Kencom Co. 5305 Riverside Dr. Yuma AZ 85364 TIMEBASE DOCUMENTATION Disclaimer As is usual in these cases, this program is only warranted to take up space on your disk. No other warranty is implied or expressed. Specifically, no warranty is made that this documentation or software is fit for a particular purpose. I am not responsible for erased data, lost time, money, or temper. If you are not willing to accept this then do not run the program. Introduction The program TimeBase is used to keep track of time spent on a project for each of your clients or projects. This is definitely not a TimeSlips clone. It is only a handy digital stopwatch and keeps track of clock time spent on a project or client and provides a printed report. No billing and suchlike are included. The most convenient feature is that it only requires one mouse-click to stop and start the time for a client or project. With the TSR version, once it is resident, you usually need only press the hot key, click once to start or stop the clock, and click again to leave the program. If you start a new client an extra click is required. The Windows version is equally quick to use. This makes it handy to quickly stop the clock when the phone rings or someone drops by to talk. I find this much more convenient than trying to remember to jot down the times on a yellow pad or file folder. The program's report feature will also add up the times for you during any selected time period (date to date). You can then bill from the summary on this report. If you charge different rates for different types of work it is easiest to use a slightly different name for the client/project for each type of service. This will make billing from the reports much easier. For example Jones-C for writing code and Jones-R for research. There are two versions of the DOS version of the program: a stand-alone (TimeBase) and a TSR (TimeTSR). There is a Windows version as well. Download the DOS (the stand-alone and TSR versions come together) and Windows versions separately. None of the versions are network aware. If you run them on a net each instance must have its own data files. If you share files your reports will be scrambled among other things. Don't. The TSR version is a 'swappable' TSR; that is, it only uses about 8Kb of memory while the bulk of the program is stored in EMS, XMS, or in a temporary disk file in the root of drive C. To unload the TSR successfully, if it was the last memory resident program loaded, use timetsr /U. Remember, this is shareware, not free software. This version is not crippled in any manner nor does it have a 'beg' screen. The shareware price is $15 total for both DOS versions. Registering will get you the Borland Pascal source code for both DOS versions on 5 1/4" disk. The Windows version costs another $10 and VB 3.0 source is supplied. Send registration to: Ken Knecht % Lawcom Co. PO Box 10685 Yuma AZ 85366-8685 Opening Screen The program is very simple to use. When the main screen appears you will see the client or project used last, together with the time and status of that client/project; that is, timer running or timer off. At the top of the screen you will see a menu of seven commands: S(tart) E(end) P(ause) R(eport) D(elete) H(ot key) Q(uit) Just enter the first letter of your choice, upper- or lower-case or click on your choice with the mouse. If you click you may have to try a few times on different letters. For some reason this function is a bit flaky - sometimes it works fine and sometimes it doesn't. I'll have to experiment some more to pin down the problem. If you are using the Windows version you will see a row of icons and a menu bar. The icons are: Stopwatch - Pause Lightbulb on - Start a project's time Lightbulb off - Stop (end) a project's time Pencil eraser - Modify a previously entered time Waste basket - Delete a project Sheaf of papers - Report on a project Stop sign - Quit program These choices are also available from the menu and as shortcut keys. If the time is stopped the date and time fields show the time the project was stopped. If time is running the dialog box shows the time and date started with a running clock and date display below them showing the current values. Start Command If the opening screen shows the timer is running you must use P(ause) or E(nd) to stop the timer before you can use S(tart). You cannot nest the timer; that is, have the timer running for two client/projects at the same time. If this feature is desired it could probably be included in the next version. Use this command when you wish to start the timer for a client other than the one shown on the main screen or when the current time is not the time you wish to use. (By current time I mean the time of your computer clock, not the time and date shown on the opening screen. That screen time is the time that project was stopped, not the current time.) If you just want to start the timer on the current client at the current time use P(ause) instead. It operates automatically and is much faster. When you choose S(tart) you'll get a dialog box. Your mouse should be active. The combo box's client/project name is preloaded with the previous client/project. You can choose another client from the pick list or type in a new client/project name. If you add a new client it should be unique. Case is not significant. The DOS systems are designed to store only 500 names for the picklist. I felt this would be adequate, especially since client/projects can be deleted. Additional client/project names can be used but won't appear in the picklist. (Once you register you will receive the source code and can change the value to any you wish.) The time and date shown were the computer clock's current values when the dialog appeared. You can change these if required. Click on the OK button to start the timer, Cancel to abort. If you don't have a mouse move to the field via the highlighted field title character; you must use the Alt key with the highlighted character. You can also move around with the