`Time$` Function

The Time$ function in Visual Basic 6 returns a string representing the current system time. The dollar sign ($) suffix indicates that this function always returns a String type, never a Variant.

Syntax

Time$

Parameters

None. Time$ takes no parameters.

Return Value

Returns a String representing the current system time in the format "HH:MM:SS" (24-hour format).

Behavior and Characteristics

Time Format

Always returns 24-hour format (e.g., "14:30:45" for 2:30:45 PM)
Format: "HH:MM:SS" where HH is 00-23, MM is 00-59, SS is 00-59
Always includes leading zeros (e.g., "09:05:03")
Does not include AM/PM indicator
Does not include milliseconds or fractional seconds

Type Differences: `Time$` vs `Time`

Time$: Always returns String type (never Variant)
Time: Returns Variant containing a Date/Time value
Use Time$ when you need a string representation
Use Time when you need to perform date/time arithmetic

System Time

Reflects the current system clock time
Updates each time the function is called
Accuracy depends on system clock resolution
No time zone information included

Common Usage Patterns

1. Display Current Time

Sub ShowTime()
Debug.Print "Current time: " & Time$
End Sub

2. Timestamp for Logging

Sub LogMessage(message As String)
Dim logEntry As String
logEntry = Time$ & " - " & message
Debug.Print logEntry
End Sub

LogMessage "Application started"

3. Time-Based File Naming

Function GenerateTimeStampedFileName(baseName As String) As String
Dim timeStamp As String
timeStamp = Replace$(Time$, ":", "")
GenerateTimeStampedFileName = baseName & "_" & timeStamp & ".log"
End Function

' Generates: "logfile_143045.log" at 2:30:45 PM

4. Update Time Display

Sub Timer1_Timer()
' Update label every second
lblTime.Caption = Time$
End Sub

5. Record Processing Time

Sub ProcessData()
Dim startTime As String
startTime = Time$

' ... processing code ...

Debug.Print "Started at: " & startTime
Debug.Print "Completed at: " & Time$
End Sub

6. Time-Based Greetings

Function GetGreeting() As String
Dim currentHour As Integer
currentHour = Hour(Now)

If currentHour < 12 Then
GetGreeting = "Good morning! Time: " & Time$
ElseIf currentHour < 18 Then
GetGreeting = "Good afternoon! Time: " & Time$
Else
GetGreeting = "Good evening! Time: " & Time$
End If
End Function

7. Audit Trail Entries

Sub RecordAudit(action As String, userName As String)
Dim auditEntry As String
auditEntry = Date$ & " " & Time$ & " - " & userName & " - " & action
Print #1, auditEntry
End Sub

8. Periodic Task Checking

Sub CheckScheduledTask()
Dim currentTimeStr As String
currentTimeStr = Time$

If currentTimeStr = "09:00:00" Then
' Execute morning task
RunMorningReport
End If
End Sub

9. Status Bar Updates

Sub UpdateStatusBar()
StatusBar1.Panels(1).Text = "Current Time: " & Time$
End Sub

10. Debug Output with Timestamps

Sub DebugLog(category As String, message As String)
Debug.Print "[" & Time$ & "] " & category & ": " & message
End Sub

DebugLog "INFO", "Processing started"

Time - Returns a Variant containing the current system time (can be used in calculations)
Date$ - Returns a string representing the current system date
Now - Returns the current system date and time as a Date value
Timer - Returns the number of seconds elapsed since midnight
Hour() - Extracts the hour component from a time value
Minute() - Extracts the minute component from a time value
Second() - Extracts the second component from a time value
Format$() - Formats time values with custom formatting
TimeSerial() - Creates a time value from hour, minute, and second
TimeValue() - Converts a string to a time value

Best Practices

When to Use `Time$` vs `Time` vs `Now`

' Use Time$ for string display/logging
Debug.Print "Current time: " & Time$  ' "14:30:45"

' Use Time for time arithmetic
Dim currentTime As Date
currentTime = Time
Dim laterTime As Date
laterTime = currentTime + TimeSerial(1, 0, 0)  ' Add 1 hour

' Use Now for complete timestamp
Dim timestamp As Date
timestamp = Now  ' Includes both date and time

Combine with `Date$` for Full Timestamp

Function GetFullTimestamp() As String
GetFullTimestamp = Date$ & " " & Time$
End Function

Debug.Print GetFullTimestamp()  ' "12/02/2025 14:30:45"

Use `Format$` for Custom Time Formatting

' Time$ always returns 24-hour format
Debug.Print Time$  ' "14:30:45"

