How Do I Cancel and Restart a Timed Event in Swift?

Question

I have a sliderValueChange function which updates a UILabel's text. I want for it to have a time limit until it clears the label's text, but I also want this "timed clear" action to be cancelled & restarted or delayed whenever the UISlider is moved within the time limit before the "timed clear" action takes place.

So far this is what I have:

let task = DispatchWorkItem {
  consoleLabel.text = ""
}
func volumeSliderValueChange(sender: UISlider) {

  task.cancel()

  let senderValue = String(format: "%.2f", sender.value)
  consoleLabel.text = "Volume: \(senderValue)"

  DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(deadline: DispatchTime.now() + 3, execute: task)  
}

Obviously, this approach does not work, since cancel() apparently cannot be reversed.. (or at least I don't know how). I also don't know how to start a new task at the end of this function which will be cancelled if the function is recalled..

Am I going about this the wrong way? Is there something I am overlooking to make this work?

Answer 1

Use a timer:

weak var clearTimer: Timer?

And:

override func viewDidLoad() {
  super.viewDidLoad()
  startClearTimer()
}

func startClearTimer() {
  clearTimer = Timer.scheduledTimer(
    timeInterval: 3.0,
    target: self,
    selector: #selector(clearLabel(_:)),
    userInfo: nil,
    repeats: false)
}   

func clearLabel(_ timer: Timer) {
   label.text = ""
}

func volumeSliderValueChange(sender: UISlider) {
   clearTimer?.invalidate()  //Kill the timer
   //do whatever you need to do with the slider value
   startClearTimer()  //Start a new timer
}