The scrollbars in both tkinter and Tkinter don't have the 'state' option and cannot be disabled.

You need to use the ttk Scrollbar to access state.  The standard tk Scrollbar doesn't have it.

Take a look at the doc page for ttk:
https://docs.python.org/3/library/tkinter.ttk.html

And the New Mexico Institute pages for ttk:
https://infohost.nmt.edu/tcc/help/pubs/tkinter/web/ttk-Scrollbar.html
https://infohost.nmt.edu/tcc/help/pubs/tkinter/web/ttk-Widget.html

Cheryl, here is the option listing from the ttk scrollbar configure method:
TTK Scrollbar options: {'command': ('command', 'command', 'Command', '', '140274415153928offsetChanged'), 'orient': ('orient', 'orient', 'Orient', <index object: 'vertical'>, <index object: 'vertical'>), 'takefocus': ('takefocus', 'takeFocus', 'TakeFocus', '', ''), 'cursor': ('cursor', 'cursor', 'Cursor', '', ''), 'style': ('style', 'style', 'Style', '', ''), 'class': ('class', '', '', '', '')}
Here is the listing from the tk scrollbar configure method:
TK Scrollbar options: {'activebackground': ('activebackground', 'activeBackground', 'Foreground', '#ececec', '#ececec'), 'activerelief': ('activerelief', 'activeRelief', 'Relief', 'raised', 'raised'), 'background': ('background', 'background', 'Background', '#d9d9d9', '#d9d9d9'), 'bd': ('bd', 'borderWidth'), 'bg': ('bg', 'background'), 'borderwidth': ('borderwidth', 'borderWidth', 'BorderWidth', '1', '1'), 'command': ('command', 'command', 'Command', '', '140677242826952offsetChanged'), 'cursor': ('cursor', 'cursor', 'Cursor', '', ''), 'elementborderwidth': ('elementborderwidth', 'elementBorderWidth', 'BorderWidth', '-1', '-1'), 'highlightbackground': ('highlightbackground', 'highlightBackground', 'HighlightBackground', '#d9d9d9', '#d9d9d9'), 'highlightcolor': ('highlightcolor', 'highlightColor', 'HighlightColor', '#000000', '#000000'), 'highlightthickness': ('highlightthickness', 'highlightThickness', 'HighlightThickness', '0', '0'), 'jump': ('jump', 'jump', 'Jump', '0', '0'), 'orient': ('orient', 'orient', 'Orient', 'vertical', 'vertical'), 'relief': ('relief', 'relief', 'Relief', 'sunken', 'sunken'), 'repeatdelay': ('repeatdelay', 'repeatDelay', 'RepeatDelay', '300', '300'), 'repeatinterval': ('repeatinterval', 'repeatInterval', 'RepeatInterval', '100', '100'), 'takefocus': ('takefocus', 'takeFocus', 'TakeFocus', '', ''), 'troughcolor': ('troughcolor', 'troughColor', 'Background', '#b3b3b3', '#b3b3b3'), 'width': ('width', 'width', 'Width', '11', '11')}
The option is missing for both variants of the scrollbar.

    On Sunday, March 3, 2019, 6:37:47 p.m. EST, Cheryl Sabella <report@bugs.python.org> wrote:  

Cheryl Sabella <cheryl.sabella@gmail.com> added the comment:

You need to use the ttk Scrollbar to access state.  The standard tk Scrollbar doesn't have it.

Take a look at the doc page for ttk:
https://docs.python.org/3/library/tkinter.ttk.html

And the New Mexico Institute pages for ttk:
https://infohost.nmt.edu/tcc/help/pubs/tkinter/web/ttk-Scrollbar.html
https://infohost.nmt.edu/tcc/help/pubs/tkinter/web/ttk-Widget.html

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nosy: +cheryl.sabella

_______________________________________
Python tracker <report@bugs.python.org>
<https://bugs.python.org/issue36171>
_______________________________________

That's because state isn't an option.  :-)

I should have included the link to the ttk scrollbar manpage.
https://www.tcl.tk/man/tcl/TkCmd/ttk_scrollbar.htm

You'll see on that page that 'state' is listed as a Widget Command and not an Option:
    STANDARD OPTIONS

        -class, undefined, undefined 
        -cursor, cursor, Cursor 
        -style, style, Style 
        -takefocus, takeFocus, TakeFocus 

    WIDGET-SPECIFIC OPTIONS

        -command, command, Command 
        -orient, orient, Orient 

    WIDGET COMMAND

        pathName cget option 
        pathName configure ?option? ?value option value ...? 
        pathName get 
        pathName identify x y 
        pathName instate statespec ?script? 
        pathName set first last 
        pathName state ?stateSpec? 

    INTERNAL COMMANDS

        pathName delta deltaX deltaY 
        pathName fraction x y 

    SCROLLING COMMANDS

        prefix moveto fraction 
        prefix scroll number units 
        prefix scroll number pages 

If you notice, your listing of the options includes the 6 options listed above: command, orient, takefocus, cursor, style, class.  It doesn't list any of the other widget commands, such as cget or configure.  state is like those and not like the options.

In other words, you would use `w.state(['!disabled', 'selected'])` as shown in the example on the New Mexico Tech link.

Cheryl, thank you for your help.

    On Sunday, March 3, 2019, 7:02:47 p.m. EST, Cheryl Sabella <report@bugs.python.org> wrote:  

Cheryl Sabella <cheryl.sabella@gmail.com> added the comment:

That's because state isn't an option.  :-)

I should have included the link to the ttk scrollbar manpage.
https://www.tcl.tk/man/tcl/TkCmd/ttk_scrollbar.htm

You'll see on that page that 'state' is listed as a Widget Command and not an Option:
    STANDARD OPTIONS

        -class, undefined, undefined 
        -cursor, cursor, Cursor 
        -style, style, Style 
        -takefocus, takeFocus, TakeFocus 

    WIDGET-SPECIFIC OPTIONS

        -command, command, Command 
        -orient, orient, Orient 

    WIDGET COMMAND

        pathName cget option 
        pathName configure ?option? ?value option value ...? 
        pathName get 
        pathName identify x y 
        pathName instate statespec ?script? 
        pathName set first last 
        pathName state ?stateSpec? 

    INTERNAL COMMANDS

        pathName delta deltaX deltaY 
        pathName fraction x y 

    SCROLLING COMMANDS

        prefix moveto fraction 
        prefix scroll number units 
        prefix scroll number pages 

If you notice, your listing of the options includes the 6 options listed above: command, orient, takefocus, cursor, style, class.  It doesn't list any of the other widget commands, such as cget or configure.  state is like those and not like the options.

In other words, you would use `w.state(['!disabled', 'selected'])` as shown in the example on the New Mexico Tech link.

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_______________________________________
Python tracker <report@bugs.python.org>
<https://bugs.python.org/issue36171>
_______________________________________

You're welcome.