Learn how to create a stopwatch program in C++ to track time effectively.
Introduction
A stopwatch is a common tool used to measure the amount of time elapsed between two events. In this guide, we will walk you through creating a simple stopwatch program in C++. The program will feature basic functionalities such as start, stop, and reset to measure time. This is an excellent beginner-level project for learning how to work with time and loops in C++.
Objective
The goal of this program is to develop a simple stopwatch in C++ that allows a user to:
- Start the stopwatch
- Stop the stopwatch
- Reset the stopwatch
- Display elapsed time in seconds
C++ Code for Simple Stopwatch
#include
#include
#include
using namespace std;
using namespace chrono;
class Stopwatch {
private:
steady_clock::time_point start_time;
steady_clock::time_point stop_time;
bool running;
public:
Stopwatch() : running(false) {}
void start() {
if (!running) {
start_time = steady_clock::now();
running = true;
cout << "Stopwatch started...\n";
}
}
void stop() {
if (running) {
stop_time = steady_clock::now();
running = false;
cout << "Stopwatch stopped.\n";
}
}
void reset() {
running = false;
cout << "Stopwatch reset.\n";
}
void display() {
if (running) {
auto elapsed = duration_cast(steady_clock::now() - start_time);
cout << "Elapsed Time: " << elapsed.count() << " seconds\n";
} else {
auto elapsed = duration_cast(stop_time - start_time);
cout << "Elapsed Time: " << elapsed.count() << " seconds\n";
}
}
};
int main() {
Stopwatch stopwatch;
char command;
cout << "Simple C++ Stopwatch Program\n";
cout << "Commands: 's' to start, 't' to stop, 'r' to reset, 'd' to display, 'q' to quit\n";
do {
cout << "Enter command: "; cin >> command;
switch(command) {
case 's':
stopwatch.start();
break;
case 't':
stopwatch.stop();
break;
case 'r':
stopwatch.reset();
break;
case 'd':
stopwatch.display();
break;
case 'q':
cout << "Exiting stopwatch program.\n";
break;
default:
cout << "Invalid command. Try again.\n";
}
this_thread::sleep_for(milliseconds(500)); // Brief delay for better interaction experience
} while (command != 'q');
return 0;
}
Program Explanation
This C++ program defines a Stopwatch class with the following methods:
- start(): Starts the stopwatch by recording the current time using
steady_clock::now(). - stop(): Stops the stopwatch and records the current time again.
- reset(): Resets the stopwatch, stopping it if it’s running.
- display(): Displays the elapsed time in seconds, based on whether the stopwatch is running or stopped.
The main() function takes user input for commands:
's': Starts the stopwatch't': Stops the stopwatch'r': Resets the stopwatch'd': Displays the elapsed time'q': Quits the program
The program runs in a loop, continually waiting for user input until the 'q' command is entered to exit. There’s a small delay of 500 milliseconds between inputs to make the interaction smoother.
How to Run the Program
To run this program, follow these steps:
- Open your preferred C++ IDE or a simple text editor.
- Copy and paste the provided C++ code into a new file.
- Save the file with a
.cppextension (e.g.,stopwatch.cpp). - Compile the program using a C++ compiler (e.g.,
g++ stopwatch.cpp -o stopwatch). - Run the compiled program (e.g.,
./stopwatchon Unix systems orstopwatch.exeon Windows). - Use the commands provided in the console to start, stop, reset, and display the stopwatch’s time.
