Countdown Timer with Server Time AS3

[dpalame]

Hello noob to flash cs4 with as3.

I have a countdown script that pulls the users time, but I need the server time so visitors can't cheat the clock.

function onLoop(evt:Event):void
{
    
                
    
    // Set the time variables
    // The present date
    var startTime   :Date   = new Date();   
    // The difference between the 2
    var difference  :Number = endTime.getTime() - startTime.getTime();
    // The number of seconds 
    var secondsLeft :Number = Math.floor(difference     / 1000);
    // The minutes 
    var minutesLeft :Number = Math.floor(secondsLeft    / 60);
    // The hours
    var hoursLeft   :Number = Math.floor(minutesLeft    / 60);
    // The days
    var daysLeft    :Number = Math.floor(hoursLeft      / 24);
    // Change the seconds, minutes and hours to real hours
    secondsLeft     %= 60;
    minutesLeft     %= 60;
    hoursLeft       %= 24;
    // Change the values to String
    var sec         :String = secondsLeft.toString();
    var min         :String = minutesLeft.toString();
    var hrs         :String = hoursLeft.toString();
    // With these values, check if the values are smaller then 2 and add an extra 0
    sec             = sec.length < 2 ? "0" + sec : sec;
    min             = min.length < 2 ? "0" + min : min;
    hrs             = hrs.length < 2 ? "0" + hrs : hrs;
    // Put the values in the textfields
    dayTxt.text     = String(daysLeft); // Days isnt a string yet
    hrsTxt.text     = hrs;
    minTxt.text     = min;
    secTxt.text     = sec;
    // Shadow text
    dayShTxt.text   = dayTxt.text;
    hrsShTxt.text   = hrsTxt.text;
    minShTxt.text   = minTxt.text;
    secShTxt.text   = secTxt.text;
    // Set the text color
    var parts:Array = ["day","hrs","min","sec"];
    for (var i:int = 0; i< 4; i++)
    {
        this[parts[i]+"Txt"].setTextFormat(fmt);
        this[parts[i]+"ShTxt"].setTextFormat(fmt);
        this[parts[i]+"Label"].setTextFormat(fmt);
        this[parts[i]+"ShLabel"].setTextFormat(fmt);
    }
    
    //if (dayTxt.text=="0" && hrsTxt.text=="00" && minTxt.text=="00" && secTxt.text=="00"){
        
        //var starterIn:Tween = new Tween(starter, "alpha", Strong.easeIn, 0, 1, 1, true);
        // Register the function as a listener with the button. 
        //starter.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, starterGo);
        
    //}
    
    if (endTime < startTime){
        dayTxt.text="0";
        hrsTxt.text="00";
        minTxt.text="00";
        secTxt.text="00";
        dayShTxt.text="0";
        hrsShTxt.text="00";
        minShTxt.text="00";
        secShTxt.text="00";
        var starterInAfter:Tween = new Tween(starter, "alpha", Strong.easeIn, 1, 0, 1, true);
        
        // Register the function as a listener with the button. 
        starter.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, starterGo);
    }
    
}

How do I get the server date and pass it to the date var startTime? I searched far and wide and can't find a simple solution. I know it has to be out there. Thank you for any help.

[calmchess]

this is more complex than you think......look for "accurate time keeper" on the internet last time I looked http://www.computus.org/journal/?p=22 this isn't exactly a countdown timer but if you get it setup and get comfortable i'll tell you how to tweak it to countdown.

[5TonsOfFlax]

You need to have some sort of server-side script to generate the date, but all of these techniques can be defeated by a determined attacker.

The simplest way is probably flashvars. Pass the server date in a flash var in the html code which embeds the swf. Then in the swf, retrieve it from root.loaderInfo.parameters.

Second simplest, or about the same difficulty, would be external interface. Create a javascript function to return the server date (the javascript function will return a constant date which is parsed from server side generated content). Call that function from the swf.

Third simplest is to create a server side page which returns the date in plain text, xml, or json, and use a URLLoader to load that content.

[calmchess]

oops sorry i just read the title.