Phantasmal Site > Phantasmal API > API Listing > set_heart_beat

API Function: set_heart_beat

Summary:

schedule a function to be called at set intervals

Defined In LPC Object:

/usr/common/sys/timed.c

Prototype:

void set_heart_beat(int how_often, string funcname, mixed args...)

Can Be Called By:

System, Common, Game

Description:

The set_heart_beat() function works just like call_out() except for an extra parameter on the front, which determines how often it should be called. How_often is an enumerated constant in timed.h, and has values like TIMED_HALF_MINUTE for a timer called once per 30 seconds. See phantasmal/timed.h for legal values.

Each object may have no more than one heart_beat function of any given frequency. For instance, it may have one each of TIMED_TEN_MINUTES and TIMED_ONE_HOUR, but may not have two heart_beat functions that each run once per TIMED_ONE_HOUR.

An object may only set_heart_beat for itself, which means that the object calling TIMED->set_heart_beat must name one of its own functions. The function named must be callable by TIMED, so static and private functions don't work. It's a good idea to make sure that TIMED actually is the object calling the heart_beat function, though.

Return Value:

None.

Errors:

Bad parameters or problems setting up a call_out can cause errors. An error can also occur if that object has already set a heart_beat of that frequency.

See Also:

stop_heart_beat