QueryPerformanceCounter() is supposed to be much more precise than GetTickCount() on pc systems so I am tring to implement a timer using this function. Unfortunately, it does seem quite complex and I have not found any simple implementation on the net. Here is what I am trying to do:

struct Mtimer
{
	__int64		start;		// Start time, in counts

	__int64		end;		// End time, in counts

	__int64		freq;		// Count frequency (per second)

	__int64		elapsed;	// Time elapsed, in counts

};

Mtimer *mTimer;

void mInitTimer()
{
	QueryPerformanceFrequency(mTimer->freq);
	QueryPerformanceCounter(mTimer->start);
}

void mUpdateTimer()
{
	QueryPerformanceCounter(mTimer->end);
	mTimer->elapsed = mTimer->end - mTimer->start;
	mTimer->start = mTimer->end;
}

Of course, this does not work. It has to do with the QueryPerf.. functions needing a LARGE_INTEGER argument, but how does one convert from LARGE_INTEGER to __int64? [edited by - Keermalec on October 10, 2003 4:20:03 PM]

QueryPerformanceFrequency((LARGE_INTEGER *)&mTimer->freq);

Just create a LARGE_INTEGER and use the QuadPart component of its union (which is of type __int64) whenever you do calculations. I don''t recommend just type-casting an __int64 to a LARGE_INTEGER when passing it even though you should get the same results. Try not to use type-casting when it is not necessary.

Thanks Polymorphic, I did as you suggested, but why do I get this?? (end time is always 7 and frequancy varies with start time, when it should be constant...)

Logfile created on Sat Oct 11 00:26:12 2003
-------------------------------------------
Timer start: -1638143324 end: 7 freq: 0 elapsed: 0
Timer start: -1638141830 end: 7 freq: -1638141830 elapsed: 7
Timer start: -1638068676 end: 7 freq: -1638068676 elapsed: 7
Timer start: -1638008203 end: 7 freq: -1638008203 elapsed: 7
Timer start: -1637950592 end: 7 freq: -1637950592 elapsed: 7

struct Mtimer{	LARGE_INTEGER		start;				// Start variable, in counts	LARGE_INTEGER		end;				// End variable, in counts	LARGE_INTEGER		freq;				// Count frequency (per sec)	__int64			elapsed;			// Time elapsed, in counts};Mtimer *mTimer;void mInitTimer(){	mTimer = new Mtimer;	QueryPerformanceFrequency( &mTimer->freq );	QueryPerformanceCounter( &mTimer->start );	mPrintLog();}void mUpdateTimer(){	QueryPerformanceCounter( &mTimer->end );	mTimer->elapsed = mTimer->end.QuadPart - mTimer->start.QuadPart;	mTimer->start.QuadPart = mTimer->end.QuadPart;	mPrintLog();}void mPrintLog(){	fprintf(mFile, "\nTimer start: %i   end: %i   freq: %i   elapsed: %i",		mTimer->start.QuadPart,		mTimer->end.QuadPart,		mTimer->freq.QuadPart,		mTimer->elapsed );}

[edited by - Keermalec on October 10, 2003 6:49:11 PM]

quote:

---

Original post by Keermalec
Thanks Polymorphic, I did as you suggested, but why do I get this?? (end time is always 7 and frequancy varies with start time, when it should be constant...)

Logfile created on Sat Oct 11 00:26:12 2003
-------------------------------------------
Timer start: -1638143324 end: 7 freq: 0 elapsed: 0
Timer start: -1638141830 end: 7 freq: -1638141830 elapsed: 7
Timer start: -1638068676 end: 7 freq: -1638068676 elapsed: 7
Timer start: -1638008203 end: 7 freq: -1638008203 elapsed: 7
Timer start: -1637950592 end: 7 freq: -1637950592 elapsed: 7

struct Mtimer{	LARGE_INTEGER		start;				// Start variable, in counts	LARGE_INTEGER		end;				// End variable, in counts	LARGE_INTEGER		freq;				// Count frequency (per sec)	__int64			elapsed;			// Time elapsed, in counts};Mtimer *mTimer;void mInitTimer(){	mTimer = new Mtimer;	QueryPerformanceFrequency( &mTimer->freq );	QueryPerformanceCounter( &mTimer->start );	mPrintLog();}void mUpdateTimer(){	QueryPerformanceCounter( &mTimer->end );	mTimer->elapsed = mTimer->end.QuadPart - mTimer->start.QuadPart;	mTimer->start.QuadPart = mTimer->end.QuadPart;	mPrintLog();}void mPrintLog(){	fprintf(mFile, "\nTimer start: %i   end: %i   freq: %i   elapsed: %i",		mTimer->start.QuadPart,		mTimer->end.QuadPart,		mTimer->freq.QuadPart,		mTimer->elapsed );}

[edited by - Keermalec on October 10, 2003 6:49:11 PM]

---

If I''m reading MSDN correctly,
the numbers may be printing incorrectly because the QuadParts are 64 bits and %i is for 32 bit numbers. So according to MSDN, try %I64i instead.

OMG, CrazyMike, you are so right! %i is limited to 32-bit numbers and %I64i should be used instead. My timer now works beautifully fine, thanks a lot. Now why can I not find any reference to %I64i in my MSVC6 doc?...


MVE logfile created on Mon Oct 13 08:08:27 2003
-----------------------------------------------
Timer start: 8153306016 end: 0 freq: 3579545 elapsed: 0
Timer start: 8153307509 end: 8153307509 freq: 3579545 elapsed: 1493
Timer start: 8153412759 end: 8153412759 freq: 3579545 elapsed: 105250
Timer start: 8153475285 end: 8153475285 freq: 3579545 elapsed: 62526
Timer start: 8153529982 end: 8153529982 freq: 3579545 elapsed: 54697