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Time Calculations

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    Time Calculations

    I need to keep track of employee time on jobs. How do I get a dialog box to calculate time spent in a repeating section? I have Begining_Time and Ending_Time. What do I do next to subtract the ending time from the begining time to get total time spent? I appreciate very much any insignt anyone can give me.

    #2
    Re: Time Calculations

    The subtraction of one date/time value from another yields the number of seconds difference. Divide that number appropriately by 60, 3600, 86400.
    There can be only one.

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Time Calculations

      I found the following in the documentation:
      Examples

      The following example shows how to modify a time variable (type Y) by subtracting seconds.

      dim t2 as Y
      t2 = ctot("12:40")
      ? t2
      = 12:40:00 00 pm
      t2 = t2 - 60
      ? t2
      = 12:39:00 00 pmdim t2 as Y
      t2 = ctot("12:40")
      ? t2
      = 12:40:00 00 pm
      t2 = t2 - 60
      ? t2
      = 12:39:00 00 pm

      The following example shows that you can subtract one time variable from another to find the elapsed time.

      dim t1 as Y
      dim t2 as Y
      t1 = ctot("11:10")
      t2 = ctot("12:40")
      ? (t2 - t1)/60
      = 90dim t1 as Y
      dim t2 as Y
      t1 = ctot("11:10")
      t2 = ctot("12:40")
      ? (t2 - t1)/60
      = 90

      I know I am probably just really slow but I don't know where to even type this or how to make it all happen.

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Time Calculations

        Those examples are from the Interactive window.

        You would type in (or just paste in) using the enter key after each line

        dim t1 as Y
        dim t2 as Y
        t1 = ctot("11:10")
        t2 = ctot("12:40")
        ? (t2 - t1)/60

        You should see the result
        = 90dim t1 as Y
        There can be only one.

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Time Calculations

          I'm so sorry, but where do I type this in? I really don't have a clue. I'm afraid I must need Alpha for dummies.

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Time Calculations

            With the Alpha controlpanel open you should see a toobar button ( Interactive Window) directly under the Tools menu. Push that button. The interactive window will open.
            There can be only one.

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Time Calculations

              Okay, I pasted that in to the interactive window. It gave me an error saying
              ERROR: Variable "t1" not found.

              So I changed the t1 and t2 to the name of the fields that I had created, begining_time and ending_time. Then it gave me the error.

              ERROR: Variable "begining_time" not found.

              Where do I go from here?

              Thank you so much for your help. My boss wants this right away and I am at the edge of tears trying to figure this out.

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Time Calculations

                Okay, I pasted that in to the interactive window. It gave me an error saying
                ERROR: Variable "t1" not found.
                If you paste the whole section in you have to place the cursor at the end of each line and hit the enter key.
                There can be only one.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Time Calculations

                  Awesome, so it says =90 now. What is the next step?

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Time Calculations

                    Supppose you have a time field for timein and timeout.

                    In the interactive window establish some values for them.

                    Code:
                    timein = ctodt("10/05/2012 07:50:47 08 am")
                    timeout = ctodt("10/05/2012 04:29:33 08 pm")
                    ? timeout - timein
                    = 31126
                    We see that the person worked 31126 seconds today.

                    Now you can break that 31126 down into days, hours, and minutes, and seconds.

                    Code:
                    days = int((timeout - timein)/86400)
                    days_rem = mod((timeout - timein)-(days * 86400),86400)
                    hrs = int(days_rem/3600)
                    hrs_rem = mod((timeout - timein)-(hrs * 3600),3600)
                    mins = int(hrs_rem/60)
                    secs_rem = mod((timeout - timein)-(mins * 60),60)
                    
                    
                    ? days
                    = 0
                    
                    ? hrs
                    = 8
                    
                    ? mins
                    = 38
                    
                    
                    ? secs_rem
                    = 46
                    There can be only one.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: Time Calculations

                      Okay I copied the code into the Interactive window. Now what do I do?

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Time Calculations

                        What are you trying to do, generate a report?

                        If so define calculated fields for your report.

                        days = int((timeout - timein)/86400)
                        days_rem = mod((timeout - timein)-(calc->days * 86400),86400)
                        hrs = int(calc->days_rem/3600)
                        hrs_rem = mod((timeout - timein)-(calc->hrs * 3600),3600)
                        mins = int(calc->hrs_rem/60)
                        secs_rem = mod((timeout - timein)-(calc->mins * 60),60)

                        Then you can create another calculated field smoething like

                        Code:
                        hrs_worked = if(days> 0,alltrim(str(days))+ " days","")+if(calc->hrs> 0,alltrim(str(calc->hrs))+ " hrs ","")+if(calc->mins> 0,alltrim(str(calc->mins))+ " minutes","")
                        and place that on the report to get

                        "8 hrs 38 minutes"

                        You would replace all the references to "timein" and "timeout" with your actual field names.
                        There can be only one.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: Time Calculations

                          I have a very simple dialog that has the following fields.
                          Employee
                          Job Ticket

                          Repeating Section

                          Date (this is a date field)
                          Begining_Time (this is a time field)
                          Ending_Time (this is a time field)
                          Running_Total (this is a numberic field)

                          and then back to not a repeating section

                          Total_Hours (numeric field)

                          I copied your first paragraph of calculations into the Calculated Field Expression area for the Running_Total field and it gives me this error. Expression cannot be parsed.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: Time Calculations

                            I'm not sure what a very simple dialog is due to you not having indicated what version of Alpha five you are using and whether it is desktop or web based.

                            In any event, what do you expect to see in the Running_Total field? Are you looking for that to be a decimal representation of hours and minutes such as
                            1.5 for 1 hour and 30 minutes?

                            Using my previous data as an example you can create a numeric hours worked calculation.

                            hrs_num = round(hrs +mins/60,2)
                            ? hrs_num
                            = 8.63
                            There can be only one.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: Time Calculations

                              I'm so sorry. I am working in Alpha Five Version 11 in the Application Server. I just ment simple because it had only a few fields in it.

                              I am going to spend some time trying to figure out the instructions that you have sent me. I appreciate your time and effort very much. Have a wonderful evening.

                              Comment

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