Timer Class

Definition

public ref class Timer : System::ComponentModel::Component, System::ComponentModel::ISupportInitialize

public class Timer : System.ComponentModel.Component, System.ComponentModel.ISupportInitialize

type Timer = class
    inherit Component
    interface ISupportInitialize

Public Class Timer
Inherits Component
Implements ISupportInitialize

Inheritance

Object

MarshalByRefObject

Component

Timer

Implements

ISupportInitialize

Examples

The following example instantiates a System.Timers.Timer object that fires its Timer.Elapsed event every two seconds (2,000 milliseconds), sets up an event handler for the event, and starts the timer. The event handler displays the value of the ElapsedEventArgs.SignalTime property each time it is raised.

using System;
using System.Timers;

public class Example
{
   private static System.Timers.Timer aTimer;
   
   public static void Main()
   {
      SetTimer();

      Console.WriteLine("\nPress the Enter key to exit the application...\n");
      Console.WriteLine("The application started at {0:HH:mm:ss.fff}", DateTime.Now);
      Console.ReadLine();
      aTimer.Stop();
      aTimer.Dispose();
      
      Console.WriteLine("Terminating the application...");
   }

   private static void SetTimer()
   {
        // Create a timer with a two second interval.
        aTimer = new System.Timers.Timer(2000);
        // Hook up the Elapsed event for the timer. 
        aTimer.Elapsed += OnTimedEvent;
        aTimer.AutoReset = true;
        aTimer.Enabled = true;
    }

    private static void OnTimedEvent(Object source, ElapsedEventArgs e)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("The Elapsed event was raised at {0:HH:mm:ss.fff}",
                          e.SignalTime);
    }
}
// The example displays output like the following:
//       Press the Enter key to exit the application...
//
//       The application started at 09:40:29.068
//       The Elapsed event was raised at 09:40:31.084
//       The Elapsed event was raised at 09:40:33.100
//       The Elapsed event was raised at 09:40:35.100
//       The Elapsed event was raised at 09:40:37.116
//       The Elapsed event was raised at 09:40:39.116
//       The Elapsed event was raised at 09:40:41.117
//       The Elapsed event was raised at 09:40:43.132
//       The Elapsed event was raised at 09:40:45.133
//       The Elapsed event was raised at 09:40:47.148
//
//       Terminating the application...

Imports System.Timers

Public Module Example
    Private aTimer As System.Timers.Timer

    Public Sub Main()
        SetTimer()

      Console.WriteLine("{0}Press the Enter key to exit the application...{0}",
                        vbCrLf)
      Console.WriteLine("The application started at {0:HH:mm:ss.fff}",
                        DateTime.Now)
      Console.ReadLine()
      aTimer.Stop()
      aTimer.Dispose()

      Console.WriteLine("Terminating the application...")
    End Sub

    Private Sub SetTimer()
        ' Create a timer with a two second interval.
        aTimer = New System.Timers.Timer(2000)
        ' Hook up the Elapsed event for the timer. 
        AddHandler aTimer.Elapsed, AddressOf OnTimedEvent
        aTimer.AutoReset = True
        aTimer.Enabled = True
    End Sub

    ' The event handler for the Timer.Elapsed event. 
    Private Sub OnTimedEvent(source As Object, e As ElapsedEventArgs)
        Console.WriteLine("The Elapsed event was raised at {0:HH:mm:ss.fff}",
                          e.SignalTime)
    End Sub 
End Module
' The example displays output like the following:
'       Press the Enter key to exit the application...
'
'       The application started at 09:40:29.068
'       The Elapsed event was raised at 09:40:31.084
'       The Elapsed event was raised at 09:40:33.100
'       The Elapsed event was raised at 09:40:35.100
'       The Elapsed event was raised at 09:40:37.116
'       The Elapsed event was raised at 09:40:39.116
'       The Elapsed event was raised at 09:40:41.117
'       The Elapsed event was raised at 09:40:43.132
'       The Elapsed event was raised at 09:40:45.133
'       The Elapsed event was raised at 09:40:47.148
'
'       Terminating the application...

Remarks

The Timer component is a server-based timer that raises an Elapsed event in your application after the number of milliseconds in the Interval property has elapsed. You can configure the Timer object to raise the event just once or repeatedly using the AutoReset property. Typically, a Timer object is declared at the class level so that it stays in scope as long as it is needed. You can then handle its Elapsed event to provide regular processing. For example, suppose you have a critical server that must be kept running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You could create a service that uses a Timer object to periodically check the server and ensure that the system is up and running. If the system is not responding, the service could attempt to restart the server or notify an administrator.

This type implements the IDisposable interface. When you have finished using the type, you should dispose of it either directly or indirectly. To dispose of the type directly, call its Dispose method in a try/catch block. To dispose of it indirectly, use a language construct such as using (in C#) or Using (in Visual Basic). For more information, see the "Using an Object that Implements IDisposable" section in the IDisposable interface topic.

