Thread: Countdown.. 3.. 2.. 1?

no.

Just keep checking the clock() (include time.h), and divide by 1000 to get seconds. You can do so by sprinkling the function throughout the program, but that's messy. Threads are much better, more accurate, and fairly simple to set up. That's my suggestion...

Of course. I believe the function originally used was beginthread. But since console proggies these days are merely Windows programs in disguise, you'd be better off using CreateThread().

Try this:

Code:

/*

Keep these in mind...

BOOL SuspendThread(HANDLE thread);
BOOL ResumeThread(HANDLE thread);
BOOL SetThreadPriority(HANDLE thread, int priority); 
int GetThreadPriority(HANDLE thread);

THREAD_PRIORITY_IDLE
THREAD_PRIORITY_LOWEST
THREAD_PRIORITY_BELOW_NORMAL
THREAD_PRIORITY_NORMAL
THREAD_PRIORITY_ABOVE_NORMAL
THREAD_PRIORITY_HIGHEST
THREAD_PRIORITY_TIME_CRITICAL

*/



#define THREAD HANDLE
#define THREADFUNC DWORD WINAPI



THREAD
 NewThread( DWORD func(LPVOID), LPVOID params = NULL, DWORD *id = NULL)
{
  static DWORD fakeIt = 0;

  if(id == NULL)
   {
    fakeIt++;
    id = &fakeIt;
   }
  return CreateThread(NULL, 0, func, (LPVOID)params, 0, id);
}




THREAD
 NewThreadWaiting( DWORD func(LPVOID), LPVOID params, DWORD *id = NULL)
{
  static DWORD fakeIt = 0;

  if(id == NULL)
   {
    fakeIt++;
    id = &fakeIt;
   }
  return CreateThread(NULL, 0, func, params, CREATE_SUSPENDED, id);
}





bool ThreadIsActive(THREAD t)
{
 DWORD status = 0;

 GetExitCodeThread(t, &status);

 if(status == STILL_ACTIVE)
 return true;

 CloseHandle(t);

 return false;
}

About threads:


When you create a thread there will be a couple of things to do/remember:

1) Define the function to pass to "NewThread()"

2) A thread will not hold a console program "open", thus at the end of the program, be sure to wait for the thread before exiting.

3) There is no guarantee when a thread begins, exits, and how long it gets to execute each time slice.

4) When in doubt, USE A critical section, mutex, or semaphore to protect shared data.

Here's a sample app:

Code:

THREADFUNC ThreadFunc( void *param ) //...the parameter is mandatory, even if unused... 
{
 printf("\n I live!!!");
 
 printf("\n Message: %s", (param == NULL) ? "none" : (char*)param);

 Sleep(5000);

 printf("\n I'm dying!!!");
}


int main()
{
 char msg[] = "Thread Two Gets A Message.";

 THREAD thread = NewThread( ThreadFunc );
 
 THREAD alert = NewThread( ThreadFunc, (void*)msg);
 
 while( ThreadIsActive(thread) );    //...wait around...
 
 while( ThreadIsActive(alert) );    //...wait around...
 
 return 0;
}

Have fun!