Tab key. You can always start the clock anytime after the fact if you forget or did not have the computer handy. End Command If the opening screen shows the timer is not running you cannot use E(nd). You cannot nest the timer; that is, you cannot have the timer running for two client/projects at the same time. If this feature is desired it could probably be included in the next version. Use this command when you wish to stop the timer when the current time is not the time you wish to use. (By current time I mean the time of your computer clock, not the time and date shown on the opening screen. That time displayed on the screen is the time that project was started, not the current time.) If you just want to stop the timer at the current time use P(ause) instead. It operates automatically and is much faster. When you choose E(nd) you'll get a dialog box. Your mouse should be active. The client/project name is preloaded with the current client/project. (By current client/project I mean the client/project's name displayed on the opening screen.) The time and date shown were the computer clock's current values when the dialog appeared and the time and date the project was started. You can change the former if required. Click on the OK button to stop the timer, Cancel to abort. If you don't have a mouse move to the field via the highlighted field title character; you must use the Alt key with the highlighted character. You can also move around with the Tab key. You can always stop the clock anytime after the fact if you forget or did not have the computer handy. Pause Command If the opening screen shows the timer is not running P(ause) will start the timer for the current client/project at the current time. (By current client/project I mean the client's name displayed on the opening screen. By current time I mean the time of your computer clock, not the time and date shown on the opening screen. That time displayed on the screen is the time that project was last started or stopped, not the current time.) If the opening screen shows the timer is running P(ause) will stop the timer for the displayed current client/project at the current time. Use this command when you wish to stop the timer and the current time is the time you wish to use. Use this command to start the timer when the current time and client or project are those you wish to use. It operates automatically and very quickly. Report Command First you will see a picklist with all the clients' names. Choose the client you wish to report on. Only one client to a report. You can also set the time period to report on. You'll be given an opportunity to change your mind by pressing the Cancel button. If you choose the Ok button the report will be printed. The Windows version lets you select a page range and the number of copies. The default is one copy and all the pages. The report shows the client name and the dates of the information in the header. Each line shows the starting date, ending date, starting time, ending time, and elapsed time in hours, minutes, and seconds. At the conclusion of the report you will find a total of the hours, minutes, and seconds spent on that client during the designated time period. The saved times should be in start - stop pairs unless you messed with the content of the files. When the report runs if the first value in the designated time period is a Stop time it is skipped. If the last value in the designated time period is a start time it is skipped. Thus only complete start-stop pairs are listed. Modify Command Use the modify command - with great care - to change a previously entered time or date. Stop the client's clock if it is running before changing that client's data. Note the Start time and Stop time designations in each time and date line. Be sure you change the correct one. You can only change the time and date, not the client name or whether it is a start or stop time. First select the client from the pick list. In the Windows version then select the time/date you wish to change from the second picklist. In the DOS version enter the time and date to search for in the first set of fields. Change the time and/or date to that desired. In the DOS version the changes go in the second set of fields; in the Windows version in the only pair of fields. Be sure the start time/date is earlier than the stop time/date. It would probably be best to work from a report for that client. Press the Modify key to make the change, Cancel to abort. Delete Command This command is used to eliminate all references to a client or project. All time records will disappear and the client will be removed from the pick list. Be patient, this takes a little while as several files need to be temporarily copied. You will get a picklist to choose the client/project to delete. You'll be given an opportunity to change your mind by pressing the Cancel button. If you choose the Ok button the deletion will be accomplished. You still have one more chance to change your mind. If you do reconsider before you again use the program copy Oldclnt.tbp to Client.tbp (client names) and Oldclnt.tbd to Client.tbd (time data). Hot Key Command This command is active only in the DOS version of TimeBase. The default hot key is alt-left-shift-T. To change the hot key just press the desired keys when requested. You must include at least one of the four keys Alt, Control, Left Shift, or Right Shift. You must press more than one key, however all the keys may be in the four special keys mentioned above. The new hot key combination will take effect next time you bring up the program. The old hot key will be displayed when you make the change. To abort enter Ctrl-@. The current hot key is shown when you load the TSR version. Quit Command Use the Quit command to remove the opening screen and stop the program. The current client and time are stored in a file so you can stop the program while the timer is running. Elapsed time is only calculated when a report is produced. Only start and stop times are recorded.