TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds() Method in C#

The TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds() method in C# is used to return a TimeSpan that represents a specified number of milliseconds. This static method is particularly useful when you need to create time intervals based on millisecond values, such as delays, timeouts, or performance measurements.

Syntax

Following is the syntax for the TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds() method −

public static TimeSpan FromMilliseconds(double value);

Parameters

The method accepts one parameter −

• value − A double that represents the number of milliseconds. It can be positive, negative, or zero.

Return Value

The method returns a TimeSpan object that represents the specified number of milliseconds. If the value is too large or too small to be represented as a TimeSpan, an OverflowException is thrown.

Using FromMilliseconds() with Different Values

Example

using System;

public class Demo {
    public static void Main() {
        TimeSpan span1 = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(1000);        // 1 second
        TimeSpan span2 = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(60000);       // 1 minute
        TimeSpan span3 = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(3600000);     // 1 hour
        TimeSpan span4 = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(500.5);       // 500.5 milliseconds
        
        Console.WriteLine("1000 ms = " + span1);
        Console.WriteLine("60000 ms = " + span2);
        Console.WriteLine("3600000 ms = " + span3);
        Console.WriteLine("500.5 ms = " + span4);
        
        Console.WriteLine("\nTotal milliseconds:");
        Console.WriteLine("span1: " + span1.TotalMilliseconds);
        Console.WriteLine("span4: " + span4.TotalMilliseconds);
    }
}

The output of the above code is −

1000 ms = 00:00:01
60000 ms = 00:01:00
3600000 ms = 01:00:00
500.5 ms = 00:00:00.5005000

Total milliseconds:
span1: 1000
span4: 500.5

Using FromMilliseconds() for Performance Timing

Example

using System;

public class Demo {
    public static void Main() {
        DateTime start = DateTime.Now;
        
        // Simulate some work
        for (int i = 0; i < 1000000; i++) {
            Math.Sqrt(i);
        }
        
        DateTime end = DateTime.Now;
        TimeSpan elapsed = end - start;
        
        // Create equivalent TimeSpan using FromMilliseconds
        TimeSpan fromMs = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(elapsed.TotalMilliseconds);
        
        Console.WriteLine("Elapsed time: " + elapsed);
        Console.WriteLine("From milliseconds: " + fromMs);
        Console.WriteLine("Total milliseconds: " + elapsed.TotalMilliseconds);
        
        // Check if delay is more than 100ms
        TimeSpan threshold = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(100);
        if (elapsed > threshold) {
            Console.WriteLine("Operation took more than 100ms");
        } else {
            Console.WriteLine("Operation completed quickly");
        }
    }
}

The output of the above code is −

Elapsed time: 00:00:00.0156250
From milliseconds: 00:00:00.0156250
Total milliseconds: 15.625
Operation completed quickly

Working with Negative and Fractional Values

Example

using System;

public class Demo {
    public static void Main() {
        TimeSpan positive = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(2500);
        TimeSpan negative = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(-1500);
        TimeSpan fractional = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(1234.567);
        TimeSpan zero = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(0);
        
        Console.WriteLine("Positive (2500ms): " + positive);
        Console.WriteLine("Negative (-1500ms): " + negative);
        Console.WriteLine("Fractional (1234.567ms): " + fractional);
        Console.WriteLine("Zero (0ms): " + zero);
        
        Console.WriteLine("\nComponent breakdown for fractional:");
        Console.WriteLine("Seconds: " + fractional.Seconds);
        Console.WriteLine("Milliseconds: " + fractional.Milliseconds);
        Console.WriteLine("Total Milliseconds: " + fractional.TotalMilliseconds);
    }
}

The output of the above code is −

Positive (2500ms): 00:00:02.5000000
Negative (-1500ms): -00:00:01.5000000
Fractional (1234.567ms): 00:00:01.2345670
Zero (0ms): 00:00:00

Component breakdown for fractional:
Seconds: 1
Milliseconds: 234
Total Milliseconds: 1234.567

Conclusion

The TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds() method provides a convenient way to create TimeSpan objects from millisecond values. It accepts both positive and negative values, including fractional milliseconds, making it ideal for precise timing operations and performance measurements.