fun with python

I highly recommend that anyone interested in programming install Anaconda.  It turns Python into a Matlab-like environment, particularly if you use the Spyder IDE that installs with Anaconda. 

Plus, it's.....FREE!  And has free modules for just about anything.

This little widget that I run to track my fasts and countdown to retirement only took about 60 lines of code, including comments (code provided below).

# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-

"""

Created on Wed Feb 14 10:03:23 2018

@author: JBC4

"""

from tkinter import *

import time

from datetime import datetime

#Get user inputs

fastStart = input('Input Fast Start Date and Time (MM/DD/YYYY HH:MM:SS):  ')

dateData = datetime.strptime(fastStart,"%m/%d/%Y %H:%M:%S")

fastLength = int(input('Input length of fast in hours: '))

# Calculate the number of days between today and VERA eligibility

retirementDate = datetime.strptime('10/04/2029',"%m/%d/%Y")

currentDay = datetime.now()

deltaDays = retirementDate - currentDay

daysLeft = 'Days to VERA: ' + str(deltaDays.days)

yearsLeft = 'Years Left:  ' + str(round(deltaDays.days/365,2))

# Build and run the clock

root = Tk()

root.title("Carneal's Progress Tracker")

time1 = ''

clock = Label(root, font=('times', 48, 'bold'), bg='yellow')

pctLine = Label(root,font=('times',48,'bold'),bg='yellow')

retirementLine = Label(root,font=('times',48,'bold'),bg='yellow')

yearsLine = Label(root,font=('times',48,'bold'),bg='yellow')

clock.pack(fill=BOTH, expand=1)

pctLine.pack(fill=BOTH,expand=1)

retirementLine.pack(fill=BOTH,expand=1)

yearsLine.pack(fill=BOTH,expand=1)

def tick():

    global time1

    # get the current local time from the PC

    time2 = time.strftime('%H:%M:%S')

    # if time string has changed, update it

    if time2 != time1:

        time1 = time2

        now = time.localtime()

        hoursFasted = (24-dateData.hour)+(now[2]-(dateData.day+1))*24+now[3]+now[4]/60

        pctComplete = (hoursFasted/fastLength)*100

        displayNum = 'Hours Fasted:  ' + str(round(hoursFasted,2))

        displayPct = '% Complete: ' + str(round(pctComplete,2))+'%'

        clock.config(text=displayNum)

        pctLine.config(text=displayPct)

        retirementLine.config(text=daysLeft)

        yearsLine.config(text=yearsLeft)

    # calls itself every 200 milliseconds

    # to update the time display as needed

    # could use >200 ms, but display gets jerky

    clock.after(200, tick)

tick()

root.mainloop(  )