Copyright: Copyright (c) 1997, DC Software Design


Welcome
Welcome to Goal Time Tracker

Thank you for test driving Goal Time Tracker, the efficient way to focus your time.

Many people have large chunks of unscheduled time, in which they expect to get a ton o'things done. At the end of the day, they are often wonder where the time has gone so fast.  This program offers a way of breaking down that large chunk of time and track what you actually do with it.  The results may surprise you.  It also helps keep you focused on the task at hand - you will be more productive.

As an Independent Consultant, I use this program to track my billable hours to clients.  As a result, my invoices are significantly more detailed and accurate than my clients expect, resulting in an improved relationship and added trust.

There are literally hundreds of time management packages available for downloading, but all the ones I tried were simply inadequate.  On the other hand, the commercial packages I tried were more like gigantic accounting systems and were almost incomprehensible to me.  I have tried to create a usable program that strikes the right balance.

DC Software Design is pleased to offer Goal Time Tracker free of charge, without limitations.  If you like its quality and finesse, please consider our Windows consulting services for your next project.

I hope you find that Goal Time Tracker makes your life more efficient and enjoyable.  Please let me know what you like --- and what could be improved --- by contacting me at

Web:  http://www.dcsoft.com

E-mail:  dc@dcsoft.com

David Ching, Windows Consultant

DC Software Design


Installation
Getting Started

GoalTime requires Microsoft Windows 95 or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 or later.

Create a directory (e.g. c:\GoalTime) and move the zip file into it.  Then unzip the file.  If desired, create a shortcut to GoalTime.exe by dragging the icon to the desktop or other folder.

(optional) For best results, install the supplied Crystal TrueType font into the Windows font folder.  The Crystal font looks like a calculator's LCD display and is used in the GoalTime main window, giving it a high-tech look.  Please refer to your Windows manual for information on installing fonts.  The filename is “crysta.ttf”.  If you don't install the font, GoalTime will still work normally but will use the built-in Arial font instead.


Overview

The GoalTime screen is a list of all your goals.  Both finished and unfinished goals are shown.  Unfinished goals are displayed with the remaining time.

Your name is displayed in the caption bar.  Set it with the Options|Set User name dialog.

The Selected goal is surrounded with a white rectangle.  It is the one which will be operated on if you choose a function in the Goal menu.

Finished goals are dimmed out.  They have been completed, so you do not have to be concerned about them.

The Help hint shows a useful hint when you pull down menus.

Time remaining in all goals is the sum of all goals' remaining time.  It gives you a quick way of seeing how much work you have left.  The picture shows "1:27" which means 1 hour and 27 minutes left of work.

Time that goals will be finished is the earliest time all goals can be finished.  It assumes that the goals will be worked on one-right-after-the-other, without stopping.  The picture shows "8:22 PM" which means that all goals will be finished at 8:22 PM.  That's when it's "Miller time!"

Current time is the current time-of-day.

Each goal is shown with various parts:

\

Goal name is the name of the goal.  Edit it with Goal|Edit.

Time remaining in goal is the time remaining in the goal.  The picture shows 9 minutes left.

Bar showing amount completed shows the time remaining in a graphical way.  The picture shows that most of the time has been used up, and only a small portion remains.  When all the time is used up (0:00 remaining time), the bar is entirely colored in.

Goal running indicator is a miniature animated clock that lights up when a goal is the clock is running.

Time that goal will be finished is the earliest time the goal can be finished.  It assumes that the goal will be worked on until complete, without stopping.  The picture shows "7:04 PM" which means that the goal will be finished at 7:04 PM.  That's when it's time to take a break!


Menu Reference
Reference

Here are brief explanations for the menu commands.

File Menu

Open	Reloads goals in file "goaltime.cdf"
Save	Saves goals in file "goaltime.cdf"  (cdf stands for "comma delimitted file.") Only one set of goals can be saved in this version of GoalTime.
Generate Report	Creates a text file of all goals and the completed time in each.  File is saved to "goaltime.rep."  (rep stands for "report.") This report is not meant to be used in its current form, but can be imported into another program, where you can finalize the presentation.
Exit	Exits Goal Time Tracker.

