I just slapped together this timer program, and I thought I'd share it. It could be useful for all sorts of lovely things like cooking eggs just right, playing boggle, or timing naps at work. I use it for timing meditation breaks. I've wrapped in a batch file, people with real operating systems can remove the taint as an exercise.

Updated: Added archen's code suggestion as a comment. And then later added bbfu's code too. Plus links on monk names. 

@rem = '
@echo off
goto BEGINBAT
# ----------------------------------------------- #
# Do not run this software, it will make you die. # 
# ----------------------------------------------- #

:BEGINBAT
rem search the path if batch is not in current directory
set PARGS=
  if not exist %0.bat set PARGS=-S
  perl %PARGS% %0.bat %1
  set PARGS=
  goto ENDOFBAT

:USAGE
  echo Print some usage info here.
  goto ENDOFBAT
';

# Perl Script goes here.
++$|;

print <<END;

    *******************
    My Stupid eggtimer.  
    *******************

Enter a duration in seconds. Q to quit.

END

while (1)
{    my $time = get_time();

    print "Sleeping for $time seconds.\n";

    foreach (1..$time)
    {    # Comment out this print and uncomment the next print to impl
+ement
        print ".";
        # archen's most excellent suggestion,
        # print "\b" x length(localtime), scalar(localtime);
        # or try bbfu's great idea:
        # print "\b" x length($time-$_+1), $time-$_;

        sleep(1);
    }

    beep();
}



sub beep
{    my $count = shift || 10;
 
    # Ring some ASCII bells 
    print chr(0x07)x$count;
}

sub get_time
{    my $time;
    do 
    {    print "\n-> ";
        $time = <>;
        chomp $time;
        print "\n";
        
        exit if $time =~/^q/i;
    } while ($time ne $time+0);

    return $time;
}

__END__
:ENDOFBAT

[download]


TGI says moo

In reply to An Egg(?) Timer by TGI

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