TRS is a time recording and time analysis application, 
which I wrote for my own purposes and which is offered to 
other Psion users free of any formal shareware fee. 
However, if you like it and find it useful, I won't object 
to you sending me £10 towards the cost of my next SSD 
upgrade!

The program is relatively straightforward to use, but the 
following notes may be hlpful.

1. Instal trbs.opa in any \app directory. The program 
creates the files it needs which will be kept in a 
directory called \time on the disk you specify.

2. At startup a file called trbs.trs is created to hold 
your main time records. You can continue to use this file, 
but you will be asked if you want to create a file for the 
current month. If you say yes, a file called txxxmmyy.trs 
is created, where xxx are your initials (which are stored 
in a settings file) and mmyy are the current month and 
year. The program assumes you'll want to create a new file 
for each month. You pick the month you want to work with 
from the system screen. The first time you open the app in 
a new month you'll be asked if you want to create a new 
file for that month. If you refuse, you'll continue to 
work with the file you opened.

3. Clients, Projects and Activities are stored in separate 
files along with a code, should you wish to specify codes 
as well as text descriptions. Time entries and the three 
types of codes are all established in text format so you 
can work with them using data or one of the other database 
apps.

4. New clients, project types and activities can be 
entered directly into the "code" files. Alternatively, if 
you type a new client, project or action into the "dialog" 
screen (when creating a new time recording entry) you'll be 
asked if you want it added to the code file. The dialog 
screens (for new timer and direct entries and for 
selecting criteria for "List by criterion")
look a little bit like a standard 3A/C dialog box --
when you start keying in letters the appropriate code file 
is searched and the next entry starting with the letters 
you typed in appears in the box (good practice to sort the 
code files now and again - use Codes option on front 
screen). But if a matching entry isn't found the box will 
display what you actually type (my editor is a bit basic 
I'm afraid but that shouldn't cause too many problems). 
You'll get used to it!

5. Time can be entered in two ways - by starting the timer 
(which can be paused and restarted as often as you like) 
or by direct entry (i.e you enter the time spent 
explicitly). Time records always store time in minutes 
(each time entry comprises a description, client, project, 
activity type, time type (chargeable, client 
non-chargeable, special, vacation, illness and other), 
date of entry and the no of minutes on the task described 
by the entry.

6. The timer continues to operate while you enter other 
tasks directly. It also continues to operate after you 
exit the program. If you didn't close the timer when 
you exited you'll be confronted with the status quo when 
you restart the program.

7. You choose the time period you want to use for direct 
entries and for reporting purposes. You can use minutes, 
"units", hours or days (you specify the number of minutes 
in your "unit" and the number of hours in a day via the 
Settings option). The timer always works in minutes.

8. There are lots of reports. The one called timecard 
consolidates all tasks which have the same client, 
project, action and time type. It will produce a 
consolidation which shows codes instead of client, project 
and activity names, but be warned the sort process that 
has to be gone through takes a LONG time if you produce 
the timecard based on codes!! Listings are simple record 
prints to screen. No printing I'm afraid

9. By default when you first use the program, control 
passes back to the "front screen" (with button choices) 
after each action. You can alter the settings so that for 
certain processes you automatically repeat that process 
after each action.

Peter Bennett
100025,1165
Old Forge Cottage
Coopers Green
St Albans
AL4 9HL