Create an Online Timesheet In 3 Steps

How to Build an Online Timesheet

In this guide, we outline the steps necessary to create and launch an online timesheet using Five’s advanced form builder.

The process involves:

1. Creating the database

2. Designing the timesheet form

3. Deploying the form

We will also cover securing the form with logins, authentication and permissions, although this is an optional step.

What is an Online Timesheet?

An online timesheet is an interface used to gather, store and manage time-tracking data for employees or projects.

These forms capture essential information such as employee hours, project names, task descriptions, and overtime, which can be used for tracking, reporting, and payroll processing.

Online timesheets can range from simple web forms to more complex systems integrated with databases and analytics tools.

Key Components of an Online Timesheet

• Web Forms: Online forms that users fill out to submit their work hours and related details.
• Databases: Systems like MySQL, PostgreSQL, or MongoDB that store collected time-tracking data in an organized manner. (Don’t worry if you’re not familiar—Five makes it easy.)
• Data Security: Measures to protect sensitive timesheet data from unauthorized access and breaches.
• Analytics Tools: Software that allows users to query the database, generate reports, and visualize timesheet data.
• Dashboards: Interactive interfaces that provide real-time insights and trends on work hours, productivity, and project timelines.

Why a Traditional Form Builder Might Not Cut It

Timesheets require managing relationships between various pieces of information, such as employee details, project allocations, and overtime calculations.

Standard form builders typically struggle to handle these complex data structures, making it difficult to create a comprehensive view of each submission.

Security and compliance are also major concerns, especially when dealing with employee information. Timesheets contain sensitive personal and work-related data, requiring security measures to protect this information and comply with regulations like GDPR.

Most off-the-shelf form builders lack the necessary security infrastructure to handle such sensitive data safely and in compliance with these stringent rules.

Furthermore, timesheets often require advanced calculations, such as computing total hours, overtime, and project billing. Many standard form builders have limited capabilities, lacking the ability to perform these complex calculations accurately and in real-time.

Lastly, the need for advanced reporting and analytics is crucial in managing work hours and project timelines.

Businesses require comprehensive tools to analyze timesheet data, track productivity, and generate detailed reports.

Most traditional form builders offer only basic reporting features that fall short of these needs.

Building an Online Timesheet with Five

Creating an online timesheet in Five offers significant advantages over traditional form builders, making it ideal for those who need robust, secure, and analyzable time-tracking data.

Unlike traditional form builders, which only store submitted data, Five allows you to directly connect your timesheet form to a database. This connection enables you to query your database and generate visual representations of your data, making it easier to identify trends, patterns, and productivity metrics.

Most traditional form builders require exporting data to third-party tools for analysis, adding extra steps and potential for errors.

While traditional form builders may suffice for very basic timesheet tasks, they often struggle with large datasets or high submission volumes. Five’s database-connected solution, on the other hand, is designed to handle substantial amounts of timesheet data efficiently, maintaining performance as your application needs grow.

One of the standout features of Five is the ability to create login-protected forms. This ensures that only authorized users can access and submit timesheet data, enhancing the security of your timesheet process.

Traditional form builders often lack these advanced security features, leaving your data vulnerable to unauthorized access.

In addition to its advanced data management and security features, Five allows you to build dashboards and generate detailed reports directly from your timesheet data.

You can create visual data representations such as charts and graphs, providing a clear overview of work hours, project allocation, and employee productivity.

With Five, you can:

• Quickly deploy your online timesheet with a secure database.
• Build a user-friendly interface that protects sensitive data with login authentication.

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Step 1: Database for Your Online Timesheet

To get started, sign up for free access to Five and create a new application by navigating to the Applications section and clicking the yellow plus button.

Create a New Application:

1. Click the yellow plus button.
2. Name your application (e.g., “Timesheet”).
3. Confirm by clicking the check icon in the upper right corner.

• Click on the blue Manage button to enter the development environment.

