diff -r ccffce2dde49 Lib/test/test_tcl.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_tcl.py	Wed May 29 23:38:00 2013 +0300
+++ b/Lib/test/test_tcl.py	Thu May 30 16:31:22 2013 +0300
@@ -175,6 +175,66 @@
                 self.assertEqual(passValue(f), f)
         self.assertEqual(passValue((1, '2', (3.4,))), (1, '2', (3.4,)))
 
+    def test_splitlist(self):
+        splitlist = self.interp.tk.splitlist
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, splitlist)
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, splitlist, 'a', 'b')
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, splitlist, 2)
+        self.assertEqual(splitlist('2'), ('2',))
+        self.assertEqual(splitlist(''), ())
+        self.assertEqual(splitlist('{}'), ('',))
+        self.assertEqual(splitlist('""'), ('',))
+        self.assertRaises(TclError, splitlist, '{')
+        self.assertEqual(splitlist('a\n b\t\r c\n '), ('a', 'b', 'c'))
+        self.assertEqual(splitlist(b'a\n b\t\r c\n '), ('a', 'b', 'c'))
+        self.assertEqual(splitlist('a \u20ac'), ('a', '\u20ac'))
+        self.assertEqual(splitlist(b'a \xe2\x82\xac'), ('a', '\u20ac'))
+        self.assertEqual(splitlist('a {b c}'), ('a', 'b c'))
+        self.assertEqual(splitlist(r'a b\ c'), ('a', 'b c'))
+        self.assertEqual(splitlist(('a', 'b c')), ('a', 'b c'))
+        self.assertEqual(splitlist('a 2'), ('a', '2'))
+        self.assertEqual(splitlist(('a', 2)), ('a', 2))
+        self.assertEqual(splitlist('a 3.4'), ('a', '3.4'))
+        self.assertEqual(splitlist(('a', 3.4)), ('a', 3.4))
+        self.assertEqual(splitlist(()), ())
+        call = self.interp.tk.call
+        self.assertEqual(splitlist(call('list', 1, '2', (3.4,))),
+                         (1, '2', (3.4,)))
+        self.assertEqual(splitlist(call('dict', 'create',
+                                        1, '2', b'\xe2\x82\xac', (3.4,))),
+                         (1, '2', '\u20ac', (3.4,)))
+
+    def test_split(self):
+        split = self.interp.tk.split
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, split)
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, split, 'a', 'b')
+        self.assertRaises(TypeError, split, 2)
+        self.assertEqual(split('2'), '2')
+        self.assertEqual(split(''), '')
+        self.assertEqual(split('{}'), '')
+        self.assertEqual(split('""'), '')
+        self.assertEqual(split('{'), '{')
+        self.assertEqual(split('a\n b\t\r c\n '), ('a', 'b', 'c'))
+        self.assertEqual(split(b'a\n b\t\r c\n '), ('a', 'b', 'c'))
+        self.assertEqual(split('a \u20ac'), ('a', '\u20ac'))
+        self.assertEqual(split(b'a \xe2\x82\xac'), ('a', '\u20ac'))
+        self.assertEqual(split('a {b c}'), ('a', ('b', 'c')))
+        self.assertEqual(split(r'a b\ c'), ('a', ('b', 'c')))
+        self.assertEqual(split(('a', b'b c')), ('a', ('b', 'c')))
+        self.assertEqual(split(('a', 'b c')), ('a', ('b', 'c')))
+        self.assertEqual(split('a 2'), ('a', '2'))
+        self.assertEqual(split(('a', 2)), ('a', 2))
+        self.assertEqual(split('a 3.4'), ('a', '3.4'))
+        self.assertEqual(split(('a', 3.4)), ('a', 3.4))
+        self.assertEqual(split(('a', (2, 3.4))), ('a', (2, 3.4)))
+        self.assertEqual(split(()), ())
+        call = self.interp.tk.call
+        self.assertEqual(split(call('list', 1, '2', (3.4,))),
+                         (1, '2', (3.4,)))
+        self.assertEqual(split(call('dict', 'create',
+                                        1, '2', b'\xe2\x82\xac', (3.4,))),
+                         (1, '2', '\u20ac', (3.4,)))
+
 
 def test_main():
     support.run_unittest(TclTest, TkinterTest)
diff -r ccffce2dde49 Lib/tkinter/__init__.py
--- a/Lib/tkinter/__init__.py	Wed May 29 23:38:00 2013 +0300
+++ b/Lib/tkinter/__init__.py	Thu May 30 16:31:22 2013 +0300
@@ -1352,7 +1352,7 @@
                 value = words[i+1]
                 if not value:
                     value = None
-                elif '.' in value:
+                elif '.' in str(value):
                     value = getdouble(value)
                 else:
                     value = getint(value)
@@ -1921,7 +1921,7 @@
         for i in range(0, len(words), 2):
             key = words[i][1:]
             value = words[i+1]
-            if value[:1] == '.':
+            if str(value)[:1] == '.':
                 value = self._nametowidget(value)
             dict[key] = value
         return dict
@@ -1972,7 +1972,7 @@
         for i in range(0, len(words), 2):
             key = words[i][1:]
             value = words[i+1]
-            if value[:1] == '.':
+            if str(value)[:1] == '.':
                 value = self._nametowidget(value)
             dict[key] = value
         return dict
diff -r ccffce2dde49 Lib/tkinter/test/test_ttk/test_widgets.py
--- a/Lib/tkinter/test/test_ttk/test_widgets.py	Wed May 29 23:38:00 2013 +0300
+++ b/Lib/tkinter/test/test_ttk/test_widgets.py	Thu May 30 16:31:22 2013 +0300
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@
 
