# Stopwatch Issue **URL:** \ **Category:** Ask for Help\ **Created:** [October 12, 2021, 7:29pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/stopwatch-issue/32987 "2021-10-12T19:29:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mike\_Jones1](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/mike_jones1/32/32941_2.png) [@Mike\_Jones1](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Mike_Jones1)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 7:29pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/stopwatch-issue/32987/1 "2021-10-12T19:29:23Z")
Hi I’m having a few issue with the Stopwatch function. Basically I have a form where people record downtime. I’m using the stopwatch at the top, so as soon as they enter a new entry they start the clock, put in the rest of their details and when it is complete they submit the form. Allowing me to record the time in minutes that had passed. As it stand it records the start time perfectly, but it isn’t recording the duration as per it shows? Is there maybe another way around this? Such as record the time the entry form is submitted? Many thanks for any suggestions in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Hager](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/jeff_hager/32/43_2.png) [@Jeff\_Hager](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Jeff_Hager)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 7:31pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/stopwatch-issue/32987/2 "2021-10-12T19:31:52Z")
Read through this entire thread to better understand how the stopwatch values work. > [@View the duration of the stopwatch in USC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/view-the-duration-of-the-stopwatch-in-usc/31874/2): > > The start time is recorded when you start the stopwatch. This is so the script knows the elapsed time between the current time and when you started the stopwatch. When you pause the stopwatch, then it writes that elapsed value (in number of days) into the duration…so when you start the stopwatch again, it records the new start time and calculates the elapsed time from the new start time to the current time, but also adds the previous duration. They are really used to help the stopwatch script… ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Jones1](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/mike_jones1/32/32941_2.png) [@Mike\_Jones1](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Mike_Jones1)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 8:02pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/stopwatch-issue/32987/3 "2021-10-12T20:02:48Z")
Hi Jeff, Thank you for the response. I get what the duration function is used for now. Is there any way I can save the time a form is submitted instead? So I can use a math field to calculate the different in the start time and then the form submit time? ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Hager](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/jeff_hager/32/43_2.png) [@Jeff\_Hager](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Jeff_Hager)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 8:04pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/stopwatch-issue/32987/4 "2021-10-12T20:04:17Z")
You can add a date/time special value component to the form. > **[Special Values](https://docs.glideapps.com/all/reference/values/special-values)** ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Jones1](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/mike_jones1/32/32941_2.png) [@Mike\_Jones1](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Mike_Jones1)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 8:17pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/stopwatch-issue/32987/5 "2021-10-12T20:17:45Z")
Hi Jeff, Thank you again for the fast reply. On testing the special values, it seems to record the time you open the form, rather than the time you finish and actually click submit. Otherwise is there just a time field I can use in the form, rather than the default date time field? Many thanks, Mike. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Hager](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/jeff_hager/32/43_2.png) [@Jeff\_Hager](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Jeff_Hager)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 8:26pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/stopwatch-issue/32987/6 "2021-10-12T20:26:50Z")
Really? I’ll have to play with that. I’ve always been under the impression that the date/time special value always used the time that the form was submitted, but admittedly, I’ve never verified that. Keep in mind that a lot of glide computations happen every five seconds, so if you are testing the special value within a time of less than 5 seconds from opening the form, it’s possible that the value may not have updated yet (that’s just a theory…don’t hold me to that). You could try instead to add a date/time entry component and have the user enter their final date/time, but that’s not a great solution. You may want to look into creating a custom form, which would possibly give you a more accurate final time. With the Set Column or Add Row actions, you also have access to the date/time special value. > [@How do I create a custom form?](https://community.glideapps.com/t/how-do-i-create-a-custom-form/25014): > > I’m just dropping this here so I have something to refer people to when they ask. This is a simple concept app (copyable), that demonstrates the following techniques: Building custom forms for adding and editing list items (as an alternative to the native forms provided by Glide) Preventing duplicate new entries using [User Specific Columns](https://docs.glideapps.com/all/reference/data-editor/user-specific-columns) and [Relations](https://docs.glideapps.com/all/reference/data-editor/computed-columns/relation-column) Enforcing mandatory input items The use of visibility conditions and user specific booleans to control user flow There is nothing particula… ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Jones1](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/mike_jones1/32/32941_2.png) [@Mike\_Jones1](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Mike_Jones1)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2021, 8:33pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/stopwatch-issue/32987/7 "2021-10-12T20:33:20Z")
I did think was rather weird option, as potentially people could have the form open for an extended period of time. The time would we be measuring would be minutes rather than seconds, I can appreciate how this would be a problem. I’ll keep having a play around, thank you for the suggestions. Hopefully it is something Glide can look at in the future. Many thanks again.