How to limit the execution time of a function in c sharp?
Asked Answered
D

9

21

I've got a problem. I'm writing a benchmark and I have a function than is either done in 2 seconds or after ~5 minutes(depending on the input data). And I would like to stop that function if it's executed for more than 3 seconds...

How can I do it?

Thanks a lot!

Dynamite answered 14/9, 2011 at 8:48 Comment(1)
Yes, it's duplicate, benchmarking ends in the same way as the any other thread stops.Pentomic
W
8

The best way would be that your function can check its execution time often enough to decide to stop it it takes too long.

If this is not the case, then run the function in a separate thread. In your main thread start a 3 seconds timer. When timer elapses, kill the separate thread using Thread.Abort() (of course unless the function is already over). See sample code and preacuations of usage in the function docs.

Wiersma answered 14/9, 2011 at 9:7 Comment(2)
That's a lot easier indeed. If you really need to kill the thread in an unfriendly manner, using a thread is the only way I know.Laveralavergne
yeah, this seems to be the easiest and the most straightforward method. ThanksDynamite
B
65

Well..., I had the same question, and after reading all the answers here and the referred blogs, I settled for this,

It Lets me execute any block of code with a time limit, Declare the wrapper method

    public static bool ExecuteWithTimeLimit(TimeSpan timeSpan, Action codeBlock)
    {
        try
        {
            Task task = Task.Factory.StartNew(() => codeBlock());
            task.Wait(timeSpan);
            return task.IsCompleted;
        }
        catch (AggregateException ae)
        {
            throw ae.InnerExceptions[0];
        }   
    }

And use that to wrap any block of code like this

    // code here

    bool Completed = ExecuteWithTimeLimit(TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(1000), () =>
    {
         //
         // Write your time bounded code here
         // 
    });

    //More code
Belda answered 11/5, 2012 at 2:17 Comment(3)
From my understanding, this will not stop action codeBlock if it is still running after timeSpan. In your benchmarking scenario that should greatly alter your results if you have multiple code running in parallel.Darciedarcy
I think you need to write Task task = new Task(codeBlock); task.Wait(timeSpan); task.Start(); return task.IsCompleted; because with your code, you are starting the method and tell it to wait x times. But actually just assign a task wait and start the task is a better approach.Istic
Working perfectly.Whittington
W
8

The best way would be that your function can check its execution time often enough to decide to stop it it takes too long.

If this is not the case, then run the function in a separate thread. In your main thread start a 3 seconds timer. When timer elapses, kill the separate thread using Thread.Abort() (of course unless the function is already over). See sample code and preacuations of usage in the function docs.

Wiersma answered 14/9, 2011 at 9:7 Comment(2)
That's a lot easier indeed. If you really need to kill the thread in an unfriendly manner, using a thread is the only way I know.Laveralavergne
yeah, this seems to be the easiest and the most straightforward method. ThanksDynamite
M
5

The best way in C# to stop function in middle is the return keyword in function, but how do I know when to use the return keyword to stop the function in middle, after it lasts at least 3 seconds? The Stopwatch class from System.Diagnostics is the answer. This complicated function that lasts between 2 seconds to 5 minutes (depending on the input data) logically uses many loops, and maybe even recursion, so my solution for you is that, at the first line code of that function, create an instance of Stopwatch using System.Diagnostics with the new keyword, start it by calling the Start() function of the Stopwatch class, and in for each loop and loop, at the beginning, add the following code:

if (stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds >= 3000) { 
     stopwatch.Stop();
     // or 
     stopwatch.Reset(); 
     return;
 } 

(tip: you can type it with hands once, copy it Ctrl+C, and then just paste it Ctrl+V). If that function uses recursion, in order to save memory, make the Stopwatch global instance rather than creating it as local instance at first, and start it if it does not running at the beginning of the code. You can know that with the IsRunning of the Stopwatch class. After that ask if elapsed time is more than 3 seconds, and if yes (true) stop or reset the Stopwatch, and use the return keyword to stop the recursion loop, very good start in function, if your function lasts long time due mainly recursion more than loops. That it is. As you can see, it is very simple, and I tested this solution, and the results showed that it works! Try it yourself!

