Suggestions

[tomisenbarger]

Thanks for producing (and continuing to update) your great application Time Master. I have a few feature suggestions to consider that would make (at least my) use of the app more efficient.

In addition to the following suggestions, I'd like to suggest an app update to take advantage of the new iPhones' larger screens. I was hoping to see more information on my new iPhone 6 than on my iPhone 4, but it appears as if the screen has just been enlarged to fill the iPhone 6 screen.


1) Add a way to copy an entry on the same day. I often tap on a previous day's entry to "Copy and Start" the entry on a new day. I would like to be able to "Copy and Start" a new entry based on one of today's entries.

My scenario is this: I use Time Master to track my time; then, at the end of business I filter my entries by "Not Reported", enter the time into our firm's system, and mark today's reported entries as "Reported". Then, if I work on one of the day's projects later that same day/evening at home, I would like to be able to add a new time entry for that same project since I have already recorded and marked as "Reported" the earlier entries. I know I can manually add a new entry (picking client, project, and task), but that is slower than the "Copy and Start" option. Also, if I just start the day's entry that is already there and add time to it, I may forget to update the entry in my firm's time tracking software since I have already marked it as "Reported" and it thus will not show up when I filter by "Not Reported" the next day. Could you add some "long press" or "swipe" gesture options to bring up "Duplicate" or "Copy and Start"?

2) Set up a pref to choose "Reference" or "Notes and Codes" for the Search option. Or …

3) Implement a full text search of all fields (with maybe some simple wild cards?). Or, maybe a search query langugage (e.g., [client] = X && [date] = 1/1/2013 to 6/1/2013, etc.)

4) Different filtering options.

I often use the selection tools at the bottom left and right (normally "All Dates" and "All Entries") to see total fees for a certain project or client, e.g., for all time, last month, etc.

Sometimes I need more flexibility to get totals for multiple projects or clients or tasks.

One thing that would be helpful would be to have time and billing totals provided at the bottom of the screen for Search results that are similar to when filtering is used. That may provide a way to get these totals for, e.g., Codes 1234A and 1234B by searching for 1234.

Another suggestion is to be able to enter via keyboard rather than the scrolling selection which project, client, or task to use for filtering. I usually know exactly which item I need, but it takes time to scroll through the 200-300 projects that are provided in the scrolling picker. Maybe keyboard entry with entry prediction based on matching to entries in the database?

5) Options for smaller (even tiny to miniscule) text. This may not be desirable for all, but I would like to see more information for my entries even if I have to squint at times.

I realize that I have not thought through all of these completely as I would if I were writing the code. I also understand that some of these items may not be practical from a performance standpoint or ease-of-implementation standpoint, but I thought I would bring them up as you have been receptive to my suggestions in the past.

Thanks again and Best Regards,
Tom Isenbarger

[Adam]

Thanks for producing (and continuing to update) your great application Time Master. I have a few feature suggestions to consider that would make (at least my) use of the app more efficient.

In addition to the following suggestions, I'd like to suggest an app update to take advantage of the new iPhones' larger screens. I was hoping to see more information on my new iPhone 6 than on my iPhone 4, but it appears as if the screen has just been enlarged to fill the iPhone 6 screen.

Yes, that will happen.  We have submitted a new version to the App Store and hopefully it will be up soon.

1) Add a way to copy an entry on the same day. I often tap on a previous day's entry to "Copy and Start" the entry on a new day. I would like to be able to "Copy and Start" a new entry based on one of today's entries.

My scenario is this: I use Time Master to track my time; then, at the end of business I filter my entries by "Not Reported", enter the time into our firm's system, and mark today's reported entries as "Reported". Then, if I work on one of the day's projects later that same day/evening at home, I would like to be able to add a new time entry for that same project since I have already recorded and marked as "Reported" the earlier entries. I know I can manually add a new entry (picking client, project, and task), but that is slower than the "Copy and Start" option. Also, if I just start the day's entry that is already there and add time to it, I may forget to update the entry in my firm's time tracking software since I have already marked it as "Reported" and it thus will not show up when I filter by "Not Reported" the next day. Could you add some "long press" or "swipe" gesture options to bring up "Duplicate" or "Copy and Start"?

Unfortunately we cannot do that on "Today's entries" (green color).  That needs to be able to start the "timer" with a single press.  That would add extra key presses for others if they had to answer a question each time they tapped on it.  Swipe will ask to delete the line.  A press will "Edit" the entry.

2) Set up a pref to choose "Reference" or "Notes and Codes" for the Search option. Or …

3) Implement a full text search of all fields (with maybe some simple wild cards?). Or, maybe a search query langugage (e.g., [client] = X && [date] = 1/1/2013 to 6/1/2013, etc.)

The reason we separate them is that it was taking to long to search thru all those fields at the same time.  That is why the are separate.  It could be that sometime (hopefully) in the near future, with faster hardware, we can merge the two if it doesn't feel too slow on the "oldest" devices at that point.  In the next version of TM, it will be iOS 7.1 and greater, so the oldest devices will be the iPhone 4S.  We are probably almost there hardware wise and will have to play with it again to see what it "feels" like.

4) Different filtering options.

I often use the selection tools at the bottom left and right (normally "All Dates" and "All Entries") to see total fees for a certain project or client, e.g., for all time, last month, etc.

Sometimes I need more flexibility to get totals for multiple projects or clients or tasks.

If you need to do more specific filtering, that is what the Reports is for.  If you need to do more than the Reports is capable of, then it needs to be exported as a CSV file and they imported into a spreadsheet program such as Excel or Numbers.

One thing that would be helpful would be to have time and billing totals provided at the bottom of the screen for Search results that are similar to when filtering is used. That may provide a way to get these totals for, e.g., Codes 1234A and 1234B by searching for 1234.

Not really sure that it is possible on iOS.  We actually will have that on the new Mac OSX version that we are currently working on.  We will keep it in mind.

Another suggestion is to be able to enter via keyboard rather than the scrolling selection which project, client, or task to use for filtering. I usually know exactly which item I need, but it takes time to scroll through the 200-300 projects that are provided in the scrolling picker. Maybe keyboard entry with entry prediction based on matching to entries in the database?

Unfortunately that is possible with the "dial" control.  All the filters use that control and there is no keyboard for it.

5) Options for smaller (even tiny to miniscule) text. This may not be desirable for all, but I would like to see more information for my entries even if I have to squint at times.

In most fields the text will shrink up to a certain limit (or expand if there is very little of it).  We have set the upper and lower limits to it and don't want to make it so small that other users cannot use it.  Sorry.

I realize that I have not thought through all of these completely as I would if I were writing the code. I also understand that some of these items may not be practical from a performance standpoint or ease-of-implementation standpoint, but I thought I would bring them up as you have been receptive to my suggestions in the past.

We certainly do appreciate all feedback and thank you for taking the time to write us!  We have implemented many great ideas over the years.  Unfortunately there is also some that we cannot do.  Some that we have a lower priority, but hope to get to one of these days.