How to Execute a Function Every Minute for One Hour in Python

Discover how to create a simple Python script that executes a function every minute for one hour, ensuring accurate timing even when the function takes time to run.
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How to Execute a Function Every Minute for One Hour in Python

Are you looking to execute a particular function every minute for one hour, but unsure how to implement it in Python? The solution is more straightforward than you may think! In this post, we’ll walk you through the necessary steps to achieve this and explain how to handle execution time properly to maintain accuracy.

Understanding the Problem

You want to run a function, which in this case prints the current timestamp, once every minute for a total duration of one hour. Here’s a simple outline of what you need:

Frequency: Execute the function every 1 minute.

Duration: The function should continue running for 1 hour (60 minutes).

To help you visualize, consider your function as the main player and the time intervals as its scheduled performances.

1. Defining the Function

First, we need a function that performs the desired task. Here’s a basic implementation:

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This function prints the current date and time whenever it’s called.

2. Setting the Loop Structure

To run this function repeatedly, we’ll use a loop. We will also incorporate a delay to introduce a one-minute pause between calls to funcprint(). Here’s how the basic structure of the loop looks:

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Explanation of the Code

while loop: It continues to run until the defined condition is false, in this case, until one hour has passed.

3. Handling Function Execution Time

If funcprint() takes some time to execute (e.g., 2-3 seconds), you will need to adjust the waiting time after each execution to avoid any cumulative drift. The below method calculates the elapsed time:

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Benefits of This Adjustment

Precision: This adjustment ensures that you still invoke the function every 60 seconds, despite any execution delays.

Dynamic Timing: The sleep time changes based on how long the function runs.

4. Avoiding Milliseconds Drift

To avoid drift over longer periods, we can refine our approach by carrying out the starting time outside the loop:

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Output Example

When running this refined code, you'll see consistent timestamps printed at one-minute intervals, with minimal drift over time:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Conclusion

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can effectively create a script that executes a function every minute for an hour, while maintaining accuracy in timing even if the function execution time varies. This technique is beneficial for many automation tasks in Python programming.

Feel free to ask if you have any questions regarding this implementation or need further clarification on any of the steps!