Interactive time-logging calculator on console. Kinda like pomodoro with soulver/numi inside, but in your terminal.

README.md

Time Log Fish

Download Latest v0.4  |  USAGE demo  |  HackerNews  |  Wiki/Docs  |  Bugs & Suggestions

A utility to automatically time-stamp and edit a work-log, or what have you.
It's like a task list, a "done list" that can be saved.
Has a handy calculator built-in.

Plays nice with terminal themes.
Integrates with user (meaning Your's) status-line scripts. Please post your own screenshots in the comments.

---

Installation and Usage

This script depends on the FISH shell, as well as a decent date command.
The ANSI-colors stripping requires a sed command.

To use it copy time-log.fish anywhere in your PATH and chmod +x the script.
Run it, optionally followed by a HEADING.

Saving to File

---

Time Log Fish can write to a file with the !w command.
This file has all the movement and colors.

If you'd like to see the file use cat FILE.
The colors can be removed with cat FILE | time-log.fish -

---

To exit and stop the script use <Ctrl>-<D> (can do <Ctrl>-<C> as well).

There are more screencasts and screenshots for you in the Time Log Fish WIKI file.

Marking notes with Time-stamps

Every line in Time Log Fish is time-stamped by default.
Use / to see the difference between last time-stamp and current time.
Enter an empty line to refresh current time, and show STATUS below.
To keep note of this status line enter ++ (this does not update last time-stamp).

To enter a note without updating last time-stamp start the line with +,
or with - to replace the contents of the line above.

EDITING demo

Lines can be deleted and edited with --, and auto-stamped with -+

FISH provides line history with <Up> and <Down> for the current session only.
The standard <Alt>-<E> shortcut will bring up your EDITOR to edit the line,
save and quit to get back to Time Log Fish.

Calculations, maths

Simple math expressions =1+1 → = 2 are available (do a help math in FISH for more).

To use the last result in a new expression start the line with . instead of =
Going back to the result before last is done with ..

CALC demo

Use ? to summon a HELP cheat-sheet.

     <Enter> to refresh the time
  ⋯  type anything and TIME stays
 --  edit last line, replacing it
 +⋯  add a NOTE                   (default: empty line)
 -⋯  replace last NOTE      (default: delete last note)

 -+  prepend current TIME to the last line     (+- too)
 /   show time difference to the last line     (* also)
 ++  insert weekday & STATUS          (default: HH:MM.)

 =⋯  calculate and note down the result    (default: 0)
 .⋯  use last result                 (default: show it)
 ..  discard last result, use one before (or 0 if none)

 `   run MENU and edit resulting string
 !   insert result of MENU immediately

 !w  (over)write to file     (default: DATE HH:MM.plog)
     to strip ANSI coloring use `cat FILE | time-log -`

  tag: note
  mark:specific.time

---

For more on how to use Time Log Fish read the WIKI file.

CHANGELOG

v0.5 imminent

* use - once, to remove all lines printed by ?
* changed formatting of time difference to show up as  H hrs M min
* restructured WIKI, mirrored on the new website
+ Time Log Fish now has a documentation section and a website for that
+ added a -h/--help arg, to point to website docs etc.

v0.4

* general formatting improvements
+ added MENU to call custom script with ! or `
- faster, less subshell usage

v0.3

* calculator changed to use = instead of :
+ see the time difference with just /
* status adding changed from just + to ++
* a + adds an empty line
+ added facility to strip ANSI colors (keeps motions tho)
+ previous line can now be time-stamped with -+
+ previous line can now be edited with --

v0.2

+ calculate using last calc result with ./3
+ zero out last result with just :

v0.1

+ TITLE env variable for custom command hooks
+ setting STATUS command, and ovrerriding it with ARGV
+ deleting and replacing lines interactively
+ adding lines interactively
+ refreshing TIME in prompt with Enter, runs STATUS below
+ adding STATUS as a line with just +
+ adding empty lines with +SPACE
+ writing ANSI file with !w (use cat to view)
+ tagging a line
+ back-dating HH:MM. lines
+ calculate math with :5/13
+ exit with Ctrl-C or Ctrl-D

License MIT, free to do whatever. Yours to fuck up.
general USAGE demo

TODO

- short link or domain for easy curl/wget install 
- update README screenshots, they shold make sense
- update Wiki, make asciicasts for it
- dress up and furnish the project with fish mascot
- watermark for images
- GET FEEDBACK: try HN again? Reddit? Acquaintances?
- FIXME: use manually backdated items for time diff calc when refreshing with /
- accept filename for !w

time-log.fish

#!/usr/bin/env fish
# v0.4 gist.github.com/godDLL/b4a43505b0dac4f12dcd73046efae5ee
#
#set -g TITLE  'date +%d\ %m-%Y'
#set -g STATUS 'date +%H:%M.'
#set -g MENU   'pick -i 2 work break calls eat'