The server-based System.Timers.Timer class is designed for use with worker threads in a multithreaded environment. Server timers can move among threads to handle the raised Elapsed event, resulting in more accuracy than Windows timers in raising the event on time.

The System.Timers.Timer component raises the Elapsed event, based on the value (in milliseconds) of the Interval property. You can handle this event to perform the processing you need. For example, suppose that you have an online sales application that continuously posts sales orders to a database. The service that compiles the instructions for shipping operates on a batch of orders rather than processing each order individually. You could use a Timer to start the batch processing every 30 minutes.

When AutoReset is set to false, a System.Timers.Timer object raises the Elapsed event only once, after the first Interval has elapsed. To keep raising the Elapsed event regularly at the interval defined by the Interval, set AutoReset to true, which is the default value.

The Timer component catches and suppresses all exceptions thrown by event handlers for the Elapsed event. This behavior is subject to change in future releases of the .NET Framework. Note, however, that this is not true of event handlers that execute asynchronously and include the await operator (in C#) or the Await operator (in Visual Basic). Exceptions thrown in these event handlers are propagated back to the calling thread, as the following example illustrates. For more information on exceptions thrown in asynchronous methods, see Exception Handling.

using System;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using System.Timers;

class Example
{
   static void Main()
   {
      Timer timer = new Timer(1000);
      timer.Elapsed += async ( sender, e ) => await HandleTimer();
      timer.Start();
      Console.Write("Press any key to exit... ");
      Console.ReadKey();
   }

   private static Task HandleTimer()
   {
     Console.WriteLine("\nHandler not implemented..." );
     throw new NotImplementedException();
   }
}
// The example displays output like the following:
//   Press any key to exit...
//   Handler not implemented...
//   
//   Unhandled Exception: System.NotImplementedException: The method or operation is not implemented.
//      at Example.HandleTimer()
//      at Example.<<Main>b__0>d__2.MoveNext()
//   --- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
//      at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.AsyncMethodBuilderCore.<>c__DisplayClass2.<ThrowAsync>b__5(Object state)
//      at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state, Boolean preserveSyncCtx)
//      at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state, Boolean preserveSyncCtx)
//      at System.Threading.QueueUserWorkItemCallback.System.Threading.IThreadPoolWorkItem.ExecuteWorkItem()
//      at System.Threading.ThreadPoolWorkQueue.Dispatch()

Imports System.Threading.Tasks
Imports System.Timers

Public Module Example
   Public Sub Main()
      Dim timer As New Timer(1000)  
      AddHandler timer.Elapsed, AddressOf Example.HandleTimer     
      'timer.Elapsed = Async ( sender, e ) => await HandleTimer()
      timer.Start()
      Console.Write("Press any key to exit... ")
      Console.ReadKey()
   End Sub

   Private Async Sub HandleTimer(sender As Object, e As EventArgs)
      Await Task.Run(Sub()
                        Console.WriteLine()
                        Console.WriteLine("Handler not implemented..." )
                        Throw New NotImplementedException()
                     End Sub)   
   End Sub
End Module
' The example displays output like the following:
'   Press any key to exit...
'   Handler not implemented...
'   
'   Unhandled Exception: System.NotImplementedException: The method or operation is not implemented.
'      at Example._Lambda$__1()
'      at System.Threading.Tasks.Task.Execute()
'   --- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
'      at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.ThrowForNonSuccess(Task task)
'      at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
'      at Example.VB$StateMachine_0_HandleTimer.MoveNext()
'   --- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
'      at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.AsyncMethodBuilderCore.<>c__DisplayClass2.<ThrowAsync>b__5(Object state)
'      at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state, Boolean preserveSyncCtx)
'      at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state, Boolean preserveSyncCtx)
'      at System.Threading.QueueUserWorkItemCallback.System.Threading.IThreadPoolWorkItem.ExecuteWorkItem()
'      at System.Threading.ThreadPoolWorkQueue.Dispatch()

If the SynchronizingObject property is null, the Elapsed event is raised on a ThreadPool thread. If processing of the Elapsed event lasts longer than Interval, the event might be raised again on another ThreadPool thread. In this situation, the event handler should be reentrant.

Even if SynchronizingObject is not null, Elapsed events can occur after the Dispose or Stop method has been called or after the Enabled property has been set to false, because the signal to raise the Elapsed event is always queued for execution on a thread pool thread. One way to resolve this race condition is to set a flag that tells the event handler for the Elapsed event to ignore subsequent events.

If you use the System.Timers.Timer class with a user interface element, such as a form or control, without placing the timer on that user interface element, assign the form or control that contains the Timer to the SynchronizingObject property, so that the event is marshaled to the user interface thread.

For a list of default property values for an instance of Timer, see the Timer constructor.

Constructors

Properties

Methods

Events

Applies to

Thread Safety

Any public static members of this type are thread safe. Any instance members are not guaranteed to be thread safe.

See also

• AutoReset
• Interval
• Elapsed
• Timer()
• Timer