Work Log

[Abu haider]

How about making a work log?

Small Database of things you have done at work.
Will keep the information like: Date, Time Started, Time Finished, Small Description, who asked you to do that, whom you've reported when done and a note etc.

With a nice reporting system.

Those who work will find a way to quickly answer questions like:

"What did you do today?"

"What did you do in the last week?"

"Who asked you to do that?"

"How long did it take to finish?"

I don't know about others, but it will help me a lot.

Interested?

[Jez1]

Sounds a good idea to me, any idea how to make it yet?

[Abu haider]

A Very Simple Database Application.
If some of you are interested, we can distribute different parts of it among us. I can define the Architecture and Design.

But I don't want to do the entire project alone. I know there are great people on this forum. Lets see if at least 2 or 3 of them want to contribute.

[Abu haider]

Nobody cares?

[Jez1]

Somebody always cares, they just haven't looked at the tread yet....
How many people are you looking for anyway?

[Harini]

Just saw the post. I am interested. What exactly do you have in mind?

[Abu haider]

I think 3 to 4, if Harini joins us, and you Jez1, we may get started.

What part of the development are you interested in?
Let me list the basic parts:
1. Product Manager (I guess we don't need any, utill it goes commercial)
2. Program Manager (The co-ordinator, I may take this place)
3. Developer
4. Tester
5. User Education (Help file writer)
6. Logistics (We don't need now)


Which part, or parts of the team are you interested in?
We will make it worthwhile, I promise.

[Abu haider]

Ok,
Now if you are interested. We can develop a Desktop Application initially, that will use a small Database (Jet, possibly) to store all the information. There is nothing complex in this, fairly straight forward. The key points should be user friendlyness and Flexible Reporting system. And when it is a team, I would prefer to follow a Development Model (I prefer Microsoft Solutions Framework) to do it in an organized manner.

This should take about a week to develop, if we use our leisure time.

Consider this:
There are applications that manages 'Things to do' & 'Appointments'. This is an extension of such an Application. Instead of what to do, this will empasize on what has been done.

Say, for example.

In the Application, you give your personal information, like name etc. which will be used on the Reports. Then store the Name of the people whom you closely work with. Then the projects you work on.

When you are about to do something, or just finished doing something, make an entry in the system which will tell the system you have done 'This' on 'This Project' that you were asked to do by 'This Person' (or nobody) and it took 'This much Time' on 'This particular Day', and a comment if you have any.

A very user friendly interface will allow you to enter these information in a minute.

Now when you have your database up to date, you can retrieve information like,

'What are the "things" that you have done on this "project"?' '
'What are the "things" that you have done was asked by a particular co worker or boss?
'What are the "things" that you have done in the last one week, or yesterday, or any duration of time, for that matter?'

You know... things like that.

Now take it one step further, and make it multi user and distributed. Have the information about all of the employees in a central location. A company can keep track of the work done by all its employees, along with the projects they are working on.

This may also be used by support people or receptionists to log the phone calls they handle.

Does it sound like stupid?

[Jez1]

I could develop some of it and do some testing if u like.
Also, if you need any artwork or asthetics doing (including an icon) I can take care of that.

Are you thinking of fleecing the users for all they are worth, or is this going to be freeware/adware etc..?

[Abu haider]

Well, its a common question every time we start a new project. Really, is it going to be a freeware or shareware? adware?

This is not probably a good cadidate of adware. However I would rater like to list the objectives as follows:

1. The joy of creation
2. The joy of working together being apart.
3. Get it do someting for us.
4. Give it away to people for free, or sell it for a reasonable price.

This is the last part. And let us define it this way, it our work is good enough to be a commercial quality product, we will ask what it deserves.

Now I hope we will not start arguing on how we will distribute the revenue at this moment. Shall we?

Well, if not. then lets introduce each other.
Jez1?

[DaoK]

I have made one little woth a listview to plan my homework I think it's a nice project

[Abu haider]

Well, would you like to improve that further?
Or let us see what you have? Or contribute?

I know Harini is also working on something somewhat similar.

[Harini]

I would like to take up some of the development work. But right now, I have no RDBMS. I have only MS Access. So hope you use Jet.
You know, this is very similar to my Time Management idea. May be this will make my work simpler.

[peet]

give me a task

[Abu haider]

Jez1 designs Icons, it is a good thing. He will also develop he said.
Harini Develops as well, and then there is peet and me (no confirmation from Daok).

Coding won't be a problem. But we will talk about a lot of things before we start coding. This will be a more talk, less work project. Reason? Well, it is natural that a coder will be tempted to code, but proper design, and decision is very important.

We have already defined the Vision of the project to some extent. Now lets define the scope.

