This article describes how to create and how to use a form that contains
Start/Stop and Reset command buttons that use the Timer event of a form to
display elapsed hours, minutes, and seconds in a text box control.
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Steps to Create a Stopwatch Form
Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific requirements.
The following example demonstrates how to create and how to use a form to track elapsed time:
| 1. | Open any database. |
| 2. | Create a blank form not based on any table or any query and then set the following properties for the form:
ScrollBars: Neither
RecordSelectors: No
NavigationButtons: No
OnTimer: [Event Procedure]
TimerInterval: 0
|
| 3. | Add a text box to the form and then set the following properties for the text box:
Name: ElapsedTime
DefaultValue: "00:00:00:00"
Enabled: No
Locked: Yes
|
| 4. | Add a command button to the form and then set the following properties for the command button:
Name: btnStartStop
Caption: Start
OnClick: [Event Procedure]
|
| 5. | Add a second command button to the form and then set the following properties for the second command button:
Name: btnReset
Caption: Reset
OnClick: [Event Procedure]
|
| 6. | Click Code on the View menu to open the editor. Type the following lines in the Declarations section:
Option Explicit
Dim TotalElapsedMilliSec As Long
Dim StartTickCount As Long
Private Declare Function GetTickCount Lib "kernel32" () As Long
|
| 7. | Set the OnTimer property of the form to the following event procedure:
Private Sub Form_Timer ()
Dim Hours As String
Dim Minutes As String
Dim Seconds As String
Dim MilliSec As String
Dim Msg As String
Dim ElapsedMilliSec As Long
ElapsedMilliSec = (GetTickCount() - StartTickCount) + _
TotalElapsedMilliSec
Hours = Format((ElapsedMilliSec \ 3600000), "00")
Minutes = Format((ElapsedMilliSec \ 60000) Mod 60, "00")
Seconds = Format((ElapsedMilliSec \ 1000) Mod 60, "00")
MilliSec = Format((ElapsedMilliSec Mod 1000) \ 10, "00")
Me!ElapsedTime = Hours & ":" & Minutes & ":" & Seconds & ":" _
& MilliSec
End Sub
|
| 8. | Set the OnClick property of the btnStartStop command button to the following event procedure:
Private Sub btnStartStop_Click()
If Me.TimerInterval = 0 Then
StartTickCount = GetTickCount()
Me.TimerInterval = 15
Me!btnStartStop.Caption = "Stop"
Me!btnReset.Enabled = False
Else
TotalElapsedMilliSec = TotalElapsedMilliSec + _
(GetTickCount() - StartTickCount)
Me.TimerInterval = 0
Me!btnStartStop.Caption = "Start"
Me!btnReset.Enabled = True
End If
End Sub
|
| 9. | Set the OnClick property of the btnReset command button to the following event procedure:
Private Sub btnReset_Click()
TotalElapsedMilliSec = 0
Me!ElapsedTime = "00:00:00:00"
End Sub
|
| 10. | Open the form in Form view to test the stopwatch.
|
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