This document is provided to help you get answers to your questions without having to read through the boring user manual (which we don't distribute anymore, see below). We've collected a few questions from users over the life of the product and added a bunch of our own here. If you have any questions which can't be found here, you may contact the developer of the software, Nonlinear Ideas Inc. We're long winded and boring, but at least we promise you there is somebody minding the store.
The questions below are organized, as you might expect, with a question followed by an answer. If you haven't figured it out already, we're somewhat long-winded. Since your goal is to get more and not less information, this may be to your advantage while satisfying our deeply rooted needs of having an audience.
What is Time Tracker?
Time Tracker is a program for recording time spent on your computer. Time Tracker has many options for configuring how you record time. It also has reporting features which let you look at how much time was spent, from every record ever recorded by the application to a specific task for specific project on a specific day.
Below is a list of parties who might be interested in using the application and why:
General Usage
How do I use Time Tracker?
Select the project/task you want to measure time for, press the "Start Working" when you want to start recording time and the "Stop Working" button when you are done. If you want to add a description, you can add it before you start (or after you start by entering it and hitting the update button).
If you get tired of the Start/Stop rut, you can add the common projects/tasks you use to the Quick Switch list (Configure/Projects & Tasks) and then select the item you want to "Quick Switch" to from the list. This will automatically stop/restart with the new project/task.
Time Tracker comes with a default project/task. You will probably want to add a few more using the Configure/Projects & Tasks panel.
What are the basic terms I need to know for this FAQ?
Record - A record is information collected by Time Tracker. At a minimum, a record contains a start time/date, end time/date, a project, a task, and an optional description. If Time Tracker is configured to record Window Logs, it will also contain a list of windows visited while the record was being recorded.
Running - When you press the "Start Working" button, a record is being, well, recorded. We say a record is "running" in this FAQ to describe this.
Projects & Tasks - These are just categories and sub-categories to put records into. If you are a lawyer, your "Projects" are probably the client you are working for and your tasks might be "Consultation", "Preparing Briefs", or "Research".
Do I have to use "Projects and Tasks"?
Not per se. If you don't want to break your time down further, you can just leave the default project/task and work with that.
What are work records?
Work Records (or just "records") are the data collected by time tracker. A single record contains the start time, stop time, project, task, description, and any window logs that were created with the record. Each window log contains a timestamp from when it was observed.
You can edit the data for a record (on the Reports panel), but you cannot edit the data for a window log.
Why did you write this application...pen and paper was good enough for my grandparents and it's good enough for me!?
The founder of Nonlinear Ideas Inc. worked as a software developer on multiple projects at the same time. Each week, time sheets had to be generated for each project. It takes about 1/2 hour to collect all the numbers, add up daily totals, put them into excel, print them out, cross check them for data entry errors, etc. One aspect of writing software is the desire to eliminate tedious and error-prone tasks by replacing them with a repeatable (and hopefully more efficient) software program.
It should take about 15 minutes to set up Time Tracker the first time, with a few minutes here and there for minor tweaks. It takes only a few seconds to start/stop its recording of time and creating reports takes only a minute (most of which is the time of getting it off the printer). Why do tedious bookkeeping when you could be working instead?
Time Tracker is not very attractive, can't you guys make it look a little more modern (e.g. bevelled edges, transparent displays, cool graphics, etc.)?
For the 1.x and 2.x versions of the application, we're more focused on how it works than how it looks. Pretty eye-candy won't overcome shoddy workmanship. If it crashes on you or doesn't have features you want or doesn't keep accurate time, you won't be recommending us/it to your friends.
I want to change the project/task name. Is this going to leave me with records with the old name?
No. If you change the project/task name, it will change all records, quick switch items, and anywhere else that name is used to the new name.
What happens when I press the "Start Working" button?
Time Tracker "writes down" the time you pressed the button, as well as the current setting of the project/task lists and whatever you had in the description field. It also starts telling you how long it has been since you pressed the start button. Time Tracker is now recording time.
What happens when I press the "Stop Working" button?
Time Tracker "writes down" the time you pressed the button and stores off the record with the other records you have accumulated.
How do I know how long I've been working?
The status window will tell you how long it has been since the "Start Working" button was pressed. It's format can be in either decimal hours (e.g. 1.5 hrs) or hours/minutes/seconds (H:M:S).
Can I turn Time Tracker off?
You can turn Time Tracker off at any time. It will pick back up where you left off when you restart. For example, you press the "Start Working" button at 9am and turn off the application. You restart it at 11am. It will report that it has been running for two hours.
