(v13) Timeline API

This page applies to Harlequin v13.1r0 and later; both Harlequin Core and Harlequin MultiRIP

This chapter provides an overview of the timeline system and its use. For detailed programming information see the file timeline.h.

A timeline is a way of representing any entity within software that has a finite life; that is, a start, an existence, and an end. It is of no use to anything which is hard-wired into the program which exists from the moment the program starts and continues until the program ends. Anything that has finite life associated with it, to which you need to refer in some kind of unique way could be represented by a timeline.

The timeline system exists in the RIP skin, independent of the core. Even though it is used by the RIP it is a general purpose API that can be used by OEMs.

The timeline system provides a method of uniquely identifying an entity with a reference that is not a pointer such that the reference can be retained once that entity has stopped existing.