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Hi all,
I am trying to create a world clock in Actionscript, which will be used in different time zones at the same time. To be able to do this, I would like to use the server time as a "constant" factor, and add or deduct the time difference for every time zone.
Well here is the question... is it possible to read server time from Actionscript?
Thanx in advance,
courdi
I am sure you could get some PHP or ASP to feed the time on the server to your flash project. But I am not sure how you would do this....
But thats where I would start.
Thanx flamedude for your reply, I will cetanly look into APS for this.
Another thing, is it possible to read Internet time from some time server, or is that too far feched?
courdi
I you find a time server providing this in a easy workable format it should be easy. I could use something like this my self so I'll se if I can find something usable. Please let me know if you find anything.
/Per-Henrik
I have not been able to find a time server that I could connect to via Actionscript yet... but I have looked at the APS side and was able to find a script that sends back the server time:
As I am no databse vizard, I will have too look into passing the time from ASP (response.Write ()) to Flash Actionscript... If anyone knows the way to do this, please help.Code:<%
'Dimension variables
Dim strMessage
'Write the server time on the web page using the VBScript Time() function
Response.Write ("The time on the server is: " & Time())
'Close the server script
%>
Cheers,
courdi
You don't actually need the servertime for your purpose.
The Date class has a property which gives you the offset to universal time:
But in your last post you wrote something about a "time server",Code:var d:Date = new Date ();
trace(d.getTimezoneOffset());
are you talking about getting the time via ntp from a time server,
or was that just a typo?
Hi McUsher,
Thanx for your reply. I am not familiar with getTimezoneOffset() property, but will certainly look into it. In a quick test I just did with it, it returns -60 (?)...
As I mentioned before, connecting to a time server (via ntp as you mentioned) may be "a bit" far fetched, but would be pretty interesting...
cheers,
courdi
Ok two things:
1) Place your caret within the word "getTimeOffset" in Flash and hit F1, and you don't need to ask what -60 means...
2) You can't push information from server to flash, flash needs to ask for it:
server/getTime.asp:
in Flash:Code:<%
Response.Write ("<time>" & Time() & "</time>")
%>
But this is only necessary, if you really wanna connect to a ntp time server in asp .. :) Then u could compare Client Time to ntp server time ... with the drawback of latency not counting in ...Code:var xml:XML=new XML();
xml.ignoreWhite = true;
xml.onLoad = timeReceived;
// getTime.asp and html/swf must be in same dir
xml.load("getTime.asp");
//
function timeReceived (success:Boolean) {
if(success){
trace("timeReceived: "+this.firstChild.firstChild.nodeValue);
} else {
trace("can't get 'getTime.asp");
}
}
Thank you for you help McUsher,
Ok, let me see if I get this... I have a ASP file getTime.asp on the server with the above code. In the same directory I have put a SWF with the code you mentioned...
When I call the getTime.asp in the browser, it shows me the time on the server... no probs here. The SWF file on the other hand traces "timeRecieved: null"... hmmm.
P.S. My F1 key looks pale today :)
hehe, thumbs up to your P.S. :)
this trace: timeReceived: null says, the xml parsing doesn't return the expected..
add a line "trace(this)" for the whole answer of the asp script.
Other ppl prefer the LoadVars, but as i prefer the xml object,
which only is on first sight more complicated i put that in ...
Thanx agina McUsher, you rule!
I have finally made the world clock with the getTimezoneOffset() method as you suggested and I must say it works like a charm.
Here is the code I used, so others don't need to bother :) :
Thanx again.Code:// define time offset with Greenwich time
var d:Date = new Date ();
_root.greenwich_time = d.getTimezoneOffset()/(-60);
// define time variables
function howlong(arg) {
if (length(arg)==1) {
arg = "0" + arg;
return arg;
}
else {
arg = arg;
return arg;
}
}
myDate = new Date();
hr = howlong(String(myDate.getHours()) - greenwich_time);
mnt = howlong(String(myDate.getMinutes()));
daytext = myDate.getDay();
dd = myDate.getDate();
mm = myDate.getMonth();
yyyy = myDate.getFullYear();
// define the date with the above variables
local_date = (dd + "-" + (mm+1) + "-" + yyyy);
// define the different time for the timezones
amsterdam_time = ((hr+1) + ":" + mnt)
lisbon_time = ((hr) + ":" + mnt)
istanbul_time = ((hr+2) + ":" + mnt)
//define the day of the week
switch (daytext) {
case 0: day_text = "Sunday";
break;
case 1: day_text = "Monday";
break;
case 2: day_text = "Tuesday";
break;
case 3: day_text = "Wednesday";
break;
case 4: day_text = "Thursday";
break
case 5: day_text = "Friday";
break;
case 6: day_text = "Saturday";
break
}
Cheers,
courdi
P.S. Keep pressing that F1 key. :)
Hehe.
Sometimes everyone needs a little push in the right direction.
To your weekday naming, i think that switch/case is a bit too complicated,
try the approach they did in Date.getDay() help section:
:evilgrin:Quote:
var dayOfWeek_array:Array = new Array("Sunday", "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday", "Saturday");
var today_date:Date = new Date();
var day_str:String = dayOfWeek_array[today_date.getDay()];
trace("Today is "+day_str);
Thanks again buddy for the Array tip... will try it out.
cheers,
courdi
Sorry for bumping an old thread, but how would I take Daylight-Savings into account?
Would I need to make an if-Statement, that checks for each location, that has daylight-saving, if the current date falls into the daylight-savings time frame or is there an easier solution?
Nobody a better idea than an if-statement?
I keep thinking there must be a better way, considering that the getTimezoneOffset()-Method can take daylight-savings into account. I'm just not experienced enough to figure it out.