How to pause in python

"Discover how to pause your code in Python with this easy-to-follow example."

Using the time Module

Python offers a variety of ways to pause a program. One of the most common is to use the time module. The time module has a sleep() function that can be used to pause the program for a specified amount of time.

import time

# pause for 5 seconds
time.sleep(5)

The sleep() function takes one argument, which is the number of seconds that the program should pause for. In the example above, the program is paused for 5 seconds.

Using the sleep() function is a useful way to pause a program, but it's important to remember that the program will be completely paused while it is sleeping. This means that no other code will be executed until the sleep period is over.

If you need to pause a program for a longer period of time, or if you need to pause a program and allow other code to run at the same time, then you can use the threading module.

Using the threading Module

The threading module provides a way to create a thread, which is a separate process that can run alongside the main program. The thread can then be used to pause the main program for a specified amount of time.

import threading

# pause for 5 seconds
timer = threading.Timer(5, do_something)
timer.start()

The Timer class takes two arguments: the first is the amount of time that the program should pause for, and the second is a function that will be called when the timer expires. In the example above, the program will be paused for 5 seconds and then the do_something function will be called.

Using the threading module is a great way to pause a program for a specified amount of time while still allowing other code to run in the background. This makes it a useful tool for creating long-running programs or for creating programs that need to respond to user input while still running in the background.