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Python clock function on FreeBSD

While testing Pythons time.clock() function on FreeBSD I've noticed it always returns the same value, around 0.156

The time.time() function works properly but I need a something with a slightly higher resolution.

Does anyone the C function it's bound to and if there is an alternative high resolution timer?

I'm not profiling so the TimeIt module is not really appropriate here.

Solution

  • time.clock() returns the processor time. That is, how much time the current process has used on the processor. So if you have a Python script called "clock.py", that does import time;print time.clock() it will indeed print about exactly the same each time you run it, as a new process is started each time.

    Here is a python console log that might explain it to you:

    >>> import time
>>> time.clock()
0.11
>>> time.clock()
0.11
>>> time.clock()
0.11
>>> for x in xrange(100000000): pass
... 
>>> time.clock()
7.7800000000000002
>>> time.clock()
7.7800000000000002
>>> time.clock()
7.7800000000000002

    I hope this clarifies things.