# GetTickCount

Returns the current value of an internal timer.

The unit argument controls the time unit returned.

## Method Signature

```
GetTickCount(unit=[string])
```

### Arguments

| Argument | Type     | Required | Description                                                               | Default |
| -------- | -------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- |
| `unit`   | `string` | `false`  | The time unit to return. Valid values are: nano, milli (default), second. | `milli` |

## Examples

### Script Syntax

Outputs the current value of the internal millisecond timer

[Run Example](https://try.boxlang.io/?code=eJwrL8osSfUvLSkoLdFQSE8tCclMznbOL80r0dBU0LTmAgC%2FpQq4)

```java
writeOutput( getTickCount() );

```

### A simple timer

Outputs the millisecond difference between a starting point and end point

[Run Example](https://try.boxlang.io/?code=eJwrLkksKlGwVUhPLQnJTM52zi%2FNK9HQtOYqzklNLdBQMDQwMFAAcsuLMktS%2FUtLCkpLNNDUKugqFIMNASoDAPpmGRg%3D)

```java
start = getTickCount();
sleep( 1000 );
writeOutput( getTickCount() - start );

```

Result: 1000 (note: may be off by a few ms depending on the environment)

### Additional Examples

[Run Example](https://try.boxlang.io/?code=eJwrL8osSXUpzS3QUMhJTErNsVVKTy0JyUzOds4vzStR0MjNzMnJ1E9JTUsszSnRVNJRKEssskVWoqGpoGnNVY5hTF5iXj425QoQGQUc2opTk%2FPzUrBrhMpBtAIAPes99g%3D%3D)

```java
writeDump( label="getTickCount (milli/default)", var=getTickCount() );
writeDump( label="nano", var=getTickCount( "nano" ) );
writeDump( label="second", var=getTickCount( "second" ) );

```

## Related

* [ApplicationRestart](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/applicationrestart)
* [ApplicationStartTime](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/applicationstarttime)
* [ApplicationStop](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/applicationstop)
* [BoxAnnounce](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxannounce)
* [BoxAnnounceAsync](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxannounceasync)
* [BoxAST](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxast)
* [BoxModuleReload](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxmodulereload)
* [BoxRegisterInterceptionPoints](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxregisterinterceptionpoints)
* [BoxRegisterInterceptor](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxregisterinterceptor)
* [BoxRegisterRequestInterceptor](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxregisterrequestinterceptor)
* [BoxUnregisterInterceptor](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxunregisterinterceptor)
* [BoxUnregisterRequestInterceptor](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxunregisterrequestinterceptor)
* [CallStackGet](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/callstackget)
* [CreateGUID](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/createguid)
* [CreateObject](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/createobject)
* [CreateUUID](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/createuuid)
* [DE](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/de)
* [DebugBoxContexts](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/debugboxcontexts)
* [Dump](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/dump)
* [Duplicate](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/duplicate)
* [echo](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/echo)
* [EncodeForHTML](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/encodeforhtml)
* [GetApplicationMetadata](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getapplicationmetadata)
* [GetBaseTagData](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getbasetagdata)
* [GetBaseTagList](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getbasetaglist)
* [GetBaseTemplatePath](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getbasetemplatepath)
* [GetBoxContext](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getboxcontext)
* [GetBoxRuntime](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getboxruntime)
* [GetBoxVersionInfo](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getboxversioninfo)
* [GetClassMetadata](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getclassmetadata)
* [GetComponentList](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getcomponentlist)
* [GetContextRoot](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getcontextroot)
* [GetCurrentTemplatePath](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getcurrenttemplatepath)
* [GetFileFromPath](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getfilefrompath)
* [GetFunctionCalledName](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getfunctioncalledname)
* [GetFunctionList](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getfunctionlist)
* [GetModuleInfo](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getmoduleinfo)
* [GetModuleList](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getmodulelist)
* [GetRequestClassLoader](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getrequestclassloader)
* [GetSemver](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getsemver)
* [GetSystemSetting](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getsystemsetting)
* [GetTempDirectory](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/gettempdirectory)
* [htmlEditFormat](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/htmleditformat)
* [IIF](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/iif)
* [Invoke](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/invoke)
* [IsInstanceOf](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/isinstanceof)
* [JavaCast](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/javacast)
* [ObjectDeserialize](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/objectdeserialize)
* [ObjectSerialize](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/objectserialize)
* [PagePoolClear](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/pagepoolclear)
* [Print](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/print)
* [Println](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/println)
* [RunThreadInContext](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/runthreadincontext)
* [SessionInvalidate](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/sessioninvalidate)
* [SessionRotate](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/sessionrotate)
* [SessionStartTime](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/sessionstarttime)
* [Sleep](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/sleep)
* [SystemCacheClear](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/systemcacheclear)
* [SystemExecute](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/systemexecute)
* [SystemOutput](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/systemoutput)
* [Throw](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/throw)
* [Trace](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/trace)
* [URLDecode](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/urldecode)
* [URLEncodedFormat](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/urlencodedformat)
* [writeDump](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/writedump)
* [WriteLog](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/writelog)
* [WriteOutput](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/writeoutput)