NAME EV - perl interface to libevent, monkey.org/~provos/libevent/ SYNOPSIS use EV; # TIMER my $w = EV::timer 2, 0, sub { warn "is called after 2s"; }; my $w = EV::timer 2, 1, sub { warn "is called roughly every 2s (repeat = 1)"; }; undef $w; # destroy event watcher again # IO my $w = EV::timer_abs 0, 60, sub { warn "is called every minute, on the minute, exactly"; }; my $w = EV::io \*STDIN, EV::READ | EV::PERSIST, sub { my ($w, $events) = @_; # all callbacks get the watcher object and event mask if ($events & EV::TIMEOUT) { warn "nothign received on stdin for 10 seconds, retrying"; } else { warn "stdin is readable, you entered: ", ; } }; $w->timeout (10); # MAINLOOP EV::dispatch; # loop as long as watchers are active EV::loop; # the same thing EV::loop EV::LOOP_ONCE; EV::loop EV::LOOP_ONSHOT; DESCRIPTION This module provides an interface to libevent (). You probably should acquaint yourself with its documentation and source code to be able to use this module fully. Please note thta this module disables the libevent EPOLL method by default, see BUGS, below, if you need to enable it. FUNCTIONAL INTERFACE $EV::NPRI How many priority levels are available. $time = EV::now Returns the time in (fractional) seconds since the epoch. $version = EV::version $method = EV::method Return version string and event polling method used. EV::loop $flags # EV::LOOP_ONCE, EV::LOOP_ONESHOT EV::loopexit $after Exit any active loop or dispatch after $after seconds or immediately if $after is missing or zero. EV::dispatch Same as "EV::loop 0". EV::event $callback Creates a new event watcher waiting for nothing, calling the given callback. my $w = EV::io $fileno_or_fh, $eventmask, $callback my $w = EV::io_ns $fileno_or_fh, $eventmask, $callback As long as the returned watcher object is alive, call the $callback when the events specified in $eventmask happen. Initially, the timeout is disabled. Youc an additionall set a timeout to occur on the watcher, but note that this timeout will not be reset when you get an I/O event in the EV::PERSIST case, and reaching a timeout will always stop the watcher even in the EV::PERSIST case. If you want a timeout to occur only after a specific time of inactivity, set a repeating timeout and do NOT use EV::PERSIST. Eventmask can be one or more of these constants ORed together: EV::READ wait until read() wouldn't block anymore EV::WRITE wait until write() wouldn't block anymore EV::PERSIST stay active after a (non-timeout) event occured The "io_ns" variant doesn't add/start the newly created watcher. my $w = EV::timer $after, $repeat, $callback my $w = EV::timer_ns $after, $repeat, $callback Calls the callback after $after seconds. If $repeat is true, the timer will be restarted after the callback returns. This means that the callback would be called roughly every $after seconds, prolonged by the time the callback takes. The "timer_ns" variant doesn't add/start the newly created watcher. my $w = EV::timer_abs $at, $interval, $callback my $w = EV::timer_abs_ns $at, $interval, $callback Similar to EV::timer, but the time is given as an absolute point in time ($at), plus an optional $interval. If the $interval is zero, then the callback will be called at the time $at if that is in the future, or as soon as possible if its in the past. It will not automatically repeat. If the $interval is nonzero, then the watcher will always be scheduled to time out at the next "$at + integer * $interval" time. This can be used to schedule a callback to run at very regular intervals, as long as the processing time is less then the interval (otherwise obviously events will be skipped). Another way to think about it (for the mathematically inclined) is that "timer_abs" will try to tun the callback at the next possible time where "$time = $at (mod $interval)", regardless of any time jumps. The "timer_abs_ns" variant doesn't add/start the newly created watcher. my $w = EV::signal $signum, $callback my $w = EV::signal_ns $signum, $callback Call the callback when signal $signum is received. The "signal_ns" variant doesn't add/start the newly created watcher. THE EV::Event CLASS All EV functions creating an event watcher (designated by "my $w =" above) support the following methods on the returned watcher object: $w->add ($timeout) Stops and (re-)starts the event watcher, setting the optional timeout to the given value, or clearing the timeout if none is given. $w->start Stops and (re-)starts the event watcher without touching the timeout. $w->del $w->stop Stop the event watcher if it was started. $current_callback = $w->cb $old_callback = $w->cb ($new_callback) Return the previously set callback and optionally set a new one. $current_fh = $w->fh $old_fh = $w->fh ($new_fh) Returns the previously set filehandle and optionally set a new one. $current_eventmask = $w->events $old_eventmask = $w->events ($new_eventmask) Returns the previously set event mask and optionally set a new one. $w->timeout ($after, $repeat) Resets the timeout (see "EV::timer" for details). $w->timeout_abs ($at, $interval) Resets the timeout (see "EV::timer_abs" for details). $w->priority_set ($priority) Set the priority of the watcher to $priority (0 <= $priority < $EV::NPRI). BUGS Lots. Libevent itself isn't well tested and rather buggy, and this module is quite new at the moment. Please note that the epoll method is not, in general, reliable in programs that use fork (even if no libveent calls are being made in the forked process). If your program behaves erratically, try setting the environment variable "EVENT_NOEPOLL" first when running the program. In general, if you fork, then you can only use the EV module in one of the children. SEE ALSO L, L, L, L. L. AUTHOR Marc Lehmann http://home.schmorp.de/