AttributeError module ‘time’ has no attribute ‘clock’

Python has several modules that serve different purposes, such as math module, NumPy, pandas, etc. For displaying times in various representations, the “time” module is used in Python. A function named “clock()” from the time module has been removed from Python “3.8” and later versions. So accessing this function in the latest version of Python causes the “AttributeError”. To resolve this error, you can use any alternative function in a Python program.

This post will show various reasons and solutions for Python’s “Module time has no attribute clock” error. This python blog will cover the following content:

So, let’s get started with the reason.

Reason: Using the clock() Function in the Latest Version of Python

The prominent reason which causes this error in Python is when the user tries to use the “clock()” function in the latest version of Python (i.e., 3.8 and later):

The above snippet shows the error because the clock() function does not exist in the latest Python version.

Solution 1: Use time.perf_counter() or time.process_time() functions

To resolve this particular error in Python, use the “time.perf_counter()” or “time.process_time()” functions.

The function “time.perf_counter()” retrieves a float value representing the total seconds and milliseconds. This function is also used to find the execution time of a program. Let’s understand it via the following example:

Code:

import time
# printing the time
print(time.perf_counter())

In the above code, the “time.perf_counter” function retrieves the number of seconds of a performance counter.

Output:

The above output successfully shows the execution time of the program.

In Python, the “process_time()” function displays the entire duration (in fractional seconds) a code took to complete. Here is an example:

Code:

import time
# printing the current process time
print(time.process_time())

In the above code, the “time.process_time()” function is utilized to display the total time taken by the program.

Output:

The above output successfully shows the total time taken by the program.

Note: There is a slight difference between these two functions. For instance, the “time.perf_counter” function shows the sleeping time of the system, including the total execution time of a program. While the “time.process_time()” function does not include the sleeping time of the system and only represents the active processing time.

Solution 2: Update the Unmaintained Module (PyCrypto & SQLAlchemy )

This error also occurs when some external module, such as (PyCrypto & SQLAlchemy ) uses the old “clock()” function, which is not available in the latest Python. To update these unmaintained modules, you need to uninstall the old module or upgrade the module using the following syntax:

> pip install your_module --upgrade

In place of “your_module”, you can type the name of the module which needs to upgrade; for example, the below command upgrades the “SQLAlchemy” to the latest version:

> pip install SQLAlchemy --upgrade

For upgrading “PyCrypto” module you need to execute the below-provided commands:

> pip3 uninstall PyCrypto

Uninstall the “PyCrypto” and install the “pycryptodome” module to resolve the error:

> pip3 install pycryptodome

This is how the AttributeError module ‘time’ error can be fixed in Python.

Conclusion

The “module time has no attribute clock” error occurs when the user tries to access the “clock()” function in the latest Python version (i.e., 3.8 and later). To rectify this error, you need to use one of the “time.perf_counter()” or “time.process_time()” functions instead of the “clock” function. The error also occurs due to using unmaintained modules such as (PyCrypto & SQLAlchemy ). This article presented a detailed guide on resolving the “module time has no attribute clock” error.