Time Data Management

Time Interval Storage #

How Time Data is Stored and Organized #

The time tracking system uses a centralized time_intervals table structure for all time data storage:

Core Time Interval Fields:

• started_at and finished_at timestamps for precise time tracking
• user_id links time to specific team members
• project_id associates time with projects
• task_id (optional) for task-specific time tracking
• type field indicating tracking method (START, CONTINUE, FINISH, AUTO)
• manual_time flag distinguishing manual entries from desktop app tracking

Database Relationships:

• Foreign key relationships ensure data integrity with users and projects
• Soft delete capabilities for project and user references
• Indexed started_at field for efficient date-based queries
• Support for multi-currency time tracking through currency_id field

Data Organization:

• Time intervals are stored with timezone-aware timestamps
• Notes can be attached to time intervals through polymorphic relationships
• Screenshot associations link visual proof to time intervals
• Team isolation ensures data security and proper access control

Time Calculation Methods #

Duration Calculations and Time Formatting #

The system employs multiple sophisticated methods for time calculations:

Duration Calculation:

• Primary calculation uses `TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, started_at, finished_at)` for precision
• Automatic conversion between seconds, minutes, hours, and days
• Support for both decimal hours and HH:MM:SS time formatting
• Time-to-hours conversion: `hours + (minutes/60) + (seconds/3600)`

Time Formatting Options:

• SEC_TO_TIME() converts seconds to HH:MM:SS format
• TIME_TO_SEC() converts HH:MM:SS to total seconds
• Custom formatting for different display contexts (reports, dashboards, invoices)
• ISO 8601 duration support for advanced time calculations

Calculation Accuracy:

• Second-level precision for all time calculations
• Timezone-aware calculations respect team and user preferences
• Automatic handling of daylight saving time transitions
• Consistent calculation methods across all system components

Time Aggregation #

Rolling Up Task Time to Project and Team Levels #

The system provides comprehensive time aggregation across multiple organizational levels:

Task-Level Aggregation:

• Individual task time totals calculated from associated time intervals
• Task time summaries show total time invested per task
• Task completion correlation with time investment tracking
• Daily and weekly task time analysis for productivity insights

Project-Level Aggregation:

• Daily project time totals with real-time updates during tracking
• Weekly project time calculations with configurable limits (40-hour default)
• Project time percentage distribution across team members
• Historical project time analysis for trend identification

Team-Level Aggregation:

• Team daily time summaries across all projects and members
• Active member counts based on time tracking activity
• Team productivity metrics and time allocation analysis
• Cross-project time distribution for resource planning

User-Level Aggregation:

• Individual user time totals across all assigned projects
• Daily and weekly time limits with automatic enforcement
• Personal productivity analytics and time tracking patterns
• Historical user time data for performance analysis

Historical Time Data #

Accessing and Analyzing Historical Time Records #

The system maintains comprehensive historical time data with flexible access methods:

Historical Data Access:

• Date range queries support any historical period analysis
• Efficient database indexing enables fast historical data retrieval
• Time interval data preserved even when projects or users are deleted
• Comprehensive audit trail for all time tracking activities

Historical Analysis Capabilities:

• Time trend analysis across days, weeks, months, and years
• Project time evolution tracking for long-term projects
• Team productivity trends and seasonal analysis
• Comparative analysis between different time periods

Data Retention:

• Permanent storage of all time interval records
• Screenshot data maintained with associated time intervals
• Notes and context preserved for future reference
• Time tracking logs maintained for debugging and analysis

Historical Reporting:

• Flexible date range selection for custom historical reports
• Time aggregation by various periods (daily, weekly, monthly)
• Historical project profitability analysis using time and rate data
• Team performance trends over extended periods

Time Data Export #

Exporting Time Data for External Analysis #

The system supports comprehensive time data export capabilities:

Export Formats:

• Time data integrated into invoice generation for client billing
• Report generation with customizable time period selection
• Chart data export for visual analysis and presentations
• Team report generation with automated scheduling

Export Scope Options:

• Individual user time data export
• Project-specific time data extraction
• Team-wide time data compilation
• Client-specific time data for transparent billing

Automated Export Features:

• Daily team reports automatically generated and distributed
• Weekly invoice generation from tracked time data
• Scheduled report generation for regular business processes
• Email delivery of time reports to stakeholders

Data Integration:

• Time data feeds directly into invoicing systems
• Integration with expense tracking for complete project costing
• Rate calculation integration for accurate billing
• Multi-currency support for international operations

Data Integrity and Performance #

Ensuring Accurate Time Data Management #

The system includes robust data integrity and performance optimization features:

Data Integrity Measures:

• Transaction-based time entry prevents partial data corruption
• Automatic validation of time interval relationships
• Constraint enforcement for logical time sequences
• Data consistency checks across related records

Performance Optimization:

• Strategic database indexing for fast time queries
• Efficient aggregation queries minimize system load
• Cached calculations for frequently accessed time totals
• Optimized date range queries for historical data access

Data Quality Assurance:

• Automatic detection and prevention of overlapping time intervals
• Validation of time sequence logic (start before end)
• Minimum time interval enforcement (10-minute minimum)
• Time limit validation (24-hour daily maximum)

Backup and Recovery:

• Complete time data preservation in system backups
• Point-in-time recovery capabilities for time data
• Data migration support for system upgrades
• Export capabilities for data portability and backup