How to Make a Day Countdown Timer in Flash CS4

Create your own virtual timer using Flash ActionScript.

A countdown timer provides an update at a glance on the number of days remaining before a certain event. Adobe Flash CS4 includes the ActionScript programming language, which gives you a variety of ways to create your own custom functions. Use Flash CS4 to create a countdown timer that uses ActionScript to update the day.

Instructions

1. Launch Flash. Click “File” and select “New” from the context menu. Choose “Flash File (ActionScript 3.0)” and click “OK.”

2. Click the “Text” tool from the Tools panel and drag on the screen to create a text box. Set the “Text Type” of the text box to “Dynamic Text” from the Properties panel. Set the “Instance Name” to “timer_display.”

3. Click the first frame of the timeline and press “F9.” Type the following code into the Actions window that opens:

   // register function
   addEventListener('enterFrame',daytimer_handler);

   // calls repeatedly
   function daytimer_handler(evt:Event):void{
   // current date
   var today:Date = new Date();
   // current Year
   var currentYear = today.getFullYear();
   // current month
   var currentMonth = today.getMonth();
   // current day
   var currentDay = today.getDate();// current time
   var currentTime = today.getTime();
   // target date (5 days from now change to your need
   var targetDate:Date = new Date(currentYear, currentMonth, currentDay+5);
   var targetDay = targetDate.getTime();
   // time remaining
   var timeLeft = targetDay-currentTime;
   var sec = Math.floor(timeLeft/1000);
   var min = Math.floor(sec/60);
   var hours = Math.floor(min/60);
   var days = Math.floor(hours/24);

   // convert sec to string
   sec = String(sec%60);

   // if less than add a 0
   if (sec.length<2) {
   sec = "0"+sec;
   }

   min = String(min%60);
   if (min.length<2) {
   min = "0"+min;
   }

   hours = String(hours%24);
   if (hours.length<2) {
   hours = "0"+hours;
   }

   days = String(days);

   if (timeLeft>0) {
   // display day string
   var dayCounter:String = days;
   timer_display.text = dayCounter;
   } else {
   trace("Happy Birthday!");
   var newTime:String = "0";
   timer_display.text = newTime;
   removeEventListener('enterFrame',daytimer_handler);
   }

   };

Resources

• Adobe Systems: getTime (Date.getTime method)
• Adobe Systems: getDate (Date.getDate method)