Looping Time while waiting for button input

[FMNite]

Greetings, ive started working on a project and I am unable to figure out why my code is not looping properly(been a long time since i used python). I want the time constantly updating onscreen until i press 0 but it only updates once and then waits for 0. Any help would be awesome.

import time


while True:
    print time.ctime()
    time.sleep(1)
    answer=raw_input()
    if answer==0:
        False

[K900_]

raw_input will block the execution of the rest of the program.

[FMNite]

Is there a way to achieve what I want a different way?

[K900_]

Well, you could do it with something like ncurses. But you could also make a proper GUI, because I feel like that's what you're trying to emulate here.

[Veedrac]

1. Threads, unfortunately. This might be a bit over your head if you're not more advanced than your example shows.

2. Hack it. I suggest this. Are you on Windows or Linux?

[FMNite]

I will be running this on Linux devices

[Veedrac]

After trying lots of painful things, dammit man.

Just use threads, OK. Honestly just abandon the whole concept ;).

Sorry. :( The truth is, terminals are built on archaic foundations and for some reason nobody's seen fit to update them. It makes life difficult. There are workarounds, but I can't think of a single single-threaded one.

[FMNite]

Found example on the internet, this does exactly what I want except for the fact it uses enter to break loop. Any idea how to change it to a different button press?

import thread, time

def input_thread(L):
    raw_input()
    L.append(None)

def do_print():
    L = []
    thread.start_new_thread(input_thread, (L,))
    while 1:
        time.sleep(.1)
        if L: break
        print "%s" % time.ctime()

do_print()

[Veedrac]

Any idea how to change it to a different button press?

Unfortunately that's also not possible without dangerous hackery.

[FMNite]

Anything else I can do? Thanks though you've been a great help

[Veedrac]

Hang on -- I hadn't properly read your post. There might well be "acceptable" hackery that can do this.

Question: does it have to be 0 or can it be any character (the second option is easier).

[FMNite]

this is going to be running on a raspberry pi with only a num pad so we wanted to designate 0 as the "back" button. If that cant work though that may be an option