7pace Timetracker Windows Client Follow

Introduction

Windows Client - Installing & Pairing

• How to install the Windows Client
• How to pair your Windows Client to 7pace Timetracker for DevOps Services (cloud)
• How to pair your Windows Client to 7pace Timetracker for DevOps Services (on-prem)
• How to auto-pair your Windows Client
• How to unpair your Windows Client

Windows Client - Idle

• How to configure "Settings" in your Windows Client
• How to view the Organizations paired with your Windows Client
• How to view the Windows Client main window
• How to view your total time tracked today
• How to start tracking on the Windows Client
• How to add time for a DevOps Server/Services work item 
• How to add time for non-DevOps Server/Services work item
• How to add a comment to your time track on the Windows Client
• How to add an activity type to your time track on the Windows Client

Windows Client - Tracking

• How to view your current track time info
• How to stop tracking on the Windows Client
• How to view your current track's work item ID
• How to track time with the Windows Client from the work item form

Windows Client - Activity Check Settings

• How to enable activity check on time tracking
• Activity check messages
• Time tracking interrupted messages

Windows Client - Exiting & Uninstalling

• How to exit the Windows Client
• How to disconnect your Windows Client
• How to uninstall your Windows Client
• How to reset Windows Client visibility on your screen

Introduction

The optional 7pace Timetracker Windows Client is a lightweight desktop application that tracks the time you spend on project tasks. Downloadable from the "Apps" page of Timetracker, the Windows Client is connected to the project collection in DevOps Server/Services.

Your tracked time is sent in near real-time accuracy from the Client to the 7pace Timetracker system. Conversely, the data available in DevOps Server/Services and 7pace Timetracker is also displayed and used in the Windows Client. When you start tracking with our Windows Client, tracking also begins and is synced with Timetracker'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.  

Installing your Windows Client

Installing and pairing the Windows Client is quick and easy and you can pair it with any DevOps Server/Services account. You can also switch between different accounts and select which one you want to start tracking from.

1. On the "Apps" page of 7pace Timetracker, click the "Download client" link in the top-left corner of the page, under "Desktop Apps":

The Windows Client setup file is downloaded to your system.

2. Run the setup file.

The setup file installs the Windows Client and displays a dialog box prompting you to pair your client to your DevOps Server/Services account.

If you have already paired your email address with a Team Services account, you will see the dialog box with the paired connections list.

Pair to 7pace Timetracker for DevOps Services (cloud)

1. Open your Windows Client. 

2. Click the "Add new organization" link. 

3. Click on "DevOps":

Pair with DevOps window displays: 

4. Click on "Copy to clipboard" icon. 

5. Go to Timetracker web application and click on the "Apps" page.

6. Click on "Pair by PIN" link. 

7. On the resulting "Connect to Windows Client" popup, paste your PIN number into the text field and click "Apply".

Popup refreshes and closes and your Windows Client is now connected to your DevOps account.

Pair to 7pace Timetracker for DevOps Server (on-prem)

 1. Open your Windows Client.

 2. Click the "Add new organization" link. 

3. Click on "DevOps Server". 

4. Enter in your DevOps Server URL and Collection Name and click "Connect".

Your Windows Client is connected to your DevOps Server account.

Auto-pair your Windows Client

1. Navigate to the "Apps" page within 7pace Timetracker.  

2. Click on the "Pair account" link. 

3. Follow prompts to automatically pair your installed Windows Client with 7pace Timetracker.

Unpair your Windows Client

1. On the "Apps" page, under the "Pairing" section, select the "Unpair your account" link.

2. Click "ok".

Disconnecting your Windows Client

1. In your system tray, right-click the Windows Client icon and select Disconnect.

The browser displays a window with a list of your connections.

2. Select the connection that you want to delete and click the remove connection () icon.

Windows Client - Idle

This is the main window of the 7pace Timetracker Windows Client as it appears after the initial start of the application and while idle.

 1. Settings

Clicking the Settings icon allows you to enable or disable the following:

• Stop tracking when PC is locked
• Use hot keys
• Timetracker starts on Windows startup
• Always on top

Clicking the "About 7pace Timetracker" link displays an informational pop-up window with links on how to reach the 7pace website, Support, and our user documentation:

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 accounts if you have paired your client with more than one. The "Add a new acount" link provides instructions on how to download and pair the Windows Client, either directly from the client itself, or via the "Apps" page of of 7pace Timetracker's web interface.

3. Main Window

The client's main window shows "Current Track" and displays as "Not tracking" when clients are not being used.

"Started At" and "Total Item" display as blank if not tracking.

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. Start button

The arrow-shaped "Start" button/icon to begin tracking time for a DevOps Server/Services or non-DevOps Server/Services 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. Tracking time on a DevOps Server/Services work item

This field allows you to enter a work item ID from DevOps Server/Services.

Place your cursor in the "What item are you working on?" text field.

The predictive text feature automatically populates a list of work items that you've been assigned, have tracked on in the past ((non-DevOps Server/Services items you have previously tracked on do not display in this list) or that are in progress (the list is currently limited to 10 work items).

You can then select an item in the list or click "Cancel" to return to the previous window ("X" closes the client window; to reopen, look in your system tray).

