tw.timeout

Side: Shared (client + server)

Async utilities: timeouts, recurring loops, debounce, and anti-spam.

Functions

tw.timeout.set(msec, cb, ...)

Executes a callback after a delay.

Parameter	Type	Description
msec	integer or function	Delay in ms, or a blocking "waiter" function
cb	function	Callback to execute after the delay
...	any	Arguments passed to cb

Returns: TimeoutClass (cancellable handle)

---

tw.timeout.loop(msec, cb, ...)

Creates a recurring loop that executes the callback at a fixed interval.

Parameter	Type	Description
msec	integer or function	Interval in ms, or a blocking "waiter" function
cb	function	Callback to execute each iteration
...	any	Arguments passed to cb

Returns: TimeoutClass — call :clear() to stop the loop.

---

tw.timeout.delay(id, msec, cb, ...)

Debounce: cancels any previous timeout with the same id and restarts the timer. Only the last call within the delay window will execute.

Parameter	Type	Description
id	string	Unique identifier for the debounce group
msec	integer	Delay in ms
cb	function	Callback to execute
...	any	Arguments passed to cb

---

tw.timeout.noSpam(id, msec, cb, ...)

Anti-spam: the first call executes immediately, then subsequent calls within the delay window are ignored.

Parameter	Type	Description
id	string	Unique identifier for the anti-spam group
msec	integer	Cooldown duration in ms
cb	function	Callback to execute
...	any	Arguments passed to cb

TimeoutClass Methods

The object returned by tw.timeout.set and tw.timeout.loop.

Method	Description
:clear()	Cancel the timeout or stop the loop
:start()	Start manually (called automatically on creation)
:execute()	Execute the callback immediately
:setCb(cb)	Change the callback function
:setMsec(msec)	Change the delay/interval

Examples

Simple delayed action

tw.timeout.set(5000, function()
    print("5 seconds passed")
end)

Cancellable timeout

local timer = tw.timeout.set(10000, function()
    print("This may never print")
end)

-- Cancel before it fires
timer:clear()

Recurring loop

local loop = tw.timeout.loop(1000, function()
    print("Every second")
end)

-- Stop the loop later
loop:clear()

Debounce (only last call executes)

-- If called multiple times rapidly, only the last call runs (2s after the last trigger)
tw.timeout.delay("save_position", 2000, function()
    savePlayerPosition()
end)

Anti-spam (first call only, cooldown blocks the rest)

-- Runs immediately on first call, then ignores calls for 3 seconds
tw.timeout.noSpam("collect", 3000, function()
    startCollection()
end)

Passing arguments

tw.timeout.set(2000, function(item, amount)
    print("Collected " .. amount .. "x " .. item)
end, "apple", 5)

Notes

• tw.timeout.set and tw.timeout.loop return a TimeoutClass object. Keep a reference if you need to cancel later.
• tw.timeout.delay is ideal for search inputs or save-on-change patterns where you want to wait for the user to stop typing.
• tw.timeout.noSpam is ideal for interaction buttons where you want to prevent rapid repeated activation.
• When msec is a function instead of an integer, it acts as a custom blocking waiter (the function must yield/wait itself).