how can server send messages every 5 min?

hello everyone!

i have implemented a simple lotto system where clients send the number they chose,
and server answers if they win or lose. However i want the server to produce a magic number
every 5 minutes and sends the result to the CLIENTS when the time is over.
Can you help me please? what method need i use?

this is the piece of code:

// control thread's execution
public void run()
{

int message=0;

int rnum=randGen.nextInt(10);
display.append( "\n"+ "THE MAGIC NUMBER IS: " + rnum );

// process connection
try {

// read message from client
do {

try {
message = input.readInt();
if (message==rnum){output.writeUTF("SERVER>>> YOU WON: MAGIC NUMBER IS: " +rnum);}
else {output.writeUTF("SERVER>>> YOU LOSE: MAGIC NUMBER IS: " +rnum);}
display.append( "\n\n" +"PLAYER " + clientNumber + " SELECTED NUMBER " + message );
display.setCaretPosition( display.getText().length() );
}

// process problems reading from client
catch ( IOException ioException ) {
display.append( "\nUnknown object type received" );
}

} while ( message!=-1 );

display.append( "\nClient terminated connection" );
display = null;
}




// close streams and socket
finally {

try {
output.close();


input.close();
connection.close();
}

// process problems with I/O
catch ( IOException ioException ) {
ioException.printStackTrace();
}

clients.remove( this );
}


} // end method run

Quote:

---

However i want the server to produce a magic number
every 5 minutes and sends the result to the server when the time is over.

---

I could not get this.

Clients connects to Server to check .. ?

If Server is pushing the lotto number connecting to each client then you can use Java Timer Timer (Java 2 Platform SE v1.4.2).

If Clients connect to the server and check their number then you can have some static fields for 1. Timestamp of last generation , 2. The generated number and check timestamp for 5 minutes against the current time to decide whether generate new or not...

sorry, i corrected the mistake. clients connect and send to the server the number they chose. server replies if the number is that it produced (if the client won)

Then you can go with second option .. add two static field in your server class.

Code:

---

public static long timestamp ;
public static int lottoNumber ;

// You can pass or make these fields public..
....
if(System.currentTimeMillis() + (convert 5 min to milliseconds) > timestamp ){
  //generate new lotto number and update timestamp ..
}else{
 // Just check lottoNumber with client's input
}

---

Let me know .. if i completely misunderstood your problem .. :)

Oops !!

Code:

---

....
if(System.currentTimeMillis() + (convert 5 min to milliseconds) > timestamp ){
  //generate new lotto number and update timestamp ..

Check the client input with generated number as well ..

---

thank you very much!

could you explain me more the Timestamp?