* Processor Run Time:: Getting the run time used by Emacs.
* Time Calculations:: Adding, subtracting, comparing times, etc.
* Timers:: Setting a timer to call a function at a certain time.
+* Idle Timers:: Setting a timer to call a function when Emacs has
+ been idle for a certain length of time.
* Terminal Input:: Accessing and recording terminal input.
* Terminal Output:: Controlling and recording terminal output.
* Sound Output:: Playing sounds on the computer's speaker.
things in an inconsistent state. This is normally unproblematical
because most timer functions don't do a lot of work. Indeed, for a
timer to call a function that takes substantial time to run is likely
-to be annoying.
+to be annoying. If a timer function needs to allow quitting, it
+should use @code{with-local-quit} (@pxref{Quitting}). For example, if
+a timer function calls @code{accept-process-output} to receive output
+from an external process, that call should be wrapped inside
+@code{with-local-quit}, to ensure that @kbd{C-g} works if the external
+process hangs.
It is usually a bad idea for timer functions to alter buffer
contents. When they do, they usually should call @code{undo-boundary}
changes from user commands' changes and prevent a single undo entry
from growing to be quite large.
+ Timer functions should also avoid calling functions that cause Emacs
+to wait, such as @code{sit-for} (@pxref{Waiting}). This can lead to
+unpredictable effects, since other timers (or even the same timer) can
+run while waiting. If a timer function needs to perform an action
+after a certain time has elapsed, it can do this by scheduling a new
+timer.
+
If a timer function calls functions that can change the match data,
it should save and restore the match data. @xref{Saving Match Data}.
@deffn Command run-at-time time repeat function &rest args
This sets up a timer that calls the function @var{function} with
arguments @var{args} at time @var{time}. If @var{repeat} is a number
-(integer or floating point), the timer also runs every @var{repeat}
-seconds after that. If @var{repeat} is @code{nil}, the timer runs
-only once.
+(integer or floating point), the timer is scheduled to run again every
+@var{repeat} seconds after @var{time}. If @var{repeat} is @code{nil},
+the timer runs only once.
@var{time} may specify an absolute or a relative time.
@code{cancel-timer} (see below).
@end deffn
+ A repeating timer nominally ought to run every @var{repeat} seconds,
+but remember that any invocation of a timer can be late. Lateness of
+one repetition has no effect on the scheduled time of the next
+repetition. For instance, if Emacs is busy computing for long enough
+to cover three scheduled repetitions of the timer, and then starts to
+wait, it will immediately call the timer function three times in
+immediate succession (presuming no other timers trigger before or
+between them). If you want a timer to run again no less than @var{n}
+seconds after the last invocation, don't use the @var{repeat} argument.
+Instead, the timer function should explicitly reschedule the timer.
+
+@defvar timer-max-repeats
+This variable's value specifies the maximum number of times to repeat
+calling a timer function in a row, when many previously scheduled
+calls were unavoidably delayed.
+@end defvar
+
@defmac with-timeout (seconds timeout-forms@dots{}) body@dots{}
Execute @var{body}, but give up after @var{seconds} seconds. If
@var{body} finishes before the time is up, @code{with-timeout} returns
a timer to avoid waiting too long for an answer. @xref{Yes-or-No
Queries}.
+@defun cancel-timer timer
+This cancels the requested action for @var{timer}, which should be a
+timer---usually, one previously returned by @code{run-at-time} or
+@code{run-with-idle-timer}. This cancels the effect of that call to
+one of these functions; the arrival of the specified time will not
+cause anything special to happen.
+@end defun
+
+@node Idle Timers
+@section Idle Timers
+
+ Here is how to set up a timer that runs when Emacs is idle for a
+certain length of time. Aside from how to set them up, idle timers
+work just like ordinary timers.
+
@deffn Command run-with-idle-timer secs repeat function &rest args
Set up a timer which runs when Emacs has been idle for @var{secs}
seconds. The value of @var{secs} may be an integer or a floating point
-number.
+number; a value of the type returned by @code{current-idle-time}
+is also allowed.
If @var{repeat} is @code{nil}, the timer runs just once, the first time
Emacs remains idle for a long enough time. More often @var{repeat} is
remains idle for @var{secs} seconds.
The function @code{run-with-idle-timer} returns a timer value which you
-can use in calling @code{cancel-timer} (see below).
+can use in calling @code{cancel-timer} (@pxref{Timers}).
@end deffn
@cindex idleness
input. Then it becomes idle again, and all the idle timers that are
set up to repeat will subsequently run another time, one by one.
-@defun cancel-timer timer
-Cancel the requested action for @var{timer}, which should be a value
-previously returned by @code{run-at-time} or @code{run-with-idle-timer}.
-This cancels the effect of that call to one of these functions; the
-arrival of the specified time will not cause anything special to happen.
+@c Emacs 19 feature
+@defun current-idle-time
+This function returns the length of time Emacs has been idle, as a
+list of three integers: @code{(@var{high} @var{low} @var{microsec})}.
+The integers @var{high} and @var{low} combine to give the number of
+seconds of idleness, which is
+@ifnottex
+@var{high} * 2**16 + @var{low}.
+@end ifnottex
+@tex
+$high*2^{16}+low$.
+@end tex
+
+The third element, @var{microsec}, gives the microseconds since the
+start of the current second (or 0 for systems that return time with
+the resolution of only one second).
+
+The main use of this function is when an idle timer function wants to
+``take a break'' for a while. It can set up another idle timer to
+call the same function again, after a few seconds more idleness.
+Here's an example:
+
+@smallexample
+(defvar resume-timer nil
+ "Timer that `timer-function' used to reschedule itself, or nil.")
+
+(defun timer-function ()
+ ;; @r{If the user types a command while @code{resume-timer}}
+ ;; @r{is active, the next time this function is called from}
+ ;; @r{its main idle timer, deactivate @code{resume-timer}.}
+ (when resume-timer
+ (cancel-timer resume-timer))
+ ...@var{do the work for a while}...
+ (when @var{taking-a-break}
+ (setq resume-timer
+ (run-with-idle-timer
+ ;; Compute an idle time @var{break-length}
+ ;; more than the current value.
+ (time-add (current-idle-time)
+ (seconds-to-time @var{break-length}))
+ nil
+ 'timer-function))))
+@end smallexample
@end defun
+ Some idle timer functions in user Lisp packages have a loop that
+does a certain amount of processing each time around, and exits when
+@code{(input-pending-p)} is non-@code{nil}. That approach seems very
+natural but has two problems:
+
+@itemize
+@item
+It blocks out all process output (since Emacs accepts process output
+only while waiting).
+
+@item
+It blocks out any idle timers that ought to run during that time.
+@end itemize
+
+@noindent
+To avoid these problems, don't use that technique. Instead, write
+such idle timers to reschedule themselves after a brief pause, using
+the method in the @code{timer-function} example above.
+
@node Terminal Input
@section Terminal Input
@cindex terminal input