Time.txt
A simple text file to track your time. Inspired by todo.txt.
Currently, time.txt is mostly just a set of conventions for tracking your time in a text file. There is also an optional background application and syntax highlighting for a couple of editors. More functionality will be implemented gradually as I find time for it.
Format
Unlike todo.txt, your timesheet is at least somewhat heirarchical. You likely track your time on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis - depending on billing/invoicing requirements.
The bare minimum syntax looks something like this:
1/11
8:11, 8:35, Task 1
1/12
8:50, 9, Task 2
A blank line separates each block of tasks for a given day. The first line is the date (in whatever format you prefer), and each line that follows begins with the start time of the task followed by comma, then the end time followed by comma (unless the task is ongoing), and finally an optional description.
The description can contain any arbitrary text, but there are some conventions that you can follow which the supported editors can highlight for you (more on that later).
Tools
There is an available application that runs in the background (Windows-only) that will make various changes to your time.txt file whenever you save it, including: inferring from shorthand and expanding date and time values, performaing duration calculations, adding day and week totals, and adding padding to improve readibility.
Before:
7/21
8:11, 8:35, Catch up on email
8:50, 9, Support-Corporate: [CorpWeb] Investigate users' login problems.
9, 11:52, Weekly team meeting
1:04, 1:39, Maint-Authentication: [CorpWeb] #459 - Fix login problem in browser X.
1:39, 1:45, Feature-UserPrefs: Start work on initial prototype.
2:02, 3:09, Training for new team member (@Bob).
After:
Monday, July 21, 2014
=====================
(0:24) 8:11a, 8:35a, Catch up on email
(0:10) 8:50a, 9a, Support-Corporate: [CorpWeb] Investigate login problems.
(2:52) 9a, 11:52a, Weekly team meeting
(0:35) 1:04p, 1:39p, Maint-Auth: [CorpWeb] #459 - Fix login problem in browser X.
(0:06) 1:39p, 1:45p, Feature-UserPrefs: Start work on initial prototype.
(1:07) 2:02p, 3:09p, Training for new team member (@Bob).
Day: 5:14
Week: 5:14
Install with Chocolatey
choco install time.txt.install -Source https://www.myget.org/F/mattheyan-chocolatey/api/v2
NOTE: Eventually this should be on the main Chocolatey package feed. For now this is the best way to get the latest update as soon as possible.
Syntax Highlighting
Syntax highlighting is supported in two editors currently: Notepad++ and Vim. Due to differences in the editors the syntax will look a little different, but this is approximately what it should look like in each.
Vim (gVim using the 'wombat' color scheme):
Notepad++:
NOTE: Because Notepad++'s user-defined languages are not programmable, not all features work 100% of the time (see "@Bob" above).
The following are highlighted currently:
- Per-day duration at the beginning of each line.
- This was done in order to more easily distinguish from the start and end times.
- Project names that are surrounded by
[and].- If you work on multiple projects concurrently, you may find it useful to search or visually scan by project.
- Issue or task numbers that are prefixed with
#.- I find this useful in order to easily highlight all tasks for a particular body of work, and also to draw attention to the fact that sometime I'm working on is or is not tracked by an issue or task.
- Names that are prefixed with
@.- I find this useful when reviewing time in hindsight in order to see who I've been working with at a glance.
- Task category labels that take the form:
TYPE-name:.- Feature work is highlighted green (green=good) since it theoretically could generate more business or revenue.
- Maintenance tasks are highlighted orange as a warning since ideally you shouldn't have to invest too much time in maintaining a feature that is already complete.
- Support tasks are highlighted red because they generally don't add value (to the software at least), and if you're spending too much time on support it may be indicative of a problem (unless that's your job description).
Installation
You can find the syntax files in the 'Editors' folder.
Roadmap
- Every week I have to take the time that I've recorded and enter it into an internal system. I'd like to implement a reporting tool to automate this somewhat.
- I would like to have other ways to interact with my time file, e.g. a CLI, and possibly even a web interface for things like reporting.
Development
Solution and source can be found in the 'Source' directory.
.NET Core 3.1 SDK must be installed https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/visual-studio-sdks
There are a few .bat files available to perform common tasks.
A couple of example commands via PowerShell:
# Compile the solution (debug configuration) and run tests.
Invoke-psake .\Scripts\PsakeTasks.ps1 Test
# Deploy to Program Files (after building and running tests).
Invoke-psake .\Scripts\PsakeTasks.ps1 Deploy
App Icon: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Current_event_clock.svg
Exit Icon: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Red_x_small.PNG