Comments on: Task Based Time Tracking http://www.rodenkirch.com/2008/09/task-based-time-tracking/ Web - Technology - Life Thu, 17 Jun 2010 20:00:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: John http://www.rodenkirch.com/2008/09/task-based-time-tracking/comment-page-1/#comment-13 John Mon, 22 Sep 2008 03:33:14 +0000 http://www.rodenkirch.com/?p=21#comment-13 We started out tracking our time the same way you did, with spreadsheets. We spent hours entering all that data only to find it caged in an unusable format. So then we tried a few open source apps, but this was years ago and none of them were really what we needed. We finally just rolled our own time tracking & task management app and have been using it for five years now. In the past two years we have turned it into a product for others to use. Check it out, it's called Intervals: http://www.myintervals.com We started out tracking our time the same way you did, with spreadsheets. We spent hours entering all that data only to find it caged in an unusable format. So then we tried a few open source apps, but this was years ago and none of them were really what we needed.

We finally just rolled our own time tracking & task management app and have been using it for five years now. In the past two years we have turned it into a product for others to use. Check it out, it’s called Intervals:
http://www.myintervals.com

]]> By: James Rodenkirch http://www.rodenkirch.com/2008/09/task-based-time-tracking/comment-page-1/#comment-12 James Rodenkirch Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:11:48 +0000 http://www.rodenkirch.com/?p=21#comment-12 Well, it is basically a trac query, so you can have it pull on any criteria you want. I think it is very flexible. Well, it is basically a trac query, so you can have it pull on any criteria you want. I think it is very flexible.

]]> By: Aaron Saray http://www.rodenkirch.com/2008/09/task-based-time-tracking/comment-page-1/#comment-10 Aaron Saray Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:06:24 +0000 http://www.rodenkirch.com/?p=21#comment-10 So I would have to find a way to unmatch them - perhaps by a context field... :( So I would have to find a way to unmatch them – perhaps by a context field… :(

]]> By: James Rodenkirch http://www.rodenkirch.com/2008/09/task-based-time-tracking/comment-page-1/#comment-9 James Rodenkirch Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:03:48 +0000 http://www.rodenkirch.com/?p=21#comment-9 Aaron, I have limited understanding of it, but basically you create a new "repository" for tasks which points to your trac instance. At this point, only versions .9 and .10 are supported. Once the repository is set up, you can create "categories" - you can use the interface to build a trac like queries (similar to a trac report). Any tickets that don't match a specific query get shoved in the "Unmatched" category. What I did in my testing was create a category for each milestone I was in charge of, then setup the query to pull all tickets assigned to me in the specific milestone. Very handy for my work flow. Aaron, I have limited understanding of it, but basically you create a new “repository” for tasks which points to your trac instance. At this point, only versions .9 and .10 are supported. Once the repository is set up, you can create “categories” – you can use the interface to build a trac like queries (similar to a trac report). Any tickets that don’t match a specific query get shoved in the “Unmatched” category.

What I did in my testing was create a category for each milestone I was in charge of, then setup the query to pull all tickets assigned to me in the specific milestone.

Very handy for my work flow.

]]> By: Aaron Saray http://www.rodenkirch.com/2008/09/task-based-time-tracking/comment-page-1/#comment-6 Aaron Saray Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:24:39 +0000 http://www.rodenkirch.com/?p=21#comment-6 I plan on going to watch the screencast - but I'm curious - how does the tool actually bring in your trac to do list? The reason I say this is - being a team lead - I have a lot more tickets assigned to me than the ones I'm actually working on. Sometimes I have tickets that are just in a holding place - because I have to do something with them later (which might just be a mass reassign, but its the process that works currently). My concern is how it works - and how do you pick the items - and is this going to be an intensive task too? :) For a while I had used a custom adobe air app - but I'd rather use a good tool than continue to build new features into it. heh. Overall good job man! Thanks for the review. I plan on going to watch the screencast – but I’m curious – how does the tool actually bring in your trac to do list? The reason I say this is – being a team lead – I have a lot more tickets assigned to me than the ones I’m actually working on. Sometimes I have tickets that are just in a holding place – because I have to do something with them later (which might just be a mass reassign, but its the process that works currently). My concern is how it works – and how do you pick the items – and is this going to be an intensive task too? :)

For a while I had used a custom adobe air app – but I’d rather use a good tool than continue to build new features into it. heh.

Overall good job man! Thanks for the review.

]]> By: Mik Kersten http://www.rodenkirch.com/2008/09/task-based-time-tracking/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Mik Kersten Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:15:37 +0000 http://www.rodenkirch.com/?p=21#comment-5 Good to hear that you're enjoying our first days with Tasktop James. It would be great to <a href="http://www.tasktop.com/support/overview/" rel="nofollow">hear more</a> about your experiences with the time tracking features. Also, since you're using Zend/PDT, consider firing those guys off a note about any ideas you have on Mylyn integration for PHP, since we've been hearing a large number of similar requests and are about to start brainstorming with them about that. -- Mik Kersten President & CTO, <a href="http://tasktop.com/blog" rel="nofollow">http://tasktop.com/blog</a> Project Lead, <a href="http://eclipse.org/mylyn" rel="nofollow">http://eclipse.org/mylyn</a> Good to hear that you’re enjoying our first days with Tasktop James. It would be great to hear more about your experiences with the time tracking features. Also, since you’re using Zend/PDT, consider firing those guys off a note about any ideas you have on Mylyn integration for PHP, since we’ve been hearing a large number of similar requests and are about to start brainstorming with them about that.

–
Mik Kersten
President & CTO, http://tasktop.com/blog
Project Lead, http://eclipse.org/mylyn

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