Strings in Turtle Graphics

Using Strings In Turtle

We can use the turtle package to write text to the screen. Copy and past the following code into a new files called SpiralMyName.py

# SpiralMyName.py - prints a colorful spiral of the user's name

import turtle               # Set up turtle graphics
t = turtle.Pen()
t.speed(0)
turtle.bgcolor("black")
colors = ["red", "yellow", "blue", "green"]

# Ask the user's name using turtle's textinput pop-up window
your_name = turtle.textinput("Enter your name", "What is your name?")

# Draw a spiral of the name on the screen, written 100 times
for x in range(100):
    t.pencolor( colors[ x % 4] )
    t.penup()
    t.forward( x * 4 )
    t.pendown()
    t.write(your_name, font = ("Times", int( (x + 4) / 4), "bold") )
    t.left(92)

There are a few lines here that are new:

your_name = turtle.textinput("Enter your name", "What is your name?")

Because we are displaying the turtle screen, we need to use the turtle.textinput

t.penup()
t.forward( x * 4 )
t.pendown()

t.penup() lift the pen from the screen so that nothing is drawn. We then move it forward with t.forward() before putting the pen back down with t.pendown()

t.write(your_name, font = ("Times", int( (x + 4) / 4), "bold") )

t.write is the command used to write text to the turtle screen.

The font key-word argument takes the variables font = ( [font_name], [font_size], [font_weight]) so here we are using the Times New Roman font with an increasing font size in bold.

You can also use Arial and Courier as fonts

Play around with your program and make something that looks amazing!