Python Library Reference

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7.5.5 Event Objects

This is one of the simplest mechanisms for communication between threads: one thread signals an event and other threads wait for it.

An event object manages an internal flag that can be set to true with the set() method and reset to false with the clear() method. The wait() method blocks until the flag is true.

class Event()

The internal flag is initially false.

isSet()

Return true if and only if the internal flag is true.

set()

Set the internal flag to true. All threads waiting for it to become true are awakened. Threads that call wait() once the flag is true will not block at all.

clear()

Reset the internal flag to false. Subsequently, threads calling wait() will block until set() is called to set the internal flag to true again.

wait([timeout])

Block until the internal flag is true. If the internal flag is true on entry, return immediately. Otherwise, block until another thread calls set() to set the flag to true, or until the optional timeout occurs.

When the timeout argument is present and not None, it should be a floating point number specifying a timeout for the operation in seconds (or fractions thereof).

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Python Library Reference

Previous: 7.5.4.1 Semaphore Example Up: 7.5 threading Next: 7.5.6 Thread Objects

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Release 2.2.1, documentation updated on April 10, 2002.