Timer Class (System.Threading)

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Microsoft Visual Studio 2005/.NET Framework 2.0

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.NET Framework Class Library

Timer Class

Provides a mechanism for executing a method at specified intervals. This class cannot be inherited.

Namespace: System.Threading
Assembly: mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)

Syntax

Visual Basic (Declaration)

<ComVisibleAttribute(True)> _
Public NotInheritable Class Timer
    Inherits MarshalByRefObject
    Implements IDisposable

Visual Basic (Usage)

Dim instance As Timer

[ComVisibleAttribute(true)] 
public sealed class Timer : MarshalByRefObject, IDisposable

C++

[ComVisibleAttribute(true)] 
public ref class Timer sealed : public MarshalByRefObject, IDisposable

/** @attribute ComVisibleAttribute(true) */ 
public final class Timer extends MarshalByRefObject implements IDisposable

JScript

ComVisibleAttribute(true) 
public final class Timer extends MarshalByRefObject implements IDisposable

Remarks

Note
The HostProtectionAttribute attribute applied to this class has the following Resources property value: Synchronization \| ExternalThreading. The HostProtectionAttribute does not affect desktop applications (which are typically started by double-clicking an icon, typing a command, or entering a URL in a browser). For more information, see the HostProtectionAttribute class or SQL Server Programming and Host Protection Attributes.

Note

The HostProtectionAttribute attribute applied to this class has the following Resources property value: Synchronization | ExternalThreading. The HostProtectionAttribute does not affect desktop applications (which are typically started by double-clicking an icon, typing a command, or entering a URL in a browser). For more information, see the HostProtectionAttribute class or SQL Server Programming and Host Protection Attributes.

Use a TimerCallback delegate to specify the method you want the Timer to execute. The timer delegate is specified when the timer is constructed, and cannot be changed. The method does not execute on the thread that created the timer; it executes on a ThreadPool thread supplied by the system.

When you create a timer, you can specify an amount of time to wait before the first execution of the method (due time), and an amount of time to wait between subsequent executions (period). You can change these values, or disable the timer, using the Change method.

Note
As long as you are using a Timer, you must keep a reference to it. As with any managed object, a Timer is subject to garbage collection when there are no references to it. The fact that a Timer is still active does not prevent it from being collected.

When a timer is no longer needed, use the Dispose method to free the resources held by the timer. To receive a signal when the timer is disposed, use the Dispose(WaitHandle) method overload that takes a WaitHandle. The WaitHandle is signaled when the timer has been disposed.

The callback method executed by the timer should be reentrant, because it is called on ThreadPool threads. The callback can be executed simultaneously on two thread pool threads if the timer interval is less than the time required to execute the callback, or if all thread pool threads are in use and the callback is queued multiple times.

Note
System.Threading.Timer is a simple, lightweight timer that uses callback methods and is served by threadpool threads. You might also consider System.Windows.Forms.Timer for use with Windows forms, and System.Timers.Timer for server-based timer functionality. These timers use events and have additional features.

Example

The following code example demonstrates the features of the Timer class.

Visual Basic

Imports Microsoft.VisualBasic
Imports System
Imports System.Threading

Public Class TimerExample

    <MTAThread> _
    Shared Sub Main()
    
        Dim autoEvent As New AutoResetEvent(False)
        Dim statusChecker As New StatusChecker(10)

        ' Create the delegate that invokes methods for the timer.
        Dim timerDelegate As TimerCallback = _
            AddressOf statusChecker.CheckStatus

        ' Create a timer that signals the delegate to invoke 
        ' CheckStatus after one second, and every 1/4 second 
        ' thereafter.
        Console.WriteLine("{0} Creating timer." & vbCrLf, _
            DateTime.Now.ToString("h:mm:ss.fff"))
        Dim stateTimer As Timer = _
                New Timer(timerDelegate, autoEvent, 1000, 250)

        ' When autoEvent signals, change the period to every 
        ' 1/2 second.
        autoEvent.WaitOne(5000, False)
        stateTimer.Change(0, 500)
        Console.WriteLine(vbCrLf & "Changing period." & vbCrLf)

        ' When autoEvent signals the second time, dispose of 
        ' the timer.
        autoEvent.WaitOne(5000, False)
        stateTimer.Dispose()
        Console.WriteLine(vbCrLf & "Destroying timer.")
    
    End Sub
End Class

Public Class StatusChecker

    Dim invokeCount, maxCount As Integer 

    Sub New(count As Integer)
        invokeCount  = 0
        maxCount = count
    End Sub

    ' This method is called by the timer delegate.
    Sub CheckStatus(stateInfo As Object)
        Dim autoEvent As AutoResetEvent = _
            DirectCast(stateInfo, AutoResetEvent)
        invokeCount += 1
        Console.WriteLine("{0} Checking status {1,2}.", _
            DateTime.Now.ToString("h:mm:ss.fff"), _
            invokeCount.ToString())

        If invokeCount = maxCount Then
        
            ' Reset the counter and signal to stop the timer.
            invokeCount  = 0
            autoEvent.Set()
        End If
    End Sub

End Class

using System;
using System.Threading;

class TimerExample
{
    static void Main()
    {
        AutoResetEvent autoEvent     = new AutoResetEvent(false);
        StatusChecker  statusChecker = new StatusChecker(10);

        // Create the delegate that invokes methods for the timer.
        TimerCallback timerDelegate = 
            new TimerCallback(statusChecker.CheckStatus);

        // Create a timer that signals the delegate to invoke 
        // CheckStatus after one second, and every 1/4 second 
        // thereafter.
        Console.WriteLine("{0} Creating timer.\n", 
            DateTime.Now.ToString("h:mm:ss.fff"));
        Timer stateTimer = 
                new Timer(timerDelegate, autoEvent, 1000, 250);

