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classification
Title: Make threading.Event().wait(timeout=3) return isSet
Type: enhancement Stage:
Components: Library (Lib) Versions: Python 3.1, Python 2.7
process
Status: closed Resolution: accepted
Dependencies: Superseder:
Assigned To: georg.brandl Nosy List: carmiac, davidfraser, georg.brandl, gvanrossum, pitrou, tim.peters, tlesher
Priority: normal Keywords: patch

Created on 2007-03-05 13:33 by davidfraser, last changed 2022-04-11 14:56 by admin. This issue is now closed.

Files
File name Uploaded Description Edit
event-wait-retval.diff tlesher, 2008-05-06 16:28 proposed patch for threading.py and documentation
Messages (9)
msg55044 - (view) Author: David Fraser (davidfraser) Date: 2007-03-05 13:33
Currently the wait method on threading.Event always returns None, even if a timeout is given and the event is not set.
This means that there is no way to determine whether the wait method returned because the event was set, or because the timeout period expired, without querying the event status again:

x.wait(3)
if x.isSet():
  # do stuff

Note that in the above case, the event could be cleared between the return from x.wait and the execution of x.isSet (in another thread), and so this would operate as though x.wait had just timed out

It would be great to be able to do:

if x.wait(3):
  # do stuff

This should also not affect any existing code as it shouldn't be relying on the return value from x.wait anyway
msg66317 - (view) Author: Tim Lesher (tlesher) * Date: 2008-05-06 16:28
This one-line change to threading.py makes Event.wait() return isSet().
 Also includes the corresponding update to documentation in threading.rst.
msg66324 - (view) Author: Georg Brandl (georg.brandl) * (Python committer) Date: 2008-05-06 17:22
Tim, you said this was a bad idea for conditions in #1175933 - is the
same true for Events?
msg71566 - (view) Author: Adam Milner (carmiac) Date: 2008-08-20 18:44
I would like to add my support for this change.  As David described, it
is often useful to know why the x.wait() has returned, not just that it has.
msg72697 - (view) Author: Antoine Pitrou (pitrou) * (Python committer) Date: 2008-09-06 21:16
I agree this would be a worthwhile addition too. Unfortunately given the
current schedule this will probably have to wait for 2.7/3.1.
msg83556 - (view) Author: Antoine Pitrou (pitrou) * (Python committer) Date: 2009-03-14 01:09
A test should be added to the patch, and then I think it could go in.
msg84546 - (view) Author: Tim Lesher (tlesher) * Date: 2009-03-30 14:07
Thanks, Antoine. I will re-check the patch against trunk and add tests 
this week.
msg84569 - (view) Author: Guido van Rossum (gvanrossum) * (Python committer) Date: 2009-03-30 15:53
Looking at this, I think this change is fine.  The _Event class itself
holds the condition that it's checking for, and the is_set() method
doesn't acquire the lock, so there's no reason to prefer

e.wait()
if e.is_set():
    GOT_IT()

over

if e.wait():
    GOT_IT()

IOW Tim's reasoning in #1175933 for rejecting a similar change to
_Condition.wait() doesn't apply here.  I think we can go ahead without
waiting for Tim to confirm this.
msg84895 - (view) Author: Georg Brandl (georg.brandl) * (Python committer) Date: 2009-03-31 20:41
Added a pony test and committed in r70883.
History
Date User Action Args
2022-04-11 14:56:22adminsetgithub: 44660
2009-03-31 20:41:16georg.brandlsetstatus: open -> closed
assignee: tim.peters -> georg.brandl
resolution: accepted
messages: + msg84895
2009-03-30 15:53:25gvanrossumsetnosy: + gvanrossum
messages: + msg84569
2009-03-30 14:07:37tleshersetmessages: + msg84546
2009-03-14 01:10:00pitrousetmessages: + msg83556
2008-09-06 21:16:59pitrousetnosy: + pitrou
messages: + msg72697
versions: + Python 3.1, Python 2.7, - Python 2.6
2008-09-06 21:11:46akuchlingsetcomponents: - Documentation
2008-08-20 18:44:40carmiacsetnosy: + carmiac
messages: + msg71566
2008-05-06 17:22:05georg.brandlsetassignee: georg.brandl -> tim.peters
messages: + msg66324
nosy: + tim.peters
2008-05-06 16:43:17tleshersetassignee: georg.brandl
components: + Documentation, Library (Lib), - Interpreter Core
nosy: + georg.brandl
2008-05-06 16:28:03tleshersetfiles: + event-wait-retval.diff
keywords: + patch
messages: + msg66317
nosy: + tlesher
2007-03-05 13:33:33davidfrasercreate