Visual Basic

2-Sep-09 21:52

Hello Everyone

I need some help i have been googleing this all night i think it is pretty simple to do just cant find any info
all i am trying to do is
have a button click on a set time
example
have my button1 click at 5:34 PM every day

how can i do that ??

Thanks in advance
Bob

TheComputerMan2-Sep-09 22:13

TheComputerMan

2-Sep-09 22:13

Assuming that the program is running at the time, then my suggestion would be to have a timer that does a PerformClick on the button at the appropriate.

The timer would need to be checking every minute to see if the time has been reached. You would also need to disable it for the period that the process under the button is running so that it does not (potentially) cause any problems with firing again inside the time. Setting the interval to 65000 should stop that but better to disable the time during the execution of the target code.

David Skelly2-Sep-09 22:57

David Skelly

2-Sep-09 22:57

It's a shame that the .NET Timer class doesn't let you schedule an event for a specified time. It seems like such an obvious thing and it's been in other platforms like Java for years, so you wonder why they've never added it to .NET. It can't be difficult to do from a technical viewpoint.

The previous post is a perfectly good solution but you could also have a look at Quartz.NET[^] for something more sophisticated or this article[^] if you prefer a "roll your own" solution.

If you are building an application that needs any sort of scheduling service beyond the basics, I would recommend something like this, but I suspect that might be overkill for your requirements.

Johan Hakkesteegt3-Sep-09 0:32

3-Sep-09 0:32

Hi Bob,

Besides what the other two already told you, I strongly recommend you to not fire the button click event with the timer tick event.

Instead, it is much better practice, to move the code from the button's click event to its own Sub, and then call this sub both in the button's click event and in the timer's tick event.

So instead of this:

Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
  MsgBox("Jiihuu!!!")
End Sub

Private Sub Timer1_Tick(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer1.Tick
  Button1.PerformClick()
End Sub

it's better to build your app like this:

Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
  MyMessageBox()
End Sub

Private Sub Timer1_Tick(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer1.Tick
  MyMessageBox()
End Sub

Private Sub MyMessageBox()
  MsgBox("Jiihuu!!!")
End Sub

This will make future development a lot easier, for example if at some point you want the code to execute in different manners:

Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
  MyMessageBox(" Executed by Button1")
End Sub

Private Sub Timer1_Tick(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer1.Tick
  MyMessageBox(" Executed by Timer1 at " & Now.ToShortTimeString)
End Sub

Private Sub MyMessageBox(Byval ExtraMessage As String)
  MsgBox("Jiihuu!!!" & ExtraMessage)
End Sub

My advice is free, and you may get what you paid for.

Bob Beaubien3-Sep-09 2:49

3-Sep-09 2:49

Hello Johan

Thanks for your help this looks good but whare would i put the spacifique time to fier my button ??
and my app will be running 24 7

Thanks

Johan Hakkesteegt3-Sep-09 3:31

3-Sep-09 3:31

Hello Bob,

So take your case: you want the code to be executed once a day at a specific time (was it 5:34 pm ?).

Let's take my example code again:

Dim TheButtonWasClickedToday As Boolean = False
Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
  MyMessageBox(" Executed by Button1")
End Sub

Private Sub Timer1_Tick(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer1.Tick
  If TheButtonWasClickedToday = False Then
            If Now.Hour = 17 Then
                Select Case Now.Minute
                    Case 34
                        MyMessageBox(" Executed exactly on time by Timer1 at " & Now.ToShortTimeString)
                        TheButtonWasClickedToday = True
                    Case Is > 40 'a 6 minute safety catch'
                        TheButtonWasClickedToday = False
                    Case Is > 34
                        If TheButtonWasClickedToday = False Then
                            MyMessageBox(" Executed too late by Timer1 at " & Now.ToShortTimeString)
                            TheButtonWasClickedToday = True
                        End If
                End Select
            End If
        End If
End Sub

Private Sub MyMessageBox(Byval ExtraMessage As String)
  MsgBox("Jiihuu!!!" & ExtraMessage)
End Sub

For it to work you would have to set the timer's interval to 1 minute (60000 milliseconds).

The problem with the timer approach, is that you are dependent on the interval. If for any reason (for example the pc freezes) the tick event is a few seconds late, your code will not be run until the next day.

So I have added the TheButtonWasClickedToday boolean to check if the code was run. In this case I have given it 6 minutes time, but you can make that smaller or larger.

Also, I am not entirely sure if checking for the hour will work with 17, as you apparently use the am/pm system. You may have to investigate that.

As for Ashfield's answer to you, you say your app will be running 24/7, but is that just to make sure that the code will be executed on time, or because the rest of the app will be doing things the rest of the time?

My advice is free, and you may get what you paid for.

Bob Beaubien3-Sep-09 3:40

Re: Timer set time click [modified]

3-Sep-09 3:40

Thanks i will try that
and the app it doing thing 24 7 reson for this timer is i want to log some data into a excell file
so every hour it will record data to a set cell

Bob Beaubien3-Sep-09 15:15

3-Sep-09 15:15

Hello johan

Thanks for the help it is exacly what i wanted to do your the best
I got this to work but it only runs the first set 22:23 and it do notintg for 22:24
I have to have it run once ever hour somting difrent so i would need 24 lines of code

Thanks

Private Sub Timer1_Tick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer1.Tick
        Timer1.Interval = 60000
        TextBox1.Text = Format(Now, "M")

        If Now.Hour = 22 Then
            Select Case Now.Minute
                Case 23
                    MyMessageBox(" Executed exactly on time by Timer1 at " & Now.ToShortTimeString)
            End Select
        End If

        If Now.Hour = 22 Then
            Select Case Now.Minute
                Case 24
                    MyMessageBox(" Executed exactly on time by Timer1 at " & Now.ToShortTimeString)
            End Select
        End If

    End Sub

I got this to work but it only runs the first set 22:23 and it do notintg for 22:24

Thanks agine
Bob

modified on Thursday, September 3, 2009 10:27 PM

Johan Hakkesteegt3-Sep-09 20:12

Re: Timer set time click [modified]

3-Sep-09 20:12

Hi Bob,

You need to move Timer1.Interval = 60000 to where you start the timer.
So for example:

Private Sub Form_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Load
  Timer1.Enabled = True
  Timer1.Interval = 60000 'we should get a tick every 1 minute'
  'if you get a tick more often, you need to increase this number'
  'if you get a tick less often, you need to decrease this number'
  Timer1.Start
End Sub

For your code to run 24 times (once an hour) you need to turn the If and Select Case statements around:

Select Case Now.Hour
        Case 0
            If Now.Minute = 23 Then MyMessageBox(" Executed exactly on time by Timer1 at " & Now.ToShortTimeString)
        Case 1
            If Now.Minute = 23 Then MyMessageBox(" Executed exactly on time by Timer1 at " & Now.ToShortTimeString)
        Case 2
            If Now.Minute = 23 Then MyMessageBox(" Executed exactly on time by Timer1 at " &amp; Now.ToShortTimeString)
        'Etc.'
End Select

Just write a case for each hour, and change the minutes that are checked, according to your needs. So yes, you will need to write 24 lines of code Smile | :)

Although I must agree with Ashfield, that what you are (apparently) trying do, really would work much more reliably with a console application.
If you have never written one, don't worry, it is pretty much the same as the application you have written now, and you wouldn't need to use a timer.

My advice is free, and you may get what you paid for.

Bob Beaubien4-Sep-09 4:32

4-Sep-09 4:32

Hay Thanks Thare

i will try this and see what hapens
2 thing why did you put the mins at 23 ??
and i have to put end if after each msg box right??

Thanks

Oh i just think i found somting a little easyer that might work but the msgbox comes up 9 times how can i have it just come up once ?? and have it come up once agine the next day ??

If TimeBox.Text = "10:44:01 AM" Then
            MsgBox("Timer test", MsgBoxStyle.OkOnly + vbCritical, "Error")
        End If

Thanks agine you are grate help
i wish every one was like you

modified on Friday, September 4, 2009 10:52 AM

Johan Hakkesteegt6-Sep-09 20:05

6-Sep-09 20:05

Hi Bob,

Bob Beaubien wrote:
why did you put the mins at 23 ?

I understood from your question that you need your application to run once an hour but at different minutes. So for example at 0:10, 1:23, 2:15, etc. Ofcourse I don't know what those minutes are, so I just put 23 as an example. That is why I said that you may have to change these minutes to fit your needs.

Perhaps I misunderstood what it is exactly that you are trying to achieve.

Bob Beaubien wrote:
i have to put end if after each msg box right?

