How to make different Time-based keys for a dictionary?

Question

I need to store some input information as a value in a dictionary. It will be very convenient to store the input under a timestamp key. I try this for example:

from datetime import datetime
date = '%s.%02d.%sX%s%s%s' % (when.day, when.month, when.year, when.minute, when.second, when.microsecond) #

someDict = {}
for iter in range(5):
    someValue = raw_input('Value:')
    print date
    someDict[date] = someValue

As a result i have:

Value: 11111
12.07.2014X3456671342
Value: 22222
12.07.2014X3456671342
Value: 33333
12.07.2014X3456671342
Value: 44444
12.07.2014X3456671342
Value: 55555
12.07.2014X3456671342

And, of course, the len(someDict) is 1, instead of 5 needed. The perfect output should be something like:

someDict = {'12.07.2014X-----': 11111, '12.07.2014X-----': 22222, '12.07.2014X-----': 33333} #Where ----- is a time-based number. 

And so on, with an ability to add new Key/Values

Answer 1

Do you mean like this:

from datetime import datetime
from time import sleep

d = {}
val = 0
while True:
    sleep(1)
    now = datetime.now().strftime('%s')
    d[now] = val
    val += 1
    print(d)

That something like this might work doesn't mean it's wise to use datetime objects as dict keys..

Maybe it would be better to add your values to a list as tuples with a timestamp; that way you know both the order in which the values came in and the time:

from datetime import datetime                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
from time import sleep                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

data = []                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
val = 0                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
for i in range(100):                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
    sleep(.001)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
    now = datetime.now().strftime('%s')                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
    data.append((val, now))                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
    val += 1                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
    print(data)             

Answer 2

See if this works

import datetime

someDict = {}
for iter in range(5):
    date_now = datetime.datetime.utcnow()
    date = '%s.%02d.%sX%s%s%s' % (date_now.day, date_now.month, date_now.year, date_now.minute, date_now.second, date_now.microsecond) #

    someValue = raw_input('Value:')
    print date
    someDict[date] = someValue

Answer 3

How about

from datetime import datetime
date = '%s.%02d.%sX%s%s%s' % (when.day, when.month, when.year, when.minute, when.second, when.microsecond) #

someDict = {}
old_date = None
counter = 0

for iter in range(5):
    if old_date != date:
        counter = 0
        old_date = date

    key = '%s%08d' % (date, counter)
    counter += 1

    someValue = raw_input('Value:')
    print key
    someDict[key] = someValue