Question

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Can I use a SetTimer() API in a console c++ app

I am looking to create a timer in c++ ,in a console win32 application .I google it and and find most results for SetTimer() ,but as example used for window control or others .

I need my timer to start a count ,right after the timer starts i call a function and after the timer ends ,i call an other function .I will be using threads .

I am a rookie in c++ ,so could this be done with SetTimer function ?

Thanks .

Answer 1

That’s not your way, SetTimer is based on Windows messages system and will not work in console app just from box. You will need to create message pumping loop manually and do several other staff that is hardly met with console app structure and control flow.

You could enjoy Waitable Timers objects instead. They are designed specially to be used with threads as sync objects.

Usage example:

#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0500

#include <windows.h>
#include <stdio.h>

int main()
{
    HANDLE hTimer = NULL;
    LARGE_INTEGER liDueTime;

    liDueTime.QuadPart=-100000000;

    // Create a waitable timer.
    hTimer = CreateWaitableTimer(NULL, TRUE, "WaitableTimer");
    if (NULL == hTimer)
    {
        printf("CreateWaitableTimer failed (%d)\n", GetLastError());
        return 1;
    }

    printf("Waiting for 10 seconds...\n");

    // Set a timer to wait for 10 seconds.
    if (!SetWaitableTimer(hTimer, &liDueTime, 0, NULL, NULL, 0))
    {
        printf("SetWaitableTimer failed (%d)\n", GetLastError());
        return 2;
    }

    // Wait for the timer.
    if (WaitForSingleObject(hTimer, INFINITE) != WAIT_OBJECT_0)
        printf("WaitForSingleObject failed (%d)\n", GetLastError());
    else printf("Timer was signaled.\n");

    return 0;
}

See also nice article observing Windows timers: http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/1236/Timers-Tutorial