Here are the gory details of what C<ev_loop> does:
+ - Before the first iteration, call any pending watchers.
* If there are no active watchers (reference count is zero), return.
- - Queue prepare watchers and then call all outstanding watchers.
+ - Queue all prepare watchers and then call all outstanding watchers.
- If we have been forked, recreate the kernel state.
- Update the kernel state with all outstanding changes.
- Update the "event loop time".
Returns a true value iff the watcher is pending, (i.e. it has outstanding
events but its callback has not yet been invoked). As long as a watcher
is pending (but not active) you must not call an init function on it (but
-C<ev_TYPE_set> is safe) and you must make sure the watcher is available to
-libev (e.g. you cnanot C<free ()> it).
+C<ev_TYPE_set> is safe), you must not change its priority, and you must
+make sure the watcher is available to libev (e.g. you cannot C<free ()>
+it).
=item callback ev_cb (ev_TYPE *watcher)
If you need to suppress invocation when higher priority events are pending
you need to look at C<ev_idle> watchers, which provide this functionality.
+You I<must not> change the priority of a watcher as long as it is active or
+pending.
+
The default priority used by watchers when no priority has been set is
always C<0>, which is supposed to not be too high and not be too low :).
fine, as long as you do not mind that the priority value you query might
or might not have been adjusted to be within valid range.
+=item ev_invoke (loop, ev_TYPE *watcher, int revents)
+
+Invoke the C<watcher> with the given C<loop> and C<revents>. Neither
+C<loop> nor C<revents> need to be valid as long as the watcher callback
+can deal with that fact.
+
+=item int ev_clear_pending (loop, ev_TYPE *watcher)
+
+If the watcher is pending, this function returns clears its pending status
+and returns its C<revents> bitset (as if its callback was invoked). If the
+watcher isn't pending it does nothing and returns C<0>.
+
=back
periodic watcher to trigger in 10 seconds (by specifiying e.g. C<ev_now ()
+ 10.>) and then reset your system clock to the last year, then it will
take a year to trigger the event (unlike an C<ev_timer>, which would trigger
-roughly 10 seconds later and of course not if you reset your system time
-again).
+roughly 10 seconds later).
They can also be used to implement vastly more complex timers, such as
-triggering an event on eahc midnight, local time.
+triggering an event on each midnight, local time or other, complicated,
+rules.
As with timers, the callback is guarenteed to be invoked only when the
time (C<at>) has been passed, but if multiple periodic timers become ready
=over 4
-=item * absolute timer (interval = reschedule_cb = 0)
+=item * absolute timer (at = time, interval = reschedule_cb = 0)
In this configuration the watcher triggers an event at the wallclock time
C<at> and doesn't repeat. It will not adjust when a time jump occurs,
that is, if it is to be run at January 1st 2011 then it will run when the
system time reaches or surpasses this time.
-=item * non-repeating interval timer (interval > 0, reschedule_cb = 0)
+=item * non-repeating interval timer (at = offset, interval > 0, reschedule_cb = 0)
In this mode the watcher will always be scheduled to time out at the next
-C<at + N * interval> time (for some integer N) and then repeat, regardless
-of any time jumps.
+C<at + N * interval> time (for some integer N, which can also be negative)
+and then repeat, regardless of any time jumps.
This can be used to create timers that do not drift with respect to system
time:
C<ev_periodic> will try to run the callback in this mode at the next possible
time where C<time = at (mod interval)>, regardless of any time jumps.
-=item * manual reschedule mode (reschedule_cb = callback)
+For numerical stability it is preferable that the C<at> value is near
+C<ev_now ()> (the current time), but there is no range requirement for
+this value.
+
+=item * manual reschedule mode (at and interval ignored, reschedule_cb = callback)
In this mode the values for C<interval> and C<at> are both being
ignored. Instead, each time the periodic watcher gets scheduled, the
NOTE: I<This callback MUST NOT stop or destroy any periodic watcher,
ever, or make any event loop modifications>. If you need to stop it,
return C<now + 1e30> (or so, fudge fudge) and stop it afterwards (e.g. by
-starting a prepare watcher).
+starting an C<ev_prepare> watcher, which is legal).
Its prototype is C<ev_tstamp (*reschedule_cb)(struct ev_periodic *w,
ev_tstamp now)>, e.g.:
a different time than the last time it was called (e.g. in a crond like
program when the crontabs have changed).
+=item ev_tstamp offset [read-write]
+
+When repeating, this contains the offset value, otherwise this is the
+absolute point in time (the C<at> value passed to C<ev_periodic_set>).
+
+Can be modified any time, but changes only take effect when the periodic
+timer fires or C<ev_periodic_again> is being called.
+
=item ev_tstamp interval [read-write]
The current interval value. Can be modified any time, but changes only
loop from blocking if lower-priority coroutines are active, thus mapping
low-priority coroutines to idle/background tasks).
+It is recommended to give C<ev_check> watchers highest (C<EV_MAXPRI>)
+priority, to ensure that they are being run before any other watchers
+after the poll. Also, C<ev_check> watchers (and C<ev_prepare> watchers,
+too) should not activate ("feed") events into libev. While libev fully
+supports this, they will be called before other C<ev_check> watchers did
+their job. As C<ev_check> watchers are often used to embed other event
+loops those other event loops might be in an unusable state until their
+C<ev_check> watcher ran (always remind yourself to coexist peacefully with
+others).
