How Can I Gracefully Handle Function Timeouts in Python?

Function Timeout Handling in Python

When calling a function that might execute indefinitely or encounter issues that require script termination, a timeout mechanism is useful. In Python, we can utilize the following methods to handle function timeouts gracefully.

Using the signal Module:

If running on a UNIX system, the signal package provides a way to handle timeouts. By registering a timeout handler, we can cancel the function execution if it exceeds the predetermined time limit. Here's an example using signal:

import signal

# Register a handler for the timeout
def handler(signum, frame):
    print("Forever is over!")
    raise Exception("end of time")

# Define a potentially long-running function
def loop_forever():
    import time
    while 1:
        print("sec")
        time.sleep(1)

# Set up the signal handler
signal.signal(signal.SIGALRM, handler)

# Define the timeout duration (in seconds)
timeout = 10
signal.alarm(timeout)

# Attempt to execute the function
try:
    loop_forever()
except Exception as exc:
    print(exc)

# Cancel the timeout after the function completes
signal.alarm(0)

When the function loop_forever() exceeds the 10-second timeout, the handler function is called, raising an exception that can be handled in the main code.

Note:

It's important to use the signal module with caution. It's not fully thread-safe, so it's best to avoid using it in multi-threaded applications.

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