1. The first version of the Application will not be distributed and multiuser. It will be a single user desktop application.
2. It will use Jet as the Database. I would prefer MSDE, which will allow porting the application to SQL Server without any modification, but I suppose all of us do not have MSDE on their systems. So Jet it is.
3. For Reporting, we will use DataReport, Reporting tools like crystal reports will be considered for the future (distributed) versions.
4. Although we will use Jet, we will be very generic in accessing data (using ADO), and will not use any Jet specific feature that might cause trouble while porting the application to another RDBMS.
5. We will not use any third party UserInterface Control to keep the development cost minimal, and also to make sure that all of us have what we need. However, free controls can be exceptions.
6. The first version will not have any application level security and user management system (since it is a single user application)

I guess that is enough to get started. However, please come forward and let us know what you think. If you have a better suggestion, that will be gladly accepted.

This draft was to define the scope, which describes what we will NOT do in the first version.

Who wants to create the Data Model now? Somebody please suggest the tables and relationships we will need. Either the names, or a Schema Diagram, whichever you prefer.

Also if somebody else is willing to suggest the Interface design, that will be nice.

Are we clear on what the application is about?

[Jez1]

I'll do the interface if u like, but I need some info:

• What needs to be entered by the user?
• What commands will be needed?
• Menu's and/or buttons?
• Traditional Windows style, or some interesting colours?

[Jez1]

Does anyone have any idea what this will be called, or what the icon should look like?

Also, I have a ZIP program that will create a really professional package.

It zips all the files into an EXE, then when it is run it automaticaly unzips and starts the installation, without the user having to OK anything or specify places to unzip to etc.

It would be good to use when we distribute the program.

[Abu haider]

TraceWorks

How is that? Well, I agree, not very nice. Any body with a better name?

Suggest on the User Interface.
[list=a][*]MDI or SDI?[*]Traditional Menu Based?[*]With a tool bar?[*]A treeview on left?[*]With a dockable Form?[*]Use Grid or Form in the Entry Forms?[*]Any other ideas?[/list=a]

[Abu haider]

We will need Icons not only for the Application, but also for the toolbar, treeview nodes, if we use, buttons, and listview.

You have a lot of things to do Jez1
But lets decide on the Interface first.

That packaging application might be of good help. We will take a look when we reach the internal alpha release.

[peet]

Abu, can I join or do u have the people needed for this project?

[Abu haider]

Welcome peet,
we still need people.
Well, are you good in Data Modeling?
Or which part of the design are you interested in?
You know somebody to take care of UserEducation?
Whatever it is, you are most welcome.

[Harini]

I prefer MDI. How about the rest of you?

[Harini]

I am sending a rough DB design. See if this will do. Tell me what you people think. Let me know even if you think if it is stupid. just tell me why.

[Abu haider]

You are good...
Guys take a look at the design, peet, Jez are you still there?


I will discuss this later... For now, it is good, good enough.

Thanks Harini...
Jez could you start designing some Icons? For example, generic Icons for adding, editing, deleting Records? Icons representing Project, members, modules etc.?

[peet]

Hi there Harini,
looks well structured.

Only thing I don't like is the primary keys being text and not autonumber and longs.

but this is just my opinion, and probl also just a habbit I have

[peet]

one more thing,
are the fields PTotModules, PTotMembers and PMTotMembers needed? This info will change all the time, and can just as well be calculated using sql ?

If I missed something here, let me know

[Abu haider]

I agree, but will talk in details in the evening. Jez?

[peet]

hehe... depends when evening is ??

we are probl on different time zones

[Jez1]

I'm here, don't worry...

I'll start work on those icons now.

[Jez1]

Hello peet, which time zone are you on? I am GMT.

Abu is in the US and Harini is in India, so we might have some time trouble...

[Jez1]

Since no-one seems to want to do User Ed. I'll write the words, but I don't have any way of making them into a help file - any suggestions?

[Abu haider]

The time zone issue...
We have to adjust ourselves with this. There is nothing to hurry though...

[Abu haider]

Don't worry about compiling the help files, I think peet can take care of that...

Yes Peet?

[Jez1]

Do any of you have MSN Messenger or ICQ or something, so we talk a but quicker?

[Abu haider]

ID: [email protected]
yours?

[Jez1]

Here is some icons I was working on. U already got these Abu.

[Jez1]

If anyone's got MSN Hotmail i am at [email protected]

[Jez1]

Here is a better version of the icons, plus some more.

If you have a better suggestion for the background colour, let me know.

[peet]

Originally posted by Abu haider
Don't worry about compiling the help files, I think peet can take care of that...

Yes Peet?

hmm.. what... u'v seen some posts ?

well yes, I'l be glad to do helpfiles. But I'd like u all to come with input, just writing it in word, and I'll make a helpfile outof it.

I assume html-help (.chm) is ok?
That will make it possible to distribute it directly to web pages as well... pretty cool

[peet]

Originally posted by Jez1
Do any of you have MSN Messenger or ICQ or something, so we talk a but quicker?

ICQ : 3248004

I'll install MSN tomorrow