You can also place your cursor in the text field and manually start typing a work item ID or title and the system will perform a search for matching DevOps Server/Services items. Selecting an item in the resulting list will return you to the original window, with the item now displaying in the text field.

8. Comment and/or Activity Type

You can then add an optional "Comment" (unless your admin has made "Comment" a required field in Settings -> Rules) and/or activity type from the dropdown and click the "Start Tracking" button.

Tracking time on a non-DevOps Server/Services work item

To track time on a non-DevOps Server/Services work item, you must first clear the work item text field by clicking the "X" icon, as indicated in the screen shot, below:

Once the work item field is empty, you must type additional information into the "Comment" field to enable the "Start Tracking" button (Important: your admin must ensure that under Settings -> Rules -> Tracking Details, "Always require a work item" is unchecked). The activity type field (shows as "User default" in this example) is optional, unless your admin has set it as required in 7pace Timetracker "Settings".

Click the "Start Tracking" button to start tracking your time.

Add a comment

Add a comment to your DevOps Server/Services work item or leave the "What item are you working on" field blank and add a required comment to track time on a non-DevOps Server/Services item. This can be configured/set as optional or required by your admin under Settings -> Rules -> Tracking Details.

Add an Activity Type

If your administrator has enabled this option under the Settings page -> Activity Types page of 7pace Timetracker, you can select an activity type that best reflects your current work item. This can be configured/set as optional or required by your admin under Settings -> Rules -> Tracking Details.

Windows Client - Tracking

This is the main window of the 7pace Timetracker Windows Client as it appears when tracking on a work item:

1. Current Track Info

"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.

2. Stop Tracking

The square-shaped toggle "Stop" button/icon to begin tracking time for a DevOps Server/Services or non-DevOps Server/Services work item.

When clicked and idle again, the client displays "Start Tracking" under the "Start" button/icon.

3. Current Track work item

This displays the current work item ID and name on which you are tracking. The work item ID is clickable and opens the work item form. 

In addition, you can hover over the name or ID if you want to see the project to which this work item belongs.  

Activity check settings

A 7pace Timetracker admin can configure settings under "Settings" -> "Time Tracking" to prompt users of the Window Client, after a defined period of time, as to whether or not they are still active or working. Click "Enable activity check on time tracking" to allow the system to ask you if you're still tracking.

Activity check messages

With this enabled, the dialog box, below, will display, asking "Are you still tracking?"  when you have surpassed the "Standard Interval" an administrator has set.

The animated clock counts down, starting from the configured "Waiting Time" set in 7pace Timetracker's "Settings" -> "Time Tracking" to zero. If the "Wait Time" for the activity check was set to 30 seconds, the countdown will start at 30 and end at zero.

Yes, Continue - Clicking this button continues time tracking without pause. The client's main window does not display; tracking simply resumes.

Open 7pace Timetracker - Clicking this link opens the client's main window and also serves as an affirmative response that you are still working. Time tracking continues without pause if you click on this link.

If you don't click either of the above options and the clock countdown expires, the Windows Client will stop tracking and will show the following message: "Tracking stopped - no response from user during activity check".

Time tracking interrupted messages 

Below are the reasons that tracking may pause or stop on the 7pace Timetracker Windows Client and the resulting messages you will see:

Under "Settings" -> "Time Tracking", an administrator can set the amount of time (minimum of 10 minutes) that passes before the system checks with users to see if they want to continue tracking time. A popup message will display once you exceed that time and a countdown then begins (also configurable in the same section) to give you time to respond.

If the user fails to respond after the configured time, this is the message that will display:

Tracking Stopped - Computer Locked

When you click on the "Settings" icon () on the client's main window, you can enable the selection "Stop tracking when PC is locked". Turn this from "Off" to "On".

When this is turned on and you lock your computer or it goes into power-saving mode, time tracking stops completely. When you log back on, your Windows Client will display the following message and you will have to start time tracking again from scratch:

Tracking Stopped - Track Length Exceeded

 

Under "Configuration" -> "Time Tracking", an admin can set a number, in hours, at which the Windows Client will stop tracking once this number has been exceeded. When you cross that threshold, time tracking will stop and the following message will display:

Tracking Stopped - Entry Edited or Deleted by User

 

If a user edits or deletes the current time track, tracking will stop on that work item and the following message will display:

Network Issue in the System - Client Lost Connection to DevOps Server/Services

If the Windows Client loses connection to DevOps Server/Services due to some kind of network issue, the following "Reconnecting ..." icon and message will display on the main client window. Time tracking does not stop in this case and continues in the background until connectivity has been re-established.

Tracking time with the Windows Client from the work item form

For more information on the Windows Client installation and pairing process, please see the 7pace Timetracker Windows Client Installation and Pairing Guide.

1. Open a work item to view or edit the "Details" tab.  

You will see the Start Tracking button.

2. Click on the "Start Tracking" button on the work item form.

This initiates tracking on the Windows Client (and the the Web Client that is built into every page of 7pace Timetracker).

Reset Windows Client visibility

With multi-monitor setups, sometimes the Windows Client may disappear from your screen viewing area if you change your monitor setup.

To solve this issue, right-click on the client icon in your system tray and select "Reset Window visibility". The Windows Client should now display on your viewing area. 

Exiting the Windows Client