Waiting Animation in Python Script

It is very often that we are writing some scripts and we need to put some sleep before executing the next step. During the sleep time of script Either you can use simple sleep and print a line or you can use little waiting animation during the sleep. Try running the below script, It will provide you some animation during sleeping time.

The script is quite simple and self-explanatory. Feel free to modify and experiment with the script to get some kooler waiting animation.

import time
import sys
import random

###################- Core Methods -################
def next_pos(i, fwd):
    if fwd:
        return i+1
    else:
        return i-1;


def nextchar_cursor(pattern):
    while True:
        for cursor in pattern:
            yield cursor


#######- Simple spin and wait -#####################

def spinner(speed, wt):
    cursor = nextchar_cursor("-/\\|")
    st = 1.0 / speed
    for i in range(wt):
      rs = "%3d" % (wt-i)
      for j in range(speed):
        sys.stdout.write("-> "+rs+"s   "+cursor.next()+" \r")
        sys.stdout.flush()
        time.sleep(st)

#######- Simple Oscillator -#####################

def oscillator(speed, ln):
    cs = "_-`-" #Unit pattern
    w = 4 #Max no. of cs units
    wl = 12 #Oscillator Length
    ca = (w*cs)
    span = len(ca) - wl
    st = 1.0 / speed
    fwd = True
    idx = 0
    for i in range(ln):
      rs = "%3d" % (ln - i)
      for j in range(speed):
        f1 = (" "*idx)
        f2 = ca[idx:idx+wl]
        f3 = (" "*(len(ca) - idx - wl))
        fp = lp = '|'
        if len(f1) == 0:
            fp = "/"
        if len(f3) == 0:
            lp = "\\"
        ns =  fp+ f1 +  f2 + f3 + lp
        sys.stdout.write('-> '+rs+'s     '+ns+'\r')
        sys.stdout.flush()
        time.sleep(st)
        idx = next_pos(idx, fwd)
        if(idx ==0): fwd = True
        if(idx == span): fwd = False


#######- Vertigo Oscillator -################
def vertigo_oscillator(speed, ln):
    chars = nextchar_cursor("/\\")
    cs = "    "
    w = 10
    ca = (w*cs)
    N = len(ca)
    st = 1.0 / speed
    fwd = True
    idx = 0
    for i in range(ln):
      rs = "%3d" % (ln - i)
      for j in range(speed):
        ns = ca[0:idx]+chars.next()+ca[idx+1:N]
        sys.stdout.write('-> '+rs+'s |'+ns+'|\r')
        sys.stdout.flush()
        time.sleep(st)
        idx = next_pos(idx, fwd)
        if(idx ==0): fwd = True
        if(idx == (N-1)): fwd = False


#######- Domino Falling -#####################
def domino_falling(speed, ln):
    chars = nextchar_cursor("/\\")
    cs = "_-`-"
    w = 15
    ca = (w*cs)
    N = len(ca)
    st = 1.0 / speed
    fwd = True
    idx = 0
    for i in range(ln):
      rs = "%3d" % (ln - i)
      for j in range(speed):
        ns = ca[0:idx]+chars.next()+ca[idx+1:N]
        sys.stdout.write('-> '+rs+'s ['+ns+']\r')
        sys.stdout.flush()
        time.sleep(st)
        idx = next_pos(idx, fwd)
        if(idx ==0): fwd = True
        if(idx == (N-1)): fwd = False

#######- Domino Falling -#####################
def wave(speed, ln):
    cs = "_-`-"
    w = 15
    ca = (w*cs)
    N = len(ca)
    st = 1.0 / speed
    fwd = True
    idx = 0
    for i in range(ln):
      rs = "%3d" % (ln - i)
      for j in range(speed):
        ns = ca[0:idx]+" "+ca[idx+1:N]
        sys.stdout.write('-> '+rs+'s ['+ns+']\r')
        sys.stdout.flush()
        time.sleep(st)
        idx = next_pos(idx, fwd)
        if(idx ==0): fwd = True
        if(idx == (N-1)): fwd = False


#############- Demo -###############################
def demo_all(speed, wt):
    spinner(speed, wt)
    oscillator(speed, wt)
    vertigo_oscillator(speed+5, wt)
    domino_falling(speed, wt)
    wave(speed, wt)


def surprise_me(speed, wt):
    r = random.randint(1,5)
    if r==1:
        spinner(speed, wt)
    elif r==2:
        oscillator(speed, wt)
    elif r==3:
        vertigo_oscillator(speed+5, wt)
    elif r==4:
        domino_falling(speed, wt)
    else:
        wave(speed+2, wt)


demo_all(10, 10)
#surprise_me(12, 10)