How Can I Create a Highly Accurate Timer in JavaScript?

Creating an Accurate Timer in JavaScript

Timers in JavaScript, such as setInterval and setTimeout, offer convenience but lack accuracy. They are subject to delays and drift, leading to timing errors over extended periods. To address this, it's essential to consider alternative approaches to create a timer with precise accuracy.

Inaccuracy of JavaScript Timers

The inconsistency in timers like setInterval arises from their underlying implementation. These functions approximate the desired delay using browser callbacks, which are prone to irregularities in execution due to various system factors. As a result, they cannot guarantee precise timing and may accumulate significant errors over time.

Creating an Accurate Timer

To overcome this limitation, a more reliable approach involves using the Date object to obtain the current time with millisecond precision. By leveraging this accurate time measurement, we can implement a timer that accurately reflects the elapsed time:

This approach provides a precise measurement of elapsed time. Additionally, you can refine the timer's accuracy by updating the clock more frequently, such as every 100 milliseconds, to minimize potential timing jumps.

For applications that require consistent time intervals and minimal drift, a more advanced timer strategy is recommended:

This self-adjusting timer compensates for drift and ensures a consistent and accurate interval by recalculating the next timeout delay based on the actual time elapsed during previous executions.

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