However even that isn’t a two-minute job. I haven’t decided on which project hosting system to use (any recommendations between SourceForge and Google?) although Jon has been extremely helpful. And before it’s opened I’d like to get a framework ready so that developers can build easily on top.

In a nutshell here’s what I want for ‘Genie:

• Clean HTML
• Multiple themes, selectable from thumbnails (like Wordpress)
• Mobile phone version (just task lists, comments and ability to reply)
• Simple, unobtrusive JavaScript to handle pane refreshes and AJAXy stuff (using Performer)
• Simple time management, with tape-recorder “record, pause, stop” buttons
• Better document management, including page of thumbnails for all images attached to a task/project
• Simple financial management, including ability to set a price for a task/project and record multiple payments against that price
• Plugin system (a bit like Wordpress) so developers can add items to menus to run plugin pages (for reports etc)
• Better configuration and user settings management, storing everything in the database

Plus a lot of cleaning up of the interface so projectGenie is even easier to use. It’s a lