# Python Time Module

The `time` module provides various time-related functions. It is commonly used for measuring execution time, suspending execution, and formatting time.

## Importing the Module

```python
import time
```

## Getting Current Time

### `time.time()`

Returns the current time in seconds since the Epoch (January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 (UTC)).

```python
import time

seconds = time.time()
print("Seconds since epoch =", seconds)
```

### `time.ctime()`

Returns a string representing the current time.

```python
import time

local_time = time.ctime()
print("Local time:", local_time)
```

## Suspending Execution

### `time.sleep()`

Suspends execution of the calling thread for the given number of seconds.

```python
import time

print("Start")
time.sleep(2)
print("End")
```

## Formatting Time

### `time.strftime()`

Converts a `struct_time` object (like that returned by `time.localtime()`) to a string according to a format specification.

```python
import time

named_tuple = time.localtime() # get struct_time
time_string = time.strftime("%m/%d/%Y, %H:%M:%S", named_tuple)

print(time_string)
```

## Performance Counters

### `time.perf_counter()`

Returns the value (in fractional seconds) of a performance counter, i.e. a clock with the highest available resolution to measure a short duration.

```python
import time

start = time.perf_counter()
# ... do something ...
time.sleep(1)
end = time.perf_counter()
print(f"Elapsed time: {end - start}")
```

[[programming/python/python]]