Update documentation to include timer class

README.md

@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ This folder contains generic classes that may be useful for a variety of applica
 - [`qualified_type`](src/sydevs/core/qualified_type.h): Traits for data types that can be passed among system nodes.
   - [`pointer`](src/sydevs/core/pointer.h) (related class): Points to any type of data.
   - [`string_builder`](src/sydevs/core/string_builder.h) (related class): Faciliates value-to-string conversions.
+- [`timer`](src/sydevs/core/timer.h): Measures intervals of wall clock time.
 
 #### [`src/sydevs/time`](src/sydevs/time)
 

src/sydevs/core/timer.h

@@ -12,26 +12,25 @@ using clock_time = std::chrono::time_point<clock>;
 
 
 /** 
- * @brief Text.
+ * @brief A class for measuring and accumulating intervals of wallclock time.
  *
  * @details
- * Text.
+ * A `timer` object measures the interval of wallclock time that elapses between
+ * the point at which it is started and the point at which it is stopped. It
+ * also accumulates these time intervals. It can be used to measure how much
+ * is spent executing a block of code. All wallclock time durations are measured
+ * and reported in microseconds.
  */
 class timer
 {
 public:
     /**
-     * @brief Constructs a `timer` instance.
+     * @brief Constructs a timer that has not yet accumuated any interval measurements.
      */
     timer();
 
     /**
-     * @brief Constructs a `timer` instance...
-     * 
-     * @details
-     * Text.
-     *
-     * @param cumulative_dt Text. 
+     * @brief Constructs a timer that initially has a cumulative duration of `cumulative_dt`.
      */
     explicit timer(duration cumulative_dt);
 
@@ -43,10 +42,10 @@ class timer
 
     bool timing() const;
 
-    duration cumulative_duration() const;  ///< Returns the cumulative duration.
+    duration cumulative_duration() const;  ///< Returns the cumulative duration of measured time.
 
-    void start();
-    duration stop();
+    void start();     ///< Starts the timer.
+    duration stop();  ///< Stops the timer and returns the measured interval of wallclock time.
 
 private:
     clock_time start_clk_t_;

src/sydevs/index.md

@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ Namespace: [sydevs](@ref sydevs)
   * [qualified_type](@ref sydevs::qualified_type) ([qualified_type.h](@ref sydevs/core/qualified_type.h)) - traits for types exchanged between system nodes
     * [pointer](@ref sydevs::pointer) ([pointer.h](@ref sydevs/core/pointer.h)) - related class for pointers to any type of data
     * [string_builder](@ref sydevs::string_builder) ([string_builder.h](@ref sydevs/core/string_builder.h)) - related class for value-to-string conversion
+  * [timer](@ref sydevs::timer) ([timer.h](@ref sydevs/core/timer.h)) - class that measures intervals of wall clock time
 
 - Time Classes ([sydevs](@ref src/sydevs)/[time](@ref src/sydevs/time)) - multiscale time representation
   * [time_point](@ref sydevs::time_point) ([time_point.h](@ref sydevs/time/time_point.h)) - arbitrary-precision point in time