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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Common questions and answers about Worklog Manager.

Table of Contents

General

What is Worklog Manager?

Worklog Manager is a professional desktop application for tracking work time with precision. It helps you monitor productive hours, manage breaks, calculate overtime, and generate comprehensive reports.

Is it free?

Yes, Worklog Manager is open source and free to use under the MIT License.

What platforms are supported?

Windows, macOS, and Linux are all supported. See INSTALL.md for platform-specific instructions.

Do I need an internet connection?

No, Worklog Manager works entirely offline. All data is stored locally on your computer.

Where is my data stored?

All data is stored locally in a SQLite database (worklog.db) in the application directory. No data is sent to external servers.

Installation & Setup

What are the system requirements?

  • Python 3.7 or higher
  • 256 MB RAM minimum (512 MB recommended)
  • 50 MB disk space
  • Any modern operating system

Do I need to install any dependencies?

No, Worklog Manager uses only Python standard library modules. The optional PDF export feature requires the reportlab library.

How do I install Python?

Download Python from python.org and follow the installation instructions for your operating system.

Can I run it without installing Python?

Currently, Python is required. Future releases may include standalone executables.

How do I update to a new version?

  1. Backup your data (worklog.db, config.ini, settings.json)
  2. Download the new version
  3. Replace old files with new ones
  4. Copy back your data files
  5. Run the application

Usage

How do I start tracking time?

  1. Launch the application
  2. Click "Start Day"
  3. The timer begins automatically

Can I track multiple work sessions per day?

Yes! Use Stop/Continue to pause and resume throughout the day. All sessions are combined into your daily total.

What's the difference between Stop and End Day?

  • Stop: Pause work temporarily (for breaks) - you can Continue later
  • End Day: Complete tracking for the day - no more tracking until next day

How do I record different break types?

Before clicking Stop, select the break type (Lunch, Coffee, or General) from the dropdown menu.

Can I edit past entries?

Currently, direct editing is not supported. You can use the Revoke feature to undo recent actions or Reset Day to start over.

What happens if I forget to stop the timer?

Use the Revoke feature to undo recent actions and correct the timing. You can revoke up to the last 5 actions.

How do I see my overtime?

The Time Summary panel shows your overtime in real-time once you exceed your work norm (default: 7.5 hours).

Data & Privacy

Is my data private?

Yes, completely. All data is stored locally on your computer. No data is transmitted anywhere.

Can I export my data?

Yes! Export to CSV, JSON, or PDF formats. Click "Export Data" and choose your preferred format.

How do I backup my data?

Worklog Manager creates automatic backups in the backups/ directory. You can also manually copy the worklog.db file.

Can I delete my data?

Yes. Use "Reset Day" to clear today's data, or delete the worklog.db file to remove all data.

Where are the log files?

Log files are stored in the logs/ directory with daily file names like worklog_YYYYMMDD.log.

Can I import data from another time tracking tool?

This feature is not currently available but may be added in future versions.

Features

What is the work norm?

The work norm is your target daily work hours (default: 7.5 hours). You can customize this in config.ini.

How does overtime calculation work?

Overtime is any productive work time exceeding your configured work norm. It's calculated automatically and displayed in red.

What is the Revoke feature?

Revoke lets you undo up to your last 5 actions (Start, Stop, Continue, End Day). It restores the application state to before that action.

What does Reset Day do?

Reset Day completely clears all of today's data and returns the application to "Not Started" state. ⚠️ This cannot be undone!

Can I customize keyboard shortcuts?

Yes, keyboard shortcuts can be customized in the Settings dialog.

Does it support multiple users?

Each installation tracks one user. For multiple users, set up separate installations or use different user accounts on your computer.

Can I run it on a network drive?

While possible, we recommend local installation for best performance. The SQLite database may have locking issues on network drives.

Troubleshooting

The application won't start

  1. Verify Python 3.7+ is installed: python --version
  2. Check that tkinter is available: python -c "import tkinter"
  3. Review the log files for error messages
  4. Ensure you have file permissions in the application directory

I see "database is locked" error

  1. Close all instances of the application
  2. Check if another process is using the database
  3. Restart your computer if the issue persists

The timer is not updating

  1. Restart the application
  2. Check your system clock is correct
  3. Verify the application is in "Working" state

My data disappeared

  1. Check the backups/ directory for recent backups
  2. Look for worklog.db in the application directory
  3. Review log files for any errors
  4. Restore from a backup if available

Colors are not showing correctly

  1. Try switching themes (Light/Dark) in Settings
  2. Check your display settings
  3. Update to the latest version

Notifications are not appearing

  1. Check notification settings in the Settings dialog
  2. Verify your system allows notifications from Python applications
  3. Try restarting the application

Export is not working

  1. Check you have write permissions to the exports/ directory
  2. For PDF export, ensure reportlab is installed: pip install reportlab
  3. Review log files for specific error messages

Development

How can I contribute?

See CONTRIBUTING.md for detailed contribution guidelines.

Can I suggest a feature?

Yes! Open a feature request on GitHub.

How do I report a bug?

Open a bug report with details about the issue.

Is the code well-documented?

Yes, the codebase follows PEP 8 standards and includes docstrings for all major functions and classes.

Can I fork this project?

Yes! The MIT License allows you to fork, modify, and distribute the code. See LICENSE for details.

How do I run tests?

pytest tests/

Where can I find the API documentation?

Technical documentation is available in the docs/ directory. See TECHNICAL_SPECIFICATION.md.

Still Have Questions?

If your question isn't answered here:

  1. Check the Documentation
  2. Search existing issues
  3. Open a new discussion
  4. Create an issue

Help improve this FAQ! If you had a question that's not listed here, please submit a pull request to add it.

Last updated: October 21, 2025