Actually no. The If statement allows for several different syntaxes:

If i = 1 Then MsgBox("Papa fume une pipe")

If i = 1 Then MsgBox("Papa fume une pipe") Else MsgBox("Mama fume le pipe de papa")

If i = 1 Then
    MsgBox("Papa fume une pipe")
Else : MsgBox("Mama fume le pipe de papa")
End If

If i = 1 Then
    MsgBox("Papa fume une pipe")
Else
    MsgBox("Mama fume le pipe de papa")
End If

Just go ahead and give it a try.

Bob Beaubien wrote:
If TimeBox.Text = "10:44:01 AM" Then
MsgBox("Timer test", MsgBoxStyle.OkOnly + vbCritical, "Error")
End If

No, no, no, bad, wrong, please don't !!! You are right, this might work, but it is much more likely to not work half the time. If you use your application on a computer that does not have the exact same regional settings, it won't work. If the tick event fires every millisecond or 100th or 10th of a second this code will do what you described: it will fire 999, 99, or 9 times in a row. If you set the interval to 1 second it will more than likely not fire at all, many times. Do yourself a big favor, and delete that code, and forget you ever came up with the idea.

Please stick to the idea I gave you. It will work on any machine, and it will do what it is supposed to do, not just maybe!

In other words, your idea may seem simple, but it is unsafe coding. It is bad, because if you teach yourself to code like that, it will come back and bite you in the ass, many, many, many times in the future.

My advice is free, and you may get what you paid for.

TheComputerMan4-Sep-09 9:59

TheComputerMan

4-Sep-09 9:59

Johan is correct of course. I was giving you the quick answer!

The time, depending on whether it is always fixed or may change can either be in the tick event (if the value is never going to change), or as a user setting (if the user can change it), or as some other module level variable which is set on form load etc etc.

Private Sub Timer1_Tick(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer1.Tick
    Dim tmeFireAt as Date = "01:30"

    If TimeValue(Now) = tmeFireAt Then	
        'Or whatever checking you feel you need to see if the time has been reached Hour() Minute() Second()  etc etc
        Timer1.Enabled = False
        '
        'do stuff
        '
        Timer1.Enabled = True
    End If
End Sub

Private tmeFireAt as Date = "01:30"

'
'
'
Private Sub Timer1_Tick(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer1.Tick
    If TimeValue(Now) = m_tmeFireAt Then	
        'Or whatever checking you feel you need to see if the time has been reached Hour() Minute() Second()  etc etc
        Timer1.Enabled = False
        '
        'do stuff
        '
        Timer1.Enabled = True
    End If
End Sub


Private Sub Timer1_Tick(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer1.Tick
    If TimeValue(Now) = My.Settings.FiringTime Then	
        'Or whatever checking you feel you need to see if the time has been reached Hour() Minute() Second()  etc etc
        Timer1.Enabled = False
        '
        'do stuff
        '
        Timer1.Enabled = True
    End If
End Sub

Bob Beaubien5-Sep-09 2:39

5-Sep-09 2:39

Hello Johan Hakkesteegt

I tryed to pm you but i can figuer how i can do that but anyways
i just wated to thanks you and everyone else that help me out
and having lost of patients i am not the best at vb but i am lerning
more and more every day
with your help i got what i wanted to do working perfect Thanks
I will have to get you a beer Wink | ;)

Thanks
Bob

Ashfield3-Sep-09 1:34

Ashfield

3-Sep-09 1:34

Firstly, are you sure your app will be running at that precise time? If not, why not just create a console app and schedule it with the windows scheduler - much more reliable I would have thought.

Bob
Ashfield Consultants Ltd
Proud to be a 2009 Code Project MVP

Bob Beaubien3-Sep-09 2:50

3-Sep-09 2:50

MY app will be running 24 7

insert excel worksheet also apply the excel formula in vb.net

Ashfield3-Sep-09 3:33

Ashfield

3-Sep-09 3:33

In which case, just set the timer to the difference between the current time and the required time (remembering to use the date as well - I forgot once Smile | :)

)

Bob
Ashfield Consultants Ltd
Proud to be a 2009 Code Project MVP

newdbo2-Sep-09 21:30

newdbo

2-Sep-09 21:30

Hi all, how can i insert excel worksheet in vb.net form that can be applied excel formula in the worksheet.
Thanks in advance..

Regards

Re: insert excel worksheet also apply the excel formula in vb.net

Bob Beaubien2-Sep-09 21:49