For context, I started using plain text because, even with excellent apps with convenient widgets (like Hours on iOS), I found that if I forgot to click a timer change, I had to go back and do a lot of messy editing in difficult interfaces. I also don’t like so-called automatic time tracking apps because what happens to be front most on my computer screen is not necessarily indicative of what work I’m doing at a given time. (I might be reading a hard-copy document, brainstorming on my white board, in a meeting, or on a call…)
The plain text made it easy to fix mistakes while also giving me the flexibility to expand functionality to my particular tastes.
Thanks. I hesitate to share them entirely, or at least without a more lengthy blog posting explaining how they work because they get pretty complex. Over the years, I’ve added an integration with a simple JSON database that is used to look up client numbers and standardize client names. As a result, it’s a bit tricky to share in a way that would be useful.
If there’s a particular part that you’re interested in, I’m happy to share the useful bits of javascript.
Also, I’ve found this on the Developer website pricing page. `There is a Mac version, but it is outside the price range that was specified in the original post (<$10)
When I was using time logging, I used Tyme 2 all the time and found it great.
Tyme allows you to create a project template with common tasks. You just click your Apple Watch to start/stop the timer. You can also display all recorded tasks in your calendar so your assistant can log it in.
I was mainly interested in the most basic parts: time insertion and time calculation.
I have very lightweight time tracking needs so I was playing around various systems. Since At the same time I am trying to ditch TextExpander (that I used for the task) any new method is welcome
Inserting the rounded time is pretty easy. Here’s the script I use (though I’m sure there are more elegant implementations out there):
// inserts current time rounded up or down to the closest 6 minute interval
// basic info
const currentTime = new Date();
var hours = currentTime.getHours();
const minutes = currentTime.getMinutes();
// round to 6 minutes
var minutesRounded = 6 * Math.round(minutes/6);
// handle cases when minutes round to 60, and when hours increment to 24
if (minutesRounded == 60) {
minutesRounded = 0;
hours++;
}
if (hours == 24) {hours = 0};
// add leading zeros
if (hours < 10) {hours = '0' + hours};
if (minutesRounded < 10) {minutesRounded = '0' + minutesRounded};
// assemble string and put it in the draft
const time = hours + ":" + minutesRounded + ' ';
let selRange = editor.getSelectedRange();
editor.setSelectedText(time);
editor.setSelectedRange(selRange[0] + time.length, 0);
editor.focus();
The time calculation scripts are a bit more involved. Your inquiry has given me the kick I needed to actually write up what they are and how they work. I’ll post that on my blog and will post something here when the blog post is up.
I also use Tyme and use the menubar timer to quickly start/stop the timer when working on a project. I have a few side businesses and voluntary jobs for which I want to know the time invested.
I’m a little late to the thread, but Toggl has a decent desktop app and if you’re okay with an iOS client you can use Timery to start timers with Shortcuts and Siri.
One of the included Drafts actions processes it and gives you a time summary for the current and prior year, month, week, and day. Separately, I write a copy of the .csv to OneDrive, where you can have MicrosoftBI use it as source data for dynamically updated charts. The nice thing is you can do whatever you want with a .csv since it’s just basic text.
Sadly development auf Tyme 2 stopped a while ago. Sadly, now Tyme 3 is released and it has gone the too expensive subscription route ($36/year).
Often requested features in Tyme 2, such as URL-schemes or Shortcuts integration have been intentionally held back from Tyme 2 for a long time and now are only available to Tyme 3 users, which there don’t seem to be many, to be honest, according to app reviews and the non-existent Twitter interaction. Dead on arrival.
Again a mistake was made: Single users should pay the same amount as team users (small businesses, startups). A team user can’t make any use of the team dashboard feature or reporting. Those are features that would justify a small monthly fee per user. If Tyme 3 would have been a cross-platform one-time purchase of 36€ (no subscription), I would have paid. This way I’m out and not looking back.
Why am I posting this here? Don’t make the mistake to download and buy Tyme 2, if you want support.
I have been using Timing (timingapp.com) for years and love it. The application automatically tracks your application use down to the document or website level and automatically (based on a set of behaviors that I can configure) assigns time to various projects so all I need to do is review and revise at the end of the day. Timing is on Setapp, and I believe sold as a fixed price software with a year of updates included.
