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Release 1.0 Copyright ©1994 by James Romano All Rights Reserved.
MiscTimedEntry
Inherits From: MiscThreadedObject
Declared In: MiscTimedEntry.h
Class Description
This class defines a thread-safe timer that will call back a target object with a selectable message. The timer may be set up to go off once, repeat a N times, or repeat indefinately. The timer may be run in another thread.
A timed entry blocks, waiting for a timer return, then sends the action message to the target. A timed entry may be run in it's own thread, providing an asyncronous interupt, or run, providing a thread safe blocking timer. Of course, when run in it's own thread, the call back will be run in the timer's thread.
Time is measured in milliseconds. Action methods *must* be of the form " - methodName:sender"; when sent, 'sender' will be the TimedEntry instance.
An example:
{
BOOL async = (random() & 1);
id te = [[MiscTimedEntry alloc] initWithTarget:self
action:@selector(someAction:)
interval:5*1000
data:somePtr];
if (async)
[te runInNewThread]; /* returns immediately with async callbacks */
else
[te run]; /* sender blocked until timer goes off */
}
Instance Variables
void *userdata;
id target;
SEL action;
int interval;
port_t port;
int repeatCount;
userdata A handle to data that may be set to provide a context for the target.
target The receipient of the action method.
action Message sent to target after the timer goes off.
interval The time in milliseconds to sleep before messaging target.
port Used to sleep.
repeatCount The number of times to sleep & wake up.
Method Types
- action
- free
- init
- initWithTarget:action:interval:data:
- interval
- port
- repeatCount
- run
- setAction:
- setInterval:
- setPort:
- setRepeatCount:
- setTarget:
- setUserData:
- stop
- target
- userData
Instance Methods
action
- (SEL)action
Returns the timer's action.
See also:
free
- free
Stops the timer if necessary and frees the instance. This message may be sent from any thread.
See also: stop
init
- init
Initializes a timer with the default values by sending [self initWithTarget:NULL action:(SEL)0 interval:500 data:NULL]
See also: initWithTarget:action:interval:data:
initWithTarget:action:interval:data:
- initWithTarget:aTarget
action:(SEL)anAction
interval:(int)ival
data:(void *)data
Initializes a timer instance with the given values. RepeatCount is initialized to -1: repeat forever.
See also: setAction:, setInterval, setData:, setTarget:, setRepeatCount:
interval
- (int)interval
Returns the sleep interval.
See also: setInterval:
port
- (int)port
Returns the mach port that the instance waits on.
repeatCount
- (int)repeatCount
Returns the repeat count, the number of times the timer will interupt target. A repeat count of -1 indicates forever.
See also: setRepeatCount
run
- run
Starts the timer waiting.
This method causes the caller to block until sleeping repeatCount times. If a non blocking interupt is desired, use runInNewThread.
The run method, coupled with a repeatCount of 1 provides a simple thread-safe alternative to sleep(3).
Returns nil if the target object is nil or does not respond to action.
See also: runInNewThread, stop.
runInNewThread
- runInNewThread
Causes the timer to be run in a separate thread and control returned immediately back to the caller. The target's action method will be dispatched in the timer's thread.
See also: stop, run, runInNewThread (MiscThreadedObject)
setAction:
- (void)setAction:(SEL)anAction
Set the action message. action is the message sent to the target object when the interval has elapsed. action has the form of an InterfaceBuildertm action method, i.e. - actionMethod:sender.
If the timer is running in a different thread, the action method will be dispatched from that thread.
setInterval:
- (void)setInterval:(int)anInterval
The interval, in milliseconds, between messaging target.
setRepeatCount:
- (void)setRepeatCount:(int)count
The number of times to perform the wait/message cycle. A repeat count of -1 will cause the timer to repeat until a stop message is received.
See also: run, stop
setTarget:
- (void)setTarget:sender
Sets the target object .
See also: setAction:
setUserData:
- (void)setUserData:(void *)userData
Allows the sender to place data in the timer. Upon receipt of the action message, the target object may retrieve this data using the userData method.
See also: userData
stop
- stop
Stops the timer but does not free it.
target
- target
Returns the receipient object of the action message.
userData
- (void *)userData
Returns the data given in the setUserData: method.
See also: setUserData:
These are the contents of the former NiCE NeXT User Group NeXTSTEP/OpenStep software archive, currently hosted by Netfuture.ch.