NOTE: Time Tracker cannot records window names while it is off. If you wish to record window names for evidence of work done, you should "Hide" Time Tracker, not shut it off.
For those of you who have just had an "aha!" moment and think you can now "game the system" by turning it off and turning it back on when you have done some evil deed men wont not to speak of, please be aware that Time Tracker records your window every 10 seconds (if it has changed). If you start working at 9am and turn it off till 11am, you won't have any window logs for that time period. It's pretty unlikely you would have window logs for other records but not for this mysterious two hours. It looks suspicious.
You also shouldn't alter a record for the same reason. You are able to alter all the information for a record except the window logs. If the record says it was running from 9am to 11am, but all the window log entries say they happened from noon to 1pm, this is kind of a smoking gun that the record has been altered (in your favor) and something is amiss.
If you don't have window logging enabled at all, these are moot points. But if you are going to use it, the system has checks and balances to keep everybody on the straight and narrow.
What is the "Switch" button for?
This is probably better explained by an example. You select "Project A" from the project list and "Task A" from the task list. You press the "Start Working" button, and the clock starts running. You wan to now start working for "Project B" and "Task B". You select "Project B" from the project list and "Task B" from the task list. Now press the "Switch" button. The previous record will stop and a new record will start of for the new project/task without having to do that tedious stop/start sequence.
What is the "Quick Switch" list for?
This is like the "Switch" button on steroids. The list contains pairs of frequently used project/task combinations (you set them up via the Configure/Projects & Tasks menu option). Selecting an item from the list will immediately stop the clock for the current project/task and start it for the combination you selected from the list. If you are not currently working, it will start that project/task you have selected.
This is about as fast as it gets for switching project/tasks without voice input or mind reading.
What happens when I select a "Quick Switch" item?
See the previous question. We could have eliminated this question entirely, but every FAQ has at least one "See some other question..." answer, so we thought we should leave this one in.
How do I add items to the "Quick Switch" list?
Use the Configure/Projects & Tasks menu option. The Customers & Tasks panel will appear. Select a project. Select a task. Press the "Add" button under the "Quick Switch" list.
How do I create projects/tasks?
Use the Configure/Projects & Tasks menu option. The Customers & Tasks panel will appear. Press the "Add" button under the list you want to add to.
What is the "Update" button for on the main interface?
After you start working, you may want to change the start time, project, task, or description. Change the information on the main panel and press the "Update" button to make the update occur.
What does the "Hide" button do?
Press this button will hide the Time Tracker panel. An icon for it should still be in the task tray (lower right usually). Pressing the Nonlinear Ideas logo (circled N) will cause the application to appear. So will trying to restart it from the shortcut on the desktop or the Start menu.
Why is the "Hide" button disabled?
This button is disabled when you take the application out of stealth mode. If the application was running and you disable stealth mode, when you try to run the application, it makes the "hidden" instance appear. If you tried to "Hide" this, it would disappear again, causing much sorrow. We could probably figure out some clever way to make it so this didn't happen, but disabling the "Hide" button is pretty simple and causes us to make fewer changes to code.
Once you exit and restart the application, you should be able to "Hide" it again.
What does the "Reports" button do?
Opens the "Reports" page, which is where Time Tracker really stands out. You can filter records, look at summaries of what you have done, and create reports. There is a saying that "What gets measured gets done." A nice follow-on to this is "That which gets reported gets paid for."
What does the "Slice Time" button do?
You may find yourself working for one project/task when a co-worker shamelessly interrupts you and asks for your help for a different project or task. You forget to switch to this other task. After you are done, you realize you have forgotten to switch, but don't want to mess around with editing records.
Pressing this button, you can "slice off" a fixed amount of time from the currently running record. The time is sliced from the start of the record.
For example, you have been working for two hours (9am to 11am) for Customer A/Task A when Bob from accounting drops in and asks for your help on Customer B/Task B. You help him for 15 minutes. It is now 11:15 am. You press the "Slice" button and allocate 15 minutes to Customer B/Task B. If you look at your records, you will see you have a record from 9:00 am to 9:15 am for Customer B/Task B. Your running task indicates it has been going for 2 hours, starting at 9:15 am.
NOTE: If you are recording window logs, this may be a little confusing, but not damning. You have records showing you were working during the time period and a slice of time is usually pretty obvious. Future versions of the application may update the description to indicate a "slice" so this is a little more cohesive.
Why is the "Slice Time" button disabled?
Because a record is not running.
What does the "Don't Timeout" button do?
