Python Simple Alarm Clock Project - Solutions and Explanations

Alarm Clock:

Design a simple alarm clock application that allows users to set alarms.

Input values:
User sets an alarm time.

Output value:
Alarm notification when the set time is reached.

Example:

Input values:
Set alarm time: 07:30 AM
Output value:
Alarm! It's 07:30 AM. Time to wake up!

Here are two different solutions for an "Alarm Clock" application in Python. The application will allow users to set a specific alarm time, and when the current time matches the alarm, it will notify the user.

Solution 1: Basic Approach Using 'while' Loop and 'time' Module

Code:

# Solution 1: Basic Approach Using `while` Loop and `time` Module

# Import necessary modules
import time  # Provides time-related functions for sleep and current time
from datetime import datetime  # Provides functions to work with date and time

# Function to get the current time in HH:MM AM/PM format
def get_current_time():
    # Use datetime to get the current time and format it
    return datetime.now().strftime("%I:%M %p")

# Function to check and trigger the alarm
def set_alarm(alarm_time):
    print(f"Alarm set for {alarm_time}. Waiting...")

    # Infinite loop to keep checking the time until the alarm time is reached
    while True:
        # Get the current time
        current_time = get_current_time()

        # Compare the current time with the alarm time
        if current_time == alarm_time:
            # Alarm notification
            print(f"Alarm! It's {alarm_time}. Time to wake up!")
            break  # Exit the loop after the alarm goes off

        # Sleep for 1 minute to avoid frequent checks
        time.sleep(60)

# Get the user input for the alarm time in HH:MM AM/PM format
alarm_time = input("Set alarm time (e.g., 07:30 AM): ")

# Set the alarm
set_alarm(alarm_time)

Output:

Set alarm time (e.g., 07:30 AM): 10:54 PM
Alarm set for 10:54 PM. Waiting...
Alarm! It's 10:54 PM. Time to wake up!

Explanation:

• Uses a 'while' loop to continuously check the current time against the user's set alarm time.
• The 'time.sleep(60)' function is used to pause execution for 1 minute between checks to avoid frequent checking.
• The current time is formatted to match the user-input format using 'datetime.now().strftime("%I:%M %p")'.
• This solution is straightforward but could block the main thread, making the program unresponsive if additional features are added.

Solution 2: Using a Class and Multithreading for Improved Responsiveness

Code:

# Solution 2: Using a Class and Multithreading for Improved Responsiveness

import time  # Provides time-related functions
from datetime import datetime  # Provides functions to work with date and time
import threading  # Provides threading for running tasks in the background

class AlarmClock:
    """Class to represent an alarm clock"""

    def __init__(self, alarm_time):
        """Initialize the AlarmClock with the set alarm time"""
        self.alarm_time = alarm_time  # Store the alarm time
        self.alarm_thread = threading.Thread(target=self.run_alarm)  # Create a thread for the alarm

    def get_current_time(self):
        """Get the current time in HH:MM AM/PM format"""
        return datetime.now().strftime("%I:%M %p")

    def run_alarm(self):
        """Check the current time and trigger the alarm when it matches the set time"""
        print(f"Alarm set for {self.alarm_time}. Waiting...")

        while True:
            # Get the current time
            current_time = self.get_current_time()

            # Check if the current time matches the alarm time
            if current_time == self.alarm_time:
                print(f"Alarm! It's {self.alarm_time}. Time to wake up!")
                break  # Exit the loop when the alarm goes off

            # Sleep for 1 minute to avoid frequent checks
            time.sleep(60)

    def start(self):
        """Start the alarm in a separate thread"""
        self.alarm_thread.start()  # Start the thread to run the alarm check

# Get user input for the alarm time in HH:MM AM/PM format
alarm_time = input("Set alarm time (e.g., 07:30 AM): ")

# Create an instance of the AlarmClock class with the provided alarm time
alarm_clock = AlarmClock(alarm_time)

# Start the alarm clock
alarm_clock.start()

Output:

Set alarm time (e.g., 07:30 AM): 11:02 PM
Alarm set for 11:02 PM. Waiting...
Alarm! It's 11:02 PM. Time to wake up!

Explanation:

• Uses an 'AlarmClock' class to encapsulate all alarm-related functionality, making the code modular and easier to extend.
• The 'run_alarm' method handles checking the current time in a separate thread, allowing the main program to remain responsive.
• Uses the 'threading' module to create and start a new thread, which continuously checks for the alarm time in the background.
• This approach provides better responsiveness and scalability, especially if additional features are planned (like multiple alarms).

Note:Both solutions provide a way to set an alarm and notify the user when the alarm time is reached, with Solution 1 being a basic approach and Solution 2 using multithreading to offer improved responsiveness and scalability.