Create a timer to make a variable for pause length from user input

Question

I have an external task that varies in time based on the machine I am using, yet once that value is determined, it will remain the same while on that machine. I need to have an Applescript perform a task based on that time variable. This a repeating loop script that will need user input for the first iteration of the loop. How can I get this time variable to use in the script? I would like it to be something like this.
--script clicks OK button in the app (this is already scripted)
--timer started
--script throws up a dialog instructing user to click OK when hardware specific task is completed (has a cancel option to cancel script as well)
--when dialog box OK is clicked a time value is determined between the timer started and the dialog OK click
--time value is now a variable to call for pause between loop cycles, requiring no more user input (except an overall script cancel if needed)
is this possible?
PowerBook G4 Titanium 500 Mhz   Mac OS X (10.4.2)  

Answer 1

Yeah, it's possible. There are probably a couple ways to do it. Here's a quick one that uses a unique hardware ID. Properties persist between runs, reboots, etc. but not compiles.
click here to open this script in your editor<pre style="font-family: 'Monaco', 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; overflow:auto; color: #222; background: #DDD; padding: 0.2em; font-size: 10px; width:400px">property delay_time : missing value
property last_mac : missing value
set test_mac to primary Ethernet address of (system info)
if test_mac is last_mac and delay_time is not missing value then
-- performclickhandler()
delay delay_time
else
set start_time to (current date)
-- performclickhandler()
display dialog "Click OK to set the timer..."
set delay_time to (current date) - start_time
set last_mac to test_mac
end if
-- rest of your script
</pre>