An Introduction to Beezy

Time tracking in Beezy

Beezy (pronounced “Bee-zee”) is a simply to use and comfortable time tracker that provides you an opportunity to attach Before and After pictures to the data session. It is the first ‘know-how’ in comparison to another time trackers.

Beezy is suitable for professional usage as a time sheet storage fit for following export by email for invoices, statistics and so on. And Beezy is suitable for amateur usage as an illustrated journal of important events.

On the one hand, you can build with Beezy a well-developed hierarchical structure for your personal or work requirements rather simply and sophistically. On the other hand, you can prefer to use it without worrying about any structure. It is second advantage of Beezy.

Some of the things you can do with Beezy include:

• Record your session time and keep it in order like Client/Project/Task/ structure.
• Take pictures before the beginning of a session and after finishing it and then to attach these data to a session report. Also you can use existing pictures from your library for this purpose.
• Add your own text notes to each session similar to another time trackers. Mark it as “billed” or “Impressive!”, as you wish.
• Just quickly have a look on two pictures together or comparing them in handy.
• Reorder your information if you wish. Special adjustable folders such as Unsorted, Archive and Trash help you to keep close what you need only.

The Basics: Folders and Sessions

This section will provide you with an introduction to the two basic elements of Beezy, folders and sessions. If you are an experienced user, you may to read chapter “Folders” only then to skip ahead to “Overview of the Beezy Interface”.

Folders

When you open Beezy for the first time, you can see list of the objects named Home, Work, Unsorted, Archive and Trash. There are folders, a computer metaphor of a real stationery folders used everywhere.

Usually every computer folder can contain any quantity of another folders and objects such as document files, photos, notes and so on.

Difference of the Beezy’s folders is that every Folder can contain either Folders or objects, in this instance Sessions. It means that with Beezy you cannot create a new Folder in the Folder that contains a Session or Sessions already. And it means that Beezy cannot store Folders and Sessions together.

Tip: However if you need to create subfolder in folder that already contains a session or sessions you can do it in this way.

Being in folder, press Edit button, select all the sessions in the folder and move them to Unsorted folder or to any another place. Then return to the empty folder and create a folder you wish. Now you can move back sessions to convenient folders.

Sessions

Movie showtime this is a good metaphor for a session. A session has a date and time of beginning and a date and time of finishing, for example, September 29, 2008, from 17:30 to 19:07.

As the Active Session is unfinished so it has not the date and time of finishing.

You can have one Active Session per time only with Beezy.

After stopping of the timer Beezy keeps session time meanings rounds them to minutes in this way:

• 19:05:01 ≈ 19:05
• 19:05:29 ≈ 19:05
• 19:05:30 ≈ 19:06

Beezy uses the same time format as specified in the regional settings of your mobile device.

Detailed, step-by-step instructions on working with Session Controls will be provided in the next chapters.

Special Folders

Three special folders will help you to keep your data legibly and arranged. You can see them at the end of folders list after the first opening of the application.

Unsorted, Archive and Trash folders are non-removable but you can rename Unsorted folder and hide Archive and Trash folders. Detailed instructions how to do it are provided in chapter “Customizing”.

Unsorted folder keeps sessions that were initialized when you were in the folders contained another folders but not sessions. You can move saved sessions from Unsorted to any another folder or on the contrary you can prefer to use this folder as a sole folder for keeping all the information. Also you can rename this folder using the Settings application. Detailed instructions to do it are provided in chapter “Customizing”.

Archive folder can keep information that you do not need to see actually but that can be necessary in future. You cannot to add a new folder here or to save a new session in the folder stored in Archive: at first you must to move this folder from the Archive.

Archive folder is non-removable but you can hide it using the Settings application. Detailed instructions how to do it are provided in chapter “Customizing”.

Trash folder keeps deleted folders or sessions if Trash Usage turns on in the Settings application. You cannot see folder’s or session’s details directly from the Trash folder but you can restore folders or sessions from the Trash.

Trash folder is non-removable but you can hide it or turn off using the Settings application. Detailed instructions how to do it are provided in chapter “Customizing”.

The Details: Pictures and Notes

Beezy provides an opportunity to attach text notes and two pictures to each Session’s Report. You can use this opportunity on your own manner but more logically is to use these pictures as illustrations of the two conditions of something, before and after tracking.

Pictures

You can use photos taken directly from Beezy on your iPhone. Also you can use existing pictures from your library on iPhone or iPod touch. There is not any time limitation of adding such pictures, so you can prefer to add a picture before starting a new session, during it or after finishing.

The link between session and the attached pictures remain editable at any time, so you can change linked pictures at any time you need. Pictures used in Beezy Session Reports are stored in a Beezy’s internal folder and they would be deleted if you will remove Beezy application from your device.

Pictures are stored in Beezy in uncropped original size but they are showed in Session Report view cropped to square proportions.

Notes

You can add simply unformatted text notes to each session with Beezy. These Notes store in an internal Beezy database and you can export them as a Session Report in TXT format by email.

Important: Regularly backup your important information (pictures and notes) sending Session Reports by email or using iTunes for backup whole your iPhone/iPod touch contains.

Overview of the Beezy Interface

A Tour of the Beezy Inerface

Beezy is an attractive and easy-to-use application thanks to its revolutionary Multi-Touch interface for iPhone/iPod touch.

