window.setTimeout kitty cat

I think this is the first time I've ever posted a script out of morbid curiosity. Usually, the entire galaxy is at stake (and, of course, I blame you guys if I don't get it debugged ;) ). This time, I just thought the question was weird enough to be worthy.

Question: how do you test if a setTimeout has been cleared. For instance:

var fred;

function Joe () {
fred = window.setTimeout("Joe();",2000);
}

function bob () {
// whatever, but I can see fred!
}


somewhere in the html:
<input type=button onClick="bob();">

on click, can bob use fred to tell if joe is about to fire (that is, within 2000 milliseconds)?

In the spirit of making this even more interesting (and bringing this particular posting back to the top of the list of threads in the forum for a few more hours), I have an additional thought to the above...

is there a way to redirect a window.setTimeout in the middle of the wait. For instance...

var timer = window.setTimeout("bob();",5000);

somehow set the timer to point to joe() instead, but in the same five seconds. Can it be done..?

I await thy answer.... :thumbsup:

That timeout is never "cleared" because the same function is called recursively. If you add a third function you can do

var fred = -1;

function joe()
{
fred = setTimeout("fred=0;billy();",2000);
}

function billy()
{
alert("timer fired");
}

function bob()
{
if(fred == -1)
alert("Timer was never started");
else if(fred == 0)
alert("Timer completed");
else
alert("Timer running - but I don't know how long is left");
}

However, you could probably create a new Date() that is set when the timer starts and compare it to a new Date() when bob is called to check the time remaining.
------------------------------------------------------------
Not sure what "in the same five seconds" means but I am assuming that if you start the timer - then click a button 2 seconds later you want joe() to execute 3 seconds after that (ie 5 seconds from when the timer started.

bob=function()
{
alert("Bob");
}

joe=function()
{
alert("joe");
}

doIt = bob;

var timerId = null;
doBob = function()
{
doIt = bob;

if(timerId != null)
timerId = setTimeout("doIt();",5000);
}
doJoe = function()
{
doIt = joe;

if(timerId != null)
timerId = setTimeout("doIt();",5000);
}


Here, if you call doBob() and then 3 seconds later call doJoe() then the script will alert "joe" 2 seconds later which is 5 seconds after doBob() was initially called.

This is done by using the var "doIt" which ends up being a pointer to the function to be executed.
e.g.

doIt = bob;
doIt();

will alert "bob"

doIt = joe;
doIt();

will alert "joe"

I think that the reason why you cant see fred is because It is within another function. Variables within a function are not set outside of that function. You would need to use a return statement.

fred is global, he can be seen from anywhere. No need return statements, he belongs to all, although I think if you create another fred variable inside some function, that particular instance of fred belongs to that function.

RoyW I like your code style. Thanks for the ideas. Not sure when I might use them, but I didn't think of that first part, where you assign values to fred other than setTimeout return values.

Koo'

I missed the fred before the functions. So you are right beck.