I would like to execute a loop and exit this loop after let's say 2 minutes.
while(condition) { // do stuff // exit this loop after 2 minutes } Could someone recommend me the best way to do this ?
Based on the answers, here is what I did :
time_t futur = time(NULL) + 120; while(condition) { // do stuff if(time(NULL) > futur) { break; } } Best way depends on what things you value more about a solution. Usually the best way is the simplest way. The simplest solution is following algorithm:
Use clock() from time.h and calculate time passed, such as:
timeStart = clock(); while (condition) { if ((clock() - timeStart) / CLOCKS_PER_SEC >= 120) // time in seconds break; } 
clock() measures CPU time, which doesn't sound like what "after 2 minutes" is looking for; std::time() measures wall clock time. And the value returned by clock() is not necessarily in milliseconds; you have to multiply it by CLOCKS_PER_SEC to convert it to seconds.CLOCKS_PER_SEC despite my claim that you have to multiply. <g>
std::chrono.