World Clock Download
The download comes in 2 pieces, the base install which includes a non-functional or often older version of the program's exe and all the dlls and controls, and the latest version of the executable.
Once you have downloaded and installed the base install (which is a pretty big file, typically over 2MB), you only need to download the new executable for upgrades (unless directed otherwise in the Version Info.) The executable is a much smaller file.
Requirements
This program has been tested under Windows XP, Win98 OSR2 and Windows 95 OSR2. I do not anticipate any problem under other versions of Windows, but as always, I cannot be sure until it's been tested. Let me know if you have any problem.
Installation
Unzip the Clock-base.zip file in a temporary directory and run the Setup.exe program.
Unless you change the default settings, the program will install in C:\Program Files\KO4BB_Clock and create an entry in the Start menu.
If you select another directory, make a note of it.
Then download the Clock.copy file, rename it Clock.exe and copy it directly into the program's installation directory.
It will overwrite the Clock.exe file created by the main install.
Operation
This is not very organized, just a series of comments:
- There is only one think to make sure of: when you change the time zone setting, you need to click on your final selection (the Time Zone window will turn blue) to actually make your setting take effect.
- To save a setting under a convenient name, right click on one of the time displays, and select "Setup" on the pop-up menu.
- In the new Setup window, enter a convenient name or callsign for the particular setup you are currently running, then click "Save".
- To select a setting, the drop-down menu shows the 5 most recent settings used. Click on one to select it.
- The program can actually keep track of an unlimited number of settings (useful if you have friends in many, many countries). To display a setting that you have not used recently and is not in the MRU list, click "Setup", then select the setting you want from the Combo list and click "Ok".
- Attention: "Ok" does not save anything, it just selects the setting (just like clicking on a setting in the MRU list)
- To change an existing setting, set the Other time zone, 1/2 hr offset and DST as you want them, then open the drop down menu, select "Setup", select the name of the setting you want to change and click "Save".
- You will notice that if you are currently set to a saved setting, the name of the setting is appended to the program name on the top bar of the program window. If you selected the Mini format and 24 hour display, there is only room for a couple of characters for the setting. That's the way it goes for now. In many cases, 2 characters are sufficient to identify a ham to a particular country and therefore time zone (but not always of course).
- If the setting's name is too big to be completely displayed on the top bar, let the mouse cursor hover on the window top bar, a tool tip popup will give you the setting's full name for a few seconds.
- If you are set to a specific saved setting, and you then change anything in the Other time zone, the caption at the top of the program window reverts to the name of the program only.
- If you enter the Setup menu and change the setting to one different from the one used in the main window, then try to save, the program will ask you if you actually mean to change the time zone settings. By default, when you click "Save", the program saves the time zone settings that are currently in effect in the main window.
- Please note the custom settings only keep track of time zone, 1/2 hr offset and DST for the "Other" box, not the other global settings such as window size or position, 12/24 hour display, local 1/2 hr offset and local time zone/DST, as I believe these do not need to be different, so there is only one set of those saved (global settings).
- If there was a good reason to change that, it can easily be done.
- The "Mini" size does not allow to change the time zone. If you need to change the time zone from the Mini format, just unclick "Mini", change the time zone, then click "Mini" again. 1/2 hr offset and DST can be changed directly from the menu for both time zones.
- All program settings are saved when you exit, including window positions.
Alarms:
- Alarm times can be entered in 12 hr AM/PM format or 24 hours format. They are always displayed in 12 h AM/PM format.
- When setting a recurring alarm, you only need to set the time, the date is of course not necessary (if you enter one, it will be discarded).
- When setting an alarm to ring once, the date is necessary. Setting this requires a specific procedure: Click on the Alarm time window to pick a date. Click on the date you want. Close the calendar window by clicking the X in the top corner. This sets the date in the Alarm time window.
- At that point, the cursor is in the Alarm time window, so use the arrow key to move the cursor to the alarm time and change as appropriate.
- When done, click "Save".
- The program can only use .wav files for alarm. Check your alarm signal by clicking "Try It".
- Once you have entered a time, the alarm time displayed will change when clicking on "Local Time" or "Other Time". Please note the actual alarm time will not change, just the alarm time displayed will be the correct local time for the selected Time Zone. Internally, the alarm time is stored as GMT.
Unfinished Business
Things that either don't quite work, or are in the planning stage, bugs (?):
- The first time you run the program, you will get an error when the program starts ("Subscript out of range in ReadAlarms()"). You will get this error until you set an alarm, then it will go away. As of 2018, Microsoft has finally pulled the plug on Visual Basic 6.0 compatibility with Windows 10 and I can no longer modify the program, so there will be no more updates or bug fixes.
- Automatic Dailight Saving Time handling. I have a couple of ideas to make that easy, but implementation is not easy. On the ToDo list.
- Variations on the display format (side by side, or other). Make a suggestion, if I like it, I might do it.
- Date and Time representation vary widely in different countries. Windows (and the Visual Basic compiler) try to make time formatting somewhat transparent (using what is generically referred to as "Code Page" settings), as long as you use the tools the way they are intended.
- I have made a reasonable attempt to avoid any Code Page specific coding, or any date manipulation that would break Visual Basic's native Time and Date handling. Since I do not have access to a computer running anything but US Windows OS software, I was not able to check operation on Windows versions for other countries. I would be interested in finding out what works, and what does not, when using non-US versions of Windows, including screen shots similar to those on the main World Clock page.
This is still Alpha quality software, do not rely on it for your next mortgage or insurance payment, or for your baby's feeding time... You have been warned.
Version info
Version 0.0.30 (May 2007): Maintenance Release, bug fixes (error at startup whith no setup defined, as with new installation)
Version 0.0.29 (June 2006): Maintenance release, bug fixes
Version 0.0.25 (Jan 21, 2005): New base program, which now includes a Time Zone map and some sample sounds for the alarm
Version 0.0.20 (Jan 5, 2005): Alarm plays again (this was broken in 0.0.19)
Version 0.0.19 (Jan 5, 2005): More small bugs fixed...
Version 0.0.18 (Jan 5, 2005):
- Major fixes in Setup screen, including local/other conversion
- A few small bug fixes in Main window when selecting DST or 0.5 hr offset in Other frame.
Version 0.0.17 (Jan 1, 2005)
- Each setting now has a configurable alarm, playing a sound of your choice (a few are provided).
- Alarm can be set in Local time or Other time, to ring daily or only on work days or on week-end, or just once.
- Time Zone (Local and Other) can be offset by 30 minutes
- Always On Top I believe is fixed for good
Version 0.0.12 (Dec 29, 2004)
- I believe the Setup menu problems are now fixed, I have documented the way it currently works (or is intended to work) a little better above.
- The current base install has a working (but buggy) version of the program, please download the latest exe.
Version 0.0.10 (Dec 29, 2004)
- Version 0.0.9 (Dec 28, 2004)
Version 0.0.2 (Dec 19, 2004)
* Initial release