Count Up/Down Plugin
Another widgetizing plugin you pretty much couldn't live without but had to, till now. 
CountDown counts up (from) or down (to) a date and optionally a time of your choosing. It's pretty simple to use but there's a readme just in case you're into that sort of thing. Basically you put in the date and (if you want) the time of your 'event', then pick whatever text you want before and after the bit that it'll make.
"The bit it'll make" will be something like this: 4 years 8 months 23 days 11 hours 41 minutes and 57 seconds. So if you're counting up you'll precede it with something like "It has been " and follow it with something like " since a day in the past". Obviously if you're counting down you'll precede it with something like "Another " and follow it with something like " until a day in the future".
Oh hey it thinks all years are 365 days and all months are 30 days. Much easier that way even though technically it'll seem wrong from time to time. The total number of days it figures out is correct - it's just that you have to know to it there is no such thing as leap year or months with more or less than 30 days. Hey that means you can find a day where it'll say "1 year 12 months and 3 days". Cool! UPDATE: It is probably the most accurate "time since or till" counter that displays in human-friendly terms compliments of my awesome code skills.
Download it, unzip it, upload it, install it via your Global Settings tab, then go to your Blog settings tab to place it on your blog. ... and read the readme!
You can contact me if you want to, or subscribe to the rss2 comment feed.
11 comments
stk wrote
(Looked in the sidebar for your count up ... "It's been _____ days since ..." )I'm rooting for yah. Good luck. I know it ain't easy.
-stk
02/05/08 @ 11:01edb wrote
Thanks friend. Writing the plugin was motivated by something to count, and showing off the count is motivation to not relapse 
02/05/08 @ 11:52
Good job on both Walter Cruz wrote
Will use this plugin soon A little question: how do you check if a post is untagged to display this on a skin?
02/11/08 @ 11:51penguin wrote
Edb,thanks for this excellent plugin, I'm starting a blog for my fiance and myself before our wedding takes place, and a countdown is exactly what I am looking for =)
thanks!
04/21/08 @ 12:02Michael wrote
Hi there,Nice move with this countdown.
I adjusted it to my needs, but still 1 question.
As you can see there is a little cirkle before the countdown.
How can I remove this please???
Thanks in advance.
09/06/08 @ 13:48edb wrote
Hi Michael. You can get rid of it with a new line in your style sheet. Try adding the following li.widget_plugin_countdown {list-style: none;}
09/06/08 @ 14:09nbo wrote
Hi there,I'm making a french translation of your plugin but I just have no idea how to test it. My install locale a set to french but the plugin seems not to understand it. Can you help me in excahnge of the french translation?
Thanks a lot
10/26/08 @ 10:18
I would love it if it could be put into a post on a blog.edb wrote
Hi nbo. Yeah I can. Sorry 'bout the delay ... I'll get with you via email.Hi bernard. That'd be kinda neat eh? But it's very hard to add something like this to a post. I guess it could be done though... Like, maybe, make a renderer that when you click "add countdown" it asks for your the date and time then builds a counter for you. The problem is being dynamic inside static stuff is hard to do. Cuz, like, the plugin has to actively think "what time of what day is it" and your post content is stuff that (mostly) doesn't think about changing.
Neat thought though.
03/20/09 @ 15:37