Wording for three different behaviors for a count-down timer hitting the maximum range

Question

Imagine you have a timer that is set to a certain number of hours and minutes to elapse before going off. Now, if there's a button above the hour window and minute window and you click it, the value of the corresponding field will increment by one. If the minutes are set to 59, the display will turn to 0 and the hourly value will bump up one step.

The interesting thing occurs when we click the incrementor button for the hour and we reach the limit (let's say it's a 24 hours span). If we're at 23:37 and hit the hour button, I can imagine three different outcomes.

1. the display loops/wraps to 00:37
2. the display blocks/stays at 23:37
3. the display becomes/rounds to 24:00

My question is what would be a intuitive, natural and distinctive discrimination between those three strategies if it'd be put in words? Extra nice if it's a brief and single-word term for all three cases.

My current suggestion (which very well might suck a bag of donkeys) is as follows. I'm not happy with it and I can't decide which terms, if any, come across as intuitively natural and distinctively discriminating.

1. loop/wrap/continue
2. limit/restrict/block
3. round/push/spread

edit

Based on the answers/comments this far, I see the following list emerge. Feel free to criticize it as well. I'm still quite undecided on the first, unhappy with the second but rather satisfied with the third.

1. continue/flip
2. restrict
3. snap

Answer 1

This is only my analysis

1) If numbers in your timer turn around when a minute or an hour elapses ,
the verb "to flip" would mean this

According to Cambridge Dictionary :

If something flips, it turns over quickly

based on this definition :

• If it is 23:37 , and you hit the hour button , the display flips to 24:00 .

• If it is 23:37 , and you hit the hour button , the hour display flips to 00 .

2) If numbers in your timer appear immediately without flipping ,
I would say that the verb "to snap into" describes this .

• If it is 23:37 , and you hit the hour button , the display snaps into 24:00 .

• If it is 23:37 , and you hit the hour button , the hour display snaps into 00 .

Answer 2

I would advise against using words like "loop" or "wrap" - it seems out of context with measurements of time. Time doesn't "loop" - it is continuous. Even when moving from the hour of midnight to one in the morning, this is a continuation of the measurement of time.

Similarly, don't use "increase" - because time doesn't "increase" unless you are speaking about a specific period of time with a marked beginning and end.

The most idiomatic phrase I can think of to describe a clock hand moving forward is "move on", for example:

If you press the button the hour moves on by 1.

If you want to be consistent throughout your three statements and use the same phrase, just say that the hour / minute "moves on" or "does not move one".

• the display moves on to 00:37
• the display does not move on
• the display moves on to 24:00

For the second example, where the button has no effect - you could say that it "stays at x" but that could be misleading, as it sounds like the button will "freeze" the time, but I imagine that it will continue to move on by itself each minute. For that reason I prefer my suggestion which shows that the button has no effect.

Answer 3

I think perhaps I got an idea what it is you want to do, but not guaranteed.

For the three situations you describe, I make suggestions as follows.

1. the display loops/wraps to 00:37/ The display will show 00:37/ shows 00:37.
2. the display blocks/stays at 23:37/ The display remains at 23:37/ remains at 23:37.
3. the display becomes/rounds to 24:00/ The display rounds to 24:00/ rounds to 24:00.

As you can see, I merely substitute your words in the sentences with my own. I thought you wanted one-word instructions for the user but I am not sure how to do that; you may have to print these brief sentences.

I have a feeling I'm not getting your vision. Sorry.

I'm reading your other comments, still trying to understand what you are creating, and what exactly you need. You say:

For the case where 23:55 is pushed to, and stays at 24:00, I don't know. In this case, 24:00 isn't the same as 00:00.

If at 24:00 the gadget needs to be reset to zero, you could say: reset, or reset to 0.

Another suggestion, more common with older keywound gadgets, is "rewind."

If the user understands the meaning, you could also use "repeat."

Answer 4

You seem to be describing a situation where the increment is always 15 minutes, and the normal behavior is to increment the countdown time by that amount.

If that is the case, then what you call case 3 is the same as any other case in the allowed range- the countdown time increments correctly to 24:00.

In case 1 you could say loop or wrap, or wrap around to or roll over to... and specify the number.

For case 2, "limit" seems fine. Or "On successive presses of the button, the countdown time will increment by 15 minutes until it reaches the maximum setting of 23:45."