C++ time() Function Explained

The time function in C++ is used to obtain the current system time and represent it as the number of seconds elapsed since January 1, 1970 00:00:00. It returns an integer value that typically corresponds to the time_t type. The functions of the time function include:

1. “Obtain the current time: the time function can retrieve the current system time and return an integer value in seconds. This integer value can be used to represent the time elapsed since a specific point in time.”
2. Time comparison: By comparing the return values of the time function at different time points, one can determine the order of occurrence between two times.
3. Timer Function: You can implement a simple timer function using the time function, by storing the return values of the start and end times, you can calculate the time difference between the two points in time.

It is important to note that the time function returns a relative value, meaning different systems may return different start times. In order to better handle time, C++ provides other time functions and classes such as ctime, strftime, localtime, gmtime, and others.