# AG\_IATIMEOUT
> [HTML Version](ag_iatimeout.htm)
_Reviewed and revised December 2023_
**tab(-10, AG\_IATIMEOUT); opcode, timesecs; chr(127);** [Tab(-10,x) Syntax Notes](ag_xxx_syntax-notes.htm.md)
AG\_IATIMEOUT (79) retrieves or sets the inactivity timeout period.
This function has both a [subroutine and a print tab implementation](subroutine-print-pairs.htm.md).
**Parameters**
_opcode_ should be 1 (MXOP\_SET) to set the timeout, and 1 (MXOP\_gET) to retrieve it (in seconds). Since the default opcode is 0 (MXOP\_get) and the _timesecs_ argument is ignored in the case of the retrieve operation, both arguments can be eliminated when retrieving the timeout.
**Response**
For opcode 0, the current inactivity timeout value in seconds:
_timesecs_
Note that this differs from the IATIMEOUT parameter in the system ini file, which uses units of minutes.
**Examples**
Retrieve:
? tab(-10,AG\_IATIMEOUT);chr(127);
input "",timeout'seconds
Set:
? tab(-10,AG\_TIMEOUT);"1,";timeout'seconds;chr(127);
**Comments**
Note that in the case of ATE, if the server-side timeout expires, the job will receive error 254, whereas if the client-side timeout expires, the job will experience this as a hang-up (error 250). See [Job Terminations](job_terminations.htm.md) for more details on how hang-ups are handled.
**See Also**
• [MX\_IATIMEOUT](mx_iatimeout.htm.md)[xs](keyword-types.htm.md)
• [IATIMEOUT](iatimeout_sp.htm.md)[sp](keyword-types.htm.md)
**History**
2011 June, A-Shell 5.1.1221: Command added to A-Shell