Your Time Tracking Desktop Companion
The 7pace Timetracker Windows Client is a lightweight desktop application that acts like a sophisticated stopwatch, silently but powerfully running in the background while you work, tracking the time you spend on project tasks. Downloadable from the "Downloads" link on the "Monthly" page of Timetracker 3 or the "Apps" tab of Timetracker 4, the Windows Client is connected to the project collection in Team Foundation Server. Your tracked time is sent in near real-time accuracy from the client to the Timetracker system, as well as in reverse - the data available in Team Foundation Server and Timetracker is also displayed and used in the Windows Client. Likewise, when you start tracking with our Windows Client, tracking also begins and is synced with Timetracker 4's Web Client on every web page of our application, and on the work item form. All clients work on their own or together, to capture your tracked time in the most accurate and efficient way possible.
Tracking with the Windows Client from the Work Item Form
When you install our Windows Client on your system and pair it with your account, you can open a work item in Team Services and use the "Start Tracking" button on the "Details" tab, which opens the client and immediately initiates tracking on that work item. This functionality adds another layer of ease and integration, right where you work. With Timetracker 4, this also starts tracking within Timetracker's Web Client.
For more information on the Windows Client installation and pairing process, please see the 7pace Timetracker Windows Client Installation and Pairing Guide.
Timetracker 4 | Work Item "Details" Page
(For documentation specific to 3.0, please scroll to the bottom of this article)
When you open a work item to view or edit the "Details" tab, you can see the Start Tracking button.
Timetracker 4 | Client Main Window
This is the main window of the Timetracker 4 Windows Client as it appears after the initial start of the application and while idle.
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No.
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Description
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|---|---|
| 1 |
Settings
Clicking the Settings icon allows you to enable or disable the following:
Clicking the "About 7pace Timetracker" link displays the following informational pop-up window with links on how to reach the 7pace website, Support, and our user documentation:
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| 2 |
Accounts Clicking the Accounts icon allows you to see which accounts you have paired with your Windows Client. You can also see which account is currently connected and switch between your accounts if you have paired your client with more than one. The "Add a new account" link provides instructions on how to download and pair the Windows Client.
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| 3 |
Clicking this icon shows the client's main window. "Current Track" displays "Not tracking" when clients are not being used. "Started At" and "Total Item" display as blank. For more information on additional fields on this main client window, please see below. |
| 4 |
Today The time that you tracked today in total, including all other items you worked on. |
| 5 |
The arrow-shaped "Start" button/icon to begin tracking time for a TFS or non-TFS work item. This button toggles to a square-shaped "Stop" button/icon when tracking has begun. |
| 6 |
Start Tracking When idle, the client displays "Start Tracking" under the "Start" button/icon. Once tracking commences, the client displays "Stop Tracking" under the "Stop" button/icon. |
| 7 |
What item are you working on? This field allows you to enter a work item ID from TFS or you can choose to leave this field blank and add text into the "Comment" field, if you wish to track on a non-TFS work item. When you click in this field, the prediction feature displays the list of work items that you've been assigned, have tracked on in the past or the work items that are in progress (the list is currently limited to 10 work items). |
| 8 |
Add a comment Add an optional comment to your TFS work item or leave the "What item are you working on" field blank and add a required comment to track time on a non-TFS item. |
| 9 |
Activity Type If your administrator has enabled this option under the Configuration tab of Timetracker, you can select an activity type that best reflects your current work item. |
This is the main window of the Timetracker 4 Windows Client as it appears when tracking on a work item:
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ID
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Description
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|---|---|
| 1 |
"Current Track" shows your tracked time in HH:MM:SS format. This changes from "Not tracking" when idle to a stopwatch of sorts when tracking commences, and reflects the time since you last hit the "Start" button. This time is reset every time you click the "Stop" and "Start" button, even if you continue working on the same work item. "Started At" displays the exact time you started tracking on this item since clicking the "Start" button. "Total Item" reflects the time that you spent on the specified item in total, including days other than today.
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| 2 |
The square-shaped toggle "Stop" button/icon to begin tracking time for a TFS or non-TFS work item. When clicked and idle again, the client displays "Start Tracking" under the "Start" button/icon. |
| 3 |
The TFS work item ID and title on which you are currently tracking. If you stop tracking on a particular item, the work item ID becomes a hyperlink that when clicked on, directly opens the work item details window in TFS. Timetracker opens your default browser with the URL of that work item. |
Timetracker 4 | Exiting the Windows Client
Use the quit option to close your Windows Client.
In the Windows system tray, right-click the client icon and click Quit.
Timetracker 3 | Work Item "Details" Page
When you open a work item to view or edit the "Details" tab, you can see the Start Tracking button.
Below, we will go into further detail on the various windows, dialog boxes, and options that the 7pace Timetracker client provides.
Timetracker 3 | Main Client Window
This is the main window of the Timetracker 3 Desktop Client as it appears after the initial start of the application and while idle.
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No.
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Description
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|---|---|
| 1 |
The field for entering a work item ID from Team Foundation Server or the task name for a non-TFS work item (you can track time by typing in free-text). When you click in this field, the prediction feature displays the list of work items that you've been assigned, have tracked in the past or the work items that are in progress (the list is currently limited to 15 work items), without you having to open TFS' web access. |
| 2 | The Timetracker title bar. |
| 3 | The name of the user currently logged into the Timetracker client. |
| 4 |
Click "ok" to check with Team Foundation Server if the entered work item ID is valid. If it is not recognized in TFS, it will be treated as a non-TFS work item. If the TFS ID is a valid work item, the Timetracker client enables the "Start" button to begin tracking and also displays the following information:
If the specified work item ID is not a valid ID in TFS, the Timetracker client considers the item to be free text (a "non-TFS item") and opens the dialog box for you to edit the text. For more information, see 7pace Timetracker Client Time Tracking with TFS/Non-TFS Work Items. Note: Instead of clicking the ok button, you can also press ENTER key on your keyboard to check if the specified work item ID is valid. |
| 5 | The "Start" button to begin tracking time for the specified TFS or non-TFS work item. |
| 6 |
Click this (
Enable tracking on locked screen - This allows the client to keep tracking your time and handle any unexpected stops in tracking. An administrator must also enable the Pause tracking if PC is inactive option under "Configuration" -> "Settings" -> "Windows Client Settings". Enable idle reminder - Displays a reminder when you are idle on your system. An administrator must check the "Enable activity on time tracking" checkbox for this under "Configuration" -> "Settings" -> "Windows Client Settings". Enable Timetracker Client start on windows startup - Automatically starts up the desktop client when you start Windows on your system. Note: You will need to restart the Timetracker client if you have changed the client settings on the 7paceTimetracker Server. For more information, see "Settings": Windows Client Settings. |
| 7 | Click the "x" to close the 7pace Timetracker client window. This option does not completely shut down the Timetracker client service; the application continues running in the background. |
| 8 |
Click this to adjust your start time, if, for example, you have already started working and you realize that you forgot to start tracking via the client, and you need to adjust your start time. For more information, see 7pace Timetracker Client Start Time Adjustment. |
| 9 |
The 7pace Timetracker client displays its current status according to the following different colors:
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) icon to open the 7pace Timetracker client settings dialog box.
): This color indicates that the 7pace Timetracker client is successfully connected to the 7pace Timetracker server.
): This color indicates that there are some minor errors with the 7pace Timetracker client. The client may be trying to reconnect with TFS in order to track a certain work item.
): This color indicates that a major error occurred with the 7pace Timetracker client, such as it is disconnected from the 7pace Timetracker server, or the client is unable to resolve the Team Foundation Server server name. In this case, the client stops tracking the current work item and also displays an error message with a hyperlink to retry the connection.This is the main window of Timetracker 3 Desktop Client as it appears when tracking on a work item:
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ID
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Description
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|---|---|
| 1 |
The work item ID from Team Foundation Server on which you are currently tracking time. When you click in this field, you can also view the list of work items that you have previously tracked time on or that are in progress. This list is currently limited to 15 work items. |
| 2 |
The interactive time information panel displays your tracked time and the current mode. You can click on this panel to view different modes, one after the other. For more information about modes, see #10, below. |
| 3 |
Your tracked time, shown in HH:MM format. |
| 4 | The TFS iteration path for the current work item in the "[Project]\[Release]\[Sprint]" format. |
| 5 |
The Timetracker client displays the following color codes to indicate the type of work item on which you are currently tracking time:
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| 6 |
The work item IDs with hyperlinks that when clicked on, directly open the work item details window in Team Foundation Server. Timetracker opens your default browser with the URL of that work item. Note: The Timetracker client displays two work item IDs: The first is the one that you chose to track your time; the second links to the parent item of the specified work item. If the work item does not have any parent work item, you will see "This is a root item without any hyperlink." displayed. |
| 7 | The TFS work item title. |
| 8 |
The story point estimated for the parent work item. "SP" is the abbreviation for "Story Points" and indicates the effort estimated in complexity or functional points in Team Foundation Server. You can find this number in TFS labeled as Effort in the "Product Backlog Item" type list. |
| 9 |
The total number of hours that have been spent by all team members on this parent item. The effort ("SP") and this number provides an indicator of the current pace, as used in agile methodologies (Hours/SP=pace). |
| 10 |
Mode indicator for the displayed time. The following modes are available:
Note: These modes only affect the time display. Nothing else is changed. |
): Indicates that you are tracking time on a work item or a task.
): Indicates that you are tracking time on a product backlog item.
): Indicates that you are tracking time on a bug.
): Indicates that you are tracking time on a non-TFS item.Timetracker 3 | Exiting the Windows Client
Use the exit option to close your Windows Client.
In the Windows system tray, right-click the client icon and click Exit.
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