In C++, there is the functionality of delay or inactive state which allows the execution to be delayed for a specific period of time. This is often referred to as a “timed delay”. In this article, we will learn how to add timed delay in C++.

Timed Delay in C++

To add a timed delay in C++, we can use the std::this_thread::sleep_for() function from the <thread> library. Pass the duration of the delay as a parameter to the sleep_for() function using chrono::seconds(), which will pause the execution of the program for the specified duration.

Syntax to Use sleep_for Function

this_thread::sleep_for(chrono::duration(time_period));

Here,

• duration can be in various time units like seconds, milliseconds, microseconds, etc.
• time_period is the duration of time for which the current thread is put to sleep.

Note: Due to scheduling and other system factors, the actual sleep time may be longer than the specified time.

C++ Program to Add Timed Delay

The below program demonstrates how we can add timed delay in C++.

// C++ program to Add Timed Delay in C++?

#include <iostream>
#include <chrono>
#include <thread>

using namespace std;

int main()
{
    // Printing the initial message
    cout << "Starting the countdown..." << endl;

    // Countdown loop from 5 to 1
    for (int i = 5; i > 0; --i) {
        // Printing the remaining seconds
        cout << i << " seconds remaining" << endl;

        // Waiting for 1 second
        this_thread::sleep_for(chrono::seconds(1));
    }

    // Printing the final message
    cout << "Time's up!" << endl;

    return 0;
}

Output

Starting the countdown...
5 seconds remaining
4 seconds remaining
3 seconds remaining
2 seconds remaining
1 seconds remaining
Time's up!

Note: The this_thread::sleep_for() function is part of the C++11 standard, it may not work on older compilers that does not support C++11 and later.