Installing In Out Scheduler in this way will generally be faster since the program executable will not always be pulled down through the network. However, installation and applying updates will involve significantly more work.
Setting up the User's Workstations
In a fully shared multi-user setup, the In Out Scheduler program files and data will reside in a common directory on the network. You will need to manually setup icons for your users.
Getting Started
When you run In Out Scheduler a screen like the following will appear.
Initial Administrator notes
The first step in using In Out Scheduler is to enter your employee names into the program. To do this, select View | Data Manager from the main menu. The Data Manager screen should pop up. In the radio group to the left, select Employees. This will cause the Employees table data to be displayed in the grid to the right. Enter your employee information in this grid. See the Data Manager link for more information. The In Out Scheduler database contains sample data, so you'll probably want to delete it first. See the section on deleting records to learn how to do this.
Initial User Notes
Changing Your In/Out Status
The operation of the In Out scheduler is very simple. When you come in just click on the cell under the In column and on the row in which your name is displayed. Before you leave click on the cell under the Out column and on the row in which your name is displayed. Then click on the cell under the hour column when you will return. The Return Date will default to today but you can change this if you will not be returning today. To change the date just click on the cell under the Return Date column and on the row in which your name is displayed. A pull-down list will appear in the cell. You can manually enter a different date now or click the arrow button on the right. Clicking on the arrow button causes a pop-up calendar to display. Click on the desired date to select it. Click on the Comments cell to save the new date. If you would like to enter a comment you can type it in now.
Using In Out Scheduler
Getting to Know the In Out Schedule Screen
Configuring In Out Scheduler
Managing In Out Data with the Data Manager
Getting to Know the In Out Schedule Screen
When you run In Out Scheduler a screen like the following will appear.
The In Out Schedule screen is for employees to update their attendance status, whether they are in or out of the building. The In Out Schedule screen consists of two parts: a menu and a set of visual controls.
Menu
Below you will find an explanation of all the menu items.
File
Prints out the current schedule to the default printer.
Print Preview
Prints out the current schedule to the screen allowing you to see what the print out will look like before printing.
Login
Allows you to login as administrator. This menu item will be grayed out if security has not been enabled.
Exit
Closes the program.
View
Options
Brings up the Options screen where the different configuration options may be set. See also: Program Options
Data Manager
Brings up the Data Manager screen. The Data Manager is used to administer the data used in In Out Scheduler. See also: Working with In Out Scheduler Data
Refresh
Updates the schedule to reflect the latest changes in a multi-user environment.
Hours worked report
Brings up an HTML report showing the hours worked for the day, week and month of all employees.
Visual Controls
Below you will find an explanation of all the visual controls on the main screen.
Employee Search
This is the pull-down list to the left of the Preview button. When a person is chosen from the list the schedule grid will move to show that person's schedule. You can also type in this box and the first person matching the entered text will appear.
Preview
Prints out the current schedule to the screen allowing you to see what the print out will look like before printing.
Prints out the current schedule to the default printer.
Refresh
Updates the schedule to the latest changes in a multi-user environment.
In Out Schedule Grid
Reflects the attendance status of all listed employees. If a person is in there will be a pin in the cell corresponding to their row in the In column. If a person is out there will be a pin in the cell corresponding to their row in the Out column, a pin in the cell under the hour when they expect to return, the time they left, the date they expect to return and any comments they might have left. Comments can only be entered when a person has been set as being out.
Configuration
On choosing View | Options from the main menu you will see the configuration screen. The options are split up into two different sections: the Schedule Tab and the General Tab. Choose a section by clicking on the labeled tab corresponding to that section.
To close this screen saving any changes made press the OK button. To close this screen without saving any changes made press the Cancel button.
Schedule Tab
The Schedule Options section is for setting schedule options.
This is what the Schedule Options section looks like.
Scheduler Options
Minimum row height
This specifies the height of the grid line rows in the scheduler grid. Use a higher number to get larger rows.
Font size
The size of font used in the scheduler grid.
Auto refresh
If the Auto refresh box is checked the schedule window will automatically refresh in the time interval specified to the right. For example, to refresh the schedule every minute enter 60 in the edit box.
Auto export
If the Auto export box is checked the schedule window will be automatically exported in the time interval specified to the right. For example, to export the schedule every minute enter 60 in the edit box.
HTML schedule export path
This is the path where the schedule will be exported to. The file will be called InOutSchedule.html and will automatically refresh in the time interval specified in the Auto refresh setting. The file InOutScheduleTemplate.html can be found in the data folder. This file is a template for the HTML schedule and can be modified to your liking. Do not touch the variables enclosed n percent (%) characters as these are important macro variables.
Appointment Time Period
Setting Start and End Times
The Start time specifies the earliest time a person can set their attendance status.
The End time specifies the latest time a person can set their attendance status.
Appointment Interval
This number indicates the number of intervals in an hour. For example:
30 - split the hour into two intervals i.e. 8:00 - 8:30
15 - split the hour into four intervals i.e. 8:00 - 8:15
10 - split the hour into six intervals i.e. 8:00 - 8:10
General Tab
The General options tab is used to change where the data files for the program reside and to enable the security features.
