NAME

Acme::Time::Constant - Run any code in constant time.

VERSION

version 0.001006

SYNOPSIS

This code contains within it, the golden calf of computer science: The ability to execute any code in constant time.

  use Acme::Time::Constant qw( constant_time );

  my $timestamp = time;

  constant_time( '1' => sub {
    for ( 0 .. 10 ) { }
  } );

  print $timestamp - time;  # 1 second

  constant_time( '1' => sub {
    for ( 0 .. 10_000_000 ) { }
  } );

  print $timestamp - time; # 2 seconds

BUGS

General relativity does not hold in the context of this code.

As such, observed time may differ greatly from the time relative to the execution of this code.

Workaround: Get closer to the speed of light.

Measurements may not be exactly constant.

But Big O is OK with this. We care not that X takes 1.1 seconds and Y takes 1.2 seconds, as long as the variation is not subject to the size of Y or X.

Random variation between 0.5 and 1.5 seconds is thus within the range of "constant".

Workaround: Imbibe a minimum of 1 Litre of your favourite neurotoxic substance before attempting to code.

Time::HiRes cannot be trusted.

Time::HiRes is under the influence of the Illuminati and as such is part of a conspiracy to prevent us from experiencing supernormal time.

Using Time::HiRes in your code will subsequently give the illusion that the code no longer executes in constant time.

It is wrong. The constant time is simply functioning on an alternative timeline which the Illuminati seek to repress knowledge of.

One may note that this module depends on Time::HiRes, but this is simply our devilish tactic to make the conspirators think we're willingly playing for them. You know better. ;)

FUNCTIONS

constant_time

  constant_time( $time, $callback );
  constant_time( $callback ); # $time defaults to 1 second.

AUTHOR

Kent Fredric <kentnl@cpan.org>

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

This software is copyright (c) 2017 by Kent Fredric <kentfredric@gmail.com>.

This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as the Perl 5 programming language system itself.