From: the root of all evil <skylar@ifconfig.intserv.com>
Subject: Timed Events

Here's a simple way to add an event system, it's a little hairy to code
if you're not familiar with linked lists, but the concept is easy and you
should be able to tweak it to suit your needs...

You need:

An event_data structure... I use:

struct event_data {
   struct char_data *ch;            /* char this event happens to */
   int cmd;


    /* command number             */
   char *args;                      /* typed in args              */
   int count;                       /* pulses to event completion */
   struct event_data *next;         /* next command event in list */
};


A global linked list of events waiting to happen.

A fuction, event_activity(), to execute or disrupt the events.


Now, inside of commands, ACMD(whatever), that I want to be delayed, I
call them with SCMD_DELAY (which I have defined as 0, which is the
default), If the subcmd is SCMD_DELAY, I'll call a function called
add_event()  using args that are already available inside of the
command's function like ch, cmd and argument, then I just give it a
timer for how long until the event is supposed to be executed and
return.  If the subcmd is not SCMD_DELAY (which means it got called
from event_activity) then I assume the event is up and just execute
the command normally.  The function event_activity() is called from
comm.c, along with the rest of  the PULSE stuff like mobile_activity(),
every second and just cycles the event_list and checks if any should
be executed, if so, it calls the cmd and removes the event from the queue.

Here's what my event_activity() function looks like...

void event_activity(void)
{
  struct event_data *event, *temp;
  int i;

  for (event = event_list, i=0; i<event_top; ++i) {
    --event->count;
    if (event->count < 1) {
      ((*cmd_info[event->cmd].command_pointer) (event->ch, event->line, event->
cmd,
         SCMD_EXECUTE));
      REMOVE_FROM_LIST(event, event_list, next);
      --event_top;
    }
    event = event->next;
  }
}


Not sure if this response was actually helpful, or just confusing... :)

Goodluck,

   -Skylar