# <sys/time.h>

> 
> 
> Include the system header <sys/time.h> to define a timeval structure
> and the
> 
> 
> gettimeofday function.
> 
> 
> struct timeval {
> 
> 
> time\_t tv\_sec; /\* seconds since Jan. 1, 1970 \*/ suseconds\_t
> tv\_usec; /\* and microseconds \*/
> 
> 
> };
> 
> 
> struct timezone {
> 
> 
> int tz\_minuteswest; /\* of Greenwich \*/
> 
> 
> int tz\_dsttime; /\* type of dst correction to apply
> 
> 
> };
> 
> 
> int gettimeofday(struct timeval \* restrict tp, void \* restrict
> tzp);
> 
> 
> [POSIX]
> 
> 
> gettimeofday
> 
> 
> int gettimeofday(struct timeval \* restrict tp, void \* restrict
> tzp);
> 
> 
> [POSIX]

Time zone information is no longer provided by this interface. For
information on how to retrieve it, see localtime.

The system’s notion of the current UTC time is obtained with the
gettimeofday call. The time is expressed in seconds and microseconds
since midnight (0 hour), January 1, 1970. The resolution of the system
clock is hardware dependent, and the time might be updated continuously
or in *ticks*. If tp is NULL, the time will not be returned or set.
Despite being declared void \*, the objects pointed to by tzp shall be
of type struct timezone.

> 
> 
> The timezone structure is provided only for source compatibility.
> gettimeofday will always return zeroes.

Last Published: Oct 06, 2026

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