xref: /freebsd/lib/libc/gen/ualarm.3 (revision 2008043f386721d58158e37e0d7e50df8095942d)
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28.\"     From: @(#)ualarm.3	8.2 (Berkeley) 4/19/94
29.\"
30.Dd April 19, 1994
31.Dt UALARM 3
32.Os
33.Sh NAME
34.Nm ualarm
35.Nd schedule signal after specified time
36.Sh LIBRARY
37.Lb libc
38.Sh SYNOPSIS
39.In unistd.h
40.Ft useconds_t
41.Fn ualarm "useconds_t microseconds" "useconds_t interval"
42.Sh DESCRIPTION
43.Bf -symbolic
44This is a simplified interface to
45.Xr setitimer 2 .
46.Ef
47.Pp
48The
49.Fn ualarm
50function
51waits a count of
52.Fa microseconds
53before asserting the terminating signal
54.Dv SIGALRM .
55System activity or time used in processing the call may cause a slight
56delay.
57.Pp
58If the
59.Fa interval
60argument is non-zero, the
61.Dv SIGALRM
62signal will be sent
63to the process every
64.Fa interval
65microseconds after the timer expires (e.g.\& after
66.Fa microseconds
67number of microseconds have passed).
68.Pp
69Due to
70.Xr setitimer 2
71restriction the maximum number of
72.Fa microseconds
73and
74.Fa interval
75is limited to 100000000000000
76(in case this value fits in the unsigned integer).
77.Sh RETURN VALUES
78When the signal has successfully been caught,
79.Fn ualarm
80returns the amount of time left on the clock.
81.Sh NOTES
82A microsecond is 0.000001 seconds.
83.Sh SEE ALSO
84.Xr getitimer 2 ,
85.Xr setitimer 2 ,
86.Xr sigaction 2 ,
87.Xr sigsuspend 2 ,
88.Xr alarm 3 ,
89.Xr signal 3 ,
90.Xr sleep 3 ,
91.Xr usleep 3
92.Sh HISTORY
93The
94.Fn ualarm
95function appeared in
96.Bx 4.3 .
97