Example Application: The Progress Clock

Description

This is an example of an application that uses the progress bar to display the current time. It gets the actual time from the computer.

Practical Learning: Creating the Application

1. Start a new Windows Application named ProgressClock1
2. Design the form as follows:
    

   

   Control		Text	Name	Other Properties
   Label		Time		Anchor: Right
   Label		Hours:
   ProgressBar		00		Anchor: Left, Right
   Label			lblHours
   Label		Minutes:
   ProgressBar				Anchor: Left, Right
   Label		00	lblMinutes	Anchor: Right
   Label		Seconds:
   ProgressBar				Anchor: Left, Right
   Label		00	lblSeconds	Anchor: Right
   Button		Close	btnClose	Anchor: Right
   Timer				Enabled: True Interval: 20

3. Change the properties of the progress bar controls as follows:
    

   Name	Maximum	Step
   pgrHours	23	1
   pgrMinutes	59	1
   pgrSeconds	59	1

4. Double-click the timer control to generate its Tick event and implement it as follows:

   private void timer1_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)
   {
               // Get the current time
               DateTime curTime = DateTime.Now;
               // Retrieve the hour value of the current time
               int H = curTime.Hour;
               // Retrieve the minute value of the current time
               int M = curTime.Minute;
               // Retrieve the second value of the current time
               int S = curTime.Second;
   
               // Draw the progress boxes based on the values of the time
               pgrHours.Value = H;
               pgrMinutes.Value = M;
               pgrSeconds.Value = S;
   
               // Display the values in the corresponding labels
               lblHours.Text = H.ToString();
               lblMinutes.Text = M.ToString();
               lblSeconds.Text = S.ToString();
   }

5. Double-click the Close button and implement it as follows:
    

   private void btnClose_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
   {
           Close();
   }

6. Execute the application to test it then close the form:
    
   
7. Close the form and return to your programming environment
8. On the form, click the top progress bar
9. Press and hold Ctrl
10. Click the other two progress bars
11. Release Ctrl
12. In the Properties window, click Style, click the arrow of its combo box, and select Continuous
13. Execute the application to see the result
     
    
14. Close the form and return to your programming environment