Press this button if you want the application to ignore the next "Idle Timeout". You use this button if you want to step away from your desk but don't want Time Tracker to stop running (maybe you're off to a meeting, not just out of the office). After you press it, it will start to count down from 30. You now have 30 seconds to get away from your desk. After 30 seconds, if you move your mouse, Time Tracker will assume you have returned to your desk and normal "Idle Timeout" processing will be performed.
You can disable this feature entirely as well as configure the timeout on the Configure/Preferences panel.
Why is the "Don't Timeout" button disabled?
This button is disabled when you are not working (i.e. you haven't pressed "Start Working") and you have not configured the application to timeout when you are idle.
Why are some buttons disabled on the main interface?
In general, this is because you shouldn't be able to use the ability the button would give you. If you are not "running", then you shouldn't be able to switch tasks or override the "Idle Timeout".
How can I import records?
Before you can import records to an instance of Time Tracker, you must run it at least once and exit normally. This is to set up the configuration files for Time Tracker properly.
Do you have a User Manual?
Up through version 1.7, there was a glorious user manual. Elves worked in the factory from dusk till dawn for weeks on end, hammering out beautiful screen-shots and typing Shakesperean-class prose to speak to the soul of our projects. Unfortunately, it seems most of them weren't listening. The elves rebelled, the screen shots are out of date, and the manual put into cold storage.
In the entire life cycle of the product we had one question asking us for a user manual, no questions about the user manual after it was relesed, and lots of questions that were answered in the user manual, after we had created it. In short, it seems nobody read it. If there is an outcry of suffering from the masses so great as to shake the walls of our virtual Jerihco, we'll dust it off, update it, and put the user manual back into the application. Till then, we're hoping this FAQ and the intentionally simple design of the application will suffice.
I've just deleted a large block of records and I didn't mean to do it...am I out of luck?
Time Tracker makes a backup of all the configuration data and records each time the application is exited. It stores it by the current date, with up to the last 14 dates stored. No matter what, you should be able to restore to at least the last time you exited the program.
Can I associate a monetary rate (e.g. USD/hour) with a project/task?
Not yet. Possibly in the multi-user version.
There's an awful lot of stuff on the "Preferences" panel...how do I sort it all out?
The panel is broken down into four groups:
Why did you write Time Tracker?
We need the licensing fees to send our kids to college. If you knew our kids, you'd understand we want them out of the house and on the bus as soon as possible. Have you seen how much it costs to go to a decent school these days?!!?
Also, Nonlinear Ideas Inc. develops Windows Software for our clients. Time Tracker is one of our ways of marketing our skills.
Is there a Multi-User version?
Not yet. There is one in the works.
What are the default settings?
By default, Time Tracker is installed with a single project/task, an idle timeout of 15 minutes, the timeout feature disabled, and non-stealth/hiding operation. There are other default settings, but these are the ones people are usually most concerned with.
What are the "tags" in records?
A "tag" is a string of text that the user associates with the record. Every time a record is created, the tag is placed into the record. Tags can be changed just like the project, task, description, etc. via editing the record on the "Reports" panel. Tags can also be used as a filter criteria.
What are the "tags" used for?
The tags were originally conceived to support importing records from different instances of TT running on
different computers (e.g. multiple users). If user Bob tags all his records with "Bob" and user "Joe" tags
all his records with "Joe", then manager Fred can import records which Bob and Joe export into his version of
TT (on his desktop) and see the records from both users. This is by no means what we envision as the
way the multi-user version of TT should operate, but it will work in a pinch.
The tags can also be used by a single user who uses TT at multiple sites and wants to merge their records onto
a central system.
Are the tags displayed in reports?
Not currently. Most of the reports were designed to be information for a single user, so it doesn't really make sense (to us) to include them. If you are using the tags to track time for multiple individuals, you may filter by the tag and generate the report you are interested in.
Licensing
What is the difference between the licensed and unlicensed version?
For the most part, everything you can do in the licensed version you can do in the unlicensed version. Our goal is provide value, even in the unlicensed version. If there is something you can't do in the unlicensed version, the application will tell you in some way. Below is a list of the current differences in the 2.0 release.
The Unlicensed version does not have a time limit, so use it as long as you like. We'd rather you had a free product you kept on using than one you threw away entirely.
How much does a license cost?
As much as we can get for it. We could give you some nebulous answer about floating market conditions and price arbitrage, but really, it's as much as we can get for it.
How do I get a license?
You can purchase a license through the Nonlinear Ideas Inc. website.
How do I install a license?