Maren answered 4/3, 2013 at 18:56 Comment(1)
The best answer is simple and quick to the point. You have good content but you should consider revising.Von
K
5
private static int LongRunningMethod()
{
    var r = new Random();

    var randomNumber = r.Next(1, 10);

    var delayInMilliseconds = randomNumber * 1000;

    Task.Delay(delayInMilliseconds).Wait();

    return randomNumber;
}

And

var task = Task.Run(() =>
{
    return LongRunningMethod();
});

bool isCompletedSuccessfully = task.Wait(TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(3000));

if (isCompletedSuccessfully)
{
    return task.Result;
}
else
{
    throw new TimeoutException("The function has taken longer than the maximum time allowed.");
}

it work for me! Source: https://jeremylindsayni.wordpress.com/2016/05/28/how-to-set-a-maximum-time-to-allow-a-c-function-to-run-for/

Kelantan answered 21/3, 2019 at 11:0 Comment(0)
L
3

You can use the fork/join pattern, in the Task Parallel Library this is implemented with Task.WaitAll()

using System.Threading.Tasks;

void CutoffAfterThreeSeconds() {

    // start function on seperate thread
    CancellationTokenSource cts = new CancellationTokenSource();
    Task loop = Task.Factory.StartNew(() => Loop(cts.Token));

    // wait for max 3 seconds
    if(Task.WaitAll(new Task[]{loop}, 3000)){
       // Loop finished withion 3 seconds
    } else {
       // it did not finish within 3 seconds
       cts.Cancel();           
    }        
}

// this one takes forever
void Loop() {
    while (!ct.IsCancellationRequested) {
        // your loop goes here
    }
    Console.WriteLine("Got Cancelled");
}

This will start the other task on a seperate thread, and then wait for 3000 milliseconds for it to finish. If it did finish within the timeout, it return true, else false so you can use that to decide what to do next.

You can use a CancellationToken to communicate to the other thread that it result is no longer needed so it can stop gracefully.

Regards Gert-Jan

Laveralavergne answered 14/9, 2011 at 9:17 Comment(5)
ok, it seems easy and usable :) One last question: how can I cancel the running Loop() in some way?Dynamite
Kind of depende what you're doing there... is it some kind of loop (in which you can ceck the cancellation token?) or do you call into some other code that you can't change? This determines the strategy. If the long runnnig operation is your code, then you cehck the CancellationToken. If it's some other code then you might need to less friendly and really kill the thread. This might lead to inconsistent state though. I'll update the example with a cancellation token.Laveralavergne
Hi, I didn't think it through well neough. If can change the implementation of the code you;re calling, look at #7414112. If you cannot change the implementation, then this approach will not work either. I'll change the example again.Laveralavergne
There's actually no way in the TPL to forcefully cancel a task. I guess the easiest approach would actuallt be to check inside the mehtod you're calling to see how long you've been busy and cancel in there. Else use the approach above and use a cancellation token.Laveralavergne
@Laveralavergne how do u get the result of Loop if it take less than 3000?Desdemona
E
2

It is possible to execute a function in a separate thread and limit its execution with Thread.Join(millisecondsTimeout):

using System.Threading;

Thread workThread = new Thread(DoFunc);
workThread.Start(param);

if (!workThread.Join(3000))
{
    // DoFunc() took longer than 3 seconds. Thread was aborted
}

private void DoFunc(object param)
{
    // do some long work
}
Epicalyx answered 18/4, 2021 at 16:25 Comment(0)
C
0

Run this function in thread and kill it after 3 seconds or check elapsed time inside this function(I think it's loop there).

Calla answered 14/9, 2011 at 8:52 Comment(1)
This would just turn the function into a check loop, leaving it no other functionality. Killing the thread is also not guaranteed. It won't get killed until it exits the function anyway.Emancipation
P
0

Use an OS callbacks with a hi performance counter, then kill your thread, if exists

Pentomic answered 14/9, 2011 at 9:3 Comment(1)
Is the API way of killing a managed thread ensures instant (on a next processor iteration) thread kill?Emancipation
E
-1

Since C# and .net framework are not real-time environments, you can't guarantee even the 3 seconds count. Even if you were to get close to that, you would still have to call the

if(timeSpan > TimeSpan.FromSeconds(3) then goto endindentifier; before every other call in the method.

All this is just wrong so no, there is just no reliable way to do it from what I know.

Although you can try this solution

https://web.archive.org/web/20140222210133/http://kossovsky.net/index.php/2009/07/csharp-how-to-limit-method-execution-time

but I just wouldn't do such things in .net application.

Emancipation answered 14/9, 2011 at 8:52 Comment(5)
Hi, max. Microsoft windows is also not a real-time OSPentomic
You can use callbacks with hi perfomance counters on windows using Win32 and interop, thenPentomic
@Artur, the reason I said about .net and not windows, is because C# can also be executed on Unix-based OSs via Mono, and I am not sure if all those Mono-supporting OSs are not real time. It may be possible to assemble a real-time system, but Mono most-likely would never be real time, as well as .Net, simply because there is no need for it,currently.Emancipation
We're speaking of making a difference between 3 seconds and 5 minutes. Not quite an RTOS requirement!Wiersma
@Serge - I kind of let this req. fly by. Then a Limex approach, Mr. Kossovsky shows in his blog is good.Emancipation

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