TimeTracker/docs/TASK_MANAGEMENT.md

Task Management Feature

The Task Management feature allows you to break down projects into manageable tasks with status tracking, priority management, and time estimation.

Features

Core Task Management

• Task Creation: Create tasks with names, descriptions, priorities, and due dates
• Status Tracking: Track task progress through multiple states (To Do, In Progress, Review, Done, Cancelled)
• Priority Levels: Set priority levels (Low, Medium, High, Urgent) with visual indicators
• Time Estimation: Estimate hours for tasks and track actual time spent
• Due Dates: Set and track due dates with overdue notifications
• Task Assignment: Assign tasks to team members

Integration with Time Tracking

• Task-Specific Timers: Start timers directly from tasks
• Time Entry Association: Link time entries to specific tasks
• Progress Tracking: Monitor progress based on estimated vs actual hours
• Manual Time Entry: Log time against specific tasks

Project Organization

• Project Breakdown: Organize projects into logical task components
• Task Overview: View all tasks for a project in the project dashboard
• Quick Actions: Start timers, edit tasks, and manage status from project views

User Experience

• My Tasks: View tasks assigned to or created by the current user
• Overdue Tasks: Identify and manage overdue tasks
• Filtering & Search: Find tasks by status, priority, project, or assignment
• Responsive Design: Mobile-friendly interface for task management

Getting Started

1. Database Migration

If you're upgrading from a previous version, run the migration script:

cd docker
python migrate-add-tasks.py

2. Accessing Tasks

• Navigate to Tasks in the main navigation
• View all tasks or filter by various criteria
• Access My Tasks to see your assigned tasks

3. Creating Your First Task

1. Click New Task from the Tasks page
2. Select a project
3. Enter task details (name, description, priority, etc.)
4. Set estimated hours and due date
5. Assign to a team member (optional)
6. Click Create Task

4. Managing Task Status

• Start Task: Mark as "In Progress" when you begin working
• Mark for Review: Indicate when work is ready for review
• Complete Task: Mark as "Done" when finished
• Cancel Task: Mark as "Cancelled" if no longer needed

Task Statuses

Status	Description	Color
To Do	Task is planned but not started	Gray
In Progress	Work has begun on the task	Yellow
Review	Task is complete and ready for review	Blue
Done	Task is completed and approved	Green
Cancelled	Task is no longer needed	Gray

Priority Levels

Priority	Description	Color	Use Case
Low	Not urgent	Green	Nice-to-have features, documentation
Medium	Normal priority	Yellow	Standard development tasks
High	Important	Orange	Critical features, bug fixes
Urgent	Critical	Red	Production issues, security fixes

Time Tracking Integration

Starting Timers from Tasks

• Click the Timer button on any task card
• Timer automatically associates with the task
• Track time spent on specific task components

Manual Time Entry

• Log time against specific tasks
• Include notes and tags for better tracking
• Associate time with project and task simultaneously

Progress Monitoring

• View estimated vs actual hours
• Track completion percentage
• Monitor task progress over time

Project Dashboard Integration

Tasks are displayed in the project view, showing:

• Task overview with status and priority
• Quick action buttons for each task
• Progress indicators for time tracking
• Links to detailed task views

User Permissions

• All Users: Can view tasks, start timers, and update status
• Task Creators: Can edit and delete their own tasks
• Admins: Can manage all tasks and view overdue reports

Best Practices

Task Creation

• Use clear, descriptive task names
• Break large features into smaller, manageable tasks
• Set realistic time estimates
• Assign appropriate priority levels

Task Management

• Update status regularly as work progresses
• Use due dates to maintain project timelines
• Monitor overdue tasks and adjust priorities
• Link time entries to tasks for accurate tracking

Project Organization

• Group related tasks under the same project
• Use consistent naming conventions
• Regular review of task status and progress
• Archive completed projects to focus on active work

API Endpoints

The Task Management feature includes RESTful API endpoints:

• GET /api/tasks/<task_id> - Get task details
• PUT /api/tasks/<task_id>/status - Update task status
• Additional endpoints for task CRUD operations

Mobile Support

The Task Management interface is fully responsive and optimized for mobile devices:

• Touch-friendly task cards
• Swipe gestures for quick actions
• Mobile-optimized forms and navigation
• Responsive grid layouts

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Task not appearing in project view

• Ensure the task is assigned to the correct project
• Check that the project status is 'active'

Timer not associating with task

• Verify the task exists and is accessible
• Check user permissions for the task

Overdue tasks not showing

• Confirm due dates are set correctly
• Verify user has admin access for overdue reports

Database Issues

If you encounter database-related errors:

1. Run the migration script: python docker/migrate-add-tasks.py
2. Check database connection and permissions
3. Verify all required tables exist
4. Contact system administrator if issues persist

Recurring Time Blocks

The system supports recurring time block templates via the recurring_blocks table.

• Fields: name, recurrence (weekly), weekdays (e.g., mon,tue), start_time_local, end_time_local, optional starts_on/ends_on.
• Blocks can include notes, tags, and billable flag and are user-owned.
• API endpoints allow CRUD operations; a scheduler can periodically expand these into concrete time_entries.

Future Enhancements

Planned improvements for Task Management:

• Bulk task operations (status updates, reassignment)
• Task dependencies and relationships
• Advanced reporting and analytics
• Integration with external project management tools
• Automated task scheduling and reminders
• Team collaboration features

Support

For questions or issues with the Task Management feature:

• Check this documentation
• Review the application logs
• Contact your system administrator
• Submit feature requests through the project repository