/* timer structure */
typedef struct {
  struct timeval s;
  struct timeval e;
} TIMER, *TIMERPTR;


/* 
   Start the timer 
*/
void startTimer(TIMERPTR tp)
{
  gettimeofday(&tp->s,NULL);
}

/* 
   Return the time since the timer was started in microseconds
*/
unsigned long getTime(TIMERPTR tp)
{
  gettimeofday(&tp->e,NULL);
  return ((tp->e.tv_sec*((unsigned long)1000000)+tp->e.tv_usec) - 
	  (tp->s.tv_sec*((unsigned long)1000000)+tp->s.tv_usec));
}


/*

   To use this code do the following:

   TIMERPTR myTimer;
   unsigned long runtime;

   myTimer=(TIMERPTR)malloc(sizeof(TIMER));
   startTimer(myTimer);

   // do the work you want to time

   runtime=getTime(myTimer);
   printf("Run time was %ld.\n",runtime);

*/