To set or retrieve the current time.
As a statement:
TIME$ = string_expression
As a variable:
TIME$
string_expression is a valid string literal or variable that lets you set hours (hh), hours and minutes (hh:mm), or hours, minutes, and seconds (hh:mm:ss).
hh sets the hour (0-23). Minutes and seconds default to 00.
hh:mm sets the hour and minutes (0-59). Seconds default to 00.
hh:mm:ss sets the hour, minutes, and seconds (0-59).
If string_expression is not a valid string, a “Type mismatch” error results.
As you enter any of the above values, you may omit the leading zero, if any. You must, however, enter at least one digit. If you wanted to set the time as a half hour after midnight, you could enter TIME$= "0:30", but not TIME$= ":30".
If any of the values are out of range, an “Illegal function call” error is issued. The previous time is retained.
The current time is stored if TIME$ is the target of a string assignment.
The current time is fetched and assigned to the string variable if TIME$ is the expression in a LET or PRINT statement.
If string exp = TIME$, TIME$ returns an 8-character string in the form hh:mm:ss.
The following example sets the time at 8:00 A.M.:
TIME$ = "08:00"
PRINT TIME$
08:00:05
The following program displays the current date and time on the 25th line of the screen and will sound on the minute and half minute.
SCREEN 0: WIDTH 80: CLS
Again:
LOCATE 25, 5
PRINT DATE$, TIME$;
SEC=VAL(MID$(TIME$, 7, 2))
IF SEC=SSEC THEN 20 ELSE SSEC=SEC
IF SEC=0 THEN SOUND 2000, 8: GOTO Again
IF SEC=30 THEN SOUND 400, 4: GOTO Again
IF SEC<57 THEN GOTO Again
SOUND 1000, 2: GOTO Again