TIME$: Your Commodore 64's Timekeeper

Want to know what time it is in your Commodore 64's world? Need to keep track of the time elapsed since you powered it on? Look no further than the TI$ system variable, your C64's built-in timekeeper! This handy string variable stores the time in a human-readable format (HHMMSS), making it easy to display the current time or use it for time-based calculations and events in your programs.

Understanding TI$

Format: TI$ is a six-character string representing hours (HH), minutes (MM), and seconds (SS). For example, "153022" means 3:30:22 PM.
Range: The time starts at "000000" and increments by one second until it reaches "235959". After that, it rolls over to "000000" again.
Accuracy: The accuracy of TI$ depends on your C64's clock speed. While not perfectly precise, it's usually good enough for most applications.

Syntax (Reading TIME$)

You don't need a special command to read the current time; simply use the TI$ variable in your code:

10 PRINT TI$  :rem Print the current time in HHMMSS format

Syntax (Setting TIME$)

TI$ = "<new time>"

Where: - <new time>: A six-character string in the format HHMMSS (e.g., "081500" sets the time to 8:15:00 AM).

Applications

The TI$ variable is your key to:

Displaying the time: Create a clock or add a timestamp to your programs.
Timing events: Measure the duration of user input, game levels, or other processes.
Creating time-based events: Trigger actions or change behavior at specific times (e.g., start a game at midnight).
Seeding random number generators: Use the changing value of TI$ as a seed for the RND function to generate more varied random numbers.

Code Examples

1. Simple Clock:

10 PRINT CHR$(147); PRINT TI$   :rem Clearing the screen for every print
20 GOTO 10                      :rem Keep printing the time until interrupted

This simple loop will continuously display the current time on the screen.

TIME$ in the Wild: The Commodore 64 Appointment Reminder

Imagine you're creating a personal organizer for your C64. You could use TI$ to schedule appointments and reminders, displaying notifications on the screen when the current time matches the scheduled time.

Don't be late to the party! With TI$, you have the power to harness the flow of time within your Commodore 64 programs. It's a versatile tool that can add a new dimension of functionality and interactivity to your code. So let TI$ be your guide to a world of time-based possibilities!

ABS (Function) AND (Operator) ASC (Function) ATN (Function) CHR$ (Function) CLOSE (Command) CLR (Command) CMD (Command) CONT (Command) COS (Function) DATA (Command) DEF (Command) DIM (Command) END (Command) EXP (Function) FN (Function) FOR (Command) FRE (Function) GET (Command) GET# (Command) GOSUB (Command) GOTO (Command) IF (Command) INPUT (Command) INPUT# (Commands) INT (Function) LEFT$ (Function) LEN (Function) LET (Command) LIST (Command) LOAD (Command) LOG (Function) MID$ (Function) NEW (Command) NEXT (Command) NOT (Function) ON (Command) OPEN (Command) OR (Operator) PEEK (Function) POKE (Command) POS (Command) PRINT (Command) PRINT# (Command) READ (Command) REM (Command) RESTORE (Command) RETURN (Command) RIGHT$ (Function) RND (Function) RUN (Command) SAVE (Command) SGN (Function) SIN (Function) SPC (Function) SQR (Function) STATUS (System Variable) STEP (Command) STOP (Command) STR$ (Function) SYS (Command) TAB (Function) TAN (Function) THEN (Command) TIME (System Variable) TIME$ (System Variable) TO (Command) USR (Function) VAL (Function) VERIFY (Command) WAIT (Command)