Timer
A Timer is an event-based scheduler that runs the simulation. It contains a set of Events, allowing the simulation to work with processes that start independently and act in different periodicities. As default, it execute the Events in the order they were declared, but the arguments of Event (start, priority, and period) can change this order. Once a Timer has a given simulation time, it ensures that all the Events before that time were already executed. See run() for more details.
Arguments
- ...: A set of Events.
Attributes
Some attributes of Timer have internal semantics. They can be used as read-only by the modeler.
- cObj_: A pointer to a C++ representation of the Timer. Never use this object.
- events: An ordered vector with the Events.
- time: The current simulation time.
Usage
timer = Timer{
Event{action = function()
print("each time step")
end},
Event{period = 2, action = function()
print("each two time steps")
end},
Event{priority = "high", period = 4, action = function()
print("each four time steps")
end}
}
timer:run(10)Functions
| add | Add a new Event to the timer. |
| clear | Remove all the Events from the Timer. |
| getEvents | Return a vector with the Events of the Timer. |
| getTime | Return the current simulation time. |
| notify | Notify every Observer connected to the Timer. |
| reset | Reset the Timer to time minus infinite, keeping the same Event queue. |
| run | Run the Timer until a given final time. |
| # | Return the number of Events in the Timer. |
add
Add a new Event to the timer. If the Event has a start time less than the current simulation time then add() will prompt a warning (but the Event will be added).
Arguments
- #1: An Event or table. When adding a table, this function converts the table into an Event.
Usage
timer = Timer{}
timer:add(Event{action = function() end})clear
Remove all the Events from the Timer. Note that, when this function is called within an action of an Event, if such function does not return false, it will be added to the Timer again after the end of its execution. This means that the simulation will continue with a single Event until its final time.
Usage
timer = Timer{
Event{action = function() print("step") end}
}
timer:clear()getEvents
Return a vector with the Events of the Timer.
Usage
timer = Timer{
Event{action = function() print("step") end}
}
print(timer:getEvents()[1]:getTime())getTime
Return the current simulation time.
Usage
timer = Timer{
Event{action = function() print("step") end}
}
timer:run(10)
print(timer:getTime())notify
Notify every Observer connected to the Timer.
Usage
timer = Timer{
Event{action = function() print("step") end}
}
Clock{target = timer}
timer:run(10)
timer:notify()reset
Reset the Timer to time minus infinite, keeping the same Event queue.
Usage
timer = Timer{
Event{action = function() print("step") end}
}
Clock{target = timer}
timer:run(10)
timer:reset()
print(timer:getTime())run
Run the Timer until a given final time. It manages the Event queue according to their execution times and priorities. The Event with lower time will be executed in each step. If there are two Events to be executed at the same time, it executes the one with lower priority. If both have the same priority, it executes the one that was scheuled first for that time. In order to activate an Event, the Timer executes its action, passing the Event itself as argument. If the action of the Event does not return false, the Event is scheduled to execute again according to its period. The Timer then repeats its execution again and again. It stops only when all its Events are scheduled to execute after the final time, or when there are no remaining Events.
Arguments
- #1: A number representing the final time of the simulation. This argument is mandatory.
Usage
timer = Timer{
Event{action = function() print("step") end}
}
timer:run(10)
timer = Timer{
Event{action = function() print("step") end}
}
timer:run(10)#
Return the number of Events in the Timer.
Usage
timer = Timer{
Event{action = function()
print("each time step")
end},
Event{period = 2, action = function()
print("each two time steps")
end}
}
print(#timer)