TTLog - Time and Task Logger

Tangarena Engineering AG, Luzern

Time und Task Logger - Why?

You are required to report your customer how long you have worked for his project and what you have done in this time.

No problem. You could keep the records in your texteditor or in your spreadsheet. This program has some features built in which will support you in this task.

Our main focus was simplicity in use. You don't have to read this manual, you don't have to setup a database or configure anything. You start the engine and - you can start logging.

If you are more experienced with the program and would like to tune this or that, then it's time to have a look at the settings dialog and this documentation. We have provided the functionality to use different working directory, to filter and export data, to use start different applications for the export data.

This program is available in two editions. The free Basic Edition (which is really free and has no ads) and a more featured Standard Edition. With the free Basic Edition we would like to allow a large number of users to test the program. The registration of the Standard Edition, which will cost a small amount will motivate us to further develop the software. Thanks!

Basic Edition

The free Basic Edition is optimized for simplicity without configuration. It can be extended to the Standard Edition by entering a registration code.

Standard Edition

The Standard Edition allows detailed configuration, supports smart time rounding and the export to files.

Installation

No setup program

You will not find a setup program. You only have to extract the zip file into a directory of your choice.

Required - Java Runtime

An installed Java Runtime Environment is required to get the program running. A double click applied to the ttlog-xx.jar File will open the application.

Shortcut/Links

In order to create a link in windows you can drag the jar-file to the desktop. You have to edit the following Shortcut entry (but be carefull, you have to adapt directory path and versioning information): 

Target: javaw.exe -jar C:\prog\ttlog\ttlog-4.2.1-full.jar

Working directory

Per default the project files are stored (assumed you use Windows OS) in the directory 

c:\documents and settings\[user]\ttlog

You can explicitely define the working directory with a startup parameter. Let's assume you are working for two different customers and would like to separate project definition and data files. You can do that when you create two different Shortcuts with different working directory values (-dir xxx): 

Target: javaw.exe -jar C:\prog\ttlog\ttlog-4.2.1-full.jar -dir c:\clientA

or 

Target: javaw.exe -jar C:\prog\ttlog\ttlog-4.2.1-full.jar -dir c:\clientB

What are all these buttons for?

Start a new measurement.
Stop the current measurement.
Enter a duration.
Edit the selected time log.
Delete the selected time log.
Export the selected time logs to an application or a file.
Set properties of this application.

Start/Stop Timestamp

If you press the start button you start a new measurement. The timestamp is entered in the list, the button changes its icon to stop and the frame title shows the currentliy spended time and the current active project. The icon on the left shows a running clock when the measurement ist active.

Right after the stamp has been entered into the list, you have the choice to edit it.

Pressing the stop button will finish the current measurement, entering the stop time into the list, stopping the animated icon and reset the title in the frame.

Duration Timelog

If you press the duration button you can enter a duration timelog.

Right after the timelog has been entered into the list, you can enter a date, a start time and a duration.

Edit and Delete

Edit

When you press the Edit Button, you will get an Edit Dialog which is different depending on the kind of timestamp (start/stop or duration):

Delete

If you want to delete a timestamp, you will have to confirm the following question:

Export timelog

You can export your timestamps into a text file or into an application like Excel or OpenOffice. If you have licensed the Standard Edition you can choose if the exported timestamps should be removed from the working file. Furthermore you can filter the timestamps regarding project or time.

Hint: If you choose the project "projA" in the project filter, all the entries are exported which start with "projA". This means also projects "projA/docu","projA/test" and "projABC".

Depending on the settings, you can export into a text file or directly to an application like Excel or OpenOffice. If you have the Standard Edition, you can filter the stamps using the date and/or the project.

Setting the properties

The properties of this application can be set using the configuration dialog.

Time units and rounding

This dialog allows you to set the time units for the rounding. This will function as descibed in the following:

Suppose we want to restrict measurement to 5 minutes. We will allow automatic rounding but do not set smart rounding.

Units [sec] Smart Round Round Up Round Down Type Real Time Stamp Time
300 no auto auto start 13:27 13:25
300 no auto auto stop 13:33 13:35
300 no auto auto start 13:33 13:35
300 no auto auto stop 14:28 14:30

We could also set rounding to down or rounding to up. If we do not set smart rounding, an overlap could result.

Units [sec] Smart Round Round Up Round Down Type Real Time Stamp Time
300 no down up start 13:27 13:25
300 no down up stop 13:33 13:35
300 no down up start 13:33 13:30
300 no down up stop 14:28 14:30

If we set smart rounding, the overlap is gone.

Units [sec] Smart Round Round Up Round Down Type Real Time Stamp Time
300 true down up start 13:27 13:25
300 true down up stop 13:33 13:35
300 true down up start 13:33 13:35
300 true down up stop 14:28 14:30

Workfile

In this dialog you can define the file in which the timestamp is stored. The storage format is text.

Taskfile

The projects you type into the drop down field will be stored in this taskfile which you also can edit manually.

Export application

You can export your data to an application of your choice, provided it understands CSV, as Excel or OpenOffice do.

Check your version

Is there a new version?

We have provided a possiblity where you can check the version by getting a version file from our webserver. The information is presented in a window.

Registrieren

Why update and register?

There are more than one reasons why you should register and license the standard edition.

How to register?

First you have to get the keycode from our professional registration service. Please copy the following link to your browser:

https://secure.element5.com/shareit/checkout.html?productid=107075&language=English

After your payment is acknowledged you will get the code by email. You should enter the code with copy/paste into the registration window (menu-help-register). Then restart the application and benefit from the extensions.

Online Help

We have inserted this files as Online Help into the application.