A multicolumn Listbox made by packing normal listboxes together with a common scrollbar.

multicolumnlistbox.py

#!/usr/bin/env python
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
#

try:
    import Tkinter as tk
except ImportError:
    import tkinter as tk
from itertools import cycle

def multiple(*func_list):
    '''run multiple functions as one'''
    # I can't decide if this is ugly or pretty
    return lambda *args, **kw: [func(*args, **kw) for func in func_list]; None

def scroll_to_view(scroll_set, *view_funcs):
    ''' Allows one widget to control the scroll bar and other widgets
    scroll set: the scrollbar set function
    view_funcs: other widget's view functions
    '''
    def closure(start, end):
        scroll_set(start, end)
        for func in view_funcs:
            func('moveto', start)
    return closure

class MultiListbox(tk.Frame):
    def __init__(self, master=None, columns=2, data=[], row_select=True, **kwargs):
        '''makes a multicolumn listbox by combining a bunch of single listboxes
        with a single scrollbar
        :columns:
          (int) the number of columns
          OR (1D list or strings) the column headers
        :data:
          (1D iterable) auto add some data
        :row_select:
          (boolean) When True, clicking a cell selects the entire row
        All other kwargs are passed to the Listboxes'''
        tk.Frame.__init__(self, master, borderwidth=1, highlightthickness=1, relief=tk.SUNKEN)
        self.rowconfigure(1, weight=1)
        self.columns = columns
        if isinstance(self.columns, (list, tuple)):
            for col, text in enumerate(self.columns):
                tk.Label(self, text=text).grid(row=0, column=col)
            self.columns = len(self.columns)

        self.boxes = []
        for col in range(self.columns):
            box = tk.Listbox(self, exportselection=not row_select, **kwargs)
            if row_select:
                box.bind('<<ListboxSelect>>', self.selected)
            box.grid(row=1, column=col, sticky='nsew')
            self.columnconfigure(col, weight=1)
            self.boxes.append(box)
        vsb = tk.Scrollbar(self, orient=tk.VERTICAL,
            command=multiple(*[box.yview for box in self.boxes]))
        vsb.grid(row=1, column=col+1, sticky='ns')
        for box in self.boxes:
            box.config(yscrollcommand=scroll_to_view(vsb.set,
                *[b.yview for b in self.boxes if b is not box]))
        self.add_data(data)

    def selected(self, event=None):
        row = event.widget.curselection()[0]
        for lbox in self.boxes:
            lbox.select_clear(0, tk.END)
            lbox.select_set(row)

    def add_data(self, data=[]):
        '''takes a 1D list of data and adds it row-wise
        If there is not enough data to fill the row, then the row is
        filled with empty strings
        these will not be back filled; every new call starts at column 0'''
        # it is essential that the listboxes all have the same length.
        # because the scroll works on "percent" ...
        # and 100% must mean the same in all cases
        boxes = cycle(self.boxes)
        idx = -1
        for idx, (item, box) in enumerate(zip(data, boxes)):
            box.insert(tk.END, item)
        for _ in range(self.columns - idx%self.columns - 1):
            next(boxes).insert(tk.END, '')
          
    def __getitem__(self, index):
        '''get a row'''
        return [box.get(index) for box in self.boxes]

    def __delitem__(self, index):
        '''delete a row'''
        [box.delete(index) for box in self.boxes]

    def curselection(self):
        '''get the currently selected row'''
        selection = self.boxes[0].curselection()
        return selection[0] if selection else None
        
class GUI(tk.Frame):
    '''an example gui'''
    def __init__(self, master=None, **kwargs):
        tk.Frame.__init__(self, master, **kwargs)

        # you can add initial data in the constructor or use the `add_data` method
        # you can use an integer so specify the number of columns
        b = MultiListbox(self, 8, width=4, data=range(20), highlightthickness=0, border=0)
        b.add_data(range(195))
        b.pack(fill=tk.BOTH, expand=True)

        # or you can provide a list of column headers,
        # which will be added to the tops of the columns
        b = MultiListbox(self, ['col 1', 'num 2', 'thing 3'], width=4)
        b.add_data(range(500))
        b.pack(fill=tk.BOTH, expand=True)

def main():
    root = tk.Tk()
    win = GUI(root)
    win.pack(fill=tk.BOTH, expand=True)
    root.mainloop()

if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()