How to Create a Progress Bar in Python

Python / March 3, 2020

Need to create a progress bar in Python?

If so, in this short guide, you’ll see how to create a progress bar in Python using the tqdm package. You’ll also see how to add the GUI below to track your progress:

How to Create a Progress Bar in Python

Steps to Create a Progress Bar in Python

Step 1: Install the tqdm package

To begin, install the tqdm package using this syntax:

pip install tqdm

You may check the following guide for the instructions to install a package in Python using pip.

Step 2: Write the Python code

Let’s write a simple Python code to:

  • Create a list with 5 items; and
  • Apply 2 seconds delay before printing each item when iterating over the list
import time

myList = ['aaa','bbb','ccc','ddd','eee']

for i in myList:
    time.sleep(2)
    print(i)

After about 10 seconds ( = 5 items * 2 seconds per item), all the items in the list will be printed:

print list

Step 3: Create the Progress Bar in Python

In order to create the progress bar in Python, simply add the highlighted syntax into the code:

  • from tqdm import tqdm
  • tqdm(myList)

So the complete Python code would look like this:

import time
from tqdm import tqdm

myList = ['aaa','bbb','ccc','ddd','eee']

for i in tqdm(myList):
    time.sleep(2)
    print(i)

You’ll now see the progress bar, which should take about 10 seconds to complete:

Progress Bar in Python

Step 4 (optional): Add a GUI to track your progress

Did you know that you can also include a GUI to display your progress bar visually?

You can certainly do so by changing the syntax in two places:

  • from tqdm import tqdm_gui
  • tqdm_gui(myList)

So the complete Python code would look like this:

import time
from tqdm import tqdm_gui

myList = ['aaa','bbb','ccc','ddd','eee']

for i in tqdm_gui(myList):
    time.sleep(2)
    print(i)

You’ll now see the GUI with the progress bar:

How to Create a Progress Bar in Python

Note that when you run the code, you may get the warning of: TqdmExperimentalWarning: GUI is experimental/alpha.

Progress Bar with a List Comprehension

Optionally, you may also find it useful to add a progress bar when dealing with a list comprehension:

import time
from tqdm import tqdm_gui

myList = ['aaa','bbb','ccc','ddd','eee']
myList = [(time.sleep(2), print(i)) for i in tqdm_gui(myList)]

Run the code, and you’ll get the following GUI as before:

GUI