timedinput

A Python module that waits for a specified amount of time for user input. If no input is received within the given timeout period, the module returns a default value or raises an exception.

Unlike standard timeout modules, timedinput actively monitors keystrokes and fully supports modern interactive environments like Jupyter Notebooks, Google Colab, and VS Code.

Installation

Standard installation for standard terminals (Windows/macOS/Linux):

pip install timedinput

For Jupyter/Colab Support: To enable timeout functionality inside Jupyter environments, install the optional UI dependencies:

pip install timedinput[jupyter]

(If you use timedinput in Jupyter without these dependencies, it will gracefully fall back to a standard, non-timing input() prompt to prevent crashes).

Usage

The timedinput function takes three optional arguments: prompt, timeout, and default.

from timedinput import timedinput

# Prompt the user for input with a timeout of 10 seconds
user_input = timedinput("Enter something: ", timeout=10)

# Prompt the user for input with a timeout of 5 seconds and a default value
user_input = timedinput("Enter something: ", timeout=5, default="default")

If the user enters input within the specified timeout, the function returns the user's input as a string. If the user does not enter input within the specified timeout, the function returns the default value (if one was provided) or raises a TimeoutOccurred exception.

Compatibility

• Terminals: Works perfectly on all standard terminals across Windows and Unix-like operating systems.
• Interactive: Fully compatible with JupyterLab, Classic Notebook, Google Colab, and VS Code Interactive windows.

License

Released under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for more information.