«

Ok I'm working on a program where you have say x number of seconds to
do something. I'm at a loss on how to go about running a timer
function. Can anyone point me in the right direction or post a
snippet of code for me to look at?

The program I'm trying to write is a 2nd grade math program to help my
daughter with her addition and subtraction.


Thanks

Djanvk

Can you be more specific.

Do you need a way to be interrupted after x seconds?
OR
Sleep for x seconds?

"Djanvk" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Ok I'm working on a program where you have say x number of seconds to
> do something. I'm at a loss on how to go about running a timer
> function. Can anyone point me in the right direction or post a
> snippet of code for me to look at?
>
> The program I'm trying to write is a 2nd grade math program to help my
> daughter with her addition and subtraction.
>
>
> Thanks
>
> Djanvk

I have some C++ code for a game timer. The interupt is trapped using a
freind function to the timer class.

At object creation, the interupt is trapped, the timer is set to 120 ticks
per second. A static var is used to prevent multiple objects from messing
up the int handler, and the timing. The int handler increments a public
field in the object.
The Freind funct, int handler, and public static count needs to be locked in
memory to prevent unloading.

I do not recomend trying to run a great deal of code in the int handler.
however, I use the timer.count>>4 to synchronize the game at 32 frames per
sec.

If you'd like I'll send you a copy of the code, however the version I would
send is outdated for my purposes, and is untested on most platforms. I used
it under Windows 95/98. in a 32 bit Protected invironment.

Dan

"Djanvk" writes:

> Ok I'm working on a program where you have say x number of seconds to
> do something. I'm at a loss on how to go about running a timer
> function. Can anyone point me in the right direction or post a
> snippet of code for me to look at?
>
> The program I'm trying to write is a 2nd grade math program to help my
> daughter with her addition and subtraction.

A timer is a service provided by the operating system for client programs to
use. *Your* compiler may list a function named something such as "sleep()".
But for what you want to do a simpler way is to just burn up some time.
[sleep() would take control back from your program and give the time to
someone else to use until the timer expired.]

Try running this program, experimenting with the input parameter, try an
initial value such as 5,000. Or, you can be scientific if you wish by using
the clocks/sec output provided.

Formally, the type returned by a call on clock() is clock_t, rather than an
int. But I didn't declare it as such, it gives things an esoteric look I
would rather avoid in situations such as this..

#include <iostream>
#include <ctime>

using namespace std;

// burn up n clock cycles
void delay(int n)
{
int now = clock();
int then = now + n;
while(now < then)
// do nothing
now = clock();
}
//===============
int main()
{
cout << "This system advances clock " << CLOCKS_PER_SEC << " times per
second.\n";
int cycles;
cin >> cycles;
while(1)
{
cout << "Start\n";
delay(cycles);
cout << "Fin\n";
}
}

Djanvk wrote:
>
> Ok I'm working on a program where you have say x number of seconds to
> do something. I'm at a loss on how to go about running a timer
> function. Can anyone point me in the right direction or post a
> snippet of code for me to look at?
>
> The program I'm trying to write is a 2nd grade math program to help my
> daughter with her addition and subtraction.
>

If you try to do it the way I think you want, you will get into
serious troubles.
What I think you want to implement is this:

program outputs an assignement
a timer is started and the program waits for an input
Now 2 things are possible
* the timer expires, in which case the assignment counts as not done
* an input is given
...

Well. The point I am heading at is, that in order to implement it that way
ou need some sort of interruptable input function. That is something C++
does not provide out of the box. Also: What should happen, if the user
starts typing and that timer interrupt occours? Does the answer count
(because eg. your daughter is just a slower typer and spends half of
her time in searching for the keys), or does it not count?

For simplicity I would suggest some slightly change

program outputs an assignement
program saves the current time
program waits for input
-> (user enters his answer)
program gets the current time and compares it with the
previously stored time. If more then x seconds have passed,
the answer is not counted.
program checks the answer ...

For this you only need a function that gives you the current time.
Look up the functions in
#include <ctime>
(the C header would be: #include "time.h" )
It contains everything you need to implement this strategy.

--
Karl Heinz Buchegger

yes I want to be able to have it stop putting problems up for my
daughter to do after a x number of minutes/seconds, like 2 min.

