Multiple countdown timer + button

Question

NOTE: This question is related to this one as well

• How to create an advanced countdown timer

I have a timer which is activated by a button that starts the countdown of the supposed activity. But I have a problem, when I press the same button again, the program must use another time (specified inside a datagrid) and start the countdown again, and if I press the button again, another time and so on.

Shall I use multiple timers or is there a way I can use the same timer, but with new ("reset") values if I press the button?

(If you guys want me to show more of the code, just tell me I'll post here)

private bool timeSet2 = false;
int f = 1;
private void timer3_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)
{

    DateTime timeConvert;
    DateTime dateTime = DateTime.Now;

    string timeOp = dataGridView1.Rows[f].Cells[2].Value + "";
    f++;

    if (!timeSet2) // only get the value once
    {
        DateTime.TryParse(timeOp, out timeConvert);
        milliSecondsLeft = (int)timeConvert.TimeOfDay.TotalMilliseconds;
        timeSet2 = true;
    }

    milliSecondsLeft = milliSecondsLeft - 1000;

    if (milliSecondsLeft > 0)
    {
        var span = new TimeSpan(0, 0, 0, 0, milliSecondsLeft);
        lblLeft.Text = span.ToString(@"hh\:mm\:ss");
    }
    else
    {
        timer3.Stop();
    }

I need to fit a button right here so if I press it, my program will start another countdown. But I don't know if I'll have to create another time for this.

Answer 1

You can use the same timer and reset it for each countdown. But I think you are misunderstanding the the functionality of the timer. The timer_Tick event occurs every time the interval of the timer has elapsed. Update the milliSecondsLeft variable on your button click event.

You have to move some code to the button_Click event.

private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    milliSecondsLeft = Convert.ToInt32(dataGridView1.Rows[f].Cells[2].Value)*1000;
    f++;
    timer3.Start();
}

Your timer_Tick event would then look like:

private void timer3_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    milliSecondsLeft = milliSecondsLeft - 1000;
    if (milliSecondsLeft > 0)
    {
        var span = new TimeSpan(0, 0, 0, 0, milliSecondsLeft);
        lblLeft.Text = span.ToString(@"hh\:mm\:ss");
    }
    else
    {
        timer3.Stop();
    }
}

Some other things:

• Are you sure you want to start with the second column of your dataGridView with int f = 1;
• I did not understand your time conversion so I changed it. Now it expects the countdown time in your dataGridView to be in seconds. But perhaps your code is right for your purpose