Re: Time keeping in DB

Ben Dunlap wrote: >> OK, I think I understand most points except the start and stop time. >> Every time sheet I have used, SAP and several other smaller ones, I >> enter a weeks worth of time data like: >> >> Project Sun Mon Tues Wed Thur Fri Sat >> ------------------------------------------------------------------- >> Grill steaks 8 8 8 8 0 >> Vacation 0 0 0 0 8 >> >> So why wouldn't I store the dates and the hours instead of start and >> stop times? >> > > Maybe it comes down to what the users of the app prefer (or what you prefer, if > you're building this app for yourself). > > From a user's perspective, I like start/stop data-entry better. I love that I > can do this in Freshbooks, for example -- just click 'start' and then later > click 'stop', 'log hours' -- and I never have to think about things like > "how > many hours are there between 11:26am and 2:12pm"? > > I think Ralph's point was that start/stop data is about as granular as any sort > of time-keeping data gets, so if you store only start/stop data, you have > ultimate flexibility in the way you can manipulate that data in your app. > > And it's probably a reasonable generalization that the most forward-looking > database designs will store data in as simple and raw a form as possible. Or as > Ralph put it, "a good data design keeps only data in a table u can not > calculate". > > With start/stop data, you could create weekly timesheets like the one above, in > PHP -- and you could also figure out how many hours you log before noon, on > average, etc. > > On the other hand, if the simplest data you enter is already the implicit > result of a calculation (stop_time - start_time), you've limited the > flexibility of your app from the get-go. But maybe that limitation isn't > significant for the app you're building. > > Ben I see. I'm coming at this from an IT consultant perspective, where you're just like an employee, you work M-F 8 or so hours a day normally. So really your just filling it out for billing but it would normally be 8 hours M-F sometimes with vacation etc. -- Thanks! -Shawn http://www.spidean.com