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\f0\fs28 \cf0 The timeclock tool makes it easy to track time events, like clocking\
into and out of a particular job. These events accumulate in a\
timelog file.\
\
Each in/out event may have an optional description. If the ``in''\
description is a ledger account name, these in/out pairs may be viewed\
as virtual postings, adding time commodities (hours) to that\
account.\
\
For example, the command-line version of the timeclock tool could be\
used to begin a timelog file like:\
\
@example\
export TIMELOG=$HOME/.timelog\
ti ClientOne category\
sleep 10\
to waited for ten seconds\
@end example\
\
The @file\{.timelog\} file now contains:\
\
@smallexample\
i 2004/10/06 15:21:00 ClientOne category\
o 2004/10/06 15:21:10 waited for ten seconds\
@end smallexample\
\
Ledger parses this directly, as if it had seen the following transaction:\
\
@smallexample\
2004/10/06 category\
(ClientOne) 10s\
@end smallexample\
\
In other words, the timelog event pair is seen as adding 0.00277h (ten\
seconds) worth of time to the @samp\{ClientOne\} account. This would be\
considered billable time, which later could be invoiced and credited\
to accounts receivable:\
\
@smallexample\
2004/11/01 (INV#1) ClientOne, Inc.\
Receivable:ClientOne $0.10\
ClientOne -0.00277h @@ $35.00\
@end smallexample\
\
The above posting converts the clocked time into an invoice for\
the time spent, at an hourly rate of $35. Once the invoice is paid,\
the money is deposited from the receivable account into a checking\
account:\
\
@smallexample\
2004/12/01 ClientOne, Inc.\
Assets:Checking $0.10\
Receivable:ClientOne\
@end smallexample\
\
And now the time spent has been turned into hard cash in the checking\
account.\
\
The advantage to using timeclock and invoicing to bill time is that\
you will always know, by looking at the balance report, epostly how\
much unbilled and unpaid time you've spent working for any particular\
client.\
\
I like to @samp\{!include\} my timelog at the top of my company's\
accounting ledger, with the attached prefix @samp\{Billable\}:\
\
@smallexample\
; -*-ledger-*-\
\
; This is the ledger file for my company. But first, include the\
; timelog data, entering all of the time events within the umbrella\
; account "Billable".\
\
!account Billable\
!include /home/johnw/.timelog\
!end\
\
; Here follows this fiscal year's postings for the company.\
\
2004/11/01 (INV#1) ClientOne, Inc.\
Receivable:ClientOne $0.10\
Billable:ClientOne -0.00277h @@ $35.00\
\
2004/12/01 ClientOne, Inc.\
Assets:Checking $0.10\
Receivable:ClientOne\
@end smallexample}
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