Time function (turning a pc into an alarm clock!)

hi chaps,

i am trying to turn my pc into an expensive alarm clock.

i am using the Time function to check system timer. the value of Txt_time is to be formatted to get a 6 figure time eg: 18:35:00


If Time < Val(Txt_time) Then

Beep
Beep
Beep
Beep
Beep

End If

i would be very grateful if anyone out there could help me.

cheers james

Brighton UK

Hi!

check out the DateDiff and DateAdd functions in VB.

also instead of doing a row of beeps, try using the API to play a wake-up call sound (you could record it yourself).

This is easy - just set the interval and then when the interval has elapsed, make your noise.

'set this to whatver you like - this is 24 hours
Public const INTERVAL = 60000 * 60 * 24


public sub StartTimer()
dim theTimer as long

theTimer = timer

do until (timer - theTimer) > INTERVAL
doevents
loop

'code to make your noise here - maybe add a mediaplayer
'control to your form and then do MediaPlayer1.open somemp3


'start the timer again recursively
StartTimer
end sub

Now just compile the program and run it when you want it to
start timing. Say you went to bed at midnight and wanted to get up at 7am. Just set the interval to 7 hours. Or you can actually make a clock but I will leave that up to you. The do until loop allows this to run in the background without pummeling your CPU too much.

Here is an example that will beep once and display a message box at 7 AM. Here the 07:00:00 AM is hard coded, but it is easy enough to put a control on the form that lets you set the specific time value that you want the alarm to go. Look up some examples of playing wav files, etc. here on VB World for creating a better sounding alarm than the beep. Adding sound files is actually quite easy.

Hope this helps.

Code:

---

'This sample project just has a single Timer control
'added to it called Timer1.

Private Sub Form_Load()
    Timer1.interval = 1000
    Timer1.Enabled = True
End Sub

Private Sub Timer1_Timer()
    Dim curTime As Date
   
    curTime = Format(Now, "hh:mm:ss AMPM")
    If curTime = "07:00:00 AM" Then
        Beep
        MsgBox "Get up"
    End If
End Sub

---

[Edited by jcouture100 on 05-03-2000 at 09:35 PM]

I don't think i need to give any suggestion any more. Those methods up there will work fine.

Just feel that your alarm clock is too expensive..haha...

Hey, I just noticed this thread now.
I did something just like this a while ago, so I did some
digging and found the code, so here it is:

Code:

---

VERSION 5.00
Begin VB.Form frmMain
  Caption        =  "Alarm Clock Test"
  ClientHeight    =  3195
  ClientLeft      =  60
  ClientTop      =  345
  ClientWidth    =  4680
  LinkTopic      =  "Form1"
  ScaleHeight    =  3195
  ScaleWidth      =  4680
  StartUpPosition =  2  'CenterScreen
  Begin VB.TextBox txtWakeUp
      Height          =  375
      Left            =  240
      TabIndex        =  0
      Top            =  360
      Width          =  4215
  End
  Begin VB.CommandButton cmdStop
      Caption        =  "&Stop"
      Height          =  495
      Left            =  1680
      TabIndex        =  2
      Top            =  1680
      Visible        =  0  'False
      Width          =  1215
  End
  Begin VB.CommandButton cmdSleep
      Caption        =  "&Sleep"
      Default        =  -1  'True
      Height          =  495
      Left            =  1680
      TabIndex        =  1
      Top            =  1200
      Width          =  1215
  End
  Begin VB.Label lblWakeUp
      AutoSize        =  -1  'True
      BackStyle      =  0  'Transparent
      Caption        =  "Set Time To Wake Up"
      Height          =  195
      Left            =  240
      TabIndex        =  3
      Top            =  120
      Width          =  1605
  End
End
Attribute VB_Name = "frmMain"
Attribute VB_GlobalNameSpace = False
Attribute VB_Creatable = False
Attribute VB_PredeclaredId = True
Attribute VB_Exposed = False
'============================
'=== GENERAL DECLARATIONS ===
'============================

'<<< OPTION STATEMENTS >>>
Option Explicit


'<<< CONSTANTS >>>
Private Const miMAX_DAYS As Integer = 24

Private Const mlMILLISECONDS_IN_SEC As Long = 1000
Private Const mlSECONDS_IN_MIN As Long = 60
Private Const mlMINUTES_IN_HOUR As Long = 60
Private Const mlHOURS_IN_DAY As Long = 24


'<<< ENUMERATIONS >>>
Private Enum eSetWindowPos
  SWP_NOSIZE = &H1
  SWP_NOMOVE = &H2
  SWP_NOZORDER = &H4
  SWP_NOREDRAW = &H8
  SWP_NOACTIVATE = &H10
  SWP_DRAWFRAME = &H20
  SWP_SHOWWINDOW = &H40
  SWP_HIDEWINDOW = &H80
  SWP_NOCOPYBITS = &H100
  SWP_NOREPOSITION = &H200
End Enum

Private Enum eZOrder
  HWND_TOP = 0
  HWND_BOTTOM = 1
  HWND_NOTOPMOST = -2
  HWND_TOPMOST = -1
End Enum


'<<< API DECLARES >>>
Private Declare Function apiSetForegroundWindow _
                Lib "user32" _
                Alias "SetForegroundWindow" _
                (ByVal hwnd As Long) As Long

