Here is a not-so-well-known feature of Helm timer controls. You can set the time display to a very wide range of different formats. We give you some examples plus the full guide to what’s available so you can create new and innovative time displays.
Here’s some examples of what you can do with date/time formats
To apply a custom time/date format you put a format text string into the CustomFormat property. Here we have a text preamble “12 hr ” followed by hours, minutes, seconds and am/pm designator. In the example file you’ll find other format strings used in this panel.
The CustomFormat property can contain any combination of format specifiers from the list shown below:
Specifier | Displays |
---|---|
c | Displays the date using the format given by the ShortDateFormat global variable, followed by the time using the format given by the LongTimeFormat global variable. The time is not displayed if the fractional part of the DateTime value is zero. |
d | Displays the day as a number without a leading zero (1-31). |
dd | Displays the day as a number with a leading zero (01-31). |
ddd | Displays the day as an abbreviation (Sun-Sat) using the strings given by the ShortDayNames global variable. |
dddd | Displays the day as a full name (Sunday-Saturday) using the strings given by the LongDayNames global variable. |
ddddd | Displays the date using the format given by the ShortDateFormat global variable. |
dddddd | Displays the date using the format given by the LongDateFormat global variable. |
m | Displays the month as a number without a leading zero (1-12). If the m specifier immediately follows an h or hh specifier, the minute rather than the month is displayed. |
mm | Displays the month as a number with a leading zero (01-12). If the mm specifier immediately follows an h or hh specifier, the minute rather than the month is displayed. |
mmm | Displays the month as an abbreviation (Jan-Dec) using the strings given by the ShortMonthNames global variable. |
mmmm | Displays the month as a full name (January-December) using the strings given by the LongMonthNames global variable. |
yy | Displays the year as a two-digit number (00-99). |
yyyy | Displays the year as a four-digit number (0000-9999). |
h | Displays the hour without a leading zero (0-23). |
hh | Displays the hour with a leading zero (00-23). |
n | Displays the minute without a leading zero (0-59). |
nn | Displays the minute with a leading zero (00-59). |
s | Displays the second without a leading zero (0-59). |
ss | Displays the second with a leading zero (00-59). |
t | Displays the time using the format given by the ShortTimeFormat global variable. |
tt | Displays the time using the format given by the LongTimeFormat global variable. |
am/pm | Uses the 12-hour clock for the preceding h or hh specifier, and displays ‘am’ for any hour before noon, and ‘pm’ for any hour after noon. The am/pm specifier can use lower, upper, or mixed case, and the result is displayed accordingly. |
a/p | Uses the 12-hour clock for the preceding h or hh specifier, and displays ‘a’ for any hour before noon, and ‘p’ for any hour after noon. The a/p specifier can use lower, upper, or mixed case, and the result is displayed accordingly. |
ampm | Uses the 12-hour clock for the preceding h or hh specifier, and displays the contents of the TimeAMString global variable for any hour before noon, and the contents of the TimePMString global variable for any hour after noon. |
/ | Displays the date separator character given by the DateSeparator global variable. |
: | Displays the time separator character given by the TimeSeparator global variable. |
‘xx’/”xx” | Characters enclosed in single or double quotes are displayed as is, and do not affect formatting. |
If the string given by the format parameter is empty, the value is formatted as if a c format specifier had been given.