[Python-Dev] this is why we shouldn't call it a "monotonic clock" (was: PEP 418 is too divisive and confusing and should be postponed)

Cameron Simpson cs at zip.com.au
Sat Apr 7 00:28:27 CEST 2012


On 06Apr2012 17:07, Kristj�n Valur J�nsson <kristjan at ccpgames.com> wrote:
| Steven D'Aprano:
| > I think that this is incorrect.
| > py> time.clock(); time.sleep(10); time.clock()
| > 0.41
| > 0.41
|
| This is the original reason for the original defect (issue 10278)
| unix' clock() doesn't actually provide a clock in this sense, it provides a resource usage metric.

Yeah:-( Its help says "Return the CPU time or real time since [...]".
Two very different things, as demonstrated. I suppose neither goes
backwards, but this seems like a classic example of the "useless
monotonic clock" against which Greg Ewing railed.

And why? For one thing, because one can't inspect its metadata to find
out what it does.
-- 
Cameron Simpson <cs at zip.com.au> DoD#743
http://www.cskk.ezoshosting.com/cs/

Tens of thousands of messages, hundreds of points of view.  It was not called
the Net of a Million Lies for nothing.  - Vernor Vinge, _A Fire Upon The Deep_


More information about the Python-Dev mailing list