Add delay in code execution python

To add some delay in python code execution, you can use the sleep() function of the time module.

import time

print("Print without delay: ", end="")
print(time.ctime())

time.sleep(4)

print("Print after 4 seconds: ", end="")
print(time.ctime())

To use the sleep() method, we need to import the time python module. We can use time.sleep() after that. As a parameter, it takes the time delay in seconds. In the above code, we are passing 4 seconds as a delay in further program execution.

Use case of adding delay in program execution

There are a lot of python applications that requires some delays in program execution. For example, if you want to run a thread continuously with some delay between each thread execution. Then you can use the sleep() function. Or if you have some heavy tasks performed by the system and you want to delay the next process then you can also use it.

Example to print dict items with some delay using sleep() function

import time

student = {
  'name': 'Harold',
  'branch': 'IT',
  'code': 'p2001'
}

time.sleep(2)
print('Student name is : ', end='')
print(student['name'])

time.sleep(3)
print('Student branch is : ', end='')
print(student['branch'])

time.sleep(2)
print('Student code is : ', end='')
print(student['code'])

Here, We are printing dictionary(student) items with some delay in each of the item prints.

Print a list after some delay - 5 seconds

import time

time.sleep(5)

my_list = [10, 20, 30, 40, 50]
print(my_list)

We are adding a delay of 5 seconds before executing the program that prints a python list.

Use of sleep() function in for loop python

import time

# A list contains multiple names
names = ['John', 'Rick', 'Sara', 'Aarya']

for name in names:
  # Add 2 seconds delay
  time.sleep(2)

  # Print a name every two seconds
  print(name)

Here, we have defined a list(names) that contains multiple names. We applying For Loop on it to access its items. Each iteration of for loop will print a name with 2 seconds delay.

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