# Timer v get.Seconds **URL:** \ **Category:** flash\ **Created:** [September 12, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/timer-v-get-seconds/5457 "2002-09-12T00:53:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aaron\_Burgess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3ab097/32.png) [@Aaron\_Burgess](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Aaron_Burgess)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/timer-v-get-seconds/5457/1 "2002-09-12T00:53:07Z")
I’ve noticed quite a few people here use Timer, but I use get.Seconds for any timers, counters, etc. I’ve always seen Timer as a risk taker, because it starts counting non stop, and if it does it for hours, I’m guessing the number would be in the millions. Which I would have thought might crash the computer. While with get.Seconds the computer is already running a timer, and you’re just borrowing it. There’s probably not much difference in all honesty, but I am curious. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 5:29am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/timer-v-get-seconds/5457/2 "2002-09-12T05:29:49Z")
Most functions for getTimer also include a stop when you want to stop counting. I must admit I’ve never used get.Seconds. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 5:43am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/timer-v-get-seconds/5457/3 "2002-09-12T05:43:12Z")
I have never used get.seconds either. Always getTimer(). I just learned how to use getTimer() too. It is such a pain:evil: ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 12:28pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/timer-v-get-seconds/5457/4 "2002-09-12T12:28:53Z")
I never used getSeconds either, but I think that getTimer and this are totally different. getSeconds returns the seconds of the present time (I think), whereas getTimer returns the amount of time since the beginning of the movie. And don’t worry about the values of the getTimer as you never use them like that. You always compare them to another value. There’s a recent post about that somewhere. pom :asian: Long time we hadn’t heard from you, Aaron! ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 4:39pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/timer-v-get-seconds/5457/5 "2002-09-12T16:39:08Z")
[http://www.kirupaforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6021&pagenumber=2](http://www.kirupaforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6021&pagenumber=2) That is a link to a post where david and pom showed me how to use getTimer(). You don’t reset it, just subtract from it. Ah, you will see if you go to that link. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 8:28pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/timer-v-get-seconds/5457/6 "2002-09-12T20:28:11Z")
“timer”, internal to the movie, is running anyway, else how could it know how much time elapsed since the start of the movie whenever you call it? So, don’t worry, just go ahead and use it, everybody does 😉 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 1:16am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/timer-v-get-seconds/5457/7 "2002-09-13T01:16:57Z")
> Long time we hadn’t heard from you, Aaron! Yeah, I went into hiding. Actually I had other non Flash related things to do, so I just stopped coming. But I’m back… And thanks all for the advice. Now I know the timer is already active, I’ll use it when required. Still stick to get.Seconds for exact seconds lapsed of course, but that’s pretty well stating the obvious. 🙂