# `uv_timer_t` — Timer handle

Timer handles are used to schedule callbacks to be called in the future.

Timers are either single-shot or repeating. Repeating timers do not adjust for overhead but are rearmed relative to the event loop’s idea of “now”.

Libuv updates its idea of “now” right before executing timer callbacks, and right after waking up from waiting for I/O. See also `uv_update_time()`.

Example: a repeating timer with a 50 ms interval whose callback takes 17 ms to complete, runs again 33 ms later. If other tasks take longer than 33 ms, the timer callback runs as soon as possible.

## Data types

type uv_timer_t

  Timer handle type.

typedef void (*uv_timer_cb)(uv_timer_t *handle)

  Type definition for callback passed to `uv_timer_start()`.

### Public members

N/A

See also

The `uv_handle_t` members also apply.

## API

int uv_timer_init(uv_loop_t *loop, uv_timer_t *handle)

  Initialize the handle.

int uv_timer_start(uv_timer_t *handle, uv_timer_cb cb, uint64_t timeout, uint64_t repeat)

  Start the timer. timeout and repeat are in milliseconds.

  If timeout is zero, the callback fires on the next event loop iteration. If repeat is non-zero, the callback fires first after timeout milliseconds and then repeatedly after repeat milliseconds.

  Note

  Does not update the event loop’s concept of “now”. See `uv_update_time()` for more information.

  If the timer is already active, it is simply updated.

int uv_timer_stop(uv_timer_t *handle)

  Stop the timer, the callback will not be called anymore.

int uv_timer_again(uv_timer_t *handle)

  Stop the timer, and if it is repeating restart it using the repeat value as the timeout. If the timer has never been started before it returns UV_EINVAL.

void uv_timer_set_repeat(uv_timer_t *handle, uint64_t repeat)

  Set the repeat interval value in milliseconds. The timer will be scheduled to run on the given interval, regardless of the callback execution duration, and will follow normal timer semantics in the case of a time-slice overrun.

  Note

  If the repeat value is set from a timer callback it does not immediately take effect. If the timer was non-repeating before, it will have been stopped. If it was repeating, then the old repeat value will have been used to schedule the next timeout.

uint64_t uv_timer_get_repeat(const uv_timer_t *handle)

  Get the timer repeat value.

uint64_t uv_timer_get_due_in(const uv_timer_t *handle)

  Get the timer due value or 0 if it has expired. The time is relative to `uv_now()`.

  Added in version 1.40.0.

See also

The `uv_handle_t` API functions also apply.