Entry Manipulation Commands

The entry command has subcommands to perform different actions on the most recent task entry in the logfile. In the past, I often found the need to execute the edit command to make small alterations to the most recent entry.

These sub-commands cover many of those small edits, without the big hammer of edit.

Removing Events

Discard an Entry

  $ rtimelog entry discard

Discard the most recent entry from the logfile. This is useful if you started a new task without meaning to or if the task you have just started has become irrelevant.

This removes the most recent task, continuing the timing of the interrupted task.

Ignore an Entry

  $ rtimelog entry ignore

Mark the most recent entry in the logfile as ignored. This is similar to discarding the new entry, but leaves an indication that the task was nearly started. The ignored entry does not contribute to reports in any way.

A good use for the entry ignore command is to show that you were interrupted from your current task, but spent no time away. For example, a meeting was supposed to start at 1pm. You mark the time, just as you get a message that the meeting was cancelled. You haven’t really spent any time on the meeting, but it might be useful to track the interruption.

This causes the timing of the interrupted task to continue.

Modify Entries

I find that most of the time I use the edit command to adjust the time of the most recent entry.

Quite often I start typing the command a bit before a meeting begins or something and then miss pressing enter. Other times I would start to answer a question for someone and then realize that this was going to be a long exercise, not a quick question. These commands allow for quickly adjusting the time.

Other issues that need editing are misspellings, that just require a quick adjustment.

Reset Command to Now

  $ rtimelog entry now

Reset the time of the most recent entry to now. This can be useful if you started a new task a little too soon.

Reset Task Time

  $ rtimelog entry was 10:23

Reset the time on the most recent entry. The argument for this command is a time formatted as either hh:mm or hh:mm:ss. The program will allow you to set the time whenever you want. If you set it before the previous entry time, it can cause difficulties generating reports.

Move Task Time Back

  $ rtimelog entry rewind 10

Shift the time on the most recent entry back the specified number of minutes. The program will allow you to push the most recent entry back as far back as you want. If you set it before the previous entry time, it can cause difficulties generating reports.

Replace Task Description

  $ rtimelog entry rewrite +right_project @NewTask Details

Replace the task description on the most recent entry. The argument for this command is a Task Description. This completely replaces the previous task description.