Python (2/3) breakable-input

breakable_input.py

#!/usr/env/bin python

import sys
import os
import time
import fcntl

class BreakableInput(object):
    '''
    Breakable input() implementation.
    '''

    # To keep consistency BreakableInput must be a singleton
    _instance = None

    def __init__(self):
        '''
        Set stdin reading mode in char by char.
        Lol, rtfm buddy.
        '''
        fl = fcntl.fcntl(sys.stdin.fileno(), fcntl.F_GETFL)
        fcntl.fcntl(sys.stdin.fileno(), fcntl.F_SETFL, fl | os.O_NONBLOCK)


    @classmethod
    def get_instance(cls):
        '''
        Singleton method
        '''
        if cls._instance is None:
            cls._instance = cls()
        return cls._instance


    def input(self, timeout, tick=0.001):
        '''
        Make the "timeoutable" input().
        '''
        _start_time = time.time()
        _passed_time = 0
        _input = ''

        while True:
            try:
                stdin = sys.stdin.read(1)
            except IOError:
                pass
            else:
                if stdin not in ['\n', '\r']:
                    _input += stdin
                else:
                    return _input

            # Compute timeout
            _passed_time += time.time() - _start_time
            _start_time = time.time()
            if _passed_time >= timeout:
                return

            time.sleep(tick)

# Usage example
binput = BreakableInput.get_instance()
print(binput.input(10))