On 10 Mar 2005 21:11:28 -0800, "Raghu Uppalli" <>
wrote:

>Can you be more specific.
>
>Do you need a way to be interrupted after x seconds?
>OR
>Sleep for x seconds?

Thanks I'll give this a run.

On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 04:47:35 -0800, "osmium" <>
wrote:

>"Djanvk" writes:
>
>> Ok I'm working on a program where you have say x number of seconds to
>> do something. I'm at a loss on how to go about running a timer
>> function. Can anyone point me in the right direction or post a
>> snippet of code for me to look at?
>>
>> The program I'm trying to write is a 2nd grade math program to help my
>> daughter with her addition and subtraction.
>
>A timer is a service provided by the operating system for client programs to
>use. *Your* compiler may list a function named something such as "sleep()".
>But for what you want to do a simpler way is to just burn up some time.
>[sleep() would take control back from your program and give the time to
>someone else to use until the timer expired.]
>
>Try running this program, experimenting with the input parameter, try an
>initial value such as 5,000. Or, you can be scientific if you wish by using
>the clocks/sec output provided.
>
>Formally, the type returned by a call on clock() is clock_t, rather than an
>int. But I didn't declare it as such, it gives things an esoteric look I
>would rather avoid in situations such as this..
>
>#include <iostream>
>#include <ctime>
>
>using namespace std;
>
>// burn up n clock cycles
>void delay(int n)
> {
> int now = clock();
> int then = now + n;
> while(now < then)
> // do nothing
> now = clock();
> }
>//===============
>int main()
> {
> cout << "This system advances clock " << CLOCKS_PER_SEC << " times per
>second.\n";
> int cycles;
> cin >> cycles;
> while(1)
> {
> cout << "Start\n";
> delay(cycles);
> cout << "Fin\n";
> }
> }
>

yes basically she has to be able to do x number of math problems in 2
min's in her class, so I want to program to throw up problems she has
to solve for 2 minutes, it puts one up and she solves it and it puts
up another. Thats pretty much it.


On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 14:34:18 +0100, Karl Heinz Buchegger
<> wrote:

>Djanvk wrote:
>>
>> Ok I'm working on a program where you have say x number of seconds to
>> do something. I'm at a loss on how to go about running a timer
>> function. Can anyone point me in the right direction or post a
>> snippet of code for me to look at?
>>
>> The program I'm trying to write is a 2nd grade math program to help my
>> daughter with her addition and subtraction.
>>
>
>If you try to do it the way I think you want, you will get into
>serious troubles.
>What I think you want to implement is this:
>
> program outputs an assignement
> a timer is started and the program waits for an input
> Now 2 things are possible
> * the timer expires, in which case the assignment counts as not done
> * an input is given
> ...
>
>Well. The point I am heading at is, that in order to implement it that way
>ou need some sort of interruptable input function. That is something C++
>does not provide out of the box. Also: What should happen, if the user
>starts typing and that timer interrupt occours? Does the answer count
>(because eg. your daughter is just a slower typer and spends half of
>her time in searching for the keys), or does it not count?
>
>For simplicity I would suggest some slightly change
>
> program outputs an assignement
> program saves the current time
> program waits for input
> -> (user enters his answer)
> program gets the current time and compares it with the
> previously stored time. If more then x seconds have passed,
> the answer is not counted.
> program checks the answer ...
>
>For this you only need a function that gives you the current time.
>Look up the functions in
>#include <ctime>
>(the C header would be: #include "time.h" )
>It contains everything you need to implement this strategy.

"Djanvk" <> wrote in message
news:...
> yes basically she has to be able to do x number of math problems in 2
> min's in her class, so I want to program to throw up problems she has
> to solve for 2 minutes, it puts one up and she solves it and it puts
> up another. Thats pretty much it.
>

The whole timing situation requires that the program not "wait" for input
Input. This is what you said, this is what your solution is also.

Under windows, You need a signal comming in to "wake" the program so it can
check the time.

otherwise loop you inputs,
check if info is available,
if so read it, & proccess it
check time, has 2 min expired?
if so signal Semiphore Time Limit Reached.

Just explain it to the computer.

Dan