Saturn

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Saturn v1.6 (0.4 Mb, requires Microsoft .Net 2.0)
Saturn v1.2 (0.3 Mb, requires Microsoft .Net 1.1)

Saturn is a task tracker that I wrote that allows me to store the data on my USB flash drive while still working smoothly if I don't have the drive handy.

Saturn allows me to store tasks for all the different development projects I'm working on at any one time. Projects can be split down into milestones (eg. alpha release, v1.0, v1.5 etc) and the status of each task and milestone can be seen at a glance - the icon colour represents the status: grey = not started yet, amber = in development, green = complete.

Tasks can also be be viewed by status (eg. show me all the tasks currently in development) and by type (eg. show me all the bugs).

Saturn now has two Operating Modes: File mode and SQL Server mode.

In File mode Saturn is designed for a single user - either a lone developer or a project leader, while SQL Server mode is suitable for a small team of developers.

File Mode

In File mode Saturn stores project and task details in an XML file which can be located in any location desired (in my case on my USB flash drive). You can set the storage location by selecting the Set Data File Location option in the Tools menu.

Whenever the data is saved Saturn also takes a local copy of the data that can then be accessed (in read-only mode to avoid changing the data in more than one location) if the "real" data isn't available (ie. if I've left my USB flash drive at home).

In addition, because the data is stored as XML, if you've got your USB flash drive, but don't have access to a PC that can run Saturn, you can still read your data just by opening the Projects.xml file.

SQL Server Mode

SQL Server mode is still "experimental" at this stage, although it's been working pretty well for myself and my work colleagues for the last few months.

It has been developed on SQL Server 2005 (though it should also work on SQL Server 2000) and requires Integrated Security to work. You will need to create an empty database and the required tables will be created the first time you connect to it. As such, the first user to connect to the database should have permissions to create the tables (at least db_ddladmin database role), and other users should have at least read and write permissions (db_datareader and db_datawriter).

Main Features

User-definable data storage location.
Data can be stored either in an XML file or in a SQL Server database. The XML file (the default) can be stored remotely if desired, such as a network drive or a USB drive (defined by selecting 'Set Data File Location' from the Tools menu). Switch between XML file and SQL mode by selecting Options from the Tools menu and then selecting the 'Operating Mode' tab.
User-definable installation ID.
Allows seperate copies of Saturn to have their own set of options, including Data File Location. Just give each copy of Saturn a unique ID and they'll keep their settings seperate from each other. I use this feature to keep my personal and work tasks separate. Defined by selecting Option from the Tools menu and then selecting the 'Installation ID' tab.
Allows tasks to be organised into Projects and Milestones.
Quick view of milestone and task status via coloured icons.
Flexible view of your tasks. You can:
- Filter tasks by status (in development, completed etc).
- Filter tasks by type (bugs, new features, ideas etc).
- Sort tasks by any column.
- Group tasks by any column, just like the Windows XP Explorer. Enable grouping by selecting 'Show Tasks in Groups' from the View menu.
- Find tasks by their name. Select 'Find Tasks' from the Edit menu.
Can be minimised to the notification tray.
Doesn't take up room on your Taskbar when you're not using it.
XSL support.
Select 'View in Browser' from the File menu to view the Projects.xml file in your web browser. Handy for printing.
The 'View in Browser' option is only available in File mode as it relies on the XML file.

Requirements

PC with Windows 98, Me, 2000 or XP

And enough memory to run Windows efficiently.

Microsoft .Net Framework

Saturn v1.3 and above requires the .Net Framework 2.0 to run.
Saturn v1.2 and below requires the .Net Framework 1.1 to run.

Version History

v1.6, 22 January 2007

Added SQL Server Mode. Change Operating Mode (File or SQL Server) in the Options. Currently only allows Integrated Security and the database must already exist.
Can now set defaults for Task Types and Stages.
Can now select icon colour per-installation. Select in the Colour Options.
Fixed a bug that caused Links to go missing when moving a Task between Projects/Milestones.

v1.5, 20 June 2006

When searching for Tasks you can now specify the scope of the search (all Projects, current Project or current Milestone).
Grouped columns can now be inverted (by clicking on them again).
Fixed a bug that allowed dragging-and-dropping of Tasks in cached mode.

v1.4, 20 April 2006

Changed the XML to a more compact schema which reduces file size by around 30%. Your projects file is backed-up before the upgrade begins.
Updated toolbars and menus to the .Net 2.0 style. Fancy rendering can be enabled in the Options screen.
The Projects tree, Task list, Task description pane and Found Tasks list can now all be resized.
Tidied up the Project/Milestone interface a bit to stop me from accidently deleting Projects when I meant to delete a Milestone.
Added Links (to websites, e-mail addresses, files and folders) to Projects, Milestones and Tasks.
Added a Links tab beneath the Project, Milestone and Task lists.
Added an Implementation Notes tab beneath the Task list.
Cut, Copy and Paste now work when multiple Tasks are selected.
Can now drag-and-drop Tasks between Projects or Milestones. Hold Shift to copy Tasks instead of moving them.
Fixed a bug that caused Implementation Notes to be lost when Tasks were cut and pasted between Projects or Milestones.

v1.3, 24 March 2006

Updated code to .Net version 2.0
Sped up saving to USB drives.
Added Windows XP Explorer style grouping of Tasks. Select 'Show Tasks in Groups' from the View menu.
Added an optional All Tasks node. Select Options from the Tools menu then tick the 'Show All Tasks node in Projects tree' option.
Added Installation ID option, which allows multiple task lists to be maintained on the same PC. Select Options from the Tools menu then select the 'Installation ID' tab.
Fixed a bug that stopped the E-mail option from working if the Task name or description contained quotes (").

v1.2, 16 February 2006

New Find Tasks function. Press Ctrl+F, select Find Tasks from the Edit menu or click the magnifying glass icon to access it.
Added Priority to Tasks.
Added Implementation Notes to Tasks.
Fixed some bugs that allowed adding and editing of items in cached mode.
Updated XSL support. Now allows you to show and hide selected projects. Thanks to David Dawson again.
Made the Task form resizable.
Added some more options and a 'real' options form.
Moved Registry settings from Local Machine to Current User.

v1.1, 15 September 2005

Added XSL support. Select 'View in Browser' from the File menu. Useful for printing or as a way to view the data if you don't have the Saturn executable handy (just open the Projects.xml file in Explorer). It currently just lists all projects, milestones and tasks - filtering may be added in a future version. The XSL and CSS files were created by David Dawson - thanks.
Now only saves if data has actually changed.
Fixed a bug which stopped the default lists of types, stages and assignees from being created when creating a new data file. Note that these are not added to already existing data files.
Added ID numbers to all tasks. Can be useful when referring to one task from another.
Added exporting of tasks to a text file. Access from the Tasks menu or by right-clicking on the task list.
Can now add descriptions to Projects and Milestones. The Description of the selected Project or Milestone appears below the project tree view.
Added Date Added and Date Completed to Tasks. These are set automatically as tasks are added and updated. Note that values are not added for tasks that existed before this update.
Changed Copy and Paste so that it resets the newly pasted Task (ie. it has no Stage and no Duration).
Fixed a bug that stopped the column sort order from being saved correctly.

v1.0, 8 August 2005

Initial release.