Background task running in separate thread

thread.py

from time import sleep
from queue import Queue
from threading import Thread

# create a consumer
def consumer(input_queue):
    while True:
        # retrieve data from queue (blocking)
        data = input_queue.get()

        print("--task started")
        # do something with the data
        sleep(2)
        print(data)
        print("--task ended")

        # report that data has been consumed
        input_queue.task_done()


# create thread with task queue
queue = Queue()
thread = Thread(target=consumer, args=(queue, ))
thread.start()
# put data in queue
queue.put("I will be printed after 2 seconds")
# code execution will continue
print("I will be printed first!")
# now have to gracefully exit the background thread eventually