# works with the files !w writes
if test '-' = "$argv"
   set -l ansi  's/'\e'\[[0-9;]*[m]//g'
   while read -l N
      echo -e -- "$N" |sed $ansi
   end
   exit
end


set -q TITLE
   and set -- TITLE (eval $TITLE)
   or  set -- TITLE (date +%d\ %m-%Y)
set TITLE_len (string length -- " $TITLE")

set -l PLOG             ##   up    go to end     back up left    white on black    rst
set -a -- PLOG (echo -e -- '\e[A\e['$COLUMNS'G\e['$TITLE_len'D\e[37;40m '"$TITLE" '\e[m')
echo -- $PLOG[-1]

set -l -- ST
if test -n "$STATUS"
   if test -n "$argv"
      set -- ST "$argv"
   else
      set -- ST (eval $STATUS)
      test -z "$ST"
         and set -- ST (date +%H:%M.)
   end
else
   if test -n "$argv"
      set -- ST "$argv"
      test -z "$ST"
         and set -- ST (date +%H:%M.)
   else
      set -- ST (date +%H:%M.)
   end
   set -- STATUS 'date +%H:%M.'
end
set -l cl   '\e[K'
set -l upcl '\e[A'$cl
set -a -- PLOG (echo -e -- $cl'\e[2m' (date +%A) "$ST"'\e[m')
echo -- $PLOG[-1]
#clear
set -e ST


function pick --description 'Show a screenful of options, pick one'

if test -n "$argv[1]"
and contains -- "$argv[1]" -h --help

   echo 'Usage:  menu [OPTIONS] ITEM1 ITEM2 ...
Returns selected item number.

-i NUM   pre-select item
-d STR   menu item delimiter, default to \n
-x       return code is item index, no echo
' >&2
   return
else
   set -l clm \e\[m
   set -l sel \e\[7m
   argparse 'i/item=' 'd/delim=' 'x/echo' -- $argv

   test -n "$_flag_d"
   and set -l NL $_flag_d
   or  set -l NL \n

   test -n "$_flag_i"
   and set -l ID $_flag_i
   or  set -l ID 1

   set -l -- ITEM ' '{$argv}' '
   set -l -- LEN (count -- $ITEM)
   set -- ITEM[$ID] "$sel$ITEM[$ID]$clm"

   echo -en \e\[A >&2
   string join -- $NL ' '{$ITEM}' ' >&2
   echo -en \e\[H >&2

   while read -s -n1 -P '' -l K
      switch "$K"
         case ' ' ''  # select
            test -z "$_flag_x"
            and echo -en -- $argv[$ID]
            or  return $ID
            return
         case ',' k h \[ \'  # back
            set ITEM[$ID] ' '$argv[$ID]' '
            test 1 -lt $ID
            and set ID (math -s0 $ID'- 1')
         case '.' j l \] \\  # forth
            set ITEM[$ID] ' '$argv[$ID]' '
            test 1 -lt (math -s0 "$LEN - $ID")
            and set ID (math -s0 $ID'+ 1')
      end #switch

      set ITEM[$ID] "$sel$ITEM[$ID]$clm"
      echo -en \e\[A >&2
      string join -- $NL ' '{$ITEM}' ' >&2
      echo -en \e\[H >&2
   end

end

end #fun
test -n "$MENU"; or set -l MENU 'pick -d \t  Use "[ and ]" or "j and l"'


set -l ansi  's/'\e'\[[0-9;]*[m|K|G|A|B|C|D]//g'
set -l ripcl '\e[K\e[B\e[K\e[2A\e[K'
set -l ANS ' 0'
# use N  >  set R, T, P, echo & PLOG  >  do R, show T, suggest P
set -l P
set -l R
set -l TIME_fmt +\e\[1m'%H:%M'\e\[2m'.%S'\e\[m\ 
set -l -- T (date $TIME_fmt)
set -l -- EPH (date +%s)

while read -c (echo -e -- "$P") -P (echo -e -- "$R$T") -l N
   # simple commands
   if test 2 -ge (string length -- "$N"); and string match --invert --quiet -- '=*' "$N"
      if test -z "$N"
         if test -z "$P"
            # don't advance line
            set R '\e[A'
         else
            set R ''
         end
         set P ''
         # do refresh clock
         set -- T (date $TIME_fmt)
         # where am i?
         echo -ne -- $cl'\e[2m' (date +%A\e\[m) (eval $STATUS)'\e[m'

