NAME

       Tk::after - Execute a command after a time delay

SYNOPSIS

         $widget->after(ms)

         $id = $widget->after(ms?,callback?)

         $id = $widget->repeat(ms?,callback?)

         $widget->afterCancel($id)

         $id = $widget->afterIdle(callback)

         $widget->afterInfo?($id)?

         $id->time(?delay?)

DESCRIPTION

       This method is used to delay execution of the program or to execute a callback in
       background sometime in the future.

       In perl/Tk $widget->after is implemented via the class "Tk::After", and callbacks are
       associated with $widget, and are automatically cancelled when the widget is destroyed. An
       almost identical interface, but without automatic cancel, and without repeat is provided
       via Tk::after method.

   Internal Details
       The internal Tk::After class has the following synopsis:

         $id = Tk::After->new($widget, tid, $time, 'once',   callback);
         $id = Tk::After->new($widget, tid, $time, 'repeat', callback);
         $id->cancel;
         $id->time(?delay?);

       $id is a Tk::After object, an array of 5 elements:

       $widget is the parent widget reference.

       tid is the internal timer id, a unique string.

       $time is the string 'idle', representing an idle queue timer, or a integer millisecond
       value.

       once or repeat specifies whether the timer is a one-time after event, or a repeating
       repeat event.

       callback specifies a Perl/Tk Tk::Callback object.

Changing a repeat timer interval

       It's possible to change a repeat timer's delay value, or even cancel any timer, using the
       time method. If delay is specified and non-zero, a new timer delay is established.  If
       delay is zero the timer event is canceled just as if $id->cancel were invoked.  In all
       cases the current millisecond timer delay is returned.

       Note: the new timer delay will take effect on the subsequent timer event - this command
       will not cancel the pending timer event and re-issue it with the new delay time.

The after() method has several forms as follows:

       $widget->after(ms)
           The value ms must be an integer giving a time in milliseconds.  The command sleeps for
           ms milliseconds and then returns.  While the command is sleeping the application does
           not respond to events.

       $widget->after(ms,callback)
           In this form the command returns immediately, but it arranges for callback be executed
           ms milliseconds later as an event handler.  The callback will be executed exactly
           once, at the given time.  The command will be executed in context of $widget.  If an
           error occurs while executing the delayed command then the Tk::Error mechanism is used
           to report the error.  The after command returns an identifier (an object in the
           perl/Tk case) that can be used to cancel the delayed command using afterCancel.

       $widget->repeat(ms,callback)
           In this form the command returns immediately, but it arranges for callback be executed
           ms milliseconds later as an event handler. After callback has executed it is re-
           scheduled, to be executed in a futher ms, and so on until it is cancelled.

       $widget->afterCancel($id)
       $id->cancel
           Cancels the execution of a delayed command that was previously scheduled.  $id
           indicates which command should be canceled;  it must have been the return value from a
           previous after command.  If the command given by $id has already been executed (and is
           not scheduled to be executed again) then afterCancel has no effect.

       $widget->afterCancel(callback)
           This form is not robust in perl/Tk - its use is deprecated.  This command should also
           cancel the execution of a delayed command.  The callback argument is compared with
           pending callbacks, if a match is found, that callback is cancelled and will never be
           executed;  if no such callback is currently pending then the afterCancel has no
           effect.

       $widget->afterIdle(callback)
           Arranges for callback to be evaluated later as an idle callback.  The script will be
           run exactly once, the next time the event loop is entered and there are no events to
           process.  The command returns an identifier that can be used to cancel the delayed
           command using afterCancel.  If an error occurs while executing the script then the
           Tk::Error mechanism is used to report the error.

       $widget->afterInfo?($id)?
           This command returns information about existing event handlers.  If no $id argument is
           supplied, the command returns a list of the identifiers for all existing event
           handlers created by the after and repeat commands for $widget. If $id is supplied, it
           specifies an existing handler; $id must have been the return value from some previous
           call to after or repeat and it must not have triggered yet or been cancelled. In this
           case the command returns a list with three elements.  The first element of the list is
           the callback associated with $id, the second element is either idle or the integer
           timer millisecond value to indicate what kind of event handler it is, and the third is
           a string once or repeat to differentiate an after from a repeat event.

       The after(ms) and afterIdle forms of the command assume that the application is event
       driven:  the delayed commands will not be executed unless the application enters the event
       loop.  In applications that are not normally event-driven, the event loop can be entered
       with the vwait and update commands.

SEE ALSO

       Tk::Error Tk::callbacks

KEYWORDS

       cancel, delay, idle callback, sleep, time