DailyDeeds is an application you use to track and report what you do with your time on the job. It is intended for hard working folks who have many different tasks during their workday, and like to produce a periodic accounting of how much time is spent on each of their tasks.
Some folks are required to give such an accounting, others do it for personal time management. I'm required to keep a timelog of all that I do on the job, and once per year produce a report of how much time I've spent on each task during the year. I wrote this program to make it easy for me to keep track of my time and tasks and produce that report.
I've since discovered that producing such reports at different time intervals not only keeps my supervisor up-to-date on what I am doing, but also can be used for proving my value to my employer. I also use DailyDeeds for a quick check on how many hours I've worked during a pay period (I'm on a timecard and I'm not allowed to work more than 40 hrs/workweek). With just a couple of clicks of the mouse, I can see if I must leave work early on the last day of the workweek.
DailyDeeds is no-warranty as-is freeware. You can copy it freely and give it to anyone anywhere.
The Files on Your Disk
Your disk should have two files -- the DailyDeeds application and the “How to Use DailyDeeds” manual (in MacWrite II format):
DailyDeeds creates and maintains two kinds of files on your disk -- the timelog file and its corresponding deeds menu file:
Both the timelog file and it’s menu file must be kept together in the same folder on your disk. Double-clicking on the timelog file will cause DailyDeeds to startup and open both the timelog and menu files. Double-clicking on the menu file will cause DailyDeeds to open a new empty timelog, but with the deeds menu already filled (this makes it easy to create new timelog files without having to manually recreate the deeds menu).
Starting DailyDeeds the first time
You should use a copy of DailyDeeds, not your original. Copy DailyDeeds on the diskette or in the folder you wish to keep it and your timelog file.
Double-click on the DailyDeeds icon and wait a second for it to display the "About..." box. Click the mouse once (or do nothing for 5 seconds), then you'll see:
This is normally where you would open an existing timelog “deeds menu” file in order to create a new, empty timelog file with an existing set of deeds to choose from (more about this later). Or, if you had an existing timelog file, you could just double-click on it from the desktop and the Mac would start DailyDeeds and open the timelog. Since you're starting a new empty timelog file with a new empty deeds menu, click the "Cancel" button with the mouse. Next you'll see one day's log:
Entering Your Deeds into the Log
Entering Deeds into the Menu
Before you can enter deeds into the log, you must add some deeds into the "Deeds" pull-down menu. You do this by selecting "Add Deed to Menu" in the "Edit" menu:
Once "Add Deeds" has been selected you'll see this:
All you need to do is type a deed (task) and press return (or click OK). Simply repeat this process until you have a workable set of deeds in the "Deeds" menu. Don't worry, you can add some more at any time. Here is what the "Deeds" menu will look like after you've added a few items in it:
You can add a previously deleted deed without fear of duplication. A few characters have special meanings in menus ( ; ^ ! < / ( ), so any of them you enter will be automatically replaced by a period.
Entering Deeds into the Log
Simply select a deed in the "Deeds" menu and then click the box representing the appropriate 15 minute time period with the mouse.
If you wish to repeat the entry of the selected deed, you can click several boxes with the mouse. You can press the "Return" or "Enter" key repeatedly to enter the selected deed in several adjoining boxes. You can use the "Tab" key to skip over boxes. I like to use the mouse for selecting a deed and the enter key for entering that deed, but you can use whatever method appeals to you the most.
The Date of the log can be edited like normal text (by selecting the characters you want to change and then typing), but you must enter a date in the MM/DD/YYYY format (e.g., June 10 1952 is entered as 6/10/1952). When you change the date on a log, DailyDeeds repositions the log in your logfile according to date order.
You can view and edit other day's logs with the "Backward" and "Forward" buttons at the bottom of the log. The "Clear Changes" button clears changes you've made to the displayed day’s log since you’ve either looked at another day’s log or saved the file to disk.
When you're done entering deeds into the log, you select "Quit" in the "File" menu and then confirm whether or not you want to save the changes you made to the logfile.
If your log is named "Untitled", you will be prompted to enter a real name for your logfile to save it on a disk. Two files will be saved -- your timelog file and your timelog’s menu file.
Editing Deeds in the Menu
Should you wish to change one of the deeds in the "Deeds" pull-down menu, you merely select a deed in the "Deeds" pull-down menu,
then select "Edit Checked Deed" in the "Edit" pull-down menu.
You will see the dialogue below, where you may change the deed to whatever you like. A few characters have special meanings in menus ( ; ^ ! < / ( ), so any of them you enter will be automatically replaced by a period.
When you change a deed in the menu, your log will display that change as well. If you change a deed to one that you previously deleted, your log will not change (otherwise your log might become incorrect).
Deleting Deeds in the Menu
If your "Deeds" pull-down menu is looking cluttered with deeds you don't need anymore (or if you’re trying to put more than 31 deeds in the menu), you can delete some. Deleting a deed from the menu will not delete it from your log. This way, you can keep a short "Deeds" menu and still produce reports on everything you've ever done (your log’s menu file can hold up to 360 deeds).
To delete a deed from the "Deeds" pull-down menu, select the deed you want to delete (in the menu), then select "Delete Checked Deed" in the "Edit" menu.
You'll be asked to confirm your command to delete that deed:
Once you've deleted the deed from the menu, your log will display that deed with an asterisk prefixed. This tells you that this deed has been deleted and that DailyDeeds will remember it for your reports.
