Personal Minutes Supervisor 
Version 2.0
Copyright © 1997, 1998
Burr Oak Software
All Rights Reserved

 

Introduction

Personal Minutes Supervisor is an application that allows you to keep track of time you spend on projects almost without you thinking about it.

Features:

PMS is supplied as a 30- day expiring demo. You can register your version for $35 US either by sending a cheque or money order to:

Burr Oak Software
P. O. Box 1700
Oxford Station, Ontario
CANADA K0G 1T0

You may also register on line from our web site, at:

http://www.burroak.on.ca

If you are registering via regular mail, or via the web, please make sure that you have enclosed both your email address, and your user name as it was entered on your Newton. You can find your user name in Owner Info (in the extras drawer, filed under Setup)-> Owner.

Once you register, you will be given a registration code which will unlock your version of PMS.

Starting Out

Installation

Because PMS consists of both a Newton package and an application for your desktop system, there are two steps to installation:

Step 1 - Install the Newton Package

Use the Newton Backup Utility (above) or Newton Connection Utility to install pms.pkg. 

Step 2 - Installing the Desktop Client

Desktop client installation is dependent upon whether your desktop system is a Macintosh or Windows based machine.

For Macintosh

There are two items in the PMS distribution folder that you need to be concerned with for the desktop client:

PMS Mac
This is the application itself. You can leave this in the distribution folder if you wish, or move it to another location of your choice.
Put in system folder
This is a folder that contains two Apple extensions. You should drag these extensions to your System folder. If they already exist in your system folder, you'll receive a confirmation box when you drag them asking you if you want to overwrite; in this case, you should cancel the operation, since the files are already installed.

For Windows

All of the libraries necessary to run the PMS application (pms.exe) are already contained in the distribution directory, and you do not need to move them. Simply double-clicking on pms.exe will start the application.

Using PMS

The typical flow of PMS usage looks like this:

When Personal Minutes Supervisor is started, the main screen appears:

Buttons, from left to right, are the "Start/ Stop", "Reports", "Minimize" and "Info" buttons.

The Start Button

The start button (the button with the icon of the running man), when tapped, presents a picker list of projects that can be started, along with an entry at the top, "Detailed Start".

To start a project, tap a project from the picker list. The start button will change to the stop button.

Detailed Start allows you to begin a project at a different time (or date) than the current one.  It is useful if you've forgotten to start a project running.  Detailed Start also allows you to start a project running with a specific comment.

The Stop Button

The stop button (the button with the icon of the hand) stops the currently running project, which is displayed along with the time that the project has been running.  You can also perform a "Detailed Stop" (similar to a detailed start) or add a comment to the currently running project.

Tapping the stop button presents a picker list .  Tapping the name of the project stops that project and changes the stop button back to the start button.

Detailed Stop allows you to stop a project at a different time (or date) than the current one.  Like detailed start, it is useful if you've forgotten to stop a project.

Comment lets you specify a comment for the time entry which is currently running.

 

The Report Button

The report button gives you access to the functions that let you work with your accumulated data, and to set PMS preferences. Tapping the report button presents a picker list:

 

Tapping one of the choices will select it:

 

Edit Project List

Selecting "Edit Project List" allows you to add, change or delete the projects that you are using PMS to keep track of. When you select "Edit Project List", the following screen appears:

 

 

To add a project, write in the name of the project to add, set any billing information required and tap the Add button.

To change a project name or billing details, select the project to change from the picker, write in the new project name or make the billing details changes, and tap the Change button.

To delete a project, select the project to delete from the picker and tap the Delete button.

 

Edit Times

Edit Times allows you to edit (add, change or delete) individual project time entries. A project time entry consists of the project name, the time it was started, the time it ended and an optional comment. Entries are initially sorted by Start time (indicated by the bullet symbol next to the label). You can sort on Project, Start time or Elapsed time simply by tapping on the appropriate label at the start of the column. A checkmark symbol next to a time entry indicates that the entry has a comment assocated with it.

When Edit Times is tapped, this screen appears:

Add

Project Entries Tapping Add brings up the add screen. To add one or more entries:

  1. Use the project picker to select the proper project.
  2. Select the appropriate start date and time using the Start Date "Set" button
  3. Select either the end date and time or elapsed time using the appropriate "Set" button
  4. Optionally enter a comment
  5. Tap "Add" to add the entry as you have specified it. Tap "Add and Increment" to add the entry and prepare for a new entry by adding the elapsed time to the start time.

You can exit the add screen without adding any project entries by tapping the close box.

Change

Project Entries Tapping Change brings up the change screen. To change the time entry:

  1. Use the project picker to change the project name
  2. Change the start date and time using the Start Date "Set" button
  3. Change either the end date and time or elapsed time using the appropriate "Set" button
  4. Optionally enter a comment or change an existing one
  5. Tap the close box to cause changes to be made.

Delete

Tapping Delete will cause the entry to be deleted, after a confirmation dialog.

 

Edit Comments

You can maintain a list of commonly used comments (for example, in place of "sub projects") using the Edit Comments window. To add a new comment, write it on the input line and tap "Add". To edit an existing comment, select it from the picker list, make your changes and tap "Change". To delete a comment, select it from the picker list and tap "Delete".

