Getting python to print 5 digits of accuracy in the current time in seconds

Alec Jacobson

In the python shell if I type:

import time
time.time()

I get the current time in seconds with 5 digits past the decimal place of accuracy:

1263245893.382139

If I want to use this as a unique ID then I need to have this value as a string. Namely I need to be able to print it. But if I issue:

print time.time()

I only get 2 digits of accuracy past the decimal place:

1263245893.38

This seems to be because print when converting the time to a string is rounding its float value someplace. To solve this I use instead:

print "%f" %  time.time()

Which again returns all of the accuracy places I original had:

1263245893.382139

Finally to save this value as a string I just remove the print and instead have a variable on the left hand side of an equals sign:

current_time = "%f" %  time.time()