What is the function of the Python Timer timer?

The Timer class in Python is used to create a timer object that can execute a specified function after a specified time interval.

The main functions of timer are two-fold:

1. Delayed execution of functions: Timer can delay the execution of a specific function and call the function after a specified time interval. This is very useful for scenarios where a function needs to be executed after a certain amount of time, such as scheduled tasks or polling operations.
2. Multi-thread processing: Timer extends the Thread class, so it can create a background thread to execute timed tasks. This helps prevent the main thread from being blocked, thus improving the program’s concurrency and responsiveness.

To use the Timer class, you need to specify two parameters: the time interval and the function to be executed. After creating and starting a Timer object, it will invoke the specified function after the designated time interval.

Here is an example code using Timer:

import threading

def print_hello():
    print("Hello, world!")

# 创建一个Timer对象，间隔2秒后调用print_hello函数
timer = threading.Timer(2, print_hello)
timer.start()

The above code will print “Hello, world!” after 2 seconds.