using MeasureTime 24H to if then test for CalcMeasure

[Mor3bane]

Hi, I am trying to set up a weather widget. I want to test for the time of day rather than parse the day/night cycle.

Code: Select all

[DefaultSkiesPNG]
Meter=Image
ImageName=#@#Default[Cycle].png
X=0
Y=0
W=182
H=182
DynamicVariables=1

[MeasureStamp]
Measure=Time
Format=%H:%M

[Cycle]
Measure=Calc
Formula=[MeasureStamp] > 19:00 ? "1" : ([MeasureStamp] < 05:59 ? 1 : ([MeasureStamp] > 06:00 ? "2" : ([MeasureStamp] < 18:59 ? "2")))
Substitute="1":"Night","2":"Day"

I am not getting results with the above regarding using the calc measure as a wildcard for the image meter.

Is this too much, would parsing be easier?

[jsmorley]

Hi, I am trying to set up a weather widget. I want to test for the time of day rather than parse the day/night cycle.

Code: Select all

[DefaultSkiesPNG]
Meter=Image
ImageName=#@#Default[Cycle].png
X=0
Y=0
W=182
H=182
DynamicVariables=1

[MeasureStamp]
Measure=Time
Format=%H:%M

[Cycle]
Measure=Calc
Formula=[MeasureStamp] > 19:00 ? "1" : ([MeasureStamp] < 05:59 ? 1 : ([MeasureStamp] > 06:00 ? "2" : ([MeasureStamp] < 18:59 ? "2")))
Substitute="1":"Night","2":"Day"

I am not getting results with the above regarding using the calc measure as a wildcard for the image meter.

Is this too much, would parsing be easier?

Formulas must be entirely numeric. 19:00 is not numeric, it's a string. There is no such number as 13:27. You can't do math with strings.

Try this:

Code: Select all

[Measure24Hour]
Measure=Time
Format=%#H

[MeasurePartOfDay]
Measure=Calc
Formula=Measure24Hour<12 ? 1 : (Measure24Hour<17 ? 2 : 3)
Substitute="1":"Morning","2":"Afternoon","3":"Evening"

Now my example is not about sunrise / sunset or daytime / nighttime as it were, but if you want to use approximate values for those you can do that, just keep it numeric in a formula, both inputs and results.

Something like:

Code: Select all

[MeasurePartOfDay]
Measure=Calc
Formula=Measure24Hour > 19 ? 1 : Measure24Hour < 6 ? 1 : 2
Substitute="1":"Night","2":"Day"

[balala]

Formulas must be entirely numeric. 19:00 is not numeric, it's a string.

Or if you want to test the minutes as well, beside the hours:

Code: Select all

[MeasureStamp]
Measure=Time
Format=%H.%M

[Cycle]
Measure=Calc
Formula=((( [MeasureStamp] < 5.59 ) || ( [MeasureStamp] > 19 )) ? 1 : 2 )
Substitute="1":"Night","2":"Day"
DynamicVariables=1

Note the Format used on the [MeasureStamp] measure, which makes this measure to return a decimal number.

And related to the initial code (beside what jsmorley said about the numerical values), the mathematical formula used into the Formula option of the [Cycle] measure, is unfinished. Even if it would work with the time stamps, the last section of the formula doesn't have an "after : part": ([MeasureStamp] < 18:59 ? "2"). If the value returned by the [MeasureStamp] measure is below 18:59, the formula would return 2, but what should have to be returned otherwise? The last : 1 (or whatever) section is missing.

[jsmorley]

One needs to be cautious about Using %#H.%#M as in this example, as it is treating the minute as a percentage of the hour, which it is not. It should be ok with the conditional formula as written, since it can never be 13:72 and you are being explicit, but would give you trouble in other cases. The 59 in 13:59 is not 59% of an hour, it is 98.333333333% of an hour.

P.S. Formulas do not need to use [SectionVariables] and DynamicVariables=1 to access the numeric value of a measure. In this case:

Formula=((( [MeasureStamp] < 5.59 ) || ( [MeasureStamp] > 19 )) ? 1 : 2 )

You are converting a number to a string and then back to a number to do math with it...

Formula=(((MeasureStamp < 5.59 ) || ([MeasureStamp > 19 )) ? 1 : 2 )

[balala]

One needs to be cautious about Using %#H.%#M as in this example, as it is treating the minute as a percentage of the hour, which it is not. It should be ok with the conditional formula as written, since it can never be 13:72, but would give you trouble in other cases. The 59 in 13:59 is not 59% of an hour.

Yep, it's not indeed, however the comparation I posted can be used: the ( [MeasureStamp] < 5.59 ) condition compares the current time (returned by the [MeasureStamp] measure) with the 5.59 numerical value. When the current time is up to 5.58 (5:58), the condition is met, however when the time reaches 5.59 (or above), the condition isn't met any more. Works perfectly.

P.S. Formulas do not need to use [SectionVariables] and DynamicVariables=1 to access the numeric value of a measure.

Sorry, but in this case this isn't true. My last posted formula of the [Cycle] measure doesn't work without a DynamicVariables=1 option. I suppose the value returned by Time measures are strings (even if they have a numerical format, like this time) and this requires the option.

[jsmorley]

Well,

Code: Select all

Measure=Calc
Formula=(((MeasureStamp < 5.59 ) || (MeasureStamp > 19 )) ? 1 : 2 )
Substitute="1":"Night","2":"Day"

Works fine for me.

1.png

Time measures are a peculiar beast. %#H:%#M will return a string value of say "13:59", and since that is NOT a valid number, will return a numeric value that is truncated to the point that the number is valid, or in this case 13. On the other hand, %#H.%#M will return a string value of "13.59", and since that IS a valid number, will return a numeric value of 13.59. If there is NO Format option at all, the measure will return %H:%M:%S as the string value and a Windows timetamp as the number value.

[balala]

Well,

Code: Select all

Measure=Calc
Formula=(((MeasureStamp < 5.59 ) || (MeasureStamp > 19 )) ? 1 : 2 )
Substitute="1":"Night","2":"Day"

Works fine for me.

I'm sorry, I have to apologize. It indeed works for me, too. I think I messed up something before. Sorry again...