' Use Format$ for 12-hour format or other formats
Debug.Print Format$(Now, "hh:mm:ss AM/PM")  ' "02:30:45 PM"
Debug.Print Format$(Now, "Long Time")       ' "2:30:45 PM"

Replace Colons for File Names

Function SafeTimeStamp() As String
' Colons are invalid in filenames on Windows
SafeTimeStamp = Replace$(Time$, ":", "")
End Function

Dim fileName As String
fileName = "backup_" & SafeTimeStamp() & ".dat"  ' "backup_143045.dat"

Performance Considerations

Time$ is a system call and relatively fast
Calling repeatedly in tight loops may impact performance
Cache the value if you need it multiple times in the same operation

' Less efficient: multiple calls
For i = 1 To 1000
Debug.Print Time$ & " - Item " & i
Next i

' More efficient: cache the time
Dim currentTime As String
currentTime = Time$
For i = 1 To 1000
Debug.Print currentTime & " - Item " & i
Next i

Common Pitfalls

1. 24-Hour Format Only

' Time$ always uses 24-hour format
Debug.Print Time$  ' "14:30:45" (not "2:30:45 PM")

' For 12-hour format, use Format$
Debug.Print Format$(Now, "hh:mm:ss AM/PM")  ' "02:30:45 PM"

2. String Comparison Issues

' Comparing time strings can be tricky
If Time$ = "9:00:00" Then  ' Will NEVER match!
' Time$ returns "09:00:00" with leading zero
End If

' Correct: include leading zero
If Time$ = "09:00:00" Then
' This works
End If

' Better: use Time value for comparisons
If Time > TimeSerial(9, 0, 0) Then
' More reliable
End If

3. Colons in File Names

' Invalid filename on Windows (colons not allowed)
fileName = "log_" & Time$ & ".txt"  ' "log_14:30:45.txt" - ERROR!

' Remove or replace colons
fileName = "log_" & Replace$(Time$, ":", "") & ".txt"  ' "log_143045.txt"
fileName = "log_" & Replace$(Time$, ":", "-") & ".txt"  ' "log_14-30-45.txt"

4. Time Changes During Execution

' Problem: time can change between calls
Debug.Print "Start: " & Time$
' ... long operation ...
Debug.Print "End: " & Time$  ' Different value!

' Solution: capture at start if consistency needed
Dim operationTime As String
operationTime = Time$
Debug.Print "Start: " & operationTime
' ... long operation ...
Debug.Print "Started at: " & operationTime
Debug.Print "Completed at: " & Time$

5. No Milliseconds

' Time$ only has second precision
Debug.Print Time$  ' "14:30:45" (no milliseconds)

' For higher precision, use Timer function
Dim startTimer As Single
startTimer = Timer
' ... operation ...
Debug.Print "Elapsed: " & (Timer - startTimer) & " seconds"

6. Locale Independence

' Time$ format is NOT affected by locale settings
' Always returns "HH:MM:SS" regardless of system locale
Debug.Print Time$  ' Always "14:30:45" format

' For locale-specific formatting, use Format$
Debug.Print Format$(Now, "Long Time")  ' Respects locale

Practical Examples

Creating Log Files with Timestamps

Sub WriteLog(message As String)
Dim logFile As String
Dim timeStamp As String

logFile = App.Path & "\application.log"
timeStamp = Date$ & " " & Time$

Open logFile For Append As #1
Print #1, timeStamp & " - " & message
Close #1
End Sub

Digital Clock Display

Private Sub tmrClock_Timer()
lblClock.Caption = Time$

' Update every second
tmrClock.Interval = 1000
End Sub

Performance Monitoring

Sub MonitorPerformance()
Dim startTime As Double
Dim endTime As Double

Debug.Print "Operation started at: " & Time$
startTime = Timer

' ... operation to monitor ...

endTime = Timer
Debug.Print "Operation ended at: " & Time$
Debug.Print "Elapsed time: " & (endTime - startTime) & " seconds"
End Sub

Scheduled Task Execution

Private Sub tmrScheduler_Timer()
Dim currentTimeStr As String
currentTimeStr = Time$

Select Case currentTimeStr
Case "09:00:00"
RunMorningReport
Case "12:00:00"
RunNoonBackup
Case "17:00:00"
RunEveningCleanup
End Select
End Sub

Limitations

Always returns 24-hour format (no AM/PM)
No millisecond or sub-second precision
No time zone information
Format cannot be customized (use Format$ for that)
Returns string, not suitable for time arithmetic (use Time function instead)
Colons in output make it unsuitable for filenames without modification
Cannot be set (read-only; use Time = statement to set system time)

Time$ Function