Why Do we need a Python program to wait?
There are several reasons why we need a Python program to wait it depends on the need. Following are some mentioned reasons which are important and require a Python program to wait they are mainly:
- Creating delays for animation effects
- Pausing between operations
- Waiting for a condition to be met
- Rate limiting etc.,
How to make Python program wait?
There are several methods of making a Python program to wait. Here, we will discuss three main methods of making Python program to wait
Method 1
By importing “time” module which is used for several application and there is function called “sleep()” which takes seconds as input which will make python program to wait. Here is an example:
import time
#infinite loop
while True:
print("It's been a minute.")
time.sleep(60) # Delay for 1 minute (60 seconds).
This method is the most straightforward way to make a Python program wait. This function suspends execution of the calling thread for the specified number of seconds.
Method 2
For asynchronous programming, the “asyncio” module provides a “sleep” function. This is particularly useful in event-driven programs where you don’t want to block the entire program while waiting. Here’s is an example:
import asyncio
async def main():
print("This prints immediately.")
await asyncio.sleep(2)
print("This prints after a 2-second delay.")
# Run the async main function
asyncio.run(main())
In Asynchronous Programming use this method for delays in asynchronous functions, allowing other tasks to run concurrently.
Method 3
If you need to execute a function after a delay but don’t want to block the main program, you can use the “threading.Timer” class. This allows you to schedule a function to be called after a certain amount of time.
import threading
def delayed_function():
print("This prints after a delay.")
# Schedule the function to be called after 5 seconds
timer = threading.Timer(5.0, delayed_function)
timer.start()
print("This prints immediately, and the function will be called after 5 seconds.")
For Non-blocking Delays use this method when you need a delay but don’t want to block the main thread. This is useful for scheduling tasks.
Conclusion
Introducing delays in Python is straightforward with the “time.sleep()”, “threading.Timer()”, and “asyncio.sleep()”methods. Each has its own use cases and is suitable for different types of applications. Choose the method that best fits your needs and the specific requirements of your program. Consider whether you need Blocking or non-blocking delays, check the granularity because the “time.sleep()” function’s delay is not guaranteed to be exact. For high precision, other methods or libraries might be necessary. In an asynchronous context, prefer “asyncio.sleep()” to avoid blocking the event loop.