see how much smoother your text input can be!