Changing the interval of SetInterval while it's running

user_1284583 0
Viewed 189793

I have written a javascript function that uses setInterval to manipulate a string every tenth of a second for a certain number of iterations.

function timer() {
    var section = document.getElementById('txt').value;
    var len = section.length;
    var rands = new Array();

    for (i=0; i<len; i++) {
        rands.push(Math.floor(Math.random()*len));
    };

    var counter = 0
    var interval = setInterval(function() {
        var letters = section.split('');
        for (j=0; j < len; j++) {
            if (counter < rands[j]) {
                letters[j] = Math.floor(Math.random()*9);
            };
        };
        document.getElementById('txt').value = letters.join('');
        counter++

        if (counter > rands.max()) {
            clearInterval(interval);
        }
    }, 100);
};

Instead of having the interval set at a specific number, I would like to update it every time it runs, based on a counter. So instead of:

var interval = setInterval(function() { ... }, 100);

It would be something like:

var interval = setInterval(function() { ... }, 10*counter);

Unfortunately, that did not work. It seemed like "10*counter" equals 0.

So, how can I adjust the interval every time the anonymous function runs?

setinterval timer javascript
17 Answers
(function variableInterval() {
    //whatever needs to be done
    interval *= 2; //deal with your interval
    setTimeout(variableInterval, interval);
    //whatever needs to be done
})();

can't get any shorter

user_10618710

Here is yet another way to create a decelerating/accelerating interval timer. The interval gets multiplied by a factor until a total time is exceeded.

function setChangingInterval(callback, startInterval, factor, totalTime) {
    let remainingTime = totalTime;
    let interval = startInterval;

    const internalTimer = () => {
        remainingTime -= interval ;
        interval *= factor;
        if (remainingTime >= 0) {
            setTimeout(internalTimer, interval);
            callback();
        }
    };
    internalTimer();
}
user_93254190

Make new function:

// set Time interval
$("3000,18000").Multitimeout();

jQuery.fn.extend({
    Multitimeout: function () {
        var res = this.selector.split(",");
        $.each(res, function (index, val) { setTimeout(function () { 
            //...Call function
            temp();
        }, val); });
        return true;
    }
});

function temp()
{
    alert();
}
user_86180460

Inspired by the internal callback above, i made a function to fire a callback at fractions of minutes. If timeout is set to intervals like 6 000, 15 000, 30 000, 60 000 it will continuously adapt the intervals in sync to the exact transition to the next minute of your system clock.

//Interval timer to trigger on even minute intervals
function setIntervalSynced(callback, intervalMs) {

    //Calculate time to next modulus timer event
    var betterInterval = function () {
        var d = new Date();
        var millis = (d.getMinutes() * 60 + d.getSeconds()) * 1000 + d.getMilliseconds();
        return intervalMs - millis % intervalMs;
    };

    //Internal callback
    var internalCallback = function () {
        return function () {
            setTimeout(internalCallback, betterInterval());
            callback();
        }
    }();

    //Initial call to start internal callback
    setTimeout(internalCallback, betterInterval());
};
user_42999430

You can use a variable and change the variable instead.

setInterval(() => function, variable)
user_144885970

This is my idea for times when you do not want loops like setInterval to overlap.
You also want to be able to set the loop execution delay and start and stop the loop, instansly on the fly.
I am using a loop_flag variable and a setTimeout function.
I set the main function to async so that you can call other functions in the body by calling await. When the main body of your code is running, the main loop waits and does not repeat itself. (which is not the case with setInterval)

An example of a simple code is:

//@NabiKAZ

document.getElementById("btn_start").addEventListener("click", function() {
  console.log("Starting...");
  loop_flag = true;
  loop_func();
});
document.getElementById("btn_stop").addEventListener("click", function() {
  console.log("Stoping...");
  loop_flag = false;
});

var n = 0;

var loop_flag = false;
var loop_func = async function() {
  if (!loop_flag) {
    console.log("STOP.");
    return;
  }

  //body main function inhere
  n++;
  console.log(n);
  ////


  if (loop_flag) {
    setTimeout(loop_func, document.getElementById("inp_delay").value);
  } else {
    console.log("STOP.");
  }
}
<input id="inp_delay" value="1000">
<button id="btn_start">START</button>
<button id="btn_stop">STOP</button>

For a more complete code with a fetch request inside the loop, see here:

https://jsfiddle.net/NabiKAZ/a5hdw2bo/

user_14074910
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