         cbtn['command'] = ''
         res = cbtn.invoke()
-        self.assertEqual(res, '')
+        self.assertEqual(str(res), '')
         self.assertFalse(len(success) > 1)
         self.assertEqual(cbtn['offvalue'],
             cbtn.tk.globalgetvar(cbtn['variable']))
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@
 
         cbtn2['command'] = ''
         res = cbtn2.invoke()
-        self.assertEqual(res, '')
+        self.assertEqual(str(res), '')
         self.assertFalse(len(success) > 1)
         self.assertEqual(cbtn2['value'], myvar.get())
         self.assertEqual(myvar.get(),
diff -r ccffce2dde49 Modules/_tkinter.c
--- a/Modules/_tkinter.c	Wed May 29 23:38:00 2013 +0300
+++ b/Modules/_tkinter.c	Thu May 30 16:31:22 2013 +0300
@@ -423,6 +423,21 @@
             return result;
         /* Fall through, returning arg. */
     }
+    else if (PyUnicode_Check(arg)) {
+        int argc;
+        char **argv;
+        char *list = PyUnicode_AsUTF8(arg);
+
+        if (list == NULL ||
+            Tcl_SplitList((Tcl_Interp *)NULL, list, &argc, &argv) != TCL_OK) {
+            Py_INCREF(arg);
+            return arg;
+        }
+        Tcl_Free(FREECAST argv);
+        if (argc > 1)
+            return Split(list);
+        /* Fall through, returning arg. */
+    }
     else if (PyBytes_Check(arg)) {
         int argc;
         char **argv;
@@ -1721,16 +1736,35 @@
     char *list;
     int argc;
     char **argv;
-    PyObject *v;
+    PyObject *arg, *v;
     int i;
 
-    if (PyTuple_Size(args) == 1) {
-        v = PyTuple_GetItem(args, 0);
-        if (PyTuple_Check(v)) {
-            Py_INCREF(v);
-            return v;
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O:splitlist", &arg))
+        return NULL;
+    if (PyTclObject_Check(arg)) {
+        int objc;
+        Tcl_Obj **objv;
+        if (Tcl_ListObjGetElements(Tkapp_Interp(self),
+                                   ((PyTclObject*)arg)->value,
+                                   &objc, &objv) == TCL_ERROR) {
+            return Tkinter_Error(self);
         }
+        if (!(v = PyTuple_New(objc)))
+            return NULL;
+        for (i = 0; i < objc; i++) {
+            PyObject *s = FromObj(self, objv[i]);
+            if (!s || PyTuple_SetItem(v, i, s)) {
+                Py_DECREF(v);
+                return NULL;
+            }
+        }
+        return v;
     }
+    if (PyTuple_Check(arg)) {
+        Py_INCREF(arg);
+        return arg;
+    }
+
     if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "et:splitlist", "utf-8", &list))
         return NULL;
 
@@ -1761,16 +1795,38 @@
 static PyObject *
 Tkapp_Split(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
 {
-    PyObject *v;
+    PyObject *arg, *v;
     char *list;
 
-    if (PyTuple_Size(args) == 1) {
-        PyObject* o = PyTuple_GetItem(args, 0);
-        if (PyTuple_Check(o)) {
-            o = SplitObj(o);
-            return o;
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O:split", &arg))
+        return NULL;
+    if (PyTclObject_Check(arg)) {
+        Tcl_Obj *value = ((PyTclObject*)arg)->value;
+        int objc;
+        Tcl_Obj **objv;
+        int i;
+        if (Tcl_ListObjGetElements(Tkapp_Interp(self), value,
+                                   &objc, &objv) == TCL_ERROR) {
+            return FromObj(self, value);
         }
+        if (objc == 0)
+            return PyUnicode_FromString("");
+        if (objc == 1)
+            return FromObj(self, objv[0]);
+        if (!(v = PyTuple_New(objc)))
+            return NULL;
+        for (i = 0; i < objc; i++) {
+            PyObject *s = FromObj(self, objv[i]);
+            if (!s || PyTuple_SetItem(v, i, s)) {
+                Py_DECREF(v);
+                return NULL;
+            }
+        }
+        return v;
     }
+    if (PyTuple_Check(arg))
+        return SplitObj(arg);
+
     if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "et:split", "utf-8", &list))
         return NULL;
     v = Split(list);