Time
A Time field, variable or expression can be in the range of 00:00:00 to 596,000:00:00.
Times are in 24-hour format.
A time value can be treated as a number. The number returned from a time is the number of seconds since midnight (00:00:00) that time represents.
Note: In the 4D Language Reference manual, Time parameters in command descriptions are denoted as Time, except when marked otherwise.
Time literals
A time literal constant is enclosed by question marks (?...?).
A time literal constant is ordered hour:minute:second, with a colon (:) setting off each part. Times are specified in 24-hour format.
Here are some examples of time literals:
?00:00:00? ` midnight
?09:30:00? ` 9:30 am
?13:01:59? ` 1 pm, 1 minute, and 59 seconds
A null time is specified by ?00:00:00?
Tip: The Method Editor includes a shortcut for entering a null time. To type a null time, enter the question mark (?) character and press Enter.
Time operators
| Operation | Syntax | Returns | Expression | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Addition | Time + Time | Time | ?02:03:04? + ?01:02:03? | ?03:05:07? |
| Subtraction | Time – Time | Time | ?02:03:04? – ?01:02:03? | ?01:01:01? |
| Addition | Time + Number | Number | ?02:03:04? + 65 | 7449 |
| Subtraction | Time – Number | Number | ?02:03:04? – 65 | 7319 |
| Multiplication | Time * Number | Number | ?02:03:04? * 2 | 14768 |
| Division | Time / Number | Number | ?02:03:04? / 2 | 3692 |
| Longint division | Time \ Number | Number | ?02:03:04? \ 2 | 3692 |
| Modulo | Time % Time | Time | ?20:10:00? % ?04:20:00? | ?02:50:00? |
| Modulo | Time % Number | Number | ?02:03:04? % 2 | 0 |
| Equality | Time = Time | Boolean | ?01:02:03? = ?01:02:03? | True |
| ?01:02:03? = ?01:02:04? | False | |||
| Inequality | Time # Time | Boolean | ?01:02:03? # ?01:02:04? | True |
| ?01:02:03? # ?01:02:03? | False | |||
| Greater than | Time > Time | Boolean | ?01:02:04? > ?01:02:03? | True |
| ?01:02:03? > ?01:02:03? | False | |||
| Less than | Time < Time | Boolean | ?01:02:03? < ?01:02:04? | True |
| ?01:02:03? < ?01:02:03? | False | |||
| Greater than or equal to | Time >= Time | Boolean | ?01:02:03? >=?01:02:03? | True |
| ?01:02:03? >=?01:02:04? | False | |||
| Less than or equal to | Time <= Time | Boolean | ?01:02:03? <=?01:02:03? | True |
| ?01:02:04? <=?01:02:03? | False |
Example 1
To obtain a time expression from an expression that combines a time expression with a number, use the commands Time and Time string.
You can combine expressions of the time and number types using the Time or Current time functions:
//The following line assigns to $vlSeconds the number of seconds
//that will be elapsed between midnight and one hour from now
$vlSeconds:=Current time+3600
//The following line assigns to $vHSoon the time it will be in one hour
$vhSoon:=Time(Current time+3600)
The second line could be written in a simpler way:
// The following line assigns to $vHSoon the time it will be in one hour
$vhSoon:=Current time+?01:00:00?
Example 2
The Modulo operator can be used, more specifically, to add times that take the 24-hour format into account:
$t1:=?23:00:00? // It is 23:00 hours
// We want to add 2 and a half hours
$t2:=$t1 +?02:30:00? // With a simple addition, $t2 is ?25:30:00?
$t2:=($t1 +?02:30:00?)%?24:00:00? // $t2 is ?01:30:00? and it is 1:30 hour the next morning