# `uv_loop_t` — Event loop

The event loop is the central part of libuv’s functionality. It takes care of polling for i/o and scheduling callbacks to be run based on different sources of events.

## Data types

type uv_loop_t

  Loop data type.

enum uv_run_mode

  Mode used to run the loop with `uv_run()`.

      typedef enum {
          UV_RUN_DEFAULT = 0,
          UV_RUN_ONCE,
          UV_RUN_NOWAIT
      } uv_run_mode;

typedef void (*uv_walk_cb)(uv_handle_t *handle, void *arg)

  Type definition for callback passed to `uv_walk()`.

### Public members

void *uv_loop_t.data

  Space for user-defined arbitrary data. libuv does not use and does not touch this field.

## API

int uv_loop_init(uv_loop_t *loop)

  Initializes the given uv_loop_t structure.

int uv_loop_configure(uv_loop_t *loop, uv_loop_option option, ...)

  New in version 1.0.2.

  Set additional loop options. You should normally call this before the first call to `uv_run()` unless mentioned otherwise.

  Returns 0 on success or a UV_E* error code on failure. Be prepared to handle UV_ENOSYS; it means the loop option is not supported by the platform.

  Supported options:

  - UV_LOOP_BLOCK_SIGNAL: Block a signal when polling for new events. The second argument to `uv_loop_configure()` is the signal number.

    This operation is currently only implemented for SIGPROF signals, to suppress unnecessary wakeups when using a sampling profiler. Requesting other signals will fail with UV_EINVAL.

  - UV_METRICS_IDLE_TIME: Accumulate the amount of idle time the event loop spends in the event provider.

    This option is necessary to use `uv_metrics_idle_time()`.

  Changed in version 1.39.0: added the UV_METRICS_IDLE_TIME option.

int uv_loop_close(uv_loop_t *loop)

  Releases all internal loop resources. Call this function only when the loop has finished executing and all open handles and requests have been closed, or it will return UV_EBUSY. After this function returns, the user can free the memory allocated for the loop.

uv_loop_t *uv_default_loop(void)

  Returns the initialized default loop. It may return NULL in case of allocation failure.

  This function is just a convenient way for having a global loop throughout an application, the default loop is in no way different than the ones initialized with `uv_loop_init()`. As such, the default loop can (and should) be closed with `uv_loop_close()` so the resources associated with it are freed.

  Warning

  This function is not thread safe.

int uv_run(uv_loop_t *loop, uv_run_mode mode)

  This function runs the event loop. It will act differently depending on the specified mode:

  - UV_RUN_DEFAULT: Runs the event loop until there are no more active and referenced handles or requests. Returns non-zero if `uv_stop()` was called and there are still active handles or requests. Returns zero in all other cases.

  - UV_RUN_ONCE: Poll for i/o once. Note that this function blocks if there are no pending callbacks. Returns zero when done (no active handles or requests left), or non-zero if more callbacks are expected (meaning you should run the event loop again sometime in the future).

  - UV_RUN_NOWAIT: Poll for i/o once but don’t block if there are no pending callbacks. Returns zero if done (no active handles or requests left), or non-zero if more callbacks are expected (meaning you should run the event loop again sometime in the future).

  `uv_run()` is not reentrant. It must not be called from a callback.

int uv_loop_alive(const uv_loop_t *loop)

  Returns non-zero if there are referenced active handles, active requests or closing handles in the loop.

void uv_stop(uv_loop_t *loop)

  Stop the event loop, causing `uv_run()` to end as soon as possible. This will happen not sooner than the next loop iteration. If this function was called before blocking for i/o, the loop won’t block for i/o on this iteration.

size_t uv_loop_size(void)

  Returns the size of the uv_loop_t structure. Useful for FFI binding writers who don’t want to know the structure layout.

int uv_backend_fd(const uv_loop_t *loop)

  Get backend file descriptor. Only kqueue, epoll and event ports are supported.

  This can be used in conjunction with uv_run(loop, UV_RUN_NOWAIT) to poll in one thread and run the event loop’s callbacks in another see test/test-embed.c for an example.

  Note

  Embedding a kqueue fd in another kqueue pollset doesn’t work on all platforms. It’s not an error to add the fd but it never generates events.

int uv_backend_timeout(const uv_loop_t *loop)

  Get the poll timeout. The return value is in milliseconds, or -1 for no timeout.

uint64_t uv_now(const uv_loop_t *loop)

  Return the current timestamp in milliseconds. The timestamp is cached at the start of the event loop tick, see `uv_update_time()` for details and rationale.

  The timestamp increases monotonically from some arbitrary point in time. Don’t make assumptions about the starting point, you will only get disappointed.

  Note

  Use `uv_hrtime()` if you need sub-millisecond granularity.

void uv_update_time(uv_loop_t *loop)

  Update the event loop’s concept of “now”. Libuv caches the current time at the start of the event loop tick in order to reduce the number of time-related system calls.

  You won’t normally need to call this function unless you have callbacks that block the event loop for longer periods of time, where “longer” is somewhat subjective but probably on the order of a millisecond or more.

void uv_walk(uv_loop_t *loop, uv_walk_cb walk_cb, void *arg)

  Walk the list of handles: walk_cb will be executed with the given arg.

int uv_loop_fork(uv_loop_t *loop)

  New in version 1.12.0.

  Reinitialize any kernel state necessary in the child process after a fork(2) system call.

  Previously started watchers will continue to be started in the child process.

  It is necessary to explicitly call this function on every event loop created in the parent process that you plan to continue to use in the child, including the default loop (even if you don’t continue to use it in the parent). This function must be called before calling `uv_run()` or any other API function using the loop in the child. Failure to do so will result in undefined behaviour, possibly including duplicate events delivered to both parent and child or aborting the child process.

  When possible, it is preferred to create a new loop in the child process instead of reusing a loop created in the parent. New loops created in the child process after the fork should not use this function.

  This function is not implemented on Windows, where it returns `UV_ENOSYS`.

  Caution

  This function is experimental. It may contain bugs, and is subject to change or removal. API and ABI stability is not guaranteed.

  Note

  On Mac OS X, if directory FS event handles were in use in the parent process for any event loop, the child process will no longer be able to use the most efficient FSEvent implementation. Instead, uses of directory FS event handles in the child will fall back to the same implementation used for files and on other kqueue-based systems.

  Caution

  On AIX and SunOS, FS event handles that were already started in the parent process at the time of forking will not deliver events in the child process; they must be closed and restarted. On all other platforms, they will continue to work normally without any further intervention.

  Caution

  Any previous value returned from `uv_backend_fd()` is now invalid. That function must be called again to determine the correct backend file descriptor.

void *uv_loop_get_data(const uv_loop_t *loop)

  Returns loop->data.

  New in version 1.19.0.

void *uv_loop_set_data(uv_loop_t *loop, void *data)

  Sets loop->data to data.

  New in version 1.19.0.