Time module in python

Python time Module – Complete Guide With Examples

The time module in Python is used to work with date & time values, timestamps, delays, stopwatch features, and time formatting. It is one of the most important built-in modules when you want to:

• Display the current date and time
• Measure execution time of programs
• Convert timestamps into readable formats
• Pause program execution (sleep)
• Calculate time differences

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Basic Example of the Time Module

import time

print(time.time())                      # returns current timestamp (seconds since 1970)
print(time.localtime(time.time()))      # converts timestamp to local time structure
print(time.asctime(time.localtime(time.time())))  # converts to readable date-time format

Output Example:

1735942230.7655
time.struct_time(tm_year=2025, tm_mon=1, tm_mday=15, tm_hour=11, tm_min=10, tm_sec=30, ...)
Wed Jan 15 11:10:30 2025

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Breakdown of time.struct_time Values

When you call time.localtime(), Python returns a structure containing:

• tm_year – Year
• tm_mon – Month
• tm_mday – Day of month
• tm_hour – Hours
• tm_min – Minutes
• tm_sec – Seconds
• tm_wday – Day of week
• tm_yday – Day of year

Example: Display Custom Date Format

import time

d = time.localtime(time.time())
print(str(d.tm_year) + ":" + str(d.tm_mon) + ":" + str(d.tm_mday))

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Useful Functions of the Time Module

1. time.sleep() – Pause Program Execution

import time

print("Start")
time.sleep(2)     # waits 2 seconds
print("End")

2. Measure Execution Time (Stopwatch)

import time

start = time.time()

# some code
for i in range(1000000):
    pass

end = time.time()

print("Execution time:", end - start, "seconds")

3. Get Current Time in Different Formats

import time

print(time.strftime("%Y-%m-%d"))
print(time.strftime("%H:%M:%S"))
print(time.strftime("%d-%m-%Y %I:%M:%S %p"))

Output Example:

2025-01-15
11:18:25
15-01-2025 11:18:25 AM

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Formatting Codes for strftime()

Format Code	Description
%Y	4-digit year
%y	2-digit year
%m	Month (01–12)
%d	Day (01–31)
%H	Hour (24-hour)
%I	Hour (12-hour)
%M	Minutes
%S	Seconds
%p	AM/PM
%A	Full weekday name
%B	Full month name

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Example: Display Full Date and Time

import time

print(time.strftime("%A, %d %B %Y - %I:%M:%S %p"))

Output:

Wednesday, 15 January 2025 - 11:25:39 AM

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Example: Countdown Timer

import time

for i in range(5, 0, -1):
    print(i)
    time.sleep(1)

print("Time Up!")

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Assignment – Time Module Programs

1. WAP to create a digital clock that updates every second.
2. WAP to measure execution time of bubble sort using the time module.
3. WAP to print today’s date in format: DD/MM/YYYY.
4. WAP to create a stopwatch with Start/Stop features.
5. WAP to calculate difference between two timestamps.