You can use comments from the comment list wherever you have the option to write comments in (for example, Detailed Start). At the beginning of the edit line for entering comments, you'll see the typical diamond symbol - tap this to select one of your comments from a picker list.

 

Cleanup

Use the Cleanup screen to purge your PMS time entries of unwanted or unneeded items. When you select Cleanup, the following screen appears:

 

 

 

There are basically two methods of "cleaning up":

If you are removing entries for a month or day, you must select that month or day from the calendar at the top of the screen before tapping the appropriate button.

Note that when you are removing based on elapsed time, only time entries with less than that elapsed time are removed - in other words, if you ask to remove all entries with less than 10 minutes of elapsed time, entries that contain exactly 10 minutes will not be removed.

 

Summary Reports - General Information

Certain features are common to all report types:

Styles

Each report type has a "Styles" button at the bottom of the screen. Tapping "Styles" brings up the Newton styles palette which allows you to set the font and other font attributes for the report. The style set is used for all reports and is saved between PMS sessions.

Columns

You can set the number of tabs between columns in a report by tapping on the "Columns" button at the bottom of the screen. Column settings are made on a per-report basis and are retained between PMS sessions.

Default Range

You can set a default range by tapping the "Default range" button at the bottom of the screen. When you tap "Default range" you'll see a picker giving the choices "Default start date" and "Default end date". Tap either of these to set the default dates.

The default range is used for all reports and is saved between PMS sessions.

Exporting

You can export the currently displayed report by tapping on the routing button (the envelope icon). Choices for exporting are the built-in Notepad, NewtonWorks (for MP2x00 and eMate users) or StickyNewts. PMS attempts to export the report in as faithful a manner as possible to each of these applications.

 

Date Range Summary

Selecting month summary displays a summary of projects for a particular date range. You can set the range by tapping the "Range" picker at the top of the screen and selecting the start and stop dates.

All times for each project are totalled and displayed in this screen. Note that a project will be displayed even if it has a total time of zero.

 

Day Summary

Selecting day summary displays a summary of projects on a per-day basis for a particular month. The current month, by default is displayed when Month Summary is selected.

You can select the appropriate month and year using the pickers at the top of the screen. By default the current month and year are displayed when you first enter the month summary. The first day in the month that contains project entries is displayed.

You can move from day to day within the month using one of two methods:

  1. The "silk- screened" arrows at the bottom of the Newton screen will move you backwards and forwards within the month. When navigating using the arrow buttons, you will be taken to the first entry in the direction you are moving that contains project entries.

  2. Writing in a specific day at the top of the screen.

When navigating by writing a day, you will be taken to the first entry between the day that you entered and the end of the month that contains project entries. For example, if you write in 29 at the top of the screen for the 29th day of the month, and there is no project data for the 29th, PMS will look for the next day within that month after the 29th that contains data. So, if there was data on the 31st day of the month, that day would be displayed. If there was no data for any days from the 29th of the month onwards, a notification box would be displayed to tell you so.

 

Project Summary

Selecting project summary displays a summary of projects on a per- project basis. The first project in the list is displayed by default when Project Summary is selected.

You can select the project you want a summary for using the project picker at the top of the screen. Each entry's start time, and duration in hours and minutes is shown. You can use the scroll arrows displayed in the project list window to scroll either forwards or backwards in the list. A total of all time spent on that project is displayed at the bottom of the screen. You can also choose a range to display using the "Range" picker at the top of the screen.

 

Billing Summary

When you select Billing Summary, you'll be presented with a window in which to select the project(s) to display, the period to display, and optional information choices:

Show day detail

This will break down the billing information on a per-day basis. If you check Show Comments as well, comments for each time entry will be included.

Use address from Names

If you check "Use address from Names", and select a billing recipient, an additional "Bill To" area will be added to the Billing Summary which includes the recipient's name and address.

To change information, tap the "Billing Details" picker at the top of the screen, which will present you with the same window you recieved when you first entered Billing Summary.

 

Place Button

You can use the Place Button option to place the minimized PMS button anywhere on your Newton screen. This position is maintained relative to the edge of the screen to which it is closest - in other words, near the bottom, near the right, etc. and will tend to remain in a similar position when the Newton screen is rotated.

 

Export

You can use Export to send your accumlated PMS data for a particular month to your desktop system to be included in a spreadsheet or word processor. The PMS desktop client saves the data in a tab-separated text file, which most spreadsheet programs will import, using the tabs to denote column separations. Consult the manual for your spreadsheet for information concerning importing tab-separated text files.

Exporting takes place between PMS on your Newton, and the PMS client on either your Mac or Windows desktop system. Before beginning the export process, you should have already started the PMS client on your desktop system.

On the Newton, selecting Export displays a new screen which allows a connection to be made to the PMS/ Desktop client.

To export, select the month/ year that you want to export, the type of connection (Serial or AppleTalk for Macintosh, Serial with MNP for Windows) and tap Connect.

