TSLIPS version 0.5
Copyright
	Copyright (C) 2002 by Steve Litt
	Licensed under the GNU General Public License
	NO WARRANTEE! See license at http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.txt
Program purpose and features
	This is a program to record time spent on tasks for clients.
	Info is recorded in a file called zts.txt
	A separate program is required for reporting, summarization and billing
		The separate program has not been written as of 4/30/2004
	Timings persistent through reboots and extended powerdowns
	All user interface through command line arguments
		Front end with a menu program for lightning fast use
			UMENU is an excellent choice
Program functionality
	Four functions:
		* BEGIN
		* END
		* CREATE
		* _END_ (not implemented)
	BEGIN
		: This is what you use to start a new task in real time. It first ends
		: the current task, calculates elapsed time on the current task, and
		: then records the start of the new task.
	END
		: This is what you use to end the current task in real time and
		: calculate its elapsed time, without starting a new task.
		:
		: Note that you might choose not to use END, but instead to start a
		: task with client NOBODY and task description NOTHING.
	CREATE
		: This is required when you want to record a task outside of real
		: time, meaning the computer's time will not be used, so you will be queried for the start time and elapsed
		: time. First, it finishes the current task in real time. If you don't
		: want the current task finished, that can be backed out with a text
		: editor. Then it queries you for a start time and the ellapsed time,
		: after which it appends a BEGIN and END line in the zts.txt file. If
		: your intent was to create a task before the last task, this can be
		: fixed with a text editor and some calculations. Unless you're
		: putting it before several existing tasks, it might be easiest to use
		: the CREATE functionality to create and end the subsequent tasks,
		: because this program uses a hexidecimal representation for epoch
		: time.
	_END_
		: Not implemented: For future use.
SYNTAX
	tslips.pl [BEGIN|CREATE] clientname short_task_description
	tslips.pl END
INSTALLATION
	GET INTO YOUR HOME DIRECTORY
	tar xzvf tslips-#.#.#.tar.gz
		Where #.#.# is the version number
		This installs the software into the tslips directory below $HOME
	tslips.pl is the executable
		If you need it on the executable path, either
			Move it, or
			create a symlink
			zts.txt must be kept in a writeable directory
	Test with these command
		cd $HOME/tslips
		./tslips.pl BEGIN "test client" "test task"
		./tslips.pl BEGIN "another test client" "another test task"
		vi zts.txt
			You should see BEGIN AND END records for "test task"
			You should see a BEGIN record for "another test task"
FRONT ENDING WITH A MENU PROGRAM
	: tslips.pl is a command whose entire user interaction is via command line
	: arguments. This can be cumbersome. By using a menu program to
	: preconfigure the command line, you can save much time, and perhaps more
	: importantly, use a consistent set of client and task text to make it
	: easier to summarize. If the menu software you use has prompted argument
	: substitution, you can have the menu itself prompt for the client and
	: task. If not, you can easily create a small script to prompt for these
	: and then construct and run the command.
	:
	: I find UMENU an ideal front end for tslips. By keeping a copy of the
	: tslips UMENU menu alone on desktop 4 of my IceWM desktop, I can switch
	: tasks almost immediately.
NEEDED PROGRAMMING
	A program to summarize and report from zts.txt
	Another function to calculate the hex epoch seconds
	Facilities to insert a task between two completed ones
		Or between completed and current
		With proper timestamps and elapsed time
	Improved documentation
MAINTAINER
	Steve Litt
	slitt@troubleshooters.com
WEBSITE
	http://www.troubleshooters.com/projects/tslips

#  TSLIPS version 0.5, released 4/30/2004