Create Database Tables:

1. Go to Data > Table Wizard, a user-friendly interface for creating database tables.
2. Name your table descriptively (e.g., “Timesheet”).
3. Add fields to your table using the plus button, specifying appropriate data types:

• EmployeeName (Text): Stores the name of the employee.
• HoursWorked (Float): Captures the number of hours worked, with two decimal places.
• ProjectName (Text): Stores the project name.
• TaskDescription (Text): Describes the specific task.
• DateWorked (Date): Records the date the hours were worked.
• Overtime (Float): Captures any overtime worked, with two decimal places.

Choose appropriate data and display types to ensure your data is stored and displayed correctly. If you are unsure, feel free to ask ChatGPT.

Save Your Database Table:

After adding all relevant fields, save your table by clicking the check icon in the upper right corner. Your MySQL database table is now ready to store timesheet data.

Side Note: This might seem more advanced than what you were expecting, but nothing worth having comes super easily. Five excels at building complete applications, meaning you can expand your timesheet into a fully functional application capable of much more than a standard form builder.

Step 2: Designing the Online Timesheet Form

Next, navigate to Visual > Form Wizard in Five to design your timesheet form.

Select Data Source:

• In the Form Wizard’s General section, select the “Timesheets” table you created as the main data source. This links your backend (database) with your frontend (form).

Finalize the Form:

• Click the check icon in the upper right corner to complete the form creation. Your form is now ready and connected to your database.

Add Form Submit/Cancel Buttons:

1. Navigate to Visual and select Forms. Scroll down to the Complete Caption section where you can add your submit button (you can change this to whatever you’d like). You can also change the Cancel Caption.
2. Remember to click the tick to save afterward.

Add Your URL:

1. Navigate to Setup, then select URL and add an item. Make sure this is lowercase. In this example just enter timesheet in lower case.
2. Select your form in the action field.

Step 3: Deploying the Online Timesheet Form

To deploy your online timesheet form:

Deploy to Development:

1. Click the Deploy to Development button in the top right corner. This action opens your timesheet form in a new browser tab, allowing you to preview it.
2. Your default URL will look something like this: https://control-default-timesheet-ryan.5au.dev/?reloadSchema=e1cd0083-a11a-4803-a3dc-74151895e312&inspect=false

Delete this URL section ?reloadSchema=e1cd0083-a11a-4803-a3dc-74151895e312&inspect=false and replace it with the name of your custom URL from the previous step.

For example, the new URL would be something like https://control-default-timesheet-ryan.5au.dev/url/timesheet, leading directly to your timesheet form.

Enhance Your Form:

Consider adding themes or additional features such as conditional logic to guide users through the form or automated emails confirming submission.

Securing Your Online Timesheet Form: Logins, Authentication, Permissions

Five goes beyond simple data collection by allowing you to build web applications with custom logic and dashboards. Although the process may seem more advanced than tools like Google Forms, Five offers a higher level of functionality and security.

One key feature is the ability to secure your online timesheet with login protection. Here’s how you can do that:

Add User Roles and Logins:

1. Turn your application into a multi-user app by automatically adding a login screen.
2. Create user roles with specific permissions. For example:

• Employee Role: Can submit timesheets.
• Admin Role: Can review submissions, approve hours, and access the dashboard summarizing all timesheets.

Explore More Security Features:

Utilize Five’s documentation for detailed instructions on securing your timesheet form with authentication and permissions to ensure only authorized users can access or modify data.

Conclusion: Building an Online Timesheet

Building an online timesheet with Five’s application development environment offers numerous advantages over traditional form builders.

The process involves three key steps: creating the database, designing the form, and deploying the web form. Five provides security features, including login protection, authentication, and user permissions, ensuring that your timesheet form is secure and only accessible to authorized users.

By using Five, you can directly connect your timesheet form to a database, enabling efficient data management and real-time analysis through custom charts and reports.

This capability allows you to easily track employee hours, monitor overtime, and manage project allocations—tasks that are often cumbersome with traditional form builders that require exporting data to third-party tools.

With Five, you can enhance your time-tracking process, improve data security, and use analytical tools for valuable insights, making it the superior choice for creating a comprehensive and efficient online timesheet.