Editing mirc/commands/timer

{{mirc title|/timer Command}}
The '''/timer command''' can be used to create a general purpose timer. A [[timer]] is a way to execute code at some specific interval or time and delay. [[Timers]] can be named and unnamed. Unnamed timers will get the lowest numeric timer index available. Named timers are specifically useful if you need to recall that timer at a later period - to pause it, resume it, or simply reset it. Starting a timer with a name that already exists will override the old timer. Timers only get execute on the main mIRC message loop. I.E. after the alias/event are complete. 

== Synopsis ==
 /timers [off]
 /timer[n|name] [off]
 /timer[n|name] [-cdeomhiprzN] [time] <repetitions> <interval> <nowiki><code></nowiki>

== Switches ==
Creation Manipulators
* '''-o''' - Creates a offline timer
* '''-c''' - Creates a catch-up timer
* '''-h''' - Creates a high-resolution timer (interval is in millisecond just like -m)

Attributes
* '''-m''' - Treats the interval parameter as milliseconds instead of seconds
* '''-d''' - Keeps the order of all -d timers
* '''-i''' - Dynamically associates itself with the active connection

Manipulator
* '''-e''' - Executes the code associated with a timer (note: it decrease the number of repetition of the timer, probably resets the time counter as well)
* '''-p''' - Pauses a timer
* '''-r''' - Resumes a timer
* '''-z'''N - Resets an online timer; N=2 resets total time, N=1, resets current time, and N=0 is the same as N=1 AND N=2

== Parameters ==
* '''[off]''' - A literal 'off' keyword, used to turn off a timer.
* '''[n|name]''' -  The name or index of the timer
* '''[time]''' - Time to activate the timer, for example '15:30' for 3:30PM
* '''<repetitions>''' - The amount of times the timer should repeat itself. A repetition value of '0' will repeat forever.
* '''<interval>''' - The delay between two consecutive timer executions
* '''<nowiki><code></nowiki>''' - Code to be executed.

== {{mIRC|$ctimer}} & {{mIRC|$ltimer}} ==

{{mIRC|$ctimer}} can be used to return the name of the timer which triggered the current script while {{mIRC|$ltimer}} returns the name of the last timer which triggered.

== Quirks ==

You can check the {{mIRC|msl injection}} page to learn more about /timer's double evaluation issues.

/timer also has a special evaluation routine which checks for variable assignement (except /var), for example:

  //timer -ho 1 0 set -s %test 5 $(|) unset -s %test

Works correctly: /timer does not evaluate the variable %test both times as it recognize the assignement.

However this behavior is too intrusive, it is not possible to properly check for variable assigment:

  //var -s %a inc,%b somevalue | timer -ho 1 0 echo -s %a %b

here the variable %b's value disappear completely

== Example ==
Below is a simple count down timer that uses a call-back alias once per second:

<syntaxhighlight lang="mIRC">alias example {
  ; start cou
  var %reps = 5

  ; call the timer %reps times after 1 second delay each
  .timer %reps 1 count-down

  ; print the first count
  count-down
}
alias -l count-down {
  echo -a Count: $timer($ltimer).reps
}</syntaxhighlight>

The above code will generate the following output:

<pre>Count: 5
Count: 4
Count: 3
Count: 2
Count: 1
Count: 0</pre>

A more basic example of a message being delayed for 3 seconds:

<syntaxhighlight lang="mIRC">on *:text:!foo:#foo:{
  ; delay the message for 3 seconds
  timer 1 3 msg #foo Bar!
}</syntaxhighlight>

A repetition of '0' can also be used to mean an repeat forever:

<syntaxhighlight lang="mIRC">alias cur_time {
  timer 0 1 echo -s $!time(hh:nn:ss)
}</syntaxhighlight>

== Compatibility ==
Added: mIRC 3.3, 3.4

== See also ==
* [[List of commands - mIRC|List of commands]]
* [[List of identifiers - mIRC|List of identifiers]]
* {{mIRC|$timer}}
* {{mIRC|$ctimer}}
* {{mIRC|$ltimer}}
* {{mIRC|$time}}
* {{mIRC|$date}}
* {{mIRC|$gmt}}
* {{mIRC|$asctime}}
* {{mIRC|/scid}}
* {{mIRC|/scon}}
{{mIRC command list}}

[[Category:mIRC commands|timer command - mIRC]]