Slow timer .

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I build a timer application to count down and count up the time.
But when I compare it with other timer software I have, my timer is slower.
My best guess is because the timer event is containing too much stuff to do in 1 second. Too many if's.
a)-I think, the best approach to this issue is to simply make this:

int h1 = 0,h2 = 0;
int m1 = 0;m2 = 0
int s1 = 0;s2 = 0;
private void timer1_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
  h1--;m1--;s1--;
  h2++;m2++;s2++;  //and that's it
}

and then, update the form1 somehow, but not interfering with timer event.
b)-One idea is to create another timer (timer2), and in it's tick event to update the form1...but I am worrying if the timer2 will slow down the timer1?
c)-Another idea is to make two(2) threads to run the decrementing in one thread and updating UI in another thread.
d)-Another idea is to "paint" the UI after the timer is doing a minimal routine. I can easily make a bool became false when the tick occurs and in a "Paint" event to execute all the decrementing and all the if's, and set that bool to true. For that I have to make an event for a bool and that is over my ears...
I am hoping it is a easy solution to this problem, and before jumping to code, I think is best to ask first and get some opinions.
Thank you!

What I have tried:

My original code here:

int h = 0;
int m = 0;
int s = 0;
private void timer1_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    if (isTickActive) Ticking();

    if (isTimer)
    {
        s = s - 1;
        if (s == -1)
        {
            m = m - 1;
            s = 59;
        }
        if (m == -1)
        {
            h = h - 1;
            m = 59;
        }
        if (h == -1)
        {
            h = m = s = 0;
        }
        if (h == 0 && m == 0 && s == 0)
        {
            timer1.Stop();
            button1.Text = "Start";
            labelinfo.Text = "finished";
            Ledstop = true; LedColor();

            if (isAlarmActive) SoundTheAlarm();
        }
    }
    else //isClock
    {
        s = s + 1;
        if (s == 60)
        {
            m = m + 1;
            s = 0;
        }
        if (m == 60)
        {
            h = h + 1;
            m = 0;
        }
        if (h == 24)
        {
            h = m = s = 0;
            timer1.Stop();
            button1.Text = "Start";
            labelinfo.Text = "finished";
            Ledstop = true; LedColor();
        }
    }

    label1.Text = s + "";
    label2.Text = m + "";
    label3.Text = h + "";
    if (s < 10) label1.Text = "0" + s;
    if (m < 10) label2.Text = "0" + m;
    if (h < 10) label3.Text = "0" + h;
}

Posted 18-Feb-17 23:44pm

_Q12_

Updated 19-Feb-17 4:40am

v8

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Comments

Ralf Meier 19-Feb-17 5:53am

I would not work like this because doing it in this way will cause a large Time-Jitter (like you described above).
Why don't you work with System-Parts like (for example) System.Datetime.Now ?

Perhaps there is a better approach to be found if you describe what you are trying to achieve ...

_Q12_ 19-Feb-17 6:01am

thank you for your reply!
All I want is a highly customizable timer application, and this was my first timer application in my life - and is working as I wanted (except for the lag). Your suggestion is to make another code around Datetime class? I didnt think about it when I started... well, maybe for a second but I choose what I coded already. It is an interesting idea. I will think about it.

Ralf Meier 19-Feb-17 6:11am

What should generelly should know about Events is :
Perhaps an Event is raised/fired a the right moment - but the Application works with it when there is time for it - in worst case it could be seconds (or perhaps also minutes) later.
So of course you could created your own timer-application (? task-scheduler ?) but what I suggest is : with the first call of it memorize the Now-Timestamp an in the following time work with resulting Timespan between Now and this memorized Timestamp ...

_Q12_ 19-Feb-17 6:23am

aaa... maybe a pseudo-code will help? I did not understand your explanation. Sorry.

Ralf Meier 19-Feb-17 6:35am

Yes a pseudo code would help ...
But again : what is the final goal ? I think I could be much more specific if you are also more specific ...

