How To Stop Python From Closing Immediately

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If you are a Python beginner or even an experienced developer, you might have faced a situation where your Python script or program finishes executing and the terminal/cmd window closes immediately, not giving you enough time to see the output. This can be frustrating, especially when you want to see the result of your hard work.

In this blog post, we will explore different ways to prevent Python from closing immediately after execution, allowing you to see the output without any hassle.

1. Using the input() function

The simplest way to prevent your Python script from closing is by adding the input() function at the end of your script. This function will wait for the user to press the Enter key before closing the terminal/cmd window.

Here is an example of how you can use the input() function:

    print("Hello, World!")
    input("Press Enter to close...")

Now, when you run your script, the terminal/cmd window will stay open, displaying the message “Press Enter to close…” until you press the Enter key.

2. Using time.sleep()

Another way to keep the Python script window open is by using the time.sleep() function. This function pauses the execution of the script for a specified amount of time in seconds.

First, you need to import the time module by adding import time at the beginning of your script. Then, add time.sleep(seconds) function at the end of your script, where seconds is the number of seconds you want the window to stay open. For example:

    import time

    print("Hello, World!")
    time.sleep(10)

The above script will keep the terminal/cmd window open for 10 seconds after printing “Hello, World!”, and then close automatically.

3. Running the script from the terminal/cmd

Instead of double-clicking the Python script file to run it, you can execute it from the terminal (Linux/macOS) or cmd (Windows). This way, when the script finishes executing, the terminal/cmd window will stay open, and you can see the output.

Here’s how you can do it:

  • Open terminal/cmd.
  • Navigate to the folder containing your Python script using the cd command.
  • Run the script by typing python script_name.py and pressing Enter (replace script_name.py with the name of your script).

Now, even after your script finishes executing, the terminal/cmd window will stay open, allowing you to see the output.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we have discussed three different ways to stop Python from closing immediately after execution:

  1. Using the input() function
  2. Using time.sleep()
  3. Running the script from the terminal/cmd

You can choose the method that best suits your needs and workflow. Happy coding!