How to make a non-blocking bot response delay?

Question

Python

The task is to provide functions with delayed launch (if the user does not answer within two minutes - delete the chat object) and functions of delayed sending (in order to simulate the printing process). However, these delays must be non-blocking. The current scheme of work: the flask-server provides a connection between the webhook and the functionality of the bot, each dialog is a WABot class, which is created at the first message of the user and deleted when the dialog can be considered closed. Each request to the bot calls the `processing` function in the bot class.
1. How to implement such non-blocking delays in sending messages?
2. How to implement a function call some time after the user has not responded?

Answer 1

If you need exactly synchronously and with a delivery guarantee - cron or Celery. What you described can be done with a cron - write tasks and the deadline for their completion in the database. Once a minute, use a cron script to go through tasks that need to be done and delete/mark them.