To change the data path click on the button to the right of the Data Location edit box. Use the path explorer to choose a new path. Make sure the newly chosen path has data files in it.
This is what the General screen looks like.
Data options
Default data path
If this box is checked the In Out Scheduler data path will be the default folder "\Documents and Settings\[UserName]\Application Data\CyberMatrix\InOut".
Data path
This is the path where the In Out Scheduler data files reside.
Security options
This section is used to enable/disable security and to change the admin password.
By default security is turned off. This means that in a multi-user environment, any user will be able to view and edit the configuration settings and data. Check the Enable Security box to enable security. When security is enabled a user must enter a password in order to enter the administrative sections of the program.
The default password is "magic". You should change this password if it is important that users cannot view or change the phone list data.
To change the password enter your new password in the New Password and Verify edit boxes. Press the Change Password button to change the password. If the new passwords Password and Verify edit boxes are identical the password will be changed.
Important: remember to store your changed password in a safe location such as the company safe.
Data Features
In Out Scheduler uses a database to store its data. The database consists of two tables. These tables can be edited and administered by using the Data Manager. See the links below for further information.
Getting to Know the Data Manager
Viewing and Editing Table Data
In Out Scheduler Table Details
Viewing SQL Queries
Executing SQL Queries
Deleting records
Inserting Records
Loading In Out Scheduler Data in CSV Format
Re-indexing Tables
Backing Up Data
Restoring Data
Getting to Know the Data Manager
The Data Manager screen allows viewing and editing of all In Out Scheduler data. To bring up this screen select View | Data Manager from the main menu. The following screen should pop up:
The Data Manager consists of three parts. The menu, the data navigation toolbar and the data view. The menu contains several data related functions. The data navigation toolbar is used to navigate through the different tables. The data view shows the data of a single table.
Menu
The menu consists of four sections File, Search, Records and Help. See below for descriptions of the different functions found within these sections.
File
Export to CSV - Exports the current table to text (CSV) format. See also: Importing and Exporting Data in CSV Format
Import CSV File - Imports a text file in comma separated variable (CSV) format into the current table. See also: Importing and Exporting Data in CSV Format
New SQL File - Opens the Notepad text editor to allow you to create a new SQL file. See also: Viewing SQL Queries
Edit SQL File - Opens the Notepad text editor to allow you to edit an existing SQL file.
Open SQL File - Allows you to choose an existing SQL file and shows the results of that query in the detail tab data grid.
Execute SQL File - Allows you to choose an existing SQL file and execute that query.
Re-index Table - Re-index the currently selected table. See also: Re-indexing Tables
Close - Closes the Data Manager screen.
Search Section
The Search section allows you to find records when in the detail tab view. To search for a record you must first click in or tab over to the field you want to search in. Then choose Find from the Search menu. In the dialog that pops up enter the text you want to search for then press the Find Next button. To find the next occurrence of that text press the Find Next button again.
Records Section
The Records section contains the following functions:
Copy - Copies the selected record into the Windows clipboard for pasting later.
Paste - Pastes the record contained in the Windows clipboard into a new record.
Cut - Copies the selected record into the Windows clipboard for pasting later and then deletes the record.
Delete Selected Records - Delete all the selected records. See also: Deleting records
Delete All Records - Deletes all the records in the current table.
Backup Data - Makes a time-stamped backup file of all tables. See also: Backing up Data
Restore Data - Replaces your existing data with the tables from a previous data backup. See also: Restoring data
The Data navigator Bar
The bar at the top is the data navigator. The data navigator is for navigating the records of the current table. The first button |< will move to the first record of the current table. The second button < will move to the previous record. The third button > will move to the next record. The fourth button >| will move to the last record. The + button will add a new record. The - button will delete the current record. The button with the check mark will save changes made to the current record. The x button will cancel any changes made to an unsaved record. The last button refreshes the current table to show the latest changes made to it.
The Data Tabs
The data tabs show all the tables used in In Out Scheduler and allow you to view and edit the data in them. See the Viewing and Editing Table Data section for more details.
Viewing and Editing Table Data
There are two ways to enter table data: form view and detail view.
Entering data in form view
To enter data by form view choose the tab corresponding to the table you wish to enter data for. A form will appear showing all the fields in that table. The screen should look like this:
To add a new record press the + button on the data navigator bar. A blank record field will appear. Enter data in the fields and press the check mark on the data navigator bar. This saves the record changes.
Entering data in detail view
To view a table's data in detail view first choose the Detail tab. The screen should look like this:
To view the data for a table choose the table's radio button in the left box. The table's data should then appear in the grid to the right. The data may now be edited directly in the grid. After editing a record the changes will be saved after you move off the edited record.
Currently, data from SQL queries may not be edited in this way.
You can cancel any changes you made to a record by either clicking the Cancel button (the big X) on the Database Navigator at the top of the screen or by simply hitting the ESC key.
