Getting a button to reset a timer when pressed again

Getting Started Newbie Questions
#1

Hi,

I’ve got a simple timer that begins when I press a button:

local function handleButtonEvent( event )

    if ( “ended” == event.phase ) then

    local timeLimit = coolDown

timeLeft = display.newText(timeLimit, 120, 80, native.systemFontBold, 14)

timeLeft:setTextColor(255,0,0)

local function timerDown()

   timeLimit = timeLimit-1

   timeLeft.text = timeLimit

     if(timeLimit==0)then

        print(“cooldown available”)

     end

  end

timer.performWithDelay(1000,timerDown,timeLimit)

    

    

    end

end

coolDown is defined elsewhere, so the code works fine.  The problem is that when I press the button AGAIN, it starts a second timer on top of the first one, ad infinitum.  Is there a way to also make sure that the button press removes any previous instances of the timer?

Thanks

#2

If you want to cancel the timer, then you could save the handle from the timer:

coolDownTimer = timer.performWithDelay(…)

and then in your code you could do something like:

if coolDownTimer then

    timer.cancel( coolDownTimer )

    coolDownTimer = nil

end

inside your phase == “ended” if block.

Rob

#3

local function handleButtonEvent( event )

    if ( “ended” == event.phase ) then

    

        if coolDownTimer then

    timer.cancel( coolDownTimer )

    coolDownTimer = nil

end

    local timeLimit = coolDown

timeLeft = display.newText(timeLimit, 120, 80, native.systemFontBold, 14)

timeLeft:setTextColor(255,0,0)

local function timerDown()

   timeLimit = timeLimit-1

   timeLeft.text = timeLimit

     if(timeLimit==0)then

        print(“cooldown available”) – or do your code for time out

     end

  end

coolDownTimer = timer.performWithDelay(1000,timerDown,timeLimit)    

    

    end

end

That’s my new code, but still the same issue; if I switch scenes (which involves a removeSelf command for the timer), then it’s fine to start the timer with a new coolDown time.  But if I click the button more than once, it still stacks new timers on top of the old (running) ones.

  • Daniel
#4

Just as a test, I added another button to “cancel” the timer:

function handleButtonEvent2( event )

    if ( “ended” == event.phase ) then

    

    timer.cancel(coolDownTimer)

end

   end

And then created the button, and when I click on that button, it PAUSES the timer, but does not remove it.

Is there a way I could do a coolDownTimer:removeSelf() instead, since timer.cancel does not appear to actually remove the timer?

#5

Well I just went crazy and did this:

 if timeLeft then

       timeLeft:removeSelf()

       timeLeft = nil

       timeLimit = nil

       timer.cancel(coolDownTimer)

  end

Now it seems to work :smiley:

#6

Now I have a second problem :smiley:

While I can properly “restart” the timer with the button and cancel the previous timer, this does NOT work if I change between tab/scenes.

When I switch to my other tab/scene to pick a new cooldown timer and come back to this tab to start a new timer, it also redisplays the old timer (which is still counting down).

I don’t want to destroy the counting down timer when I switch scenes, as that is the proper functionality, so that’s not a solution.

I’m just not sure why I’m unable to cancel/remove the previous timer after I have switched to another scene and back again.  I’m assuming it’s now returning my if/then statement as false, but I’m not sure why.

#7

Never mind, solved it all :slight_smile:  Thanks for the help.

#8

If you want to cancel the timer, then you could save the handle from the timer:

coolDownTimer = timer.performWithDelay(…)

and then in your code you could do something like:

if coolDownTimer then

    timer.cancel( coolDownTimer )

    coolDownTimer = nil

end

inside your phase == “ended” if block.

Rob

#9

local function handleButtonEvent( event )

    if ( “ended” == event.phase ) then

    

        if coolDownTimer then

    timer.cancel( coolDownTimer )

    coolDownTimer = nil

end

    local timeLimit = coolDown

timeLeft = display.newText(timeLimit, 120, 80, native.systemFontBold, 14)

timeLeft:setTextColor(255,0,0)

local function timerDown()

   timeLimit = timeLimit-1

   timeLeft.text = timeLimit

     if(timeLimit==0)then

        print(“cooldown available”) – or do your code for time out

     end

  end

coolDownTimer = timer.performWithDelay(1000,timerDown,timeLimit)    

    

    end

end

That’s my new code, but still the same issue; if I switch scenes (which involves a removeSelf command for the timer), then it’s fine to start the timer with a new coolDown time.  But if I click the button more than once, it still stacks new timers on top of the old (running) ones.

  • Daniel
#10

Just as a test, I added another button to “cancel” the timer:

function handleButtonEvent2( event )

    if ( “ended” == event.phase ) then

    

    timer.cancel(coolDownTimer)

end

   end

And then created the button, and when I click on that button, it PAUSES the timer, but does not remove it.

Is there a way I could do a coolDownTimer:removeSelf() instead, since timer.cancel does not appear to actually remove the timer?

#11

Well I just went crazy and did this:

 if timeLeft then

       timeLeft:removeSelf()

       timeLeft = nil

       timeLimit = nil

       timer.cancel(coolDownTimer)

  end

Now it seems to work :smiley:

#12

Now I have a second problem :smiley:

While I can properly “restart” the timer with the button and cancel the previous timer, this does NOT work if I change between tab/scenes.

When I switch to my other tab/scene to pick a new cooldown timer and come back to this tab to start a new timer, it also redisplays the old timer (which is still counting down).

I don’t want to destroy the counting down timer when I switch scenes, as that is the proper functionality, so that’s not a solution.

I’m just not sure why I’m unable to cancel/remove the previous timer after I have switched to another scene and back again.  I’m assuming it’s now returning my if/then statement as false, but I’m not sure why.

#13

Never mind, solved it all :slight_smile:  Thanks for the help.