timer interrupt issues PCM - but really all pics

[asmboy]

Is there a way to RELIABLY manage MORE than an int8 time keeping variable - with an interrupt based timer?

I have happy been using a timer0 -interrupt based timer that updates a SINGLE byte quantity at a 10 mSec rate - the high level 'user' functions must poll often enough to know how many "ticks' have elapsed.
BUT
I can't think of a way to SAFELY use an int32 counter for the same purpose ,
due to the certainty that timer0 interrupts will occur DURING the high level function calls, trying to READ the multi byte format -and change the bytes of the long integer - as they are being read .

This sort of thing was EZ to solve in the 808x environment I was used to in a former life - is the same sort of code needed here ?

ie disabling the timer0 int - copying my timer int32 counter to a temp var - and then re enabling the timer ints ( what I did in PC assembler)

Is there an elegant - simple solution I should know about ?

[FvM]

There is a pretty easy means, that is generally used in all similar cases, where consistency of data structures across interrupt calls is an issue: Disabling interrupts temporarily, either globally or the respective conflicting one.

[Ttelmah]

Yes. the 'normal' method, is to have a variable used only in the interrupt handler, and a 'copy', used by the external routines.