Update: Please see my Updated post about this subject: How to run code daily at specific time in C# part 2
When you want to make some delay in running code you can use Task.Delay(TimeSpan interval) method . This method is similar to Thread.Sleep, but it is nicer. The argument of the method represent TimeSpan type. For example if you want to wait 5 second you can call the following code:
Task.Delay(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
Or you want to wait 2 hours:
Task.Delay(TimeSpan.FromHours(2));
You can easily use Task.Delay to run some code at certain time. For example you want to run some method every day at 1:00:00 AM. To implement this example you can use Task.Delay method on the following way:
First Convert the time in to DateTime type. Make diference between now and the time you want to run the code. Call Delay method with TimeSpan of previous time interval. The following code solve this problem:
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
//Time when method needs to be called
var DailyTime = "01:00:00";
var timeParts = DailyTime.Split(new char[1] { ':' });
var dateNow = DateTime.Now;
var date = new DateTime(dateNow.Year, dateNow.Month, dateNow.Day,
int.Parse(timeParts[0]), int.Parse(timeParts[1]), int.Parse(timeParts[2]));
TimeSpan ts;
if (date > dateNow)
ts = date - dateNow;
else
{
date = date.AddDays(1);
ts = date - dateNow;
}
//waits certan time and run the code
Task.Delay(ts).ContinueWith((x)=" SomeMethod()");
Console.Read();
}
static void SomeMethod()
{
Console.WriteLine("Method is called.");
}
}
If you want that code to run every day, just put it in while loop.
Update: The complete sample can be similar to the following:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
namespace DailyTaskDemo
{
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
//Time when method needs to be called
var DailyTime = “22:37:00″;
var timeParts = DailyTime.Split(new char[1] { ‘:’ });
while(true)
{
var dateNow = DateTime.Now;
var date = new DateTime(dateNow.Year, dateNow.Month, dateNow.Day,
int.Parse(timeParts[0]), int.Parse(timeParts[1]), int.Parse(timeParts[2]));
TimeSpan ts;
if (date > dateNow)
ts = date – dateNow;
else
{
date = date.AddDays(1);
ts = date – dateNow;
}
//waits certan time and run the code
Task.Delay(ts).Wait();
SomeMethod();
}
Console.Read();
}
static void SomeMethod()
{
Console.WriteLine(“Method is called.”);
}
}
}
Happy programming.
Bahrudin Hrnjica Blog 
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How it can be done in .net 3.5 or 4.0
When i put the Task in a Loop, a OutOfMemory error occurs ?
How can i wait till the Task is ended ?
Hi,
Could you explain me how to run code daily? Thanks :)
The complete sample can look like:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
namespace DailyTaskDemo
{
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
//Time when method needs to be called
var DailyTime = “22:37:00”;
var timeParts = DailyTime.Split(new char[1] { ‘:’ });
while(true)
{
var dateNow = DateTime.Now;
var date = new DateTime(dateNow.Year, dateNow.Month, dateNow.Day,
int.Parse(timeParts[0]), int.Parse(timeParts[1]), int.Parse(timeParts[2]));
TimeSpan ts;
if (date > dateNow)
ts = date – dateNow;
else
{
date = date.AddDays(1);
ts = date – dateNow;
}
//waits certan time and run the code
Task.Delay(ts).Wait();
SomeMethod();
}
Console.Read();
}
static void SomeMethod()
{
Console.WriteLine(“Method is called.”);
}
}
}
All you need to define is DailyTime variable to specify right time.It can be also defined from configuration file, or throught some dialog so the user can ener time value at run time.
i have 2 variables for hour and minute, how do i use it in delay? if i dont want to enter full date?
Cheers,
Lior
Sample Demo shown in above comment exactly does what you want.
In var date = new DateTime line of the code, you can specify your vars which hold hour and minute.
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i am using your code in my project, but it is not working. I am making a website in which i need to automatically call some method at 23:59 and update database. please help.
Please see this updated blog post: http://bhrnjica.net/2014/10/13/how-to-run-code-daily-at-specific-time-in-c-part-2/
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How can I have this run everyday at a certain time so then I can just have it run on autopilot.
Please see this updated blog post: http://bhrnjica.net/2014/10/13/how-to-run-code-daily-at-specific-time-in-c-part-2/
Can I use your code to acheive a feature where a user posts something and specify a time to be shown to other users on the website at that certain time in asp.net with MS SQL Server. In case of MySql it can easily be achieved using scheduled events.http://www.sitepoint.com/how-to-create-mysql-events/
Hi Kifayat,
thanks for comment.
Yes, you can use my code within CC license.
PS.
Please take a look my second blog post about this subject at: https://bhrnjica.net/2014/10/13/how-to-run-code-daily-at-specific-time-in-c-part-2/
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