Platform SDK: DLLs, Processes, and Threads |
The SleepEx function suspends the current thread until one of the following occurs:
DWORD SleepEx( DWORD dwMilliseconds, // time-out interval BOOL bAlertable // early completion option );
If bAlertable is TRUE and the thread that called this function is the same thread that called the extended I/O function (ReadFileEx or WriteFileEx), the function returns when either the time-out period has elapsed or when an I/O completion callback function occurs. If an I/O completion callback occurs, the I/O completion function is called. If an APC is queued to the thread (QueueUserAPC), the function returns when either the timer-out period has elapsed or when the APC function is called.
The return value is zero if the specified time interval expired.
The return value is WAIT_IO_COMPLETION if the function returned due to one or more I/O completion callback functions. This can happen only if bAlertable is TRUE, and if the thread that called the SleepEx function is the same thread that called the extended I/O function.
This function can be used with the ReadFileEx or WriteFileEx functions to suspend a thread until an I/O operation has been completed. These functions specify a completion routine that is to be executed when the I/O operation has been completed. For the completion routine to be executed, the thread that called the I/O function must be in an alertable wait state when the completion callback function occurs. A thread goes into an alertable wait state by calling either SleepEx, MsgWaitForMultipleObjectsEx, WaitForSingleObjectEx, or WaitForMultipleObjectsEx, with the function's bAlertable parameter set to TRUE.
A thread can relinquish the remainder of its time slice by calling this function with a sleep time of zero milliseconds.
You have to be careful when using SleepEx and code that directly or indirectly creates windows. If a thread creates any windows, it must process messages. Message broadcasts are sent to all windows in the system. If you have a thread that uses SleepEx with infinite delay, the system will deadlock. Two examples of code that indirectly creates windows are DDE and COM CoInitialize. Therefore, if you have a thread that creates windows, use MsgWaitForMultipleObjects or MsgWaitForMultipleObjectsEx, rather than SleepEx.
Windows NT/2000: Requires Windows NT 3.1 or later.
Windows 95/98: Requires Windows 95 or later.
Header: Declared in Winbase.h; include Windows.h.
Library: Use Kernel32.lib.
Processes and Threads Overview, Process and Thread Functions, MsgWaitForMultipleObjects, MsgWaitForMultipleObjectsEx, QueueUserAPC, ReadFileEx, Sleep, WaitForMultipleObjectsEx, WaitForSingleObjectEx, WriteFileEx