Python: How to compare time in 24 Hrs format-CodePudding

I am stuck with this tricky part with time manipulation:-

start_time = 22.00.00 -------------[10pm]

end_time = 05.00.00 ---------[5.0am]

current_time = 01.00.00 -----------[1am]

Here, I want to verify my current time is between start and end time.

This line of condition does not work here:-

if start_time < current_time < end_time:    
     DO THIS

How am I suppose to handle this ?

CodePudding user response：

Given that your time strings are in HH.MM.SS format, you can compare them directly as strings. However you need to take account of the fact that the period might span a 24-hour boundary, so that end_time < start_time. In that scenario you need to reverse the compare and invert the result.

start_time = "22.00.00"
end_time = "05.00.00"
current_time = "01.00.00"

if start_time < end_time and start_time < current_time < end_time or \
   end_time < start_time and not (end_time < current_time < start_time):
    # do this!
    pass

CodePudding user response：

If you want a straightforward universal solution you can use datetime.datetime.strptime like this

#!/usr/bin/env python
import datetime

start_time = "22.00.00"
end_time = "05.00.00"
current_time = "01.00.00"

start_dt = datetime.datetime.strptime(start_time, "%H.%M.%S")
end_dt = datetime.datetime.strptime(end_time, "%H.%M.%S")
current_dt = datetime.datetime.strptime(current_time, "%H.%M.%S")

if start_dt < current_dt < end_dt:
    print("wahoo!")
else:
    print("wrong")

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However, there is actually a less readable yet faster way to do it which avoids actually analyzing the date, which is you to make a number from the strings like this.

#!/usr/bin/env python
start_time = "22.00.00"
end_time = "05.00.00"
current_time = "01.00.00"

if int(start_time.replace(".","")) < int(current_time.replace(".","")) < int(end_time.replace(".","")):
    print("wahoo!")
else:
    print("wrong")

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