Movable Type allows plugin developers to register tasks that should be executed outside the context of the main application. These tasks can be scheduled to occur at a designated frequency (specified in seconds).

The type of task that can be executed is not limited or bounded in any way.

sub init_registry {
    my $plugin = shift;
    $plugin->registry({
        tasks                    =>  {
            'MyCustomTask' => {
                label     => 'Do something every two minutes',
                frequency => 120,
                code      => \&execute_task,
            },
        },
    });
}

sub execute_task {
    # no input is passed to this callback
    # do something
}

When registering a scheduled task, the following properties must be specified:

• label - the display name of the scheduled task as it will appear in the application (e.g. the Activity Log)
• frequency - the number of seconds to wait between executing the task
• code - a reference to a subroutine or code block that will be executed when the scheduled task is triggered

Turning on Scheduled Tasks

Scheduled tasks are managed and executed by a script that is shipped with Movable Type. This script called run_periodic_tasks.pl should be added your crontab (in Unix) or to your list of Scheduled Tasks (in windows).