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# timeout(+Goal, ++TimeLimit, +TimeOutGoal)

Run the goal Goal for a maximum of TimeLimit seconds.

Goal
  Goal to run
TimeLimit
  Time limit of Goal in seconds (integer or float)
TimeOutGoal
  Goal to run on expiry of TimeLimit

## Description

Goal is executed as if called via call(Goal), but only for a maximum of TimeLimit seconds. If the goal is still executing after TimeLimit, time-out occurs, the execution of the goal is terminated (via throw/1) and TimeOutGoal is executed. If the value of TimeLimit is 0 or 1.0Inf, no timeout is applied to the Goal.

Note that, if Goal is nondeterministic, execution flow may leave the scope of timeout/3 on success and re-enter on failure. In this case, only time spent within Goal will be counted towards the TimeLimit.

The predicate is based on the after event timers, so TimeLimit is measured in the timer currently used by after events. The current time used for the associated event timer can be retrieved using statistics(event_time, CurrentTime). The timeout predicate can be used with other after events, and can be nested within itself (i.e. embedded within Goal or TimeOutGoal).

Note that timeout/3 can be defined in terms of timeout/7 as:

        timeout(Goal, TimeLimit, TimeOutGoal) :-
            timeout(Goal, TimeLimit, TimeOutGoal, all_solution, _, _, _).

### Modules

This predicate is sensitive to its module context (tool predicate, see @/2).

### Resatisfiable

If Goal is resatisfiable.

## Examples

        ?- timeout((repeat,fail), 1.5, writeln(timed-out)). % time-out from infinite loop
        timed - out
        Yes (1.51s cpu)

## See Also

timeout / 7, call_timeout_safe / 1, event_after / 2