      else if test '///' = "/$N/" -o '/*/' = "/$N/"
         set P ''
         set R '\e[A'
         set -l -- TT (math -s0 -- '('(date +%s)' - '$EPH') /60')' min'
         echo -ne -- $cl'\e[4m '$TT' \e[m'
         set -- T (date $TIME_fmt)
         set -e TT

      else if test '/--/' = "/$N/"
         set -- P (echo -e -- "$PLOG[-1]" |sed $ansi)
         if test -z "$P"
            set P ' '
         end
         set R $ripcl'\e[A'
         set T ''
         set -- PLOG $PLOG[1..-2]
         # deleted lines are not logged

      else if test '/-+/' = "/$N/" -o '/+-/' = "/$N/"
         set P ''
         set R ''
         set -- PLOG[-1] "$T"(string trim --left -- "$PLOG[-1]")
         echo -e -- '\e[A'$ripcl$PLOG[-1]
         set -- EPH (date -j -f %H:%M.%S\  (echo -e -- $T |sed $ansi) +%s)

      else if test '/-/' = "/$N/"
         set P ''
         set R $ripcl'\e[A'
         set -- PLOG $PLOG[1..-2]
         # deleted lines are not logged

      else if test '/!/' = "/$N/"
         set P ''
         set R ''
         echo -ne '\e[?1049h'
            set -l -- G (eval $MENU)
         echo -ne '\e[?1049l'
         if test -n "$G"
            set -a -- PLOG "$T$G"
            echo -e -- '\e[A\e[10G'$G
            set -- T (date-fmt t)' '
         else
            set -- R '\e[A'
         end

      else if test '/`/' = "/$N/"
         set -- R '\e[A'
         echo -ne '\e[?1049h'
            set -l -- G (eval $MENU)
         echo -ne '\e[?1049l\e'
         if test -n "$G"
            set -- P (echo -e -- $T$G |sed $ansi)
            set -- T ''
         end

      else
         set P ''
         set R ''
         if      test '/../' = "/$N/"
            set -- ANS $ANS[1..-2]
            if test -z "$ANS[-1]"
               set -- ANS ' 0'
            end
            set -a -- PLOG "=$ANS[-1]"
            echo -e -- $ripcl$PLOG[-1]

         else if test '/./' = "/$N/"
            set -a -- PLOG "=$ANS[-1]"
            echo -e -- $ripcl$PLOG[-1]

         else if test '/++/' = "/$N/"
            set -a -- PLOG (echo -e -- $cl'\e[2m' (date +%A\e\[m) (eval $STATUS)'\e[m')
            echo -e -- $ripcl$PLOG[-1]
            set -- T (date $TIME_fmt)

         else if test '/+/' = "/$N/"
            set -a -- PLOG ''
            echo -e -- $ripcl

         # prompt commands
         else if test '/!w/' = "/$N/"
            # works with `cat FILE | time-log -`
            set -l FILE (date +%Y-%m\ %d\ %H-%M).plog
            if touch "$FILE"
               string join -- \n $PLOG \n >"$FILE"
               echo -e -- $upcl"\e[3m$FILE now saved\e[m"
            else
               echo -e -- ' \e[1;31mErr\e[m:  write to file '$FILE
            end

         else
            # WONTFIX: don't care if this part slow, you're not running it 10K times
            if test '/?/' = "/$N/" -o '/!/' = "/$N/"
               echo -ne '\e[3m'
               echo -e -- '     <Enter> to refresh the time
  ⋯  type anything and TIME stays
 --  edit last line, replacing it
 +⋯  add a NOTE                   (default: empty line)
 -⋯  replace last NOTE      (default: delete last note)\n
 -+  prepend current TIME to the last line     (+- too)
 /   show time difference to the last line     (* also)
 ++  insert weekday & STATUS          (default: HH:MM.)\n
 =⋯  calculate and note down the result    (default: 0)
 .⋯  use last result                 (default: show it)
 ..  discard last result, use one before (or 0 if none)\n
 `   run MENU and edit resulting string
 !   insert result of MENU immediately\n
 !w  (over)write to file     (default: DATE HH:MM.plog)
     to strip ANSI coloring use `cat FILE | time-log -`\n'
               echo -ne -- '  tag: note\n  mark:specific.time'
               echo -e '\e[m\n'

            else if string match --quiet -- '+*' "$N"
               set -l -- M (string sub -s 2 -- "$N")
               set -a -- PLOG " $M"
               echo -e -- $upcl$PLOG[-1]
               # added lines are logged

            else if string match --quiet -- '-*' "$N"
               set -l -- M (string sub -s 2 -- "$N")
               set -- PLOG[-1] " $M"
               echo -e -- $upcl$upcl" $M"
               # overwritten lines are overwritten in log

