(Delphi ActiveX) Get Current Date/Time from NIST Time Server

Demonstrates using Chilkat Socket to connect to an NIST time server and (using the old Time Protocol (RFC 868)), will read the current GMT time.

Note: This is not necessarily the very best means for getting the current date/time. The most commonly used time protocol is the Network Time Protocol (RFC-1305).

Chilkat for Delphi Downloads Chilkat ActiveX DLL for Delphi Chilkat non-ActiveX DLL for Delphi * The examples here use the ActiveX DLL.

uses
    Winapi.Windows, Winapi.Messages, System.SysUtils, System.Variants, System.Classes, Vcl.Graphics,
    Vcl.Controls, Vcl.Forms, Vcl.Dialogs, Vcl.StdCtrls, Chilkat_TLB;

...

procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
var
socket: TChilkatSocket;
maxWaitMs: Integer;
useTls: Integer;
success: Integer;
bigEndian: Integer;
dt: TCkDateTime;
bLocalTime: Integer;

begin
// This example requires the Chilkat API to have been previously unlocked.
// See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

socket := TChilkatSocket.Create(Self);

// Connect to an NIST time server and read the current date/time
maxWaitMs := 4000;
useTls := 0;
success := socket.Connect('time-c.nist.gov',37,useTls,maxWaitMs);
if (success <> 1) then
  begin
    Memo1.Lines.Add(socket.LastErrorText);
    Exit;
  end;

// The time server will send a big-endian 32-bit integer representing
// the number of seconds since since 00:00 (midnight) 1 January 1900 GMT.
// The ReceiveInt32 method will receive a 4-byte integer, but returns
// 1 or 0 to indicate success.  If successful, the integer
// is obtained via the ReceivedInt property.
bigEndian := 1;
success := socket.ReceiveInt32(bigEndian);
if (success <> 1) then
  begin
    Memo1.Lines.Add(socket.LastErrorText);
    Exit;
  end;

dt := TCkDateTime.Create(Self);
dt.SetFromNtpTime(socket.ReceivedInt);

// Show the current local date/time
bLocalTime := 1;
Memo1.Lines.Add('Current local date/time: ' + dt.GetAsRfc822(bLocalTime));

maxWaitMs := 10;
socket.Close(maxWaitMs);
end;