runTaskLater

Schedules a task to run after a specified delay on the main server thread.

This extension function provides a simplified way to schedule delayed tasks without manually creating BukkitRunnable instances. The delay is specified in seconds and automatically converted to Minecraft ticks (20 ticks = 1 second).

The task executes exactly once after the delay period has elapsed. All code within the task lambda runs synchronously on the main server thread, making it safe to interact with the Bukkit API and modify game state.

Usage Example

class MyPlugin : JavaPlugin() {
    override fun onEnable() {
        // Send a message after 5 seconds
        runTaskLater(5.0) {
            server.broadcastMessage("5 seconds have passed!")
        }

        // Teleport player after 3.5 seconds with cancellation support
        val task = runTaskLater(3.5) {
            player.teleport(spawnLocation)
            player.sendMessage("Teleported!")
        }

        // Can cancel the task before it runs
        // task.cancel()
    }
}

Tick Conversion

The delay parameter is in seconds and converted to ticks using the formula:

• Ticks = seconds × 20

• Example: 1.0 second = 20 ticks

• Example: 0.5 seconds = 10 ticks

• Example: 2.5 seconds = 50 ticks

Important Notes

• The task runs synchronously on the main server thread

• Minimum practical delay is 0.05 seconds (1 tick)

• Fractional ticks are truncated (e.g., 1.51 seconds = 30 ticks)

• The task has access to BukkitRunnable methods (e.g., cancel(), isCancelled())

• If the plugin is disabled before the task runs, the task is automatically cancelled

• For repeating tasks, use runTaskTimer() instead

Thread Safety

Since this runs on the main thread, it's safe to:

• Modify blocks, entities, and inventory

• Send messages to players

• Interact with any Bukkit/Paper API

For asynchronous operations, consider using Bukkit's async scheduler methods instead.

Parameters

See also