Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Taskfreak! Desktop: the TaskFreak! desktop gadget

What is TaskFreak?

TaskFreak! is an open source web based task management software. It's very handy, uncomplicated and it can be learned quickly. It has all the requirements nessessary to manage tasks fast and effective.

And what is this desktop application?

This is a Windows gadget, that allows you to be immediately informed about the changes in your TaskFreak!'s task list. In addition, you don't have to be continuously logged in in a browser, since you can see and manage every ongoing task directly on your desktop.

How does this desktop gadget work?

After installing and configuring - which is described later - the application is in observer mode. This means, it's just checking periodically, if there are updates in your tasks. So if someone (other than you) creates a new task, writes a new comment or changes a task's status, you are informed almost instantly.

You can switch to extended view, by clicking the "bigger size" Windows-default-button on the right top of the gadget. In this view, all the unfinished tasks are listed under each other. This design structure is very similar to the web based TaskFreak!. The colorful squares on the left are the priority and the environment indicators. Next to them is the comment count button, project name and the status buttons. Below these on the left side is the task title and the deadline date on the right side. If you click on the title the full description appears.
You can even read comments, and write new ones, by clicking on the comment count icon.
To get a more detailed picture about the interface click the images below.

User interface explanation



TaskFreak! Desktop in action:


How to install TaskFreak! Desktop?


The installation is really easy. Just follow these steps:
  1. place the desktop.php file in your TaskFreak! root web folder.
  2. run taskfreakDesktop.gadget file. This is a simple archive file and all the sidebar enabled Windows systems are recognising this extension.
  3. on the settings page, type in the URL to your desktop.php. Enter your username and password to your TaskFreak! account. And make some other changes if needed.

That's it. Now you are ready to use TaskFreak! Desktop.

I hope this gadget is at least as useful for you as it is to me. Feel free to write a feedback, or request a new feature. I have some plans for further development...but I welcome any ideas, especially if they are combined with donations :)

Files:

  • desktop.php
  • taskfreakDesktop_0.1.2.gadget
  • CHANGELOG.txt
  • LICENSE.txt

Downloads:


Please donate to keep development active!

Thanks for blueBros LLC for providing this awesome design :)



Changelog

  • 0.1.2
    • Improved design, by blueBros LLC
    • Added alert volume slider in settings
    • Added updating interval input in settings
    • And fixed some minor bugs
  • 0.1.1
    • Fixed the "notask" bug
    • Fixed the "empty comment form submitted" bug
    • Logs and errors are from now on shown in the same panel
    • And fixed some minor bugs
  • 0.1.0
    • Listing unfinished tasks
    • Status changing ability
    • Hidden but recallable description
    • Listing task's comments
    • Opportunity to write a new comment
    • Smaller view (and also an extended view)
    • Observer functionality. Alert on:
      • New tasks
      • New comments
      • New status changes
    • Set custom sound alert
    • Shows changes in tasks

3 comments:

  1. My new task and comments aren't updating when viewing the small window but I can see it when you view the task in the large window. Any clue to solve this issue?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi,

    Thank you for your very interresting project.

    However, I have an error after the desktopLastCheckTime.txt has been created.
    The LOG indicates: Error by getting user tasks!

    Is there a fix for this?

    ReplyDelete