Question 1

What is a cron expression?

Accepted Answer

A cron expression is a string of 5 fields (minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week) separated by spaces that defines a schedule for automated tasks. For example, '0 9 * * 1' means 'every Monday at 9:00 AM'. The asterisk (*) means 'every', and you can use ranges (1-5), steps (*/5), and lists (1,3,5).

Question 2

How do I create a cron job that runs every 5 minutes?

Accepted Answer

Use the cron expression '*/5 * * * *'. The */5 in the minute field means 'every 5 minutes', and the asterisks in the other fields mean 'every hour, every day, every month, every day of the week'.

Question 3

What does each field in a cron expression mean?

Accepted Answer

The 5 fields are: Minute (0-59), Hour (0-23), Day of Month (1-31), Month (1-12), and Day of Week (0-6, where 0 is Sunday). Each field accepts *, specific numbers, ranges (1-5), steps (*/2), and comma-separated lists (1,3,5).

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