        // When autoEvent signals, change the period to every 
        // 1/2 second.
        autoEvent.WaitOne(5000, false);
        stateTimer.Change(0, 500);
        Console.WriteLine("\nChanging period.\n");

        // When autoEvent signals the second time, dispose of 
        // the timer.
        autoEvent.WaitOne(5000, false);
        stateTimer.Dispose();
        Console.WriteLine("\nDestroying timer.");
    }
}

class StatusChecker
{
    int invokeCount, maxCount;

    public StatusChecker(int count)
    {
        invokeCount  = 0;
        maxCount = count;
    }

    // This method is called by the timer delegate.
    public void CheckStatus(Object stateInfo)
    {
        AutoResetEvent autoEvent = (AutoResetEvent)stateInfo;
        Console.WriteLine("{0} Checking status {1,2}.", 
            DateTime.Now.ToString("h:mm:ss.fff"), 
            (++invokeCount).ToString());

        if(invokeCount == maxCount)
        {
            // Reset the counter and signal Main.
            invokeCount  = 0;
            autoEvent.Set();
        }
    }
}

C++

using namespace System;
using namespace System::Threading;
ref class StatusChecker
{
private:
   int invokeCount;
   int maxCount;

public:
   StatusChecker( int count )
      : invokeCount( 0 ), maxCount( count )
   {}


   // This method is called by the timer delegate.
   void CheckStatus( Object^ stateInfo )
   {
      AutoResetEvent^ autoEvent = dynamic_cast<AutoResetEvent^>(stateInfo);
      Console::WriteLine( "{0} Checking status {1,2}.", DateTime::Now.ToString(  "h:mm:ss.fff" ), (++invokeCount).ToString() );
      if ( invokeCount == maxCount )
      {
         
         // Reset the counter and signal main.
         invokeCount = 0;
         autoEvent->Set();
      }
   }

};

int main()
{
   AutoResetEvent^ autoEvent = gcnew AutoResetEvent( false );
   StatusChecker^ statusChecker = gcnew StatusChecker( 10 );
   
   // Create the delegate that invokes methods for the timer.
   TimerCallback^ timerDelegate = gcnew TimerCallback( statusChecker, &StatusChecker::CheckStatus );
   
   // Create a timer that signals the delegate to invoke CheckStatus 
   // after one second, and every 1/4 second thereafter.
   Console::WriteLine( "{0} Creating timer.\n", DateTime::Now.ToString(  "h:mm:ss.fff" ) );
   Timer^ stateTimer = gcnew Timer( timerDelegate,autoEvent,1000,250 );
   
   // When autoEvent signals, change the period to every 1/2 second.
   autoEvent->WaitOne( 5000, false );
   stateTimer->Change( 0, 500 );
   Console::WriteLine( "\nChanging period.\n" );
   
   // When autoEvent signals the second time, dispose of the timer.
   autoEvent->WaitOne( 5000, false );
   stateTimer->~Timer();
   Console::WriteLine( "\nDestroying timer." );
}

import System.*;
import System.Threading.*;
import System.Threading.Thread;

class TimerExample
{
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        AutoResetEvent autoEvent = new AutoResetEvent(false);
        StatusChecker statusChecker = new StatusChecker(10);

        // Create the delegate that invokes methods for the timer.
        TimerCallback timerDelegate = new TimerCallback(
            statusChecker.CheckStatus);

        // Create a timer that signals the delegate to invoke 
        // CheckStatus after one second, and every 1/4 second 
        // thereafter.
        Console.WriteLine("{0} Creating timer.\n",
            System.DateTime.get_Now().ToString("h:mm:ss.fff"));
        Timer stateTimer = new Timer(timerDelegate, autoEvent, 1000, 250);

        // When autoEvent signals, change the period to every 
        // 1/2 second.
        autoEvent.WaitOne(5000, false);
        stateTimer.Change(0, 500);
        Console.WriteLine("\nChanging period.\n");

        // When autoEvent signals the second time, dispose of 
        // the timer.
        autoEvent.WaitOne(5000, false);
        stateTimer.Dispose();
        Console.WriteLine("\nDestroying timer.");
    } //main
} //TimerExample

class StatusChecker
{
    private int invokeCount, maxCount;

    public StatusChecker(int count)
    {
        invokeCount = 0;
        maxCount = count;
    } //StatusChecker

    // This method is called by the timer delegate.
    public void CheckStatus(Object stateInfo)
    {
        AutoResetEvent autoEvent = ((AutoResetEvent)(stateInfo));

        Console.WriteLine("{0} Checking status {1,2}.", 
            System.DateTime.get_Now().ToString("h:mm:ss.fff"),
            String.valueOf(++invokeCount));
        if (invokeCount == maxCount) {
            // Reset the counter and signal Main.
            invokeCount = 0;
            autoEvent.Set();
        }
    } //CheckStatus
} //StatusChecker

Inheritance Hierarchy

System.Object
System.MarshalByRefObject
System.Threading.Timer

Thread Safety

This type is safe for multithreaded operations.

Platforms

Windows 98, Windows 2000 SP4, Windows CE, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows Mobile for Pocket PC, Windows Mobile for Smartphone, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Starter Edition

The .NET Framework does not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see System Requirements.

Version Information

.NET Framework

Supported in: 2.0, 1.1, 1.0

.NET Compact Framework

Supported in: 2.0, 1.0

Reference

Timer Members
System.Threading Namespace
TimerCallback

Other Resources

Timers
The Managed Thread Pool