# Can't get the "Equipment Schedule" to accept time values

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/cant-get-the-equipment-schedule-to-accept-time-values/84664>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Tags:** ignition81, perspective, scripting\
**Created:** [January 23, 2024, 10:17pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/cant-get-the-equipment-schedule-to-accept-time-values/84664 "2024-01-23T22:17:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Nathan\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/839c29/32.png) [@Nathan\_Smith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Nathan_Smith)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2024, 10:17pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/cant-get-the-equipment-schedule-to-accept-time-values/84664/1 "2024-01-23T22:17:12Z")

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I am trying to set up a scheduling display in perspective, where the start and end times are input from the system.date.now() function so that it will continue to update throughout the day. I have to adjust the time to get the window that I want to see, so I am trying to use system.date.addHours() function to adjust it, but I get an error when I enter that function in. Under PROPS \> dateRange \> startDate , If I bind the expression:

system.date.now()

it gives the date just fine, but when I put in:

system.date.addHours(system.date.now(), +8)

then it just says error. I want to see the schedule to display from the current time to 8 hours in advance. If anyone has successfully used the "Equipment Schedule" object in perspective. I'd love to hear how you did it!

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**Author:** ![Transistor](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/transistor/32/3380_2.png) [@Transistor](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Transistor)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2024, 10:35pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/cant-get-the-equipment-schedule-to-accept-time-values/84664/2 "2024-01-23T22:35:27Z")

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`system.date.now()` is not an Expression Language function. That's a System Function used in Python scripting.

Try creating an expression function using [`now()`](https://docs.inductiveautomation.com/display/DOC81/now). Note that you can specify how often the expression is to be recalculated:  
`now()`: recalculate at the default rate - typically 1000 ms.  
`now(0)`: only calculate once, the first time it's seen.  
`now(1234)`: recalculate every 1234 ms.

For the calculation use [`addHours`](https://docs.inductiveautomation.com/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=58603820).

`addHours(now(60000), 8)`  
This will update once every 60 s.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Nathan\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/839c29/32.png) [@Nathan\_Smith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Nathan_Smith)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 2:23pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/cant-get-the-equipment-schedule-to-accept-time-values/84664/3 "2024-01-24T14:23:26Z")

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Thanks that got it working and that makes sense. I hadn't made the distinction between the two.