Goal menu

Add	Add a new goal
Edit	Edit current goal
Delete	Delete current goal (surrounded by a white rectangle)
Start clock	Start counting time for current goal.  Start the clock when you start working on the goal. Shortcut:  double-click on goal in the main window. Starting the clock automatically stops the clock in other goals.  To have clocks running in other goals (i.e. you are doing two things at once?), press the CTRL key while double-clicking.
Stop clock	Stop counting time for current goal.  Stop the clock when you stop working on the goal. Shortcut:  double-click on goal in the main window.
Finish early	Zero out the remaining time for the current goal.  Use this when you are done with the goal and there is still time left on the clock.

Options menu

User name	Set the name of the person showing in the caption bar.

Help menu

Help topics	Get help for this program
About GoalTime	Show About box


About DC Software Design

Point your browser to http://www.dcsoft.com for complete and up-to-date information.

DC Software Design is a consulting firm which develops thoughtful applications for Microsoft Windows.  The quality and depth of Goal Time Tracker is found in all products associated with DC Software Design:

· NetObjects Fusion

· Sidekick for Windows

· Xerox TabWorks

· Borland C++

· Turbo Pascal for Windows

· HP LaserRX

· Logitech LogiMedia Remote Control software

To produce these award-winning packages, DC Software Design has worked with companies such as:

· Borland

· Hewlett-Packard

· Xerox

· Wells Fargo Bank

· NetObjects

· Logitech

· Media Vision

Located in Sunnyvale, CA, the center of Silicon Valley, DC Software Design was created in 1995 by David Ching.

Put our expertise to work in your next Windows project.  Contact us via e-mail at dc@dcsoft.com.


Errata

If you select Suspend from the Start Menu (available only on laptop and other computers equipped with Advanced Power Management), any running goals are stopped.  This prevents forgetting to stop the clock when you turn your computer off.

The progress of running goals is saved (to goaltime.cdf) every minute.  If your computer crashes, your goals will be kept up to date.

The GoalTime screen is continually resized to optimally show all goals without scrollbars.


Adding and Editing a Goal

Selecting Goal|Add from the menu allows you to add a new goal to the list.  This dialog is displayed:

Name -  The title of the new goal

Total time - Time you want to allot to the goal

Remaining time  - Time that remains in the goal.

Selecting Goal|Edit from the menu allows you to edit an existing goal in the list.  This dialog, similar to the Add Goal dialog, is displayed for the currently selected goal:

Time format

The Total time and Remaining time can be entered in <hours>:<minutes> form, or in decimal form.  For example, to specify a period of 1 1/2 hours, you can enter either

1:30	(One hour, 30 minutes)	OR

1.5	(One and One-half hours)

Increasing a Goal's Total Time

If a goal is taking longer than you anticipated, you can edit the goal and increase the Total time.  GoalTime will adjust the Remaining time accordingly so that the elapsed time remains the same.

For example, say you initially allot Total time of 1 hour for a goal, and when Remaining time is down to 10 minutes (i.e. 50 minutes have elapsed), you decide you need an extra 1/2 hour.  Simply replace the Total time with 1.5 hours.  GoalTime will increase the Remaining time to 40 minutes, thus preserving the fact that 50 minutes have elapsed.


Handling an Expired Goal

When a running goal's Remaining time has decreased to 0 (i.e. the goal has expired), GoalTime shows this dialog:

If you select Stop working and mark goal done, GoalTime will stop the clock and gray out the goal in the main screen.

If you select Continue working and add more time, GoalTime will add the specified number of minutes to the goal's Total time and Remaining time and keep the clock running.

Working after the Time's Up dialog appears

If you do not dismiss the Time's Up dialog within one minute, you may have been busy working on the goal all the while that the Time's Up dialog was displayed.  GoalTime then displays this dialog:

If you were in fact working during this time, select Yes, and GoalTime will add the indicated time to the goal's Total time.

If, however, you were not working on the goal and do not want this time counted to the goal's Total time, select No.