PRB: Output from TIME() Does Not Change with SET HOURS

• Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, version 3.0

SYMPTOMS

If TIME() is supplied as the initial value of a text box, The SET HOURS TO command has no effect on the time value displayed.

CAUSE

TIME() returns a character string in the 24-hour HH:MM:SS format regardless of the SET HOURS setting. As a result, the text box control is not a time value but a character value and will behave as such.

WORKAROUND

Add a new method to the form to perform the necessary conversion regardless of whether the SET HOURS TO value is determined by the current environment settings or changed programmatically at run-time.

Step-by-Step Example

Steps 1 through 5 in the following procedure illustrate how to change the hours setting in a program by adding two option buttons. You can omit steps 2 through 5 if desired.

1. Open the desired form or create a new one named Form1.

2. Choose the Form Control toolbar from the View menu.

3. Pick the Option Group tool, and put a set of Option Buttons on the form. Change the Caption Property for each to read '12 Hour' and '24 Hour' respectively.

4. Double-click the Option Buttons to open the OptionsGroup1 code dialog.

5. Select Option1 under the Object list box. Then select Click from the procedure list box, and enter this code:

   SET HOURS TO 12 THISFORM.TEXT1.VALUE = THISFORM.CivTym()

   While in the same code dialog, select Option2 from the Object combo box, and enter this code:

   SET HOURS TO 24 THISFORM.TEXT1.VALUE = TIME()

6. If a new form was created in step 1, add a Text box (Text1) to the form, and remove any previous value of the Text1 text box from the Properties sheet.

7. While Form Designer is selected, choose the Form menu pad from the system menu, and select New Method. Enter CivTym as the Method Name.

8. In the Description box, enter the following and click OK to save the new method descriptor:

   Returns civilian time (hh:mm:ss ampm)

9. Choose Properties under the system menu View pad or click Form1 with the alternate mouse key to bring up the Options menu and choose Properties.

10. While Form1 is shown as the current object, choose the Method tab.

11. Double-click the civtym procedure at the end of the Method list, and

        enter this code:
    

        cTym = TIME()     && Save the current time string
        iHr  = VAL(LEFT(cTym,2))   && extract the numerical hour
        lPm  = iHr > 12   && logically, is it post meridian (after noon)?
        RETURN STR( IIF( lPm, iHr - 12, iHr ), 2 ) + SUBSTR( cTym, 3 ) + ;
                " " + IIF( lPm, 'p', 'a' )+".m."
    
    

12. From the same dialog, select the Init procedure, and enter this code:

        IF SET('HOURS') > 12
           THISFORM.TEXT1.VALUE = TIME()
           ** optional setting code: remove if option buttons omitted
           *
           THISFORM.OPTIONGROUP1.OPTION1.VALUE = 0
           THISFORM.OPTIONGROUP1.OPTION2.VALUE = 1
           *
           ** end of optional setting code
        ELSE
           THISFORM.TEXT1.VALUE = THISFORM.CivTym()
           ** optional setting code: remove if option buttons omitted
           *
           THISFORM.OPTIONGROUP1.OPTION1.VALUE = 1
           THISFORM.OPTIONGROUP1.OPTION2.VALUE = 0
           *
           ** end of optional setting code
        ENDIF
    

13. Type SET HOURS TO 12 in the Command window.

14. Run the form, and note the display. If option buttons are used, note

        which is selected; then change it to 24 hours. Close the form. Then
    

    re-run it with the opposite hours setting in effect, and note the display.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.