            # just a short note
            else
               set -a -- PLOG "$T$N"
            end
            if test -n "$T"
               set -- EPH (date -j -f %H:%M.%S\  (echo -e -- "$T" |sed $ansi) +%s)
            end
            set -- T (date $TIME_fmt)
         end
      end

   # not simple commands
   else
      set R ''
      if string match --quiet -- '=*' "$N"
         set -- N (string sub -s 2 -- "$N")
         if test -z "$N"
            set N ' 0'
         end
         set -a -- ANS ' '(math -s2 -- "$N")
         set -l -- ANS_len (string length -- " =$ANS[-1]")
                                 ##     dim            go to end   back up left    bold on cyan     rst
         set -a -- PLOG (echo -e -- '\e[2m=\e[m'$N'\e['$COLUMNS'G\e['$ANS_len'D\e[1;46m ='$ANS[-1]' \e[m')
         echo -e -- $upcl$PLOG[-1]
         if test -n "$P"
            set P ''
            set -- T (date $TIME_fmt)
         end
         set -e ANS_len

      else if string match --quiet -- '.*' "$N"
         set -- N (string sub -s 2 -- "$N")
         set -a -- ANS ' '(math -s2 -- "$ANS[-1] $N")
         set -l -- ANS_len (string length -- " =$ANS[-1]")
                                 ##     dim            go to end   back up left    bold on cyan     rst
         set -a -- PLOG (echo -e -- '\e[2m.\e[m'$N'\e['$COLUMNS'G\e['$ANS_len'D\e[1;46m ='$ANS[-1]' \e[m')
         echo -e -- $upcl$PLOG[-1]
         if test -n "$P"
            set P ''
            set -- T (date $TIME_fmt)
         end
         set -e ANS_len

      else if string match --quiet -- '*:*.*' "$N"
         set -l -- M (string split --max 1 -- ' ' "$N")
         if test 7 -le (string length -- "$M[1]")
            set -a -- PLOG (echo -e -- "\e[m\e[4m$M[1]\e[m $M[2]")
         else
            set -- M[2] (string trim --left -- "$M[2]")
            set -a -- PLOG (echo -e -- "\e[m\e[4m$M[1]\e[m   $M[2]")
         end
         echo -e -- $upcl$PLOG[-1]
         if test -n "$P"
            set P ''
            set -- T (date $TIME_fmt)
         end
         set -e M

      else if string match --quiet -- '*:*' "$N"
         set -l -- M (string split --max 1 -- ':' "$N")
         set -- M[2] (string trim --left -- "$M[2]")
         set -- M[1] (string upper -- "$M[1]")
         set -l -- TT (date +%H:%M.)
                                 ##     hide         dim          hide
         set -a -- PLOG (echo -e -- "\e[8m$TT.\e[m\e[2m$M[1]\e[m\e[8m:\e[m  $M[2]")
         echo -e -- $upcl$PLOG[-1]
         if test -n "$P"
            set P ''
            set -- T (date $TIME_fmt)
         end
         set -e M
         set -e TT

      else
         if      string match --quiet -- '+*' "$N"
            set P ''
            set -l -- M (string sub -s 2 -- "$N")
            set -a -- PLOG " $M"
            echo -e -- $upcl$PLOG[-1]
            set -- T (date $TIME_fmt)
            # added lines are logged

         else if string match --quiet -- '-*' "$N"
            set P ''
            set -l -- M (string sub -s 2 -- "$N")
            set -- PLOG[-1] " $M"
            echo -e -- $upcl$upcl" $M"
            set -- T (date $TIME_fmt)
            # overwritten lines are overwritten in log

         # just a note
         else
            if test -n "$P"
               set P ''
               set T ''
            end
            set -a -- PLOG (echo -e -- "$T$N")
            if test -n "$T"
               set -- EPH (date -j -f %H:%M.%S\  (echo -e -- $T |sed $ansi) +%s)
            end
            set -- T (date $TIME_fmt)
         end
      end  # string match commands
   end  # if len < 2
end

WIKI.md

Basic editing and the Calculator

How do I exit Time Log Fish?

Press <Ctrl>-<C> or <Ctrl>-<D> at any time to stop the script. You get to keep the output on your terminal,
and if you want to continue from where you stopped you can use - to delete a couple of lines
that it takes to launch Time Log Fish again.