When you purchase a license, we will send it to you in an email as an attached/zipped file. Take the license file (called "TimeTracker.lic") out of zip file. You can leave it on your desktop or anywhere else; you just have to know where it is.
Start the application (it does not matter if a record is running or not). On the main panel, select the "License/Install" menu option. A dialog will open looking for the license file. Locate the file and select it. Time Tracker will tell you if the license was installed ok.
Once a license is installed, you can delete the license file. It only needs to be installed once.
How do I upgrade the application (when updates are released)?
If you have a previous version of Time Tracker, just installing the new version should automatically upgrade your records and configuration as needed.
If you had a licensed version before 2.0, it will not longer be licensed (the licensing is different now). We'll happily send you a license file for the new version. Just send us an email to let us know you need one. You'll need to include your name and the invoice number, which is on the "Help/About" page.
How do I know if I have the licensed version?
Look at the "Help/About" menu option. It will display a dialog indicating whether the application is licensed and to whom.
Reports
I'm looking at the reports page and I don't see the record which I am currently working on? How come?
The amount of time in the running record is shown as part of the total. However, the data in the record itself is not. In previous versions of the application, all the data for the running record was visible on the main interface, so it did not make sense to show it as part of the "Reports" page. Now that the window logs are in it, this may change.
What do the "filters" on the Reports page do?
Filters select which records you want to see. Each filter can keep some records and exclude others. The filters can be used in combination as well, allowing you to select only records from specific dates, a single project, a specific tag, and a single task as needed.
What is the "Date Filter"?
The "Date Filter" selects the records you want to see by the start/stop date. If the filter is enabled, only records with a start date between the start/stop dates, inclusive, will be displayed in the "Work Records" list. If the checkbox is unchecked, ALL dates are fair game.
What is the "Customer Filter"?
The "Customer Filter" selects records which match the project selected when the checkbox is checked. Without it, all projects are shown.
What is the "Task Filter"?
The "Task Filter" selects records which match the task selected when the checkbox is checked. Without it, all tasks are shown.
What is the "Tag Filter"?
The "Tag Filter" selects records which match the selected tag. The tags are gleaned from all the records at startup and anytime an import is made.
What does the "Today" button do?
Turns on the "Filter Date" filter and sets it to today. This is a quick way of finding out what work you have done today.
What does the "Last Week" button do?
Turns on the "Filter Date" filter and sets it to last week. The start of the week is set in the "Configure/Preferences" panel off the main interface. This is a quick way of looking at what work you did last week.
What does the "This Week" button do?
Turns on the "Filter Date" filter and sets it to last week. The start of the week is set in the "Configure/Preferences" panel off the main interface. This is a quick way of looking at what you have done so far this week. It will also place a 7 (for seven days) into the edit box below the "<<" and ">>" buttons.
What are the "<<" and ">>" buttons for?
Advancing the date by the number of days in the edit box between them. Press the "Today" button and then the "<<" and ">>" buttons and watch the dates...it should be clear.
What is the importance of the Work Records list?
These are the records that are used in any reports you generate, as well as the total hours calculation.
How is the "Total" calculated on the "Reports" page?
It is the sum of all the "Work Records" which are displayed plus the time for the currently running task.
How does the "Combine Records" work?
Combine Records has two settings:
What does the "Split" button do?
Use this button to break the selected record into two new records. The two records will have all the same information (project, task, rate., etc.). The stop time of the first will be 1 second before the start time of the second. This is useful if you want to bill the second record at a different rate or maybe only billed/paid for part of the work. Splitting records manually is a bit of a chore (especially if you get it wrong and the filter doesn't allow the new record you just created), so we thought we would help you out.
How do I configure an Excel Report?
On the "Reports" panel, select the "Report Settings/Excel Reports" option. From this panel, you can configure which Excel report is selected, what tasks will be displayed in it (
I don't want to have a particular task show up in an Excel Report. How do I make that happen?
On the "Reports" panel, select the "Report Settings/Excel Reports" menu option. Double click on any task you want to be excluded from a report. It will have a "Y" if it is included and a "N" if it is not.
What does the "Check" button do for records?
Cross checks records for consistency. You should probably sort them first by pressing the "Sort" button. Records are checked to make sure they follow each other (causality) and that one record does not overalp another.
Why are some records displayed in red?
You pressed the "Check" button and checked the records. Records which have a problem are marked in red. They can be marked this way for three reasons:
What Excel Report should I choose?
Each report has its target audience/format. Double click on the report (the panel is displayed by selecting the "Report Settings/Excel Reports" menu option on the "Reports" panel) and a textual description will tell you what it is best suited for.
