Project Timer / News: Recent posts

The 3.0 alpha release is available for download. This is a reworked version which makes some parts stronger and strips functionality from older sections of the project system.

Help is wanted to strengthen this project system. There is a lot to be done with hopes of integrating it with other systems in the future. If you know PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, and AJAX/JSON and you want to join a project then join this one. This is a fledgling project that is an idea with a lot of room to grow, you can be a part of it.

I've uploaded the development files to the SVN site. The database has been created and uploaded as well. Brief instructions are provided for developers who wish to help.

Development of the new Project Timer Mark 2 is moving well. A database design has been created to add more functionality, such as a calendar and bitmasked permissions. Development on the website has begun and as of this report the proprietary login class, windows authentication class, and MySQL database class has been created and tested.

More reports will be available as the work gets closer to delivery.

A new iteration of the Project Timer system is now in the brainstorming stage of development. Documentation for requirements is being created and development will begin shortly. The new system will include Active Directory integration, custom authentication with any authentication system, PHP 5 support standard (no longer will PHP 4 be supported). A new database connector will be developed to allow any database connection, custom connectors can be developed to allow any database system. customers will no longer have to log into their own website, now everything will be integrated in one site maintained by permission levels. Lastly, the site will have a new style template system which will allow any stylesheet to change almost any property in the site. ... read more

Version 2.3 is the object-oriented implementation of the Project Timer system. With revisions 1 and 2 I've fixed a couple of bugs with the update. To remind everyone interested, I've updated the system to use objects because it's easier to maintain and reduces the amount of code. For instance, before the update the zip files were 431KB, now they are 289KB, and the updates in revision 1 and 2 only took a couple of minutes to complete rather than hours.... read more

Redesigning the system to utilize an object-oriented style is going well. Many main pages have been converted and some new classes have been developed to support the system. Doing this is improving the readability of the code, which will be modeled in UML in the future. It not only helps the developers while they program, but it will help you as the user if you have a problem that needs to be fixed. The speed of bug tracking and fixing will improve significantly.... read more

You might be wondering "why release 3?" Well, the release number indicates a minor fix or update that does not signify a major update. Major updates are usually a result of a new addition to the project in terms of functionality and are noted by another tenth-place number, ex. 2.2->2.3.

So what's in release 3? R3 is just a simple update that ensures the client section has the full amount of functionality portrayed in the employee section, namely the document download. It also makes sure that the client section is compatible with PHP 5 and backwards compatible to PHP 4.3+.

The Project Timer is now compatible with PHP5. This process took a little time, but it was mainly a matter of changing several variable instances, nothing too big. In the process I also updated the image thumbnail generator so it now displays GIFs with alpha values, PNGs with alpha, and has the ability to choose between resize mode and resampled mode if the developer chooses one over the other.

In the works is converting the system to use more classes (more object oriented), and making the image thumbnail generator crop image heights.... read more

I'm currently working on redeveloping the system to work with PHP5.

I installed a development environment on my local machine which included PHP5 and discovered that the program has some errors. I will be going through the program to weed out these errors and make the program compatible with PHP 4.3 and PHP 5+. I will also be using more objects than the original program had. This should make the system more modular and easier to modify.... read more

The Project Timer has been in development for a couple of years now. Slowly I have made more features, starting with a timing system for projects. I now have billing, permission levels, and most recently document uploads for individual projects among many other functions.

I have decided that I need some help on this project to make it something extraordinary. If you are a programmer and have a good understanding of PHP, Javascript, and MySQL, then I want your support.... read more