Private Declare Function apiSetWindowPos _
                Lib "user32" _
                Alias "SetWindowPos" _
                (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal hWndInsertAfter As eZOrder, _
                ByVal x As Long, ByVal y As Long, _
                ByVal cx As Long, ByVal cy As Long, _
                ByVal wFlags As eSetWindowPos) As Long

Private Declare Sub apiSleep _
                Lib "kernel32" _
                Alias "Sleep" _
                (ByVal dwMilliseconds As Long)


'<<< VARIABLES >>>
Private mbStopAlarm As Boolean


'========================
'=== EVENT PROCEDURES ===
'========================

Private Sub cmdStop_Click()
  mbStopAlarm = True
End Sub

Private Sub cmdSleep_Click()
  Dim lSleepTime As Long
 
  mbStopAlarm = False
  lSleepTime = mlGetSleepCount(mdtValidateDate(txtWakeUp.Text))
  Call Me.Hide
  DoEvents
  Call apiSleep(lSleepTime)
  DoEvents
  Call apiSetWindowPos(Me.hwnd, HWND_TOPMOST, 0, 0, 0, 0, _
                        SWP_NOSIZE Or SWP_NOMOVE Or SWP_SHOWWINDOW)
  Call apiSetForegroundWindow(Me.hwnd)
  Call mSoundAlarm
End Sub


'==========================
'=== PRIVATE PROCEDURES ===
'==========================

Private Function mdtValidateDate(ByVal vsDate As String) As Date
  Dim dtReturnDate As Date
 
  If IsDate(vsDate) = True Then
      dtReturnDate = Format$(vsDate, "dd-mmm-yyyy Hh:NnAM/PM")
  Else
      dtReturnDate = Now
  End If
 
  mdtValidateDate = dtReturnDate
End Function

Private Function mlGetSleepCount(ByVal vdtWakeUpTime As Date) As Long
  Dim lSeconds As Long
  Dim lWakeUpTime As Long
 
  'Maximum size of Long for milliseconds of time difference.
  If DateDiff("d", Now, vdtWakeUpTime) < miMAX_DAYS Then
      lSeconds = DateDiff("s", Now, vdtWakeUpTime)
     
      If lSeconds > 0 Then
        lWakeUpTime = lSeconds * mlMILLISECONDS_IN_SEC
      End If
     
  End If
 
  mlGetSleepCount = lWakeUpTime
End Function

Private Sub mSoundAlarm()
  cmdSleep.Visible = False
  cmdStop.Visible = True
  Call cmdStop.SetFocus
 
  Do While mbStopAlarm = False
      Beep
      DoEvents
  Loop
 
  cmdSleep.Visible = True
  cmdStop.Visible = False
End Sub

---

What you do is type in the date and time for the app to
wake up and press the Sleep button. When the time arrives
the app will popup above all windows and begin beeping
until the Stop button is pressed. It will even work through
the Screen Saver.

This was only a test that I did when developing a scheduler,
but it sounds like what you were looking for. You should
probably place the wake up time in the registry and provide
an app to set this time. Then you could put the alarm clock
into the StartUp folder. That way the program could read
the alarm time from the registry when the computer is
turned on and the app would automatically TSR until the
desired alarm time. Also, instead of running the Beep loop
it would be better to play a .wav file looped.

Sorry to come in so late, just wanted to add my 2¢

Is it possible to set the timer off until the system beep occurs, when rebuild is concluded, the system beeper beeps,

I don't know whether you're a globe-trotter or not, but you may find Robert Smith's comments of use. Check his article "Real Power with No NT" under the heading "Multi-User Fun" at http://www.smithvoice.com/vbfun.htm

It didnt help but thanks.. anyone else?

do timer1

'until i say stop
loop

I think this is what you're looking for.
I created this so I would not forget to call my wife by a certain time.

Create a project with a timer (interval = 1000), 1 form, 1 module, 1 textbox, 4 labels (lblStartTime, lblEndTime, label1 "Start Time" and label2 "End Time")

Code:

---

Module Code(Paste in Declarations section:)

Global starttime
Global endtime


Declare Function mciExecute Lib "mmsystem"(ByVal_ lpstrCommand As String) As Integer




Sub Command1_Click
starttime = Format(Time, "hh:mm")

endtime = Format(text1.Text, "hh:mm")

lblStartTime.Caption = starttime
lblEndTime.Caption = endtime
timer1.Enabled = True
Me.WindowState = 1
Me.Caption = "End time: " & endtime




Sub Timer1_Timer
starttime = Format(Time, "hh:mm")
If starttime = endtime Then
x = mciExecute("play C:\winnt\media\passport.mid")
Me.Caption = "Wife's Wakeup Timer"
DoEvents
Me.WindowState = 0
DoEvents
AppActivate ("Wife's Wakeup Timer")
DoEvents

MsgBox "The time has come to call your wife!", 64, "Time has come"
timer1.Enabled = False
x = mciExecute("Stop C:\winnt\media\passport.mid")

Exit Sub

ElseIf starttime > endtime Then
AppActivate ("Wife's Wakeup Timer")
MsgBox "The time has come to call your wife!", 64, "Time has come and passed"
x = mciExecute("play C:\winnt\media\passport.mid")
timer1.Enabled = False
x = mciExecute("Stop C:\winnt\media\passport.mid")
Me.WindowState = 0
Exit Sub
Else
End If

---

That should be it. You type in the time you want to wakeup and click on the command button. It automatically minimizes and when the time comes, it maximizes, displays, and plays a midi file.

Please keep in mind this was written in VB3. Make any changes you need.

Hope that helps.

Let us know.

JazzBass :D