Features
QuickLogger brings more power to your task logging, with a variety of options and features, including:
- Logging tasks in Excel, Text, HTML, or CSV formats.
- Full control over the path where your logs are saved.
- Automatic rotation to a new log on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis.
- Control over the number of tasks that show up in your list.
- Choice between a static task list, a dynamic list, or a mixture of the two.
- User-configurable INI file.
- Auto-generated and auto-updated AutoHotKey script.
How to use QuickLogger
When you first start up QuickLogger it will look like this:
Every time you open the program the focus will be in the New Task input box at the top. If you want to, you can just type in your task name and hit Enter—no mouse required. Below that input box is a list of previously saved tasks, which you can get to by just pressing the down arrow or the Tab key. Static tasks, if you are using them, will always be at the top, and dynamic tasks will be listed below them. New dynamic tasks will be appended to the top of the dynamic task list as they are entered into the New Task input box. If you select a task in the Saved Tasks list, it will fill in the New Task List. That will allow you to easily make a new task based on the previous task name.
In Excel, QuickLogger allows you to track projects with multiple tasks separately. To assign a task to a project, place the project name in front of the task separated by a vertical line (|). For example, if you are working on two separate web development projects, but both require the same basic tasks, your task list might look like this:
Joe’s Website|Layout development
Joe’s Website|Converting images
Cindy’s Website|Layout Development
In your Excel spreadsheet log the projects and tasks will be tracked separately and you will be given project and task totals for each day.
To change the QuickLogger program options, click on the << View Options >> button. You will see this:
Help Link
The “Help” link will bring you to the Help page here on the QuickLogger website.
Window Placement:
Top: This number indicates the number of pixels from the top of your screen the top-left corner of the program will be placed.
Left: This number indicates the number of pixels from the left side of your screen the top-left corner of the program will be placed.
Set window placement: Move the program window and click this link to place the coordinates in the Top and Left fields.
General Options
Check for Updates: QuickLogger can be set up to check the server and alert you when an update is available (Yes), to ignore updates (No), or to automatically update itself (Auto). The Update function will only run on a new day when no tasks have yet been logged.
Update AHK File Path: If this option is set to Yes, the program will keep the QuickLogger.ahk file up-to-date with new file paths when they are created. This option is turned off by default so that users without AutoHotKey will not get an error message.
File Shortcut: In addition to saving a shortcut to the latest log file in your AHK file, QuickLogger can also keep a regular Windows shortcut up-to-date with the same information. You can have the program save that shortcut in the QuickLogger folder or on your desktop.
Stop Task: You can set any task as a “stop task” in the program. When you log your stop task, whether as a Static or Dynamic task, the Excel spreadsheet will not include a time reading for that time period. In a sense, this is really like a pause in the active timing of your tasks. So, if you take a break between projects, you can log your stop task and the Total hours for the day will not reflect that time.
Task List Options
List Type: You have the ability to choose one of three types of saved lists: Static, Dynamic, or Mixed. A Static list is useful if you have recurring tasks that you want to track without having to type them in over and over again. A Dynamic list is useful for keeping track of your most recent tasks. A Mixed list provides the benefits of both Static and Dynamic lists. With Mixed lists, your static tasks appear at the top of the Saved Tasks list and your most recent dynamic tasks appear under that.
Total Tasks: You can control the number of tasks that are saved and shown in the program with this number. This value includes the total number of Static an Dynamic tasks if you have Mixed selected.
Static Tasks: This is the number of static tasks that will appear in the list when you have Mixed selected.
New Static List: When you click on this link you are given an input box to add a new Static task to your list. The new task is placed at the top of the Static list, and the bottom task is bumped off the list.
Projects: QuickLogger allows you to track projects with multiple tasks, or to just track tasks. By default, the program will save the project data in your Excel spreadsheet. If you are not interested in using projects, just set this variable to Invisible and those columns will be hidden.
File Options
Base File Name: This is the text that will be used as a foundation for your log filenames. If you also have the rotation setting on (it is by default), the date of the file will be appended to this base name. For instance, your file may be called “Quicklog.xls” or “QuickLog.2007-10-01.xls” or just “2007-10-01.xls”.
File Type: QuickLogger can generate Excel spreadsheets, Excel 2007 spreadsheets, text files, basic HTML files, or CSV files. Each format has its own benefits, and you can choose the one that fits your needs best. Be aware: if you change formats after logging for a while, your new file will not include the content in your old file type.
File Path: This is the path where your log files should be saved. If the program does not see the correct file in that directory a few file will be created. Be Aware: if you specify a directory that does not exist the program will generate an error.
Monthly Folder: QuickLogger can automatically save your log files in a new folder for each month of the year. This option is turned off by default.
Rotation: You can choose to rotate your task logs on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly cycle. In each case, a new file with the current date will be automatically generated on the first day of the new period that you log something.
First Day: This setting is used for weekly rotation. It determines what day of the week is considered the first day.
Timestamp Format: When you are logging your tasks in Excel you are given the option to have the timestamp for each task be formatted in 12- or 24-hour format.
Elapsed Time Format: When you are logging your tasks in Excel you are given the option to have the time elapsed for each task inserted into the spreadsheet as a formula or as a number. If you want to be able to reorder your tasks to get a total time for a certain task type, then use the Number option. The Formula option will make this manual summarization impossible.
To save your changes to the Options, click the Save Changes button. To go back to the logging screen, click Cancel.
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There are a variety of keyboard shortcuts available in QuickLogger, all of which are designed to make it easier to use.
Escape: The Esc key will exit the program if your cursor is in the New Task or Saved Task fields.
Enter: Pressing Enter in the New Task or Saved Task fields will log the task entered or selected.
Down Arrow: Pressing the down arrow while in the New Task field will move the focus to the Saved Task list. That makes selecting a saved task very easy to do.
Ctrl + Alt + L: The QuickLogger.ahk file, which is created by default by QuickLogger, includes this shortcut to open the program.
Ctrl + Alt + K: The AHK file also includes this shortcut to open the current log file. The Update AHK File Path option must be turned on to activate this feature.
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Command Line Options
QuickLogger can be run directly from the Windows command line or can be used with command line utilities like Lunchy and Executor. To open the program with a specific task logged, you can use one of the following types of commands:
QuickLogger.hta “my task”
QuickLogger.hta -t “lunch break”
QuickLogger.hta -t lunchbreak
The optional “-t” operator denotes a task. Other operators include:
-b (begin, minutes back or start time; 24 hour notation)
-d (duration)
-r resume current task
-p resume previous task (instead of -t “taskname”)
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System Requirements:
- Microsoft Windows only (tested in XP and Vista)
- You must have the Windows Scripting Host installed (usually is by default, go here if not)
- To use the Microsoft Excel logging feature you must have Excel installed. If you run into incompatibilities, please report a bug.
- I am not sure about processor or memory requirements, but they are so low you should have no problems.
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