What can the Calculator do?

How do I edit or delete a line?

Can it tell me how long something took/was?

Is there built-in help, or cheat-sheet?

Where is history kept? For how long?

How do I edit the current line in my EDITOR?

Making it yours, and making it pretty

Why does it look different in every screenshot that I see?

This script uses your terminal's bold, dim, underline, italics and reverse capabilities.
All of those are widely supported by terminal emulation software, and most of them are in fonts.

This makes Time Log Fish adapt to your terminal color theme nicely.
The way colors are used in Time Log Fish should not interfere with that.

How do I set custom HEADING as an opening line of my log?

Just start it followed by the heading, no need to make it one long string:

time-log Hello, world\!
time-log "Hello, world!"

Time Log Fish does not have many command-line parameters. In fact there's only one right now,
and it's - used for stripping ANSI colors from the text passed to the standard input stream.

How to modify the STATUS command that is run upon time refresh?

If you want to use your own scripts for STATUS or TITLE you can do so:

STATUS='df -h / |tail -1 |cut -d" " -f13' \
TITLE=date\ +%Y/%d/%m \
time-log.fish HEADING

TITLE is the command being run preceeding your logging of time, top-right in the screenshot above.

STATUS is run whenever you press <Enter> submitting an empty line to Time Log Fish.
It can be saved in your log with ++.

How do I use the auto-fill MENU command?

Why do arrow keys not work in MENU, how do I choose items?

There is currently no way to capture arrow keys in the Fish read built-in. You can of course use your own menu command instead of the pick ITEMS… that comes with Time Log Fish. Take a look at fzf, it is glorious.

The pick function uses [ and ] or j and l to select and <Enter> or <Space> for finalizing choice.

What can I do with the plog file that is saved?

F.A.Q.

Is there a web-browser version of this script?

Not right now.

I found this useful in my life. I'd like to say thanks!

Please do, down in the comments; or just buy me a coffee/beer.

License MIT, free to do whatever. Yours to fuck up.
asciinema.org/a/447537

Version 0.1 screenshots:

v0.1 bug fixes watch cast

+ calculate math with :
* full weekday name in STATUS
* slow default STATUS line now faster

v0.2 bug fixes

+ calculate using last result with .
* zero out last result with just :

Fish's set_color command will output relevant escape sequences for changing colours and other attributes (and resetting them). Use set_color -c to see the colours it recognizes.

@kseistrup Correct.
It is also dog-slow for what I'd be using it for.

And I don't need the help in manipulating my terminal as to the modes, colors, pages etc.
Which it can't do anyway.
So no, not doing that.
👎

EDIT: eh, I did not mean to come over so stern.
There is nothing wrong with set_color except for how slow it is, really.
I don't even use it in my PROMPTs.

That's fine, I never expected you to — just thought I'd mention it.

Personally, I would never call set_color every time I needed it. Rather, I would e.g. set GREEN (setcolor green) in the beginning of the script and then refer to $GREEN everywhere else. Has the potential of making the code more legible.

I use set_color in some of my own fish scripts, and I disagree with the “dog slowness”.

Oh, it is so good to actually meet someone you could comfortably disagree with. I exactly started doing what you describe, than ran that 10K times, and had to get coffee. Then it happened again, in a different script I wrote. So, how was that saying, three times makes an idiot of me, or whatever to that effect.
I am of the opinion that FISH itself is way slow. If only it wasn't so convenient I'd switch away to, eh, I dunno, I'd whip something up.
❤️

UPDATE: looking for iffy sections I found exactly 5 lines to comment where it's all ANSI escapes, should be very readable now. Thanks.
UPDATE: removed one. But he's not starring this gist no more, so whatever.

v0.3 refinements to the UI, bug fixes

new CALC demo
new EDITING demo
new USAGE demo

* calculator changed to use = instead of :
+ see the time difference with just /
* status adding changed from just + to ++
* a + adds an empty line
+ added facility to strip ANSI colors (keeps motions tho)
+ previous line can now be time-stamped with -+
+ previous line can now be edited with --

(Yes, I know that the maths on main screenshot don't make sense, I'll be doing something about taht.)

Added a WIKI file, now that the feature-set and scope of this script has stabilized enough for that.

I might just not be adding any more features, it all feels well-rounded right now. Quite.

v0.4 added menu for your autofill

new MENU demo will appear with imminent v0.5 as part of documentation effort

* general formatting improvements
+ added MENU to call custom script with ! or `
- faster, less subshell usage