Standard Input with Timeout

1.0.4 · active · verified Thu Apr 09

inputimeout is a lightweight, cross-platform Python library that provides a standard input function with a specified timeout. It's useful for interactive scripts where user input is required within a limited timeframe. The current stable version is 1.0.4, with infrequent updates as it's a mature, focused utility.

Warnings

gotcha Unlike the built-in `input()` function, `inputimeout()` raises a `TimeoutOccurred` exception if the timeout is reached. This exception *must* be explicitly caught.
Fix: Always wrap `inputimeout()` calls in a `try...except TimeoutOccurred` block to handle the case where no input is provided.
gotcha The behavior of `inputimeout` can be inconsistent in non-interactive environments (e.g., some IDEs like PyCharm's run window, CI/CD pipelines, or certain terminal emulators) or when `sys.stdin` is redirected. It might immediately raise `TimeoutOccurred` or other I/O errors.
Fix: Test your application's input behavior thoroughly in the target environment. Consider providing a fallback mechanism (e.g., using command-line arguments or environment variables) for non-interactive scenarios, or checking `sys.stdin.isatty()` before attempting timed input.

Install

pip install inputimeout Install stable version

Imports

inputimeout
```
from inputimeout import inputimeout
```
TimeoutOccurred
```
from inputimeout import TimeoutOccurred
```

Quickstart

This example demonstrates how to prompt a user for input with a 5-second timeout. If the user doesn't provide input within the specified time, a `TimeoutOccurred` exception is raised, which should be handled to prevent your program from crashing and to provide a fallback behavior.

from inputimeout import inputimeout, TimeoutOccurred

try:
    # Prompt for input with a 5-second timeout
    user_input = inputimeout(prompt='Enter something within 5 seconds: ', timeout=5)
    print(f"You entered: {user_input}")
except TimeoutOccurred:
    print("No input received within the time limit.")
    user_input = None
except Exception as e:
    print(f"An error occurred: {e}")

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