Correct way to pause a Python program

I use the following for Python 2 and Python 3 to pause code execution until user presses Enter

import six

if six.PY2:
    raw_input("Press the <Enter> key to continue...")
else:
    input("Press the <Enter> key to continue...")

By this method, you can resume your program just by pressing any specified key you've specified that:

import keyboard
while True:
    key = keyboard.read_key()
    if key == 'space':  # You can put any key you like instead of 'space'
        break

The same method, but in another way:

import keyboard
while True:
    if keyboard.is_pressed('space'):  # The same. you can put any key you like instead of 'space'
        break

Note: you can install the keyboard module simply by writing this in you shell or cmd:

pip install keyboard

cross-platform way; works everywhere

import os, sys

if sys.platform == 'win32':
    os.system('pause')
else:
    input('Press any key to continue...')

I work with non-programmers who like a simple solution:

import code
code.interact(banner='Paused. Press ^D (Ctrl+D) to continue.', local=globals()) 

This produces an interpreter that acts almost exactly like the real interpreter, including the current context, with only the output:

Paused. Press ^D (Ctrl+D) to continue.
>>>

The Python Debugger is also a good way to pause.

import pdb
pdb.set_trace() # Python 2

or

breakpoint() # Python 3

I think I like this solution:

import getpass
getpass.getpass("Press Enter to Continue")

It hides whatever the user types in, which helps clarify that input is not used here.

But be mindful on the OS X platform. It displays a key which may be confusing.

Probably the best solution would be to do something similar to the getpass module yourself, without making a read -s call. Maybe making the foreground color match the background?

user12532854 suggested using keyboard.readkey() but the it requires specific key (I tried to run it with no input args but it ended up immediately returning 'enter' instead of waiting for the keystroke).

By phrasing the question in a different way (looking for getchar() equivalent in python), I discovered readchar.readkey() does the trick after exploring readchar package prompted by this answer.

import readchar
readchar.readkey()

For cross Python 2/3 compatibility, you can use input via the six library:

import six
six.moves.input( 'Press the <ENTER> key to continue...' )