java.util

Class TimerTask

Implemented Interfaces:
Runnable

public abstract class TimerTask
extends Object
implements Runnable

Task that can be run at a later time if given to a Timer. The TimerTask must implement a run method that will be called by the Timer when the task is scheduled for execution. The task can check when it should have been scheduled and cancel itself when no longer needed.

Example:

  Timer timer = new Timer();
  TimerTask task = new TimerTask() {
      public void run() {
      if (this.scheduledExecutionTime() < System.currentTimeMillis() + 500)
          // Do something
      else
          // Complain: We are more then half a second late!
      if (someStopCondition)
          this.cancel(); // This was our last execution
  };
  timer.scheduleAtFixedRate(task, 1000, 1000); // schedule every second
 

Note that a TimerTask object is a one shot object and can only given once to a Timer. (The Timer will use the TimerTask object for bookkeeping, in this implementation).

This class also implements Runnable to make it possible to give a TimerTask directly as a target to a Thread.

Since:
1.3
See Also:
Timer

Constructor Summary

TimerTask()
Creates a TimerTask and marks it as not yet scheduled.

Method Summary

boolean
cancel()
Marks the task as canceled and prevents any further execution.
abstract void
run()
Method that is called when this task is scheduled for execution.
long
scheduledExecutionTime()
Returns the last time this task was scheduled or (when called by the task from the run method) the time the current execution of the task was scheduled.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

clone, equals, extends Object> getClass, finalize, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait

Constructor Details

TimerTask

protected TimerTask()
Creates a TimerTask and marks it as not yet scheduled.

Method Details

cancel

public boolean cancel()
Marks the task as canceled and prevents any further execution. Returns true if the task was scheduled for any execution in the future and this cancel operation prevents that execution from happening.

A task that has been canceled can never be scheduled again.

In this implementation the TimerTask it is possible that the Timer does keep a reference to the TimerTask until the first time the TimerTask is actually scheduled. But the reference will disappear immediatly when cancel is called from within the TimerTask run method.


run

public abstract void run()
Method that is called when this task is scheduled for execution.
Specified by:
run in interface Runnable

scheduledExecutionTime

public long scheduledExecutionTime()
Returns the last time this task was scheduled or (when called by the task from the run method) the time the current execution of the task was scheduled. When the task has not yet run the return value is undefined.

Can be used (when the task is scheduled at fixed rate) to see the difference between the requested schedule time and the actual time that can be found with System.currentTimeMillis().


TimerTask.java -- Task that can be run at a later time if given to a Timer. Copyright (C) 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc. This file is part of GNU Classpath. GNU Classpath is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option) any later version. GNU Classpath is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details. You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with GNU Classpath; see the file COPYING. If not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA. Linking this library statically or dynamically with other modules is making a combined work based on this library. Thus, the terms and conditions of the GNU General Public License cover the whole combination. As a special exception, the copyright holders of this library give you permission to link this library with independent modules to produce an executable, regardless of the license terms of these independent modules, and to copy and distribute the resulting executable under terms of your choice, provided that you also meet, for each linked independent module, the terms and conditions of the license of that module. An independent module is a module which is not derived from or based on this library. If you modify this library, you may extend this exception to your version of the library, but you are not obligated to do so. If you do not wish to do so, delete this exception statement from your version.