What is the best, most accurate timer in C++?

Question

What is the best, most accurate timer in C++?

Answer 1

The C++ standard doesn't say a whole lot about time. There are a few features inherited from C via the header.

The function clock is the only way to get sub-second precision, but precision may be as low as one second (it is defined by the macro CLOCKS_PER_SEC). Also, it does not measure real time at all, but processor time.

The function time measures real time, but (usually) only to the nearest second.

To measure real time with subsecond precision, you need a nonstandard library.