---
name: "Prima::Timer"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "libprima-perl"
version: "1.28-1.3+b3"
release: "Debian 8 (Jessie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/Prima::Timer"
---

# Prima::Timer(3)

programmable periodical events

## NAME

Prima::Timer - programmable periodical events

## SYNOPSIS

```
    my $timer = Prima::Timer-> create(
        timeout => 1000, # milliseconds
        onTick  => sub {
           print "tick!\n";
        },
    );
    $timer-> start;
```

## DESCRIPTION

Prima::Timer arranges periodical notifications to be delivered in certain time intervals. The notifications are triggered by the system, and are seen as `"Tick"` events. There can be many active Timer objects at one time, spawning events simultaneously.

## USAGE

Prima::Timer is a descendant of Prima::Component. Objects of Prima::Timer class are created in standard fashion:

```
  my $t = Prima::Timer-> create(
     timeout => 1000,
     onTick  => sub { print "tick\n"; },
  );
  $t-> start;
```

If no \`owner\` is given, `$::application` is assumed.

Timer objects are created in inactive state; no events are spawned. To start spawning events, \<*start()*\> method must be explicitly called. Time interval value is assigned using the \<::timeout\> property in milliseconds.

When the system generates timer event, no callback is called immediately, - an event is pushed into stack instead, to be delivered during next event loop. Therefore, timeout value is not held accurately, and events may take longer time to pass. More accurate timing scheme,  as well as timing with precision less than a millisecond, is not supported by the toolkit.

## API

### Properties

- timeout MILLISECONDS

  Manages time interval between `"Tick"` events. In set-mode call, if the timer is in active state ( see `"get_active()"`, the new timeout value is applied immediately.

### Methods

- get\_active

  Returns a boolean flag, whether object is in active state or not. In the active state `"Tick"` events are spawned after `"::timeout"` time intervals.

- get\_handle

  Returns a system-dependent handle of object

- start

  Sets object in active state. If succeed, or if the object is already in active state, returns 1. If the system was unable to create a system timer instance, 0 is returned.

- stop

  Sets object in inactive state.

### Events

- Tick

  A system generated event, spawned every `"::timeout"` milliseconds if object is in active state.

## AUTHOR

Dmitry Karasik, \<dmitry@karasik.eu.org\>.

## SEE ALSO

Prima, Prima::Object