Changing the Log File’s Hours
The 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. hour titles are the default. You can change these by selecting “Change Row Hours” under the “Options” menu:
Then just enter the starting hour for the hour titles (1 thru 11 = a.m. hours, 12 thru 23 = p.m. hours, 24 = midnight).
Automatic File Backups
At your option, you can have your timelog file and its menu file backed-up every time you save changes (just in case you goof and then save it to disk). Just select “Auto File Backup” under the “Options” menu:
When the “Auto File Backup” option is turned on, you can see a checkmark next to it:
What “Auto File Backup” really does is rename the previous version of your timelog and menu files to “Backup” + the name they had, just before DailyDeeds saves your timelog and menu files to disk.
Creating and Deleting Daily Logs
When you start DailyDeeds for the first time, you are given one day's log to fill in. If you want to fill in more logs (for more days), then you need to get a new empty log.
If you select "New empty log" in the "Log" menu, you'll get an empty log for today's date. You can edit the date to whatever you like (DailyDeeds keeps your logs in date order). Be sure you enter the date in the MM/DD/YYYY format. You can then enter deeds into the log.
If you want to delete the day's log that is displayed on the screen, select "Delete This Log" in the "Log" menu.
Next, click on the “OK” button to confirm deleting that day’s log:
Finding a Daily Log
Let's say your log file has 100 daily logs in it, and you need to look back at the log for one particular date. Select "Lookup Date" under the "Log" menu:
and then enter the log's date.
Displaying the Log in the Middle Quickly
Say your file has 200 logs in it and you want to look at the log in the middle and you don’t want to click on the “Backward” button for 30 minutes. Just select “Go To” under the “Log” menu:
Then enter the number (not date) of the log you want to see (each log displays its number in the upper right-hand corner). You don’t have to enter leading zeroes:
Producing Reports of Your Daily Deeds
You can produce reports of your activities over a given date range. Your reports can be output to a printer, a disk file, or the screen. No matter what output device you want for your report, you'll select "Print Report" in the "File" pull-down menu.
Next you'll see the following dialogue, which wants you to enter the starting and ending dates for the report (the earliest and latest dates in your logfile appear by default). You also must click the button next to the output device that you want for your report (if the button is not already filled in). Click OK when you're ready.
What you see next depends on which output device you selected.
If You Selected "Printer"
You'll see the standard printer dialogue box to confirm your command:
Click OK and let your report print.
If You Selected "Disk"
You'll see the standard file dialogue for you to enter a file name for your report and confirm your command:
The disk file will have a tab character separating the columns in the report. This is so you can use the tab on the ruler in your word processor to position the columns exactly where you want them.
If You Selected "Screen"
A scrollable window will open on the screen and (after a brief wait) will contain your report.
If you wish, you can select lines of the report and "Copy" them to the clipboard for pasting into another application's document. The clipboard will have spaces separating the columns in the report.
Exporting Your Logs to Another Application
Perhaps one day you will find another program that can analyze your timelog in a great way, giving you the ultimate insight into the way you utilize your time. You can "export" your DailyDeeds log to a file that most Macintosh database and statistical programs can read. To do this, just select "Export As" in the "File" menu. Next, give the file a name and confirm your command:
The exported file will be a TEXT file. The file will have one line (record) per day with a tab character between the date and deeds. Each deed in a line represents one fifteen minute time period.
Quitting DailyDeeds
To quit DailyDeeds, select "Quit" in the "File" menu.
If you've made any changes to your log since you started DailyDeeds, you'll be asked if you want to save those changes (normally you will want to save changes to your log).
DailyDeeds under MultiFinder
DailyDeeds uses 160K RAM under MultiFinder. Most MultiFinder users will be able to leave DailyDeeds open while they use other applications. Although DailyDeeds does not support the fancier features of MultiFinder (like background processing, etc.), it works fine. You can switch between DailyDeeds and other applications under MultiFinder with no problems.
DailyDeeds Limits and Requirements
It allows up to 360 daily logs in one timelog file. Up to 360 deeds can be stored in a timlog file’s menu file. Up to 31 deeds can appear in the “Deeds” menu.
Both the timelog file and its menu file must be in the same folder on a disk. They don’t need to be in the same folder as DailyDeeds.
This version of DailyDeeds requires a Mac Plus or better running System 4.1 or later.
DailyDeeds Legal Matters
I make no warranties, express or implied, that DailyDeeds is free of error, or is consistent with any particular standard of merchantability, or that it will meet your requirements for any particular application. It should not be relied on when an incorrect timelog or report could result in injury to a person or loss of property. If you do use DailyDeeds in such a manner, it is at your own risk. I disclaim all liability for direct or consequential damages resulting from your use of this program.
Changes Since Version 1.04c
Deeds for a log file are in a separate menu file
deeds menu file’s name = log file’s name + “Menu”
(to use the same deeds menu for a new empty log file
just open the old menu file from the Finder or close your logfile,
select “New” under the “File” menu, then open the menu file)
Deeds are sorted alphabetically in deeds menu
after opening a log file, or adding/deleting a deed from menu
(editing a deed does not resort the menu)
Log file can be opened and closed
“Go To” command added to Log menu
Hours titles can be changed
Automatically converts old format log to new format log
old format log file remains untouched
new format log files have default names = “New” + old name
Optionally makes backups of log and menu files during save
backup files’ names = “Backup” + files’ names
Correctly reports any date not found errors
Correctly handles two logs with the same date
Keyboard equivalents to most menu commands
New deed added to menu is automatically selected
Confirmation dialog added to Delete This Log command
Changed text of some dialogs, buttons, and menu commands