Beezy has three main editable views: Folders List, Sessions List and Session Controls.

Also it has a resulted uneditable Session Report view.

Basic Operations

Starting of a New Session

1. You can begin time tracking immediately after opening of Beezy, using foolproof control.
2. To initialize a new session tap the button with watch icon that is available from any view, except Session Report.
3. Then slide button to the right to start a new session. The working time indicator that has begun time tracking will be showed in response to.

Finishing of the Session

1. You can finish your actual session after 5 seconds from the start of it only. Slider to do it will be appeared automatically.
2. You cannot make any pauses or fix loops during your working actual session with Beezy.

Adding Pictures

1. Beezy uses the standard possibilities of iPhone OS provided mechanism for getting pictures from its internal camera or library.
2. To add a picture to your session tap the button with camera icon available from Session Controls view only.
3. To make sure what the added picture would be considered, Before or After, an indicator from two dotes and Navigation Bar are available.

Adding Notes

1. Beezy uses the standard possibilities of iPhone OS provided mechanism for typing texts using on-screen keyboard.
2. To add Notes to your session tap the button with pencil icon available from Session Controls view only.

Navigation and Organization

Creating Folders

1. With Beezy you can create a new Folder in any Folder that contains other Folders or is empty. It means that you cannot create a new Folder in the Folder that contains Session or Sessions already.
2. For more detailed information how to avoid this limitation, see chapter “The Basics: Folders and Sessions”.
3. To create a new Folder tap the button with plus icon available from Folders List view.
4. Note: Now Beezy Folders have three levels of hierarchy only. It is quite enough for creating structures such as Client/Project/Task/Session or Family/Kids/Name/Event. Numbers of hierarchical levels would be increased in the next updates.

Renaming Folders and Sessions

1. Beezy names Folders and Sessions by default as Untitled, Untitled-1, Untitled-2, ... and so on.
2. To rename an existing Folder or Session tap Edit button. Then select object you want to rename.
3. Tap Rename button then type in the text input field that appears.

Managing Folders and Sessions

1. You can be needed to move a Folder or Session from one Folder to another, rearrange Folders List or delete some Folders or Sessions.
2. To move your session tap button with folder with arrow icon available from Session Controls view. Alternative way to do it would be explained later.
3. To move one or more Folders or Sessions tap Edit button in Folder List or Sessions List view. Then select Folders or Sessions you want to move.
4. Tap Move button then set a target location in the Folders Tree view that appears.
5. Note: You cannot move a Folder in the Folder that contains Session or Sessions already. For more detailed information how to avoid this limitation, please, see chapter “The Basics: Folders and Sessions”.

Adding Comments to Folder

1. With Beezy you can add some comments to every Folder.
2. You can type it in the text input field that appears below Folder’s Name field during creating or editing Folder’s name.
3. Folder’s comments do not include in search results and do not send by export.
4. Tip: You can use Folder’s comments for your eyes notes only.

Working in Background

One Application, One Timer

1. iPhone OS lets to use one application at a time only, that’s why applications from manufacturers other than Apple never run in background.
2. But Beezy is able to remember time when you quitted the application and automatically calculate an active session duration when you will come back to Beezy.
3. Indicator of running active session timer will appear on iPhone home screen. So, if you have active timer you can always be sure that your time is tracked even if Beezy is not active.

Viewing and Export

1. Beezy provides two ways to view session details: Session Controls view and Session Report view.
2. You may want to:

• Create screenshot of Session Report as one whole picture 320×480 pixels size.
• Send detailed text report and full-size pictures by email.

Creating Screenshot

1. This built-in feature is working in firmware version iPhone OS 2.0 or later only.
2. Press Home (a big round button below screen) and Lock (a slim button on the top) buttons at the same time.
3. After a short flash a new picture will be saved into your camera roll.

Export by Email

1. To send a Session Report as text by Email tap icon with envelop available in Session Controls view.
2. A Session Report include full Folder path, Folder name, Session name, Session Notes (if they exist), Session times and duration.
3. Note: Detailed Session Report sending by Email does not include Folders comments.
4. Tip: Folder comments can be used for your private usage only.

Customizing

Name of the Default Folder

1. Beezy has a special everpresent non-removable Unsorted folder. It is used as storage for all new created sessions initialized from folders contained other folders.
2. To rename Unsorted folder quit Beezy and open Settings application from iPhone home screen. Tap Beezy icon in application section. Then tap Default Folder button and type a new name in the text input field that appears.
3. Tip: If you do not need strong folders structure you can store all your Session Reports in this default folder. There is not any limitation on objects quantity. Name it My Stuff or something else.

Displaying of Special Folders

1. Special everpresent non-removable Archive and Trash folders can be hide to give you an opportunity to keep your data legibly and arranged.
2. To hide Archive and/or Trash folders quit Beezy and open Settings application from iPhone home screen. Tap Beezy icon in application section. Then switch displaying of a select folder to OFF.

Trash Usage

1. Trash folder used for temporary keeping deleted Folders and Session, allow you to restore it if it is necessary. Despite Trash folder is everpresent and non-removable, you can set up Beezy to exclude usage of it and delete Folders and Sessions immediately.
2. To exclude usage of Trash folder quit Beezy and open Settings application from iPhone home screen. Tap Beezy icon in application section. Then switch Usage Trash to OFF.