On the PMS client, select either "Import Data" or "Import Raw Data" from the File menu and select the communications port to which your Newton is connected. A status dialog box will appear, containing (at first) the message "Waiting for Newton".

When a connection is made, progress will be displayed as each project entry is imported. If you are performing a raw import, you will be asked to select a file name before transport begins. If you are using normal import, you will be asked to select a save file name when the import opera-tion is complete.

Once the import operation is complete and the file saved, you are ready to import it into your favorite spreadsheet or word processor (or whatever you want to use to manipulate or print the data).

Data imported using "Import Data" as opposed to "Import Raw Data" is placed on the desktop machine in a summarized "timesheet" style format. Data imported using "Import Raw Data" is placed on the desktop in a simple list type format, where all project entries are listed.

Note that the Disconnect button can be used in a situation where the desktop client has disconnected for some reason without terminating the import operation, to close down the connection on the Newton side.

 

The Minimize Button

Tapping the minimize button "minimizes" PMS, and places the minimized icon at the top centre of the screen. The minimized button may be dragged around the screen in order not to interfere with other applications, or it may be placed in a new position using the Place Button option from the Reports menu.

Note: When minimized, PMS continues to occupy Newton heap - if you are running out of memory in other applications when PMS is minimized, you should exit PMS.

When a project has not been started, the minimized PMS consists only of the start button. When a project has been started, the minimized PMS consists of only the stop button. When minimized, the start and stop buttons behave in the same manner as when PMS is full size, except that a "Maximize" option is added to the picker list. Selecting Maximize returns PMS to its normal full size view.

 

The Info Button

Tapping the Info button brings up the PMS Info page. From here, you can check the version of PMS that you are using, enter your registration code, or invoke the Register program (if you haven't already registered).

 

Notes on Exporting Data

Data is exported to a desktop "client" - either a Macintosh or Windows system running the appropri-ate PMS client. The data saved by the PMS client in tabular or "timesheet" form in a text file. Each column in the table is tab separated to allow for easy import into your favorite spreadsheet program. Please note that in order to be able to import your data into a spreadsheet program, the spreadsheet must be able to support opening of text documents consisting of tab- separated columns.

Projects that do not contain any entries for the month being exported do not show up in the text file written by the PMS client.

Data is presented in hours and fractions of hours; for example 90 min-utes becomes 1.5 hours, 66 minutes becomes 1.1 hours. Times are rounded to the nearest 1/ 10 of an hour.

When importing into a spreadsheet, note that totals are simply numeric quantities - in other words, they're not formulas so if you modify any of the project time counts in the table by hand, the totals won't be updated.

Macintosh Desktop

The PMS client for Macintosh was tested using ClarisWorks version 3.0 to import the data on a 68040 Macintosh. The PMS Mac client is not Power Macintosh native.

Windows Desktop

The PMS client for Windows was tested using Microsoft Excel version 7.0 to import the data. The PMS Windows client is a 16- bit application and was tested under Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0.

 

Disclaimer and License

Personal Minutes Supervisor and this documentation are all Copyright © 1996-1998 by Wendy Stevenson. All rights reserved. Apple and Newton are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the United States and other countries. NewtonMail and MessagePad are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.

Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.

1. License. The application, demonstration, system and other software accompanying this License, whether on disk, in read only memory, or by any other media (the "Software"), the related documen-tation and fonts are licensed to you by Wendy Stevenson. You own the media on which the Software and fonts are recorded but Wendy Stevenson and/ or Wendy Stevenson's Licensor( s) retain title to the Software, related documentation and fonts. This License allows you to use the Software and fonts on a single Newton Product (which, for the purposes of this License, shall mean a product bearing Apple's Newton logo), and make one copy of the Software and fonts in machine- readable form for backup purposes only. You must reproduce on such copy Wendy Stevensons's copyright notice and any other proprietary legends that were on the original copy of the Software and fonts. You may also transfer all your license rights in the Software and fonts, the backup copy of the Software and fonts, the related documentation and a copy of this License to another party, provided the other party reads and agrees to accept the terms and conditions of this License.

2. Restrictions. The Software contains copyrighted material, trade secrets and other proprietary material and in order to protect them you may not decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble or otherwise reduce the Software to a human- perceivable form. You may not modify, network, rent, lease, loan, distribute or create derivative works based upon the Software in whole or in part. You may distribute for a nominal download or duplication charge the unregistered Shareware version of Personal Minutes Supervisor as long as it is accompanied by this documentation.

3. Termination. This License is effective until terminated. You may terminate this License at any time by destroying the Software and related documentation and fonts. This License will terminate immediately without notice from Wendy Stevenson if you fail to comply with any provision of this License. Upon termination you must destroy the Software, related documentation and fonts.

4. Export Law Assurances. You agree and certify that neither the Software nor any other technical data received from Wendy Stevenson, nor the direct product thereof, will be exported outside the United States except as authorized and as permitted by the laws and regulations of the United States. If the software has been rightfully obtained by you outside of the United States, you agree that you will not re- export the Software nor any other technical data received from Wendy Stevenson, nor the direct product thereof, except as permitted by the laws and regulations of the United States and the laws and regulations of the jurisdiction in which you obtained the Software.

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