code: def addStep(self,key):
          
          ptime = _ptime()
          print('==== Processing Step ',key,' started at ',ptime[0])
          self.steps[key] = {'start':ptime}
          self.order.append(key)
docs: Add information about a new step to the dict of steps
          The value 'ptime' is the output from '_ptime()' containing
          both the formatted and unformatted time for the start of the
          step.