_Q12_ 19-Feb-17 7:31am

the goal of the software is for user to set a time in sec/min/hours and when a button is pressed, a count down begin, until it reaches 0h/0m/0s and stops. It runs per second. With each second passed, the countdown decrements 1. If I have 9s set, next second, it will become 8s, and so on until it reaches 0s.

RickZeeland 19-Feb-17 6:26am

Are you using a Timer control on your form from the toolbox ? I ran into a lot of problems with this, I would recommend using the Timer from System.Timers instead.

Ralf Meier 19-Feb-17 6:37am

I don't agree with you.
The only difference is that the Timer-Component from the Toolbox is instanced on a Form (and belongs to it).
The methods and the working princip behind is the same (if it's not really the same object).

_Q12_ 19-Feb-17 7:42am

It should be the same thing I agree but I will make a test since it is very easy to modify.

_Q12_ 19-Feb-17 7:24am

Yes, I added a timer in designer. (Not from code.)
You recommend to create a timer object in code?
This is painless - I can do it very quickly.
I will inform you about performance after I re-write the code and make some tests.

_Q12_ 19-Feb-17 7:44am

I run the test again, with a timer object made from code.
The result is the same as before.

Richard MacCutchan 19-Feb-17 8:28am

Don't use those increments and decrements to calculate the elapsed time, as you do not know how many milliseconds, or even seconds, have elapsed since the previous tick. You should just capture the current time at each timer tick, and use that to display in your countdown.

_Q12_ 19-Feb-17 8:55am

Exactly my thought too. Thank you mister Richard.
But how to implement it? I described something similar at point c) but I am overthinking it there. Your thoughts?
I already made a test with 2 timers and it is still staying behind.

private void timer1_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
if (isTimer)
{
s = s - 1;
}
else //isClock
{
s = s + 1;
}

}
and timer2 is doing the same thing as the original code + some minor details for both timers to work.

Richard MacCutchan 19-Feb-17 9:03am

No, stop trying to calculate the time by using your own counters. As I already explained, you do not know how much time has elapsed since the previous timer tick. You just need something like:


private void timer1_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    DateTime dt = DateTime.Now; // the actual current time
}

If you need to do more processing at the event, then you should stop the timer while doing other work, and then restart it when done. See https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.windows.forms.timer.tick(v=vs.110).aspx for sample code.

_Q12_ 19-Feb-17 9:12am

My problem is converting and updating after the tick passed. How/Where to do these operations?

Richard MacCutchan 19-Feb-17 9:14am

Converting or updating what? You have all the information you need from the DateTime object, all you need to do is display it. The documentation shows what different options are available.

_Q12_ 19-Feb-17 9:20am

But how to convert the normal time from DateTime object, into a countdown time? When normal time from DateTime object is 1m05s mytimer should decrement this value somehow. Only with my own counters is possible. I look over the page that you posted and I dont see the solution for my problem... can you point it for me?
--reedited--
in your microsoft example they use a custom counter too: [ alarmCounter +=1;] inside timer tick event named TimerEventProcessor. It is exactly what I did already but for 3 variables.

Graeme_Grant 19-Feb-17 9:34am

Store the DateTime when the timer starts and subtract the elapsed DateTime... It is in the documentation ... also, google it and there are dozens of examples of how...

_Q12_ 19-Feb-17 9:47am

Thank you (Graeme_Grant)!
Very Interesting!
But How?
here is a quick pseudocode:

textBox1_TextChanged
{
s = datetime.s
request =6;
recalculate();
}
s = 0; //s = datetime.s in TextChanged
end=0;
request =6;
void recalculate()
{
end=s-request;
}
private void timer1_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
s--;
if (s= end)
{
timer.stop
}

}

Richard MacCutchan 19-Feb-17 10:04am

You still do not understand. The counter in the example has nothing to do with the actual difference in time.

Use a DateTime object as I told you before. If you want the elapsed time between ticks, then just save the time when the timer starts, and subtract that from the current time at each tick. Use a TimeSpan object for the difference which you can then use to simply extract the numbers of hours, minutes and seconds that have elapsed.

