If I want to add a timer to my program (Timed practice exam)

[Jory R Ferrell]

I will be using python 3 (comp is currently broken so I can't test examples) btw. Do I need to create the timer function as a separate thread and create a event-driven interruption in the main loop which reacts to the timer? Or is there a simpler way to create the timer INSIDE the main loop that I'm too retarded to think of? :P

[Jory R Ferrell]

Nvrmind....answered my own question.

[bvdet]

I just happen to have a Tkinter script demonstrating a timer application. You should be able to do what you want in the main loop.

import Tkinter
from Tkconstants import *
import time
 
textFont1 = ("Arial", 16, "bold")
 
class Timer(Tkinter.Frame):
    def __init__(self, master):
        self.master = master
        buttonFrame = Tkinter.Frame(master)
        self.btnList = []
        for i, name in enumerate(["Start", "Stop", "Exit"]):
            def handler(i=i):
                return self.manage_timer(i)
            btn = Tkinter.Button(buttonFrame, text=name, padx=5, pady=5,
                         bd=4, bg='#ff0', fg="#00f",
                         activebackground = "#00f",
                         activeforeground = "#ff0",
                         font=textFont1,
                         relief='raised',
                         command=handler)
            btn.pack(side="left", fill=BOTH, expand=1)
            self.btnList.append(btn)
        buttonFrame.pack(fill=BOTH, expand=1)
        self.start()
 
    def start(self):
        Tkinter.Frame.__init__(self, self.master)
        self.pack(fill=BOTH, expand=1)
        self.clockVar = Tkinter.StringVar(self.master)
        self.clockLabel = Tkinter.Label(self, textvariable=self.clockVar,
                                        relief="raised", font=textFont1,
                                        bd=3,
                                        bg='#ffffff000',
                                        fg="#000000fff",
                                        activebackground = "#000000fff",
                                        activeforeground = "#ffffff000",
                                        takefocus=1,
                                        padx=3,
                                        pady=3,
                                        width=16)
        self.clockLabel.pack(fill=BOTH, expand=1)
        self.clockVar.set("0.000")
        self.btnList[1].configure(state=DISABLED)
 
    def update_time(self):
        self.clockVar.set("%0.3f" % (time.time()-self.starttime))
        if self.active:
            self.after(10, self.update_time)
        else:
            self.clockVar.set("Elapsed time: %0.3f"% (time.time()-self.starttime))
 
    def manage_timer(self, idx):
        if idx == 0:
            self.btnList[0].configure(state=DISABLED)
            self.btnList[1].configure(state=NORMAL)
            self.active = True
            self.starttime = time.time()
            self.update_time()
        elif idx == 1:
            self.btnList[0].configure(state=NORMAL)
            self.btnList[1].configure(state=DISABLED)
            self.active = False
        elif idx == 2:
            self.master.destroy()
 
if __name__ == "__main__":
    root = Tkinter.Tk()
    app = Timer(root)
    root.mainloop()

[bvdet]

OK Jory - What was the answer?

[Jory R Ferrell]

:P Well...it was the wrong answer....I thought I would need to use a thread! So since the timer is created as an instance of an object instead of just as a function, it allows me to run the timer at the same time as determining questions to ask and taking input from the user, as if I was using a separate thread?

[bvdet]

The user can interact with other widgets while the timer runs. Example:

import Tkinter
from Tkconstants import *
import time
 
textFont1 = ("Arial", 16, "bold")
 
class EntryWidget(Tkinter.Entry):
    def __init__(self, master, initial=""):
        Tkinter.Entry.__init__(self, master=master)
        self.value = Tkinter.StringVar()
        self.config(textvariable=self.value, width=20,
                    relief="ridge", font=textFont1,
                    bg="#ddd", fg="#e00",
                    justify='center')
        self.pack(fill=BOTH, expand=1)
        self.value.set(initial)
 
class Timer(Tkinter.Frame):
    def __init__(self, master):
        self.master = master
        buttonFrame = Tkinter.Frame(master)
        self.btnList = []
        for i, name in enumerate(["Start", "Stop", "Exit"]):
            def handler(i=i):
                return self.manage_timer(i)
            btn = Tkinter.Button(buttonFrame, text=name, padx=5, pady=5,
                         bd=4, bg='#ff0', fg="#00f",
                         activebackground = "#00f",
                         activeforeground = "#ff0",
                         font=textFont1,
                         relief='raised',
                         command=handler)
            btn.pack(side="left", fill=BOTH, expand=1)
            self.btnList.append(btn)
        buttonFrame.pack(fill=BOTH, expand=1)
        self.start()
 
    def start(self):
        Tkinter.Frame.__init__(self, self.master)
        self.pack(fill=BOTH, expand=1)
        self.clockVar = Tkinter.StringVar(self.master)
        self.clockLabel = Tkinter.Label(self, textvariable=self.clockVar,
                                        relief="raised", font=textFont1,
                                        bd=3,
                                        bg='#ffffff000',
                                        fg="#000000fff",
                                        activebackground = "#000000fff",
                                        activeforeground = "#ffffff000",
                                        takefocus=1,
                                        padx=3,
                                        pady=3,
                                        width=20)
        self.clockLabel.pack(fill=BOTH, expand=1)
        self.clockVar.set("0.000")
        self.btnList[1].configure(state=DISABLED)
        self.w = EntryWidget(self, "Enter Text")
        self.w.bind(sequence="<KeyRelease>", func=self.lower)
 
    def lower(self, event):
        event.widget.value.set(event.widget.value.get().lower())
 
    def update_time(self):
        self.clockVar.set("%0.3f" % (time.time()-self.starttime))
        if self.active:
            self.after(10, self.update_time)
        else:
            self.clockVar.set("Elapsed time: %0.3f"% (time.time()-self.starttime))
 
    def manage_timer(self, idx):
        if idx == 0:
            self.btnList[0].configure(state=DISABLED)
            self.btnList[1].configure(state=NORMAL)
            self.active = True
            self.starttime = time.time()
            self.update_time()
        elif idx == 1:
            self.btnList[0].configure(state=NORMAL)
            self.btnList[1].configure(state=DISABLED)
            self.active = False
        elif idx == 2:
            self.master.destroy()
 
if __name__ == "__main__":
    root = Tkinter.Tk()
    app = Timer(root)
    root.mainloop()