Re: sched waits for next prompt. Does it have to?

[Richard Coleman <coleman@math.gatech.edu>]

> zsh is the 5th shell I've used... it is by far my favorite so far
> surpassing even tcsh and bash, IMHO.  However, I'm having a little
> trouble with the sched commend.  I'd like it to perform the action at
> the specified time rather than at the next prompt: for example, when I
> want it to act as an alarm clock, or as "at", etc.
> 
> I've tried setting the NOTIFY option, which didn't change the behavior.
> 
> Is there a solution other than using at or tcsh's sched?

Currently zsh's handling of `sched' and the shell function `periodic'
(if defined) are very simple.  Zsh just checks time stamps in the
function preprompt() and executes scheduled commands or `periodic'
if it has been long enough.  To do anything better would require setting
up signals, etc...   I can add it to the TODO list, but I doubt it
will make it in the next production release.  There are currently just too
many other things to work on.

Richard Coleman
coleman@math.gatech.edu