GetTickCount() Function Explained

The GetTickCount() function is a Windows API function used to obtain the current system uptime in milliseconds. Its purpose is to calculate the number of milliseconds that have passed since the system was started.

The GetTickCount() function does not have any parameters and returns a 32-bit unsigned integer representing the number of milliseconds that have passed since the system was started. Its return type is DWORD, and more specific time information can be obtained by converting the return value into other time units.

This function is typically used to calculate the execution time of a program, measure program performance, or implement timer functionality. By comparing the return values of two GetTickCount() functions, the difference in program run time can be calculated to achieve some timing functionality.

Here is an example code showing how to calculate the execution time of a program using the GetTickCount() function.

#include <iostream>
#include <windows.h>

int main()
{
    DWORD start_time = GetTickCount();

    // 执行一些代码或者任务

    DWORD end_time = GetTickCount();
    DWORD execution_time = end_time - start_time;

    std::cout << "程序执行时间为：" << execution_time << " 毫秒" << std::endl;

    return 0;
}

In the example above, the program first uses the GetTickCount() function to retrieve the start time of execution. Then, after completing some code or tasks, the GetTickCount() function is called again to retrieve the end time of execution. By calculating the difference between the two times, the program’s execution time can be obtained. Finally, the execution time is output to the console.