In Out Scheduler Table Details
In Out Scheduler has three tables: Employees, Employee Time Audit and Users.
Employees
This table lists all employees, their passwords and security level, the shift they work on and the rate they are billed out at. Here are the field sizes and descriptions:
Name - Text - 25 - unique
In - Boolean
TimeBack - Time
DateBack - Date
Comment - Text - 250
Picture - JPeg Image
Rank - Unsigned Integer
Division - Text - 15
Employee Time Audit
This table lists a record of all employee times in and out. Here are the field sizes and descriptions:
ID - AutoInc - unique
Employee - Text - 25 - unique
LoginID - Text - 30
TimeIn - TimeStamp
TimeOut - TimeStamp
The Employee field links to the Name field of the Employees table. The LoginID field links to the LoginID field of the Users table.
Users
This table lists all the users of the software. Here are the field sizes and descriptions:
LoginID - String - 30 - unique
LastIn - TimeStamp
LastOut - TimeStamp
Viewing SQL Queries
It is possible to view the results of simple SQL statements stored in external text files. SQL stands for Structured Query Language; it is a way to extract information from databases using English-like commands.
To create a new SQL file either create one using any text editor or choose File | New SQL File from the menu. Save the SQL file to a folder, usually the In Out Scheduler Data folder. Remember to save with the .SQL extension.
To open a previously saved SQL file choose File | Open SQL File from the menu. A file select dialog will pop up allowing you to choose a SQL file. After selecting a file you should see the results of the query in the data grid.
Here is an example of a simple SQL Select query:
Select Name, TimeBack, DateBack
From Employees
Where DateBack Between "2004-03-09" And "2004-04-03" And In = FALSE
Order By Name
This query shows all Employee attendance records, sorted by Name where the employee is out and will return between March 09 and April 03.
Note that when using dates in SQL, you must use the ISO format (i.e. yyyy-mm-dd).
For more information on SQL, consult a good introductory database textbook. There is also some documentation on the supported SQL calls in the database engine manual. To read this manual choose Help | DB Engine Manual from the Data Manager menu.
Executing SQL Queries
It is possible to execute simple SQL statements stored in external text files. SQL stands for Structured Query Language; it is a way to manipulate information from databases using English-like commands.
To create a new SQL file, either create one using any text editor or choose File | New SQL File from the menu. Save the SQL file to a folder, usually the Project Clock Data folder. Remember to save with the .SQL extension.
To open a previously saved SQL, file choose File | Open SQL File from the menu. A file select dialog will pop up allowing you to choose a SQL file. After selecting a file, you should see the results of the query in the data grid.
Here is an example of a simple SQL Update query:
UPDATE Employees SET In=False WHERE DateBack BETWEEN "2005-01-01" AND "2005-05-01"
This query will update all employee records where the DateBack field is between Jan 1 and May 1. For these records, the In field will be set to False.
For more information on SQL, consult a good introductory database textbook. There is also some documentation on the supported SQL calls in the database engine manual. To read this manual, choose Help | DB Engine Manual from the Data Manager menu.
Deleting records
To delete a record when in form view, navigate to the record and press the - button on the navigator bar.
To delete one or more records in the detail view, select the records to delete. To select multiple records, click on the first record then hold down the [Ctrl] Key and click to select individual records or hold down the [Shift] key to select a range of records. To delete the selected records either press the [Ctrl]+[D] key combination or choose File | Delete Selected Records from the menu. To delete all the records in the current table choose File | Delete All Records from the menu.
Inserting Records
To insert a record when in form view, press the + button on the navigator bar.
To insert a record in the detail view, click on the record above which you wish to insert a record. Then either press the [Ctrl]+[I] key combination or choose File | Insert Record from the menu.
Importing and Exporting Data in CSV Format
Importing Data
In Out Scheduler can import data in the form of comma-separated CSV files. If you have existing data from another application, this data can be imported into In Out Scheduler provided it is saved in the right format. CSV files used for importing must follow the exact same format as the table they will be imported into. That is, if you look at a table in the detail view of the Data Manager you will notice the order of the fields in the table. This is the same order that your CSV file must be in. Most spreadsheet programs like Microsoft Excel allow you to easily load in CSV file and move columns around.
See the section Table Details for more details on field types and sizes.
To import a CSV file first select the table you want to import into from the Data Manager. Then choose File | Import From CSV from the Data Manager menu. A wizard will guide you through importing the CSV file.
Note that when running the wizard, your import time format string must be exacty the same as what is in the CSV file. Most people leave in the .zzz in the import format string when their CSV data does not have microseconds. The import is not smart enough to determine what date/time formats you are using. You have to tell it.
Exporting Data
Data can also be exported in CSV file format from In Out Scheduler. This data can be imported into other applications that can handle CSV imports.
To export a CSV file first select the table to export from the Data Manager. Then choose File | Export To CSV from the menu. A file select dialog will allow you to select the CSV file to export.
Loading In Out Scheduler Data into Excel
To load a In Out Scheduler data file into Excel 97 perform the following steps: