DELAY |
Purpose: | Pause for a specified length of time |
Format: | DELAY [/B /F /M time hh:mm:ss] |
DELAY UNTIL [yyyy-mm-dd] hh:mm[:ss]
time | The number of seconds or milliseconds to delay |
hh:mm:ss | Wait for the specified interval, or (UNTIL) the specified time |
Usage:
DELAY is useful in batch file loops while waiting for something to occur. For example, to wait for 10 seconds:
delay 10
DELAY is most useful when you need to wait a specific amount of time for an external event, or check a system condition periodically. For example, this batch file checks the battery status (as reported by your Advanced Power Management drivers) every 15 seconds, and gives a warning when battery life falls below 30%:
do forever
iff %_apmlife lt 30 then
beep 440 4 880 4 440 4 880 4
echo Low Battery!!
endiff
delay 15
enddo
The maximum time value is limited to about 585 million years in Windows. If you don't enter a time, the default is 1 second.
You can optionally wait until the specified date and time. If no date is specified, DELAY defaults to today.
TCC uses the minimum possible processor time during a DELAY, in order to allow other applications full use of system resources.
You can cancel a delay by pressing Ctrl-C or Ctrl-Break.
Options: