Creating countdown to date C#

Question

I want to make a Windows Form Application which only shows a timer as:

xx days xx hours xx minutes xx seconds

• No option for setting the timer or anything, i want to do that in the code However, the problem is i want it to count down from current time (DateTime.Now) to a specific date. So i end up with the time left as TimeSpan type. I'm now in doubt how to actually display this, so it's actually working, and updating (counting down) Can't seem to find a tutorial that helps me, so i hope i may be able to get some help here :)

Dominiquedominium

Which bit of "how to actually display this" is causing you problems? – Kassala

If you prefer to work with a DateTime instead of a TimeSpan, you can do new DateTime(yourTimeSpan.Ticks) to get one back. But it sounds like a TimeSpan may actually be easier to use in your case, because it has properties for each of the days, hours, minutes, and seconds labels you have in your form. – Lysine

Answer 1

You can use a timespan format string and a timer:

DateTime endTime = new DateTime(2013,01,01,0,0,0);
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{ 
    Timer t = new Timer();
    t.Interval = 500;
    t.Tick +=new EventHandler(t_Tick);
    TimeSpan ts = endTime.Subtract(DateTime.Now);
    label1.Text = ts.ToString("d' Days 'h' Hours 'm' Minutes 's' Seconds'");
    t.Start();
}

void  t_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    TimeSpan ts = endTime.Subtract(DateTime.Now);
    label1.Text = ts.ToString("d' Days 'h' Hours 'm' Minutes 's' Seconds'");
}

Hard

Answer 2

following will give you the countdown string

//Get these values however you like.
DateTime daysLeft = DateTime.Parse("1/1/2012 12:00:01 AM");
DateTime startDate = DateTime.Now;

//Calculate countdown timer.
TimeSpan t = daysLeft - startDate;
string countDown = string.Format("{0} Days, {1} Hours, {2} Minutes, {3} Seconds til launch.", t.Days, t.Hours, t.Minutes, t.Seconds);

Biscuit

Answer 3

Use ToDate.Subtract( Now ) then all you have to do is to format the TimeSpan that you get and show it on the form.

Phyla

Max value of TimeSpan is Int32.Max which is enogh only for "short time delay". If you have difference more than 24 hours between ToDate and Now - it doesn't work. – Pachton

Answer 4

You should be able to google something like this and get literally hundreds of results. http://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/articles/Countdown-to, here's the first one that looked good.

Ope