# Make a time entry of HH:MM:SS that converts to seconds

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/make-a-time-entry-of-hhss-that-converts-to-seconds/30878>\
**Category:** Ignition Early Access\
**Created:** [December 20, 2019, 11:33pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/make-a-time-entry-of-hhss-that-converts-to-seconds/30878 "2019-12-20T23:33:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![downerczx](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/downerczx/32/11649_2.png) [@downerczx](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/downerczx)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2019, 11:33pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/make-a-time-entry-of-hhss-that-converts-to-seconds/30878/1 "2019-12-20T23:33:36Z")

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I have a situation where it is desired to put a time amount (i.e. 2 hours 3 minutes) entered into a numeric entry. I’m using Perspective.

So far, I can have them enter in seconds, and it displays in correct format using ##:##:## for format of my numeric entry format, but when they click on it, it goes back to minutes.

i.e. display would show 00:05:00 for 5 minutes but when you click on it, it goes to 300 for seconds. Entering 600 would then show 00:10:00 resulting.

I basically need it to let them enter and display in the ##:##:## format, but for the entered number to actually be in seconds…

![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/2X/7/7b3aaff2b4bef96bbbe91a0028f29aa4c9905edc.png)

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**Author:** ![AustralIan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c37758/32.png) [@AustralIan](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/AustralIan)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2019, 10:54am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/make-a-time-entry-of-hhss-that-converts-to-seconds/30878/2 "2019-12-21T10:54:18Z")

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I think for data entry you will have to use a string tag, then convert string to time, then convert time to unsigned integer.

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**Author:** ![witman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d2c977/32.png) [@witman](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/witman)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2019, 5:11pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/make-a-time-entry-of-hhss-that-converts-to-seconds/30878/3 "2019-12-21T17:11:56Z")

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Yes, I’d display/edit a string property and connect it both ways with the seconds tag via scripting–take entered values and convert to time and integer for write to your seconds tag as @AustralIan suggests and when seconds value changes (not from a new entry in string property on this client) convert it the other way to update your string property.