Running a python script at set intervals

Question

The idea is to keep this script running from 9AM to 6PM.

I want to run the script 'once' 10 seconds before the end of every minute. Meaning 9:01:50,9:02:50,9:03:50 and so on ...till 5:59:50

Here is my code for that

from datetime import datetime, time, timedelta, date
import time


i = 0
while i <= 1:
    t = datetime.now()
    my_time = t.strftime("%H:%M:%S.%f")

    if t.second  >=50:
        print("my local time is", my_time)

        tt = datetime.now()
        time.sleep(55)
        print("after sleep print time is", tt)

Now during the middle of the day if I decide that I want to run this script only one ever half an hour I use

if t.minute == 29 and t.second >=50:
   print("my local time is", my_time)
elseif t.minute == 59 and t.second >=50):
   print("my local time is", my_time)

The problem starts when during the day I change my mind over and over and I decide to run the script every 4 minutes or lets say 6 mintues keeping the start point as 9am and end point as 6pm.

Is there any way where I can set a variable at the beginning of the script such that all I need to do is change that variable and restart the script such that it does the job at the set interval henceforth. So at 9:37am I change the variable to 5 ... where 5 is minutes. then the script will run at 9:39:50, 9:44:50,9:49:50 and so on...

At 10:04 I will change the variable to 15 and the script will make the first print at 10:14:50... the next at 10:29:50 and so on...

How can this be done? Thanks in advance.

In case you are running on Linux or MacOS, are you aware of cron/crontab? — MisterMiyagi
– MisterMiyagi, Commented Aug 24, 2020 at 18:57
I am on a windows machine. and its not that i want to run this script individually. this is a function. — J-Jillu
– J-Jillu, Commented Aug 24, 2020 at 19:03
@J-Jillu check out scheduled tasks: stackoverflow.com/questions/7195503/… — M Z
– M Z, Commented Aug 24, 2020 at 19:05

Jonathan Mayer · Accepted Answer · 2020-08-24 21:32:11Z

2

You probably want the schedule module: https://github.com/dbader/schedule

import schedule
import datetime

def job():
    print("I'm working...")

def office_hours():
    d = datetime.datetime.now()
    return (d.hour > 8) and (d.hour < 18)

interval = 10  # minutes
schedule.every(interval).minutes.at(":50").do(job)

while True:
    if office_hours():
      schedule.run_pending()
      time.sleep(1)
    else:
      time.sleep(60)

answered Aug 24, 2020 at 21:32

Jonathan Mayer

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Comments

Renaud · Accepted Answer · 2020-08-24 19:48:38Z

1

For sure a cron job would be the best for your request. But if you want you can try by defining a function and passing a variable:

from datetime import datetime, time, timedelta, date
import time

def myfunction(interval=1):
    i = 0
    minut_to_run =[] 
    minutes = 59
    while minutes >= 0:
       minut_to_run.append(minutes)
       minutes -= interval

    while i <= 1:
       t = datetime.now()
       my_time = t.strftime("%H:%M:%S.%f")

       if t.second >= 50 and t.minute in minut_to_run:
           print("my local time is", my_time)
           time.sleep(55)
           print("after sleep print time is", t)

interval_in_minut = 6
myfunction(interval=interval_in_minut)

edited Aug 24, 2020 at 19:48

answered Aug 24, 2020 at 19:24

Renaud

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1 Comment

Renaud Over a year ago

I forgot an e to .minute. I corrected it and it seems to work.

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