_Q12_ 19-Feb-17 10:35am

I understand now. I must experiment with these new approaches. Thank you very much.

Ralf Meier 19-Feb-17 11:37am

I where some hours absent - interesting to where this "discussion" meanwhile went ...
For your understanding :
The Timer could be used for cyclic operations where it is not really necessary to keep an exact intervall.
One example could be : let a Label blink ...
Or send a Text via SerialPort or TCP ...
You could also use it for a kind of Task-Scheduler if you want to do an action perhaps after 7 o'clock but not if you want to do it exactly at 7:00:00 or any other time.

As I said before : it could be much easier to help you if you tell what you exactly try to achieve ...

4 solutions

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Graeme_Grant · Answer 1 · 2017-02-19T03:50:00

Solution 2

Google search examples[^]

Posted 19-Feb-17 3:50am

Graeme_Grant

Comments

_Q12_ 19-Feb-17 10:12am

I will repeat my previews answer to you here:
you said:
"Store the DateTime when the timer starts and subtract the elapsed DateTime... It is in the documentation ... also, google it and there are dozens of examples of how...
"
my response:

Thank you (Graeme_Grant)!
Very Interesting!
But How?
here is a quick pseudocode:

textBox1_TextChanged
{
s = datetime.s
request =6;
recalculate();
}
s = 0; //s = datetime.s in TextChanged
end=0;
request =6;
void recalculate()
{
end=s-request;
}
private void timer1_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
s--;
if (s= end)
{
timer.stop
}

}

Now I am looking over the samples from your link.
I find something interesting already that i did not know:
DateTime endTime = new DateTime(2013,01,01,0,0,0);
TimeSpan ts = endTime.Subtract(DateTime.Now); //?!^!#@!
I will have to test these new methods and approaches.

Patrice T · Answer 2 · 2017-02-19T03:20:00

Solution 1

This code is just wrong:

C++

int h1 = 0,h2 = 0;
int m1 = 0;m2 = 0
int s1 = 0;s2 = 0;
private void timer1_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
  h1--;m1--;s1--;
  h2++;m2++;s2++;  //and that's it
}

Why don't you use the RTC (Real Time Clock) ?
When you start to count

C++

start= DateTime.Now;

When you want to know the elapsed time

C++

now= DateTime.Now;
elapsed= now.Subtract(start); // in seconds

set a timer only to refresh the display or what you need ?
~~C library function - time()[^]~~
DateTime.Now Property (System)[^]
DateTime.Subtract Method (DateTime) (System)[^]

Posted 19-Feb-17 3:20am

Patrice T

Updated 19-Feb-17 4:50am

v3

Comments

_Q12_ 19-Feb-17 10:03am

I think your time function is for c/c++.
This is c#. I am not that advanced(or smart) to steal from c++ and adapt to c#. Probably is a very good idea but I am the problem in this case. :) Thank you anyway.

Patrice T 19-Feb-17 10:42am

oops
I was absolutely certain about C.

Patrice T 19-Feb-17 11:01am

Should be better now.

Richard MacCutchan 19-Feb-17 10:04am

In C#?

_Q12_ 19-Feb-17 10:31am

ihi

Patrice T 19-Feb-17 10:48am

oops
I was absolutely certain about C.

Richard MacCutchan · Answer 3 · 2017-02-19T04:07:00

Solution 3

See DateTime Structure (System)[^], TimeSpan Structure (System)[^] and Stopwatch Class (System.Diagnostics)[^].

All of the above can be utilised to achieve what you want.

Posted 19-Feb-17 4:07am

Richard MacCutchan

Comments

_Q12_ 19-Feb-17 10:33am

Thank you! I must experiment with them.

Graeme_Grant · Answer 4 · 2017-02-19T04:40:00

Solution 4

Google search spits out tons of examples... Here: Creating a simple Stopwatch/Timer application with C# / Windows Forms[^]

Posted 19-Feb-17 4:40am

Graeme_Grant