Time Tracking Overview

Introduction

The Time Tracking module (also called “Project clock”) lets you track the time you spend working on different projects in the warehouse. You can start a timer for a project, pause it when needed, add comments when finishing, and sync your time data to the server.

This feature helps warehouse managers monitor how much time employees spend on different tasks and projects, making it easier to track productivity and allocate resources.

Why Use Time Tracking?

Accurate time tracking

Track exactly how much time you spend on each project with a built-in chronometer that runs continuously.

Project management

Organize your work by projects. Each project can be started, paused, and finished independently.

Add comments

Add comments when finishing a project to provide context about what was accomplished.

Offline support

Time tracking works offline. Your data is stored locally and synced to the server when you tap Sync.

Visual timer

See the elapsed time displayed prominently in hours, minutes, and seconds format (HH:MM:SS).

Sync indicator

Visual alert shows when you have unsynced time data that needs to be sent to the server.

How to Track Time for a Project

1. Open Time Tracking

   From the main menu, select Time Tracking (or “Project clock”). The screen shows a large timer display, control buttons, and a list of available projects.

2. Select a project

   Tap a project from the list at the bottom of the screen. The project name appears above the timer, and it becomes the active project.

3. Start tracking

   Tap the Start button to begin tracking time for the selected project. The timer starts counting from 00:00:00 (or continues from previous time if the project was paused).

4. Monitor your time

   Watch the timer display showing hours, minutes, and seconds. The timer updates in real-time as you work.

5. Pause when needed

   Tap Stop to pause the timer. You can resume later by tapping Start again, and the timer continues from where it paused.

6. Finish the project

   When you’re done with a project, tap Comment. A dialog opens where you can add a comment about what was accomplished, then finish the project.

7. Sync your data

   Tap the Sync button to send your time tracking data to the server. If you have unsynced data, a red alert icon appears next to the Sync button.

Main Screen Elements

Timer Display

The large timer shows elapsed time in three parts:

• Hours: Displayed as “HH:” (e.g., “02:”)
• Minutes: Displayed as “MM:” (e.g., “15:”)
• Seconds: Displayed as “SS” (e.g., “30”)

The timer format is HH:MM:SS (e.g., “02:15:30” means 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 30 seconds).

Current Project Label

Above the timer, you’ll see the name of the currently selected project. This helps you know which project you’re tracking time for.

Control Buttons

Start

• Starts or resumes the timer for the selected project
• Becomes disabled (gray) when the timer is running
• Enabled (white) when the timer is stopped or paused

Stop

• Pauses the timer for the current project
• Becomes disabled (gray) when the timer is already stopped
• Enabled (white) when the timer is running

Comment

• Opens a dialog to add a comment and finish the project
• Enabled when a project is selected
• Allows you to provide context about completed work

Sync Button

Located at the top of the screen:

• Sync: Sends all unsynced time tracking data to the server
• Alert icon: Red flag icon appears when you have unsynced data
• The alert disappears after successful sync

Project List

At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see a scrollable list of available projects:

• Each project shows its name and current status
• Tap a project to select it and start tracking
• Long-press a project to view its description

Project Actions

Starting a Project

When you start a project:

1. The timer begins counting from 00:00:00 (or continues from previous time)
2. The Start button becomes disabled (gray)
3. The Stop and Comment buttons become enabled (white)
4. The project is marked as active in the list
5. Time data is saved locally and sent to the server

Pausing a Project

When you pause (stop) a project:

1. The timer stops counting but retains the current time
2. The Stop button becomes disabled (gray)
3. The Start button becomes enabled (white) so you can resume
4. The Comment button becomes disabled (gray)
5. The elapsed time is saved locally

Switching Projects

You can switch between projects while tracking:

• If a timer is running, tapping a different project automatically pauses the current project and starts the new one
• The timer continues from where it left off for each project
• Each project maintains its own separate time

Adding Comments

When you finish a project:

1. Tap Comment to open the comment dialog
2. Enter your comment in the text field
3. Tap Send to save the comment and finish the project
4. Tap Cancel to close the dialog without saving

Comments help provide context about what was accomplished during the tracked time.

