How to Execute a Function Every 5 Minutes with Python Without sleep

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How to Execute a Function Every 5 Minutes with Python Without sleep

The Problem

Imagine your script starts at an arbitrary time, say 10:12. You want it to fetch updates from an API every 5 minutes, starting from the next "clean" interval instead of waiting 5 minutes from when the script was initiated. How do you achieve this in an efficient and effective way? Let’s dive into the solution.

The Solution: A Scheduled API Check

To accomplish this, we can use the threading module in Python, which allows us to run our API checking function on a separate thread. This way, our main script won't be blocked while waiting for the specified time intervals.

Step 1: Defining the Function to Check the API

First, we need to define the check_api function where you'll place the actual code for fetching and processing the API data.

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Step 2: Create a Scheduling Function

Next, we create a scheduling function that will manage when to execute our check. The following code will first wait until the next 5-minute mark is reached and then will continue to check every 5 minutes thereafter:

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

Step 3: Starting the Thread

Now, we will create a thread that runs our scheduling function. This will allow your main program to continue executing while the checks happen in the background.

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

Step 4: Handling Program Exit

To ensure the thread quits appropriately when you exit your main program, you can set it as a daemon or use a flag like so:

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

This setup will allow your scheduled API checks to run gracefully without crashing or hanging the program.

Step 5: Alternative Method: Using Timer

If you prefer a less complex solution, you can use the threading.Timer class:

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

Conclusion

Feel free to implement these solutions and customize the check_api function to suit your specific API processing needs! Happy coding!