Does Nonlinear Ideas create custom reports for clients?
You bet you sweet bippy we do! It depends on a few factors:
If you don't want a lot of licenses and don't have a suggestion we can work with, there is always the tried and true method of (gasp) just paying us money to make a special format. We can usually knock one out in a couple of hours and our rates are comparable with standards in the industry.
Stealth Mode
What is "Stealth Mode"?
In "Stealth Mode", Time Tracker is not displayed while running and does not have an icon in the
task tray. It cannot be made to appear unless it is unlocked via the key that was created when
it was put into stealth mode.
Stealth mode is used when you want to log information about what is happening on
Idle Timeout
What is the "Idle Timeout" feature?
Time Tracker has an "Idle Timeout" feature. If you don't move your mouse or
press a key for the timeout period (you configure this on the Configure/Preferences
panel), then the application will act as if you had pressed the "Stop Working" button
automatically. It will also deduct the timeout period from your work time.
If Time Tracker is hidden in the task tray, it will also make it visible so you
can see it has been stopped and when it stopped. If you move the mouse or
press a key, it will act as if you had pressed the "Start Working" button.
This feature can be enabled/disabled from the "Configure/Preferences" menu option. It defaults to being off.
Windows Logs
What are "Window Logs"?
While running, and if configured to do so (it is by default), Time Tracker will store
the name of the current window (if changed from the previous window) along with the time
it was stored. This provides a running "window log" of what windows were visited while
the record was running.
This feature can be enabled/disabled from the "Configure/Preferences" menu option. It defaults to being on.
Billing Features (Introduced in version 2.2.0)
What is all this stuff with rates and billing?
Time Tracker allows you to assign an hourly rate for each project you have. When you create a work record for that project (i.e. Start Working), the current rate is automatically attached to the record. When you look on the summary page, Time Tracker tells you the total "value" of all the hours you have displayed. You can also mark records as "Billed", indicating you have invoiced for the time and "Paid", indicating you have been paid for the time. As you would expect, you can filter out records which have been billed or paid (or not billed and not paid). The billing features are for the licensed version of Time Tracker. You can obtain a Timed License to try them out by using the following link.
What do the "Mark As Billed", "Mark As Paid", etc. buttons do?
For all the records displayed in the record list (filtered records), each record will be marked as "Billed", "Paid", etc. For example, during two weeks ago, you worked on Project A, Project B, and Project C. Last week, you sent invoices for Projects A and B., and you have received payment for Project A's work (but not Project B). You can go into the reports panel and select all of Project A's records for two weeks ago and press the "Mark As Billed" and "Mark As Paid". Select Project B's records and press "Mark As Billed". Now just select all the records for that week and you can see the total value of the work you did, how much has been billed to clients, and how much of it has been paid for.
What is the "Total Value" field displaying?
It displays the sum of all the individual record rates multipled by the total number of hours in each record for all the filtered records displayed, regardless of whether they are marked "Billed" or "Paid".
What is the "Total Billed" field displaying?
It displays the sum of all the individual record rates multipled by the total number of hours in each record for all the filtered records displayed, but only add contributions from records marked with a "Y" for having been billed.
What is the "Total Paid" field displaying?
It displays the sum of all the individual record rates multipled by the total number of hours in each record for all the filtered records displayed, but only add contributions from records marked with a "Y" for having been paid.
What does the "Show Billed Records" options do?
This is another filter that is applied to the records displayed in the record list. If you select the "All" option, the all filtered records will be displayed, regardless of their billed status. If you select the "Billed" option, only filtered and billed records will be displayed. If you select "Unbilled", only filtered and unbilled records are displayed. This is a quick way to figure out which records you have submitted to your clients.
What does the "Show Paid Records" options do?
This is essentially the same as the "Show Billed Records" options, but for "Paid" records. You can use these two selections in tandem to show billed and unpaid, billed and paid, etc.
Can I change the rate for a single record?
Yes. If you edit the record by double-clicking on it, you can change the rate associated with it.
NOTE:
As a safety feature, the system will not let you change the rate associated with a record marked as "Billed"
or "Paid". If you want to change a record marked as such, you'll need to edit it, unmarking the "Billed" or
"Paid" checkbox as needed, press "OK" to save the record, and then edit it again to put it back to the
Billed/Paid state it was in. This is true for the "Use Current Rates" button as well.
What does the "Use Current Rates" button do?
Pressing this button will examine each record displayed and apply the current rate associated with the record's project to the record. This is handy in several situations:
Does Time Tracker generate invoices?
No. It may at some point in the future.