The new release build 99 includes support for Microsoft Sql Server multiuser databases.  You can still use the application in the single user mode and this is the default install mode, but if you want to have multiple users running Simply Track Time and have the ability to access from multiple desktops then you can do this now.

 

First you need to install Microsoft SQL Express and this is really easy if you follow these instructions on this helpful web page.  (http://www.microsoft.com/express/sql/download/) that Microsoft(tm) have put together to help with installing SQL Server Express.  You would do this logged in to the machine that will be be your database server as an administrator.

 

Then you install Simply Track Time as usual instructions here (Installation Instructions).

 

Now you need to do 2 things:

a) Enable the TCP/IP network protocol on SQLExpress.

b) Create the database to store your data in.

 

Instructions for both these steps are here. (Installation Instructions - Database Server).

 

We're working on improving the installation process to make configuration easier - but for now hope these instructions help.

 

Version 93 which was uploaded today includes support for multi-user operations.  Somewhat crazily it looks like MySql is going to be the easiest database to use for this as the deployment process is much simpler.  But this is still being finalised.

 

The idea is that the first time the application is started the database complete with tables and user accounts is created automatically.

 

This is quite straight forward for SQL CE - the database that is used in standalone mode.  It used to be quite straightforward using MSDE -not really an option now as support for it has dropped.  But SQLExpress - what a nightmare!  It seems the list of dependencies and the size of the downloads would be major barriers to using it.

 

Enter MySql, a smaller 30M download (compared with SQLExpress 2008 at 80M) and trivial silent installation options.  The operating system support is more flexible as well.  Simply Track Time is a windows forms application that uses the dot net framework, but it is intended to be used in operations that may not have a Windows(tm) Server.

 

Development of the deployment package is still a work in progress and the multi-user set up is not complete yet.  In a future post I'll link to the documentation for doing this.  In the meantime if you want to install a multi-user mode - let me know via the Contact Us page.

 

 

There is a new version available for download.  This has some cosmetic changes to a couple of the forms and also the tab order for the Code and Reference forms has been made sane.  It was just a little bit to infuriating before.

 

There is also a new contact us page - where you can send in thoughts or comments about the application.  This uses the Google Sites/Documents approach to manage form submissions.

I guess this should be made public very soon.  Just a few things to write about on the help and then there should be enough information for people to make use of this.  Actually writing the help is taking almost as long as writing the application.  I keep finding things that could make more sense and then having to decide whether to prioritize them as new features or change now.  Talk about feature creep. 

 

Simply Track Time is the product of a request from a friend for a program to use to keep track of time in his professional services firm blended with my frustration with the restrictive nature of time recording systems that I have used (and been forced to use) in corporate environments.

 

This theory for time recording: