(Visual Basic 6.0) 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 ActiveX Downloads ActiveX for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows

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

Dim socket As New ChilkatSocket

' Connect to an NIST time server and read the current date/time
Dim maxWaitMs As Long
maxWaitMs = 4000
Dim useTls As Long
useTls = 0
Dim success As Long
success = socket.Connect("time-c.nist.gov",37,useTls,maxWaitMs)
If (success <> 1) Then
    Debug.Print socket.LastErrorText
    Exit Sub
End If

' 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.
Dim bigEndian As Long
bigEndian = 1
success = socket.ReceiveInt32(bigEndian)
If (success <> 1) Then
    Debug.Print socket.LastErrorText
    Exit Sub
End If

Dim dt As New CkDateTime
success = dt.SetFromNtpTime(socket.ReceivedInt)

' Show the current local date/time
Dim bLocalTime As Long
bLocalTime = 1
Debug.Print "Current local date/time: " & dt.GetAsRfc822(bLocalTime)

maxWaitMs = 10
success = socket.Close(maxWaitMs)