What's the best way to implement a timer in Python?

[Charlie of Bolton]

To complete my script, I would like to put a timer,
let say, I want the primary IP to be ping for 24 hrs, what
do you suggest me and than I stop anoying you : )

Brgds

[bartonc]

To complete my script, I would like to put a timer,
let say, I want the primary IP to be ping for 24 hrs, what
do you suggest me and than I stop annoying you : )

Brgds

I've also gotten pretty good at the whole 'site moderator' thing (ie: this new thread in your name).

It's really no annoyance. If we didn't enjoy this forum and the work entailed in keeping it alive and growing, we wouldn't be posting, etc. here.

Probably the best (safest) way to run a script periodically would be to schedule a task in the OS. Windows (in your case, I believe) uses the "Scheduled Tasks" applet in the Control Panel. On *nix, it's cron.

The reason for using the OS instead of a Python timer or scheduler is that the interface is guaranteed to be running even when your computer is first booted. If you would rather require that a Python script be running (it would be a great feature if you could shut down the task with out using the Task Manager (or ps)), then I could probably whip us some running examples which you could then fine tune. I strongly suggest the former solution, though.

[Charlie of Bolton]

Hi Bartonc,

I did the find the below script, to implement
a timer to ping each minute and stop in 24 hrs.
according to your script (below) where should I place
the following properly ? (did try several combinaisons but unsuc).
Or do you have a better idea ? (answer is probably yes : ) !

insert time
the_time = time.time()
start_time = the_time
end_time = the_time + (60*60*24)  # 24 hrs
while the_time < end_time:
# insert my code here ????????????????what I put here and How??
    time.sleep(60)    # wait 60 seconds
    the_time = time.time() # get the new time

def fil(data):
    patt = re.compile(r'\((\d+)% loss\)')
    patt1 = re.compile(r'(\d+.\d+.\d+.\d)')
 
    for line in data.split('\n'):
        
        if line.startswith("Ping statistics for"):
            ip = patt1.search(line).group(1)
            
        if patt.search(line):
            loss_num = int(patt.search(line).group(1))
            
            if loss_num >= 2 :
                s = open('c:/tmp/myprimarylogs.xls', 'a+')
                s.write("%s '%s'\n" % (loss_num, ip))
                s.close()
                # if loss >= 2, return False - then secondary IPs are pinged
                print 'loss_num is >= 2 ', loss_num
                return False
            else:
                print 'loss_num is < 2,', loss_num
                return True
 
def ping(*fnames):
    g = open(fnames[0], 'w')
    for fn in fnames[1:]:
        f=open(fn, 'r')
        ipList = [line.strip() for line in f.readlines()]
        f.close()
        resList = []
        for ipAdd in ipList:
            pingaling =os.popen("ping %s" %(ipAdd),"r")
            data = pingaling.read()
            resList.append(data)
            # if loss > 2, ping secondary IPs
            proceed = fil(data)
            if proceed:
                break       
        g.write('/n'.join(resList))
        if proceed:
            break
    g.close()
 
def get_IPs(fnP, fnS):
    while True:
        ipAddP = raw_input("# Enter Primary IP: ")
        if validIP(ipAddP):
            f = open(fnP, 'w')
            f.write(ipAddP.strip() + "\n")
            f.close()
            break
        else:
            print "Invalid IP."
    ipList = []
    while True:
        while True:
            ipAddS = raw_input("# Enter Secondary IP: ")
            if validIP(ipAddS):
                ipList.append(ipAddS.strip())
                break
            else:
                print "Invalid IP"
        s = raw_input("# Enter another IP? Y/N: " )
        if s.upper() == "N":
            f = open(fnS, 'w')
            f.write('\n'.join(ipList))
            f.close()
            break
 
fnP = 'c:/tmp/primaryip.xls'
fnS = 'c:/tmp/secip.xls'
fnW = 'c:/tmp/workfile.txt'
 
get_IPs(fnP, fnS)
ping(fnW, fnP, fnS)

[Smygis]

Loads of code

something like:
[code=python]
#!/usr/bin/env python
# coding: UTF-8

import time
import re
import whateverelse

fnP = 'c:/tmp/primaryip.xls'
fnS = 'c:/tmp/secip.xls'
fnW = 'c:/tmp/workfile.txt'

def fil(data):
......

def ping(*fnames):
......

def get_IPs(fnP, fnS):
......

def main():
the_time = time.time()
start_time = the_time # Youre not using start_time at all btw.
end_time = the_time + (60*60*24) # 24 hrs
while the_time < end_time:
get_IPs(fnP, fnS)
ping(fnW, fnP, fnS)
time.sleep(60) # wait 60 seconds
the_time = time.time() # get the new time


if __name__ == "__main__":
main()
[/code]
perhaps? Not many other ways of doing it.

[Charlie of Bolton]

Hi,
tks for your reply,

I did try your script but it
stop to :

# Enter Primary IP:

[Smygis]

Hi,
tks for your reply,

I did try your script but it
stop to :

# Enter Primary IP:

Sorry to say it but your code makes no sense at all.
You use several functions that are never defined somwhere.

But i do know that this part:
[code=python]

end_time = the_time + (60*60*24) # 24 hrs
while the_time < end_time:
get_IPs(fnP, fnS)
ping(fnW, fnP, fnS)
[/Code]
is 'wrong' and shuld be this:
[code=python]

end_time = the_time + (60*60*24) # 24 hrs
get_IPs(fnP, fnS)
while the_time < end_time:
ping(fnW, fnP, fnS)
[/Code]

<rant>
WO! THERE IS A SLIMY LITTLE BUG IN THE CODE-TAGGS!