Python threading.timer - repeat function every 'n' seconds
The best way is to start the timer thread once. Inside your timer thread you'd code the following
class MyThread(Thread):
def __init__(self, event):
Thread.__init__(self)
self.stopped = event
def run(self):
while not self.stopped.wait(0.5):
print("my thread")
# call a function
In the code that started the timer, you can then set
the stopped event to stop the timer.
stopFlag = Event()
thread = MyThread(stopFlag)
thread.start()
# this will stop the timer
stopFlag.set()
From Equivalent of setInterval in python:
import threading
def setInterval(interval):
def decorator(function):
def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
stopped = threading.Event()
def loop(): # executed in another thread
while not stopped.wait(interval): # until stopped
function(*args, **kwargs)
t = threading.Thread(target=loop)
t.daemon = True # stop if the program exits
t.start()
return stopped
return wrapper
return decorator
Usage:
@setInterval(.5)
def function():
"..."
stop = function() # start timer, the first call is in .5 seconds
stop.set() # stop the loop
stop = function() # start new timer
# ...
stop.set()
Or here's the same functionality but as a standalone function instead of a decorator:
cancel_future_calls = call_repeatedly(60, print, "Hello, World")
# ...
cancel_future_calls()
Here's how to do it without using threads.
Using timer threads-
from threading import Timer,Thread,Event
class perpetualTimer():
def __init__(self,t,hFunction):
self.t=t
self.hFunction = hFunction
self.thread = Timer(self.t,self.handle_function)
def handle_function(self):
self.hFunction()
self.thread = Timer(self.t,self.handle_function)
self.thread.start()
def start(self):
self.thread.start()
def cancel(self):
self.thread.cancel()
def printer():
print 'ipsem lorem'
t = perpetualTimer(5,printer)
t.start()
this can be stopped by t.cancel()