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# TQTimer Class Reference

The TQTimer class provides timer signals and single-shot timers. More...

`#include <ntqtimer.h>`

Inherits TQObject.

List of all member functions.

## Public Members

- TQTimer ( TQObject * parent = 0, const char * name = 0 )
- ~TQTimer ()
- bool isActive () const
- int start ( int msec, bool sshot = FALSE )
- void changeInterval ( int msec )
- void stop ()
- int timerId () const

## Signals

- void timeout ()

## Static Public Members

- void singleShot ( int msec, TQObject * receiver, const char * member )

## Detailed Description

The TQTimer class provides timer signals and single-shot timers.

It uses timer events internally to provide a more versatile timer. TQTimer is very easy to use: create a TQTimer, call start() to start it and connect its timeout() to the appropriate slots. When the time is up it will emit the timeout() signal.

Note that a TQTimer object is destroyed automatically when its parent object is destroyed.

Example:

            TQTimer *timer = new TQTimer( myObject );
            connect( timer, TQ_SIGNAL(timeout()), myObject, TQ_SLOT(timerDone()) );
            timer->start( 2000, TRUE ); // 2 seconds single-shot timer

You can also use the static singleShot() function to create a single shot timer.

As a special case, a TQTimer with timeout 0 times out as soon as all the events in the window system's event queue have been processed.

This can be used to do heavy work while providing a snappy user interface:

            TQTimer *t = new TQTimer( myObject );
            connect( t, TQ_SIGNAL(timeout()), TQ_SLOT(processOneThing()) );
            t->start( 0, FALSE );

myObject->processOneThing() will be called repeatedly and should return quickly (typically after processing one data item) so that TQt can deliver events to widgets and stop the timer as soon as it has done all its work. This is the traditional way of implementing heavy work in GUI applications; multi-threading is now becoming available on more and more platforms, and we expect that null events will eventually be replaced by threading.

Note that TQTimer's accuracy depends on the underlying operating system and hardware. Most platforms support an accuracy of 20ms; some provide more. If TQt is unable to deliver the requested number of timer clicks, it will silently discard some.

An alternative to using TQTimer is to call TQObject::startTimer() for your object and reimplement the TQObject::timerEvent() event handler in your class (which must, of course, inherit TQObject). The disadvantage is that timerEvent() does not support such high-level features as single-shot timers or signals.

Some operating systems limit the number of timers that may be used; TQt tries to work around these limitations.

See also Event Classes and Time and Date.

## Member Function Documentation

### TQTimer::TQTimer ( TQObject * parent = 0, const char * name = 0 )

Constructs a timer called name, with the parent parent.

Note that the parent object's destructor will destroy this timer object.

### TQTimer::~TQTimer ()

Destroys the timer.

### void TQTimer::changeInterval ( int msec )

Changes the timeout interval to msec milliseconds.

If the timer signal is pending, it will be stopped and restarted; otherwise it will be started.

See also start() and isActive().

### bool TQTimer::isActive () const

Returns TRUE if the timer is running (pending); otherwise returns FALSE.

Example: t11/cannon.cpp.

### void TQTimer::singleShot ( int msec, TQObject * receiver, const char * member )`[static]`

This static function calls a slot after a given time interval.

It is very convenient to use this function because you do not need to bother with a timerEvent or to create a local TQTimer object.

Example:

            #include <ntqapplication.h>
            #include <ntqtimer.h>

            int main( int argc, char **argv )
            {
                TQApplication a( argc, argv );
                TQTimer::singleShot( 10*60*1000, &a, TQ_SLOT(quit()) );
                    ... // create and show your widgets
                return a.exec();
            }

This sample program automatically terminates after 10 minutes (i.e. 600000 milliseconds).

The receiver is the receiving object and the member is the slot. The time interval is msec.

### int TQTimer::start ( int msec, bool sshot = FALSE )

Starts the timer with a msec milliseconds timeout, and returns the ID of the timer, or zero when starting the timer failed.

If sshot is TRUE, the timer will be activated only once; otherwise it will continue until it is stopped.

Any pending timer will be stopped.

See also singleShot(), stop(), changeInterval(), and isActive().

Examples: aclock/aclock.cpp, dirview/dirview.cpp, distributor/distributor.ui.h, forever/forever.cpp, hello/hello.cpp, t11/cannon.cpp, and t13/cannon.cpp.

### void TQTimer::stop ()

Stops the timer.

See also start().

Examples: dirview/dirview.cpp, t11/cannon.cpp, t12/cannon.cpp, and t13/cannon.cpp.

### void TQTimer::timeout ()`[signal]`

This signal is emitted when the timer is activated.

Examples: aclock/aclock.cpp, dirview/dirview.cpp, distributor/distributor.ui.h, forever/forever.cpp, hello/hello.cpp, and t11/cannon.cpp.

### int TQTimer::timerId () const

Returns the ID of the timer if the timer is running; otherwise returns -1.

This file is part of the TQt toolkit. Copyright © 1995-2007 Trolltech. All Rights Reserved.