Server Time Count Down Clock

[PeejAvery]

JavaScript is probably the easiest way to go.

JavaScript cannot access the server-side. And, since the OP wants the time from the server, there is going to have to be some implementation from the server.

I wrote a script a while back that first grabs the time from the server, and then puts the values into JavaScript variables. However, the client-side will not be 100% accurate. Accuracy will vary machine to machine. But, since the majority of webpages are only viewed for a minute or two, the time will be relatively close to the server.

<?php
$hour = 0;
$minute = 0;
$month = 12;
$day = 25;
$year = 2008;
$event = 'Christmas';

$remaining = date('U', mktime($hour, $minute, 0, $month, $day, $year)) - date('U');

$days = floor($remaining / 60 / 60 / 24);
$hours = $remaining / 60 / 60 % 24;
$minutes = $remaining / 60 % 60;
$seconds = $remaining % 60;
?>

<div id="countdown"></div>

<script type="text/javascript">
var days = '<?php echo $days; ?>';
var hours = '<?php echo $hours; ?>';
var minutes = '<?php echo $minutes; ?>';
var seconds = '<?php echo $seconds; ?>';
var finished = false;
function updatecountdown(){
  seconds--;
  if(seconds < 0){
    seconds = 59;
    minutes--;
    if(minutes < 0){
      minutes = 59;
      hours--;
      if(hours < 0){
        hours = 23;
        days--;
        if(days < 0){
          finished = true;
        }
      }
    }
  }

  if(!finished){
    var message = days + ' days<br />';
    message += hours + ' hours<br />';
    message += minutes + ' minutes<br />';
    message += seconds + ' seconds<br />';
    message += 'until <?php echo $event; ?>!';
    document.getElementById('countdown').innerHTML = message;
  }
  else{
    document.getElementById('countdown').innerHTML = '<?php echo $event; ?>!';
    clearInterval(theInterval);
  }
}

var theInterval = setInterval("updatecountdown()", 1000);
</script>