Python time Module

1. What is the time Module

The time module provides low-level time-related functions for:

• Timestamps

• Delays

• Performance measurement

• System clock interactions

import time

print(time.time())

Returns current time in seconds since the Unix Epoch.

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2. Get Current Time as Readable String

import time

current_time = time.ctime()
print(current_time)

Outputs human-readable system time, e.g.: Mon Nov 24 09:45:32 2025

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3. Get Current Time Components

import time

t = time.localtime()
print("Hour:", t.tm_hour)
print("Minute:", t.tm_min)
print("Second:", t.tm_sec)

Breaks current time into structured components.

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4. Sleep / Delay Execution

import time

print("Start")
time.sleep(2)
print("End after 2 seconds")

Pauses program execution for specified seconds.

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5. Measure Execution Time (Performance Timing)

import time

start = time.time()
time.sleep(1)
end = time.time()

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

Used for benchmarking and performance profiling.

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6. High-Precision Timer with perf_counter()

import time

start = time.perf_counter()
time.sleep(0.5)
end = time.perf_counter()

print("Precise Time:", end - start)

Recommended for performance-sensitive measurements.

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7. Formatting Time with strftime()

import time

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

Formats time using system clock.

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8. Parsing Time with strptime()

import time

parsed = time.strptime("24-11-2025 10:30:00", "%d-%m-%Y %H:%M:%S")
print(parsed)

Converts strings into time-struct objects.

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9. Convert Timestamp to Readable Time

import time

timestamp = time.time()
readable = time.ctime(timestamp)

print(readable)

Common pattern for API responses and logs.

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10. Enterprise Use Case: Rate Limiting Logic

import time

last_request = time.time()

def can_execute():
    global last_request
    current = time.time()
    if current - last_request >= 5:
        last_request = current
        return True
    return False

print(can_execute())

Controls execution frequency in APIs and services.

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Key Functions Overview

Function	Purpose
time.time()	Current timestamp
time.ctime()	Readable time string
time.sleep()	Delay execution
time.localtime()	Structured local time
time.gmtime()	UTC structured time
time.strftime()	Format time
time.strptime()	Parse time
time.perf_counter()	High precision timer

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time vs datetime

time Module	datetime Module
Low-level functions	High-level abstraction
System clock focus	Date/time manipulation
Ideal for delays & timing	Ideal for business logic

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Best Practices

• Use time.sleep() for scheduling delays

• Use perf_counter() for benchmarking

• Use datetime for business date logic

• Prefer UTC timestamps for server operations

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