+
=over 4
=item ev_prepare_init (ev_prepare *, callback)
=back
-Example: To include a library such as adns, you would add IO watchers
-and a timeout watcher in a prepare handler, as required by libadns, and
-in a check watcher, destroy them and call into libadns. What follows is
-pseudo-code only of course:
+There are a number of principal ways to embed other event loops or modules
+into libev. Here are some ideas on how to include libadns into libev
+(there is a Perl module named C<EV::ADNS> that does this, which you could
+use for an actually working example. Another Perl module named C<EV::Glib>
+embeds a Glib main context into libev, and finally, C<Glib::EV> embeds EV
+into the Glib event loop).
+
+Method 1: Add IO watchers and a timeout watcher in a prepare handler,
+and in a check watcher, destroy them and call into libadns. What follows
+is pseudo-code only of course. This requires you to either use a low
+priority for the check watcher or use C<ev_clear_pending> explicitly, as
+the callbacks for the IO/timeout watchers might not have been called yet.
static ev_io iow [nfd];
static ev_timer tw;
static void
io_cb (ev_loop *loop, ev_io *w, int revents)
{
- // set the relevant poll flags
- // could also call adns_processreadable etc. here
- struct pollfd *fd = (struct pollfd *)w->data;
- if (revents & EV_READ ) fd->revents |= fd->events & POLLIN;
- if (revents & EV_WRITE) fd->revents |= fd->events & POLLOUT;
}
// create io watchers for each fd and a timer before blocking
ev_timer_init (&tw, 0, timeout * 1e-3);
ev_timer_start (loop, &tw);
- // create on ev_io per pollfd
+ // create one ev_io per pollfd
for (int i = 0; i < nfd; ++i)
{
ev_io_init (iow + i, io_cb, fds [i].fd,
| (fds [i].events & POLLOUT ? EV_WRITE : 0)));
fds [i].revents = 0;
- iow [i].data = fds + i;
ev_io_start (loop, iow + i);
}
}
ev_timer_stop (loop, &tw);
for (int i = 0; i < nfd; ++i)
- ev_io_stop (loop, iow + i);
+ {
+ // set the relevant poll flags
+ // could also call adns_processreadable etc. here
+ struct pollfd *fd = fds + i;
+ int revents = ev_clear_pending (iow + i);
+ if (revents & EV_READ ) fd->revents |= fd->events & POLLIN;
+ if (revents & EV_WRITE) fd->revents |= fd->events & POLLOUT;
+
+ // now stop the watcher
+ ev_io_stop (loop, iow + i);
+ }
adns_afterpoll (adns, fds, nfd, timeval_from (ev_now (loop));
}
+Method 2: This would be just like method 1, but you run C<adns_afterpoll>
+in the prepare watcher and would dispose of the check watcher.
+
+Method 3: If the module to be embedded supports explicit event
+notification (adns does), you can also make use of the actual watcher
+callbacks, and only destroy/create the watchers in the prepare watcher.
+
+ static void
+ timer_cb (EV_P_ ev_timer *w, int revents)
+ {
+ adns_state ads = (adns_state)w->data;
+ update_now (EV_A);
+
+ adns_processtimeouts (ads, &tv_now);
+ }
+
+ static void
+ io_cb (EV_P_ ev_io *w, int revents)
+ {
+ adns_state ads = (adns_state)w->data;
+ update_now (EV_A);
+
+ if (revents & EV_READ ) adns_processreadable (ads, w->fd, &tv_now);
+ if (revents & EV_WRITE) adns_processwriteable (ads, w->fd, &tv_now);
+ }
+
+ // do not ever call adns_afterpoll
+
+Method 4: Do not use a prepare or check watcher because the module you
+want to embed is too inflexible to support it. Instead, youc na override
+their poll function. The drawback with this solution is that the main
+loop is now no longer controllable by EV. The C<Glib::EV> module does
+this.
+
+ static gint
+ event_poll_func (GPollFD *fds, guint nfds, gint timeout)
+ {
+ int got_events = 0;
+
+ for (n = 0; n < nfds; ++n)
+ // create/start io watcher that sets the relevant bits in fds[n] and increment got_events
+
+ if (timeout >= 0)
+ // create/start timer
+
+ // poll
+ ev_loop (EV_A_ 0);
+
+ // stop timer again
+ if (timeout >= 0)
+ ev_timer_stop (EV_A_ &to);
+
+ // stop io watchers again - their callbacks should have set
+ for (n = 0; n < nfds; ++n)
+ ev_io_stop (EV_A_ iow [n]);
+
+ return got_events;
+ }
+
=head2 C<ev_embed> - when one backend isn't enough...
ev::io iow;
iow.set <myclass, &myclass::io_cb> (&obj);
-=item w->set (void (*function)(watcher &w, int), void *data = 0)
+=item w->set<function> (void *data = 0)
Also sets a callback, but uses a static method or plain function as
callback. The optional C<data> argument will be stored in the watcher's
C<data> member and is free for you to use.
+The prototype of the C<function> must be C<void (*)(ev::TYPE &w, int)>.
+
See the method-C<set> above for more details.
+Example:
+
+ static void io_cb (ev::io &w, int revents) { }
+ iow.set <io_cb> ();
+
=item w->set (struct ev_loop *)
Associates a different C<struct ev_loop> with this watcher. You can only