Viewing Project Descriptions

To see more details about a project:

1. Long-press a project in the list
2. A dialog opens showing the project description
3. Tap OK to close the dialog

Sync Functionality

The Sync feature ensures your time tracking data is saved to the server:

When to Sync

• After finishing projects
• Before closing the app
• When you see the sync alert icon
• Periodically throughout the day

How Sync Works

1. Tap the Sync button
2. The app collects all unsynced time entries from local storage
3. Data is sent to the server
4. If successful, the sync alert icon disappears
5. If there’s an error, try syncing again later

Sync Alert

A red alert icon appears next to the Sync button when:

• You have time entries that haven’t been synced to the server
• The app couldn’t sync data due to connection issues
• You need to manually sync your data

The alert disappears after successful sync.

💡 Best Practices

Start tracking immediately

Start the timer as soon as you begin working on a project. Don’t forget to start it, as time only counts when the timer is running.

Pause for breaks

Use the Stop button when taking breaks or switching to non-project tasks. This ensures accurate time tracking.

Add meaningful comments

When finishing a project, add comments that describe what was accomplished. This helps managers understand the work done.

Sync regularly

Sync your data frequently, especially before closing the app. This ensures your time data is saved to the server.

Select the correct project

Always verify you’ve selected the right project before starting the timer. Check the project name above the timer display.

Don't forget to finish

When done with a project, tap Comment to finish it properly. This ensures the project is marked as complete with your comment.

Troubleshooting

Timer Not Starting

Problem: The Start button is grayed out and you can’t start tracking.

Solutions:

• Make sure you’ve selected a project from the list first
• Verify you have an internet connection (projects are loaded from the server)
• Check if there are available projects (you may see “No available projects” message)
• Try closing and reopening the Time Tracking module

Timer Not Counting

Problem: The timer shows 00:00:00 and doesn’t increase.

Solutions:

• Make sure you tapped Start (the button should be gray when running)
• Check that the Stop button is enabled (white) - this confirms the timer is running
• If paused, tap Start again to resume
• Try selecting the project again and starting fresh

Can’t See Projects

Problem: The project list is empty or shows “No available projects”.

Solutions:

• Check your internet connection - projects are loaded from the server
• Wait a few seconds for projects to load
• Try closing and reopening the Time Tracking module
• Contact your manager if projects should be available but aren’t showing

Sync Not Working

Problem: The sync alert icon stays visible after tapping Sync, or sync fails.

Solutions:

• Check your internet connection
• Wait a few seconds and try syncing again
• Make sure you’re not in airplane mode
• If the problem persists, your data is saved locally and will sync when connection is restored

Wrong Project Selected

Problem: You started tracking time for the wrong project.

Solutions:

• Tap Stop to pause the current project
• Select the correct project from the list
• Tap Start to begin tracking the correct project
• The previous project’s time is saved and can be corrected later if needed

Comment Dialog Not Opening

Problem: Tapping Comment doesn’t open the dialog.

Solutions:

• Make sure a project is selected
• Verify the timer was started at some point (the Comment button should be enabled)
• Try tapping Stop first, then Comment
• Close and reopen the Time Tracking module if the issue persists

Technical Information

Activity: TimeTrack.java
Layout: time_track.xml
Toolbar Title: “Project clock”
Chronometer: MyChron.java - Handles timer logic
API Service:

• ConnectToDataBaseServerTimeTracker.java - Project data
• ConnectToDataBaseServerProjectAsync.java - Time tracking reports

Local Storage: The module uses SQLite database (androidShipedge) with tables:

• LogProject - Project time tracking data
• LogError - Start/stop times and comments

API Endpoint: /android/timeTrack.php - Project management and time tracking

Next Steps

• Time Tracking Process - Complete step-by-step guide
• Main Menu Navigation - Learn to navigate the app