time

Time Sample

Read the time from the US Naval Observatory web site which reports the current time. Uses the Desktop agent.

The sample will read the page, alert if the computer time is more than 1 minute different than that read.

Time files

Package contains time.dfg and time.dfb.

Description

time.dfg, along with its script peer time.dfb, will read http:://tycho.usno.navy.mil/cgi-bin/timer.pl (External) and compare the Usno time to the computer's time.

If the time is more than 60 seconds difference, the Tray Icon will flash a warning.

If the program is run hidden, time.dfg and time.dfb will close.

time.dfg

time.dfg is a line controlled text file. Line 7 is EST. Pick File/Reload Data/Reload Update to update just line seven.

time.dfg Data Link

To choose your time zone, pick File/Reload Data/Reload to see all available time zones, then delete .

Sub Main
   Dim sUsno, sWarning, sUrl
   Dim dUsno, dNow
   Dim nSecondsOff, nTolerance

   'Update Grid
   sUrl=Grid.LinkProperties(2)
   If Not Grid.DataRead( &h100 ) OrLeft(Grid.Cell(2,1),4)<>"<BR>" Then '&h100 means Reload Update
      App.History.Debug.Prompt "Could not Update from " & sUrl & "."
      App.Flash
      Exit Sub
   End If
   dNow=now

   'Format
   sUsno = Mid(Grid.Cell(2,1), 5) 'Nov. 20, 12:32:49 AM EST
   sUsno=Left(sUsno, Len(sUsno)-4) 'Nov. 20, 12:32:49 AM
   sUsno=Replace(sUsno, ",", "") 'Nov. 20 12:32:49 AM
   dUsno=DateValue(sUsno)+TimeValue(sUsno)

   'Debug
   App.History.Debug.Prompt("dNow: "& formatdatetime(dNow, vbLongdate)& " " & formatdatetime(dNow, vbLongtime))
   App.History.Debug.Prompt("dUsno: "& formatdatetime(dUsno, vbLongdate)& " " & formatdatetime(dUsno, vbLongtime))

   'Compare the time in seconds
   nSecondsOff=DateDiff("s", dUsno, dNow)

   'Check
   '================
   nTolerance=60 '60 Seconds
   '================

   If(nSecondsOff>nTolerance) Then
      sWarning="Computer is " & nSecondsOff & " seconds ahead of Usno time."
   End If
   If(nSecondsOff<-nTolerance) Then
      App.StatusBar="Computer is " & nSecondsOff & " seconds behind Usno time."
   End If

   'Warning
   If Not IsEmpty(sWarning) Then
      App.History.Debug.Prompt(sWarning)
      App.StatusBar=sWarning 'Tray Icon popup message
      App.Flash
   End If

   'Unload
   If Not Grid.Document.Visible Then
      'Close the grid, and this document if run hidden
      Grid.Document.Close
   End If
End Sub

time.dfb

Comment on Grid.DataRead: The ( &h100 ) indicates Reload Update. When using a line number controlled grid, DataRead will return True only if the Text for line numbers that already exist in the grid have changed. Of course http:://tycho.usno.navy.mil/cgi-bin/timer.pl will always change because it reports a time to the nearest second. However, if you were to use a different web location, the return value could be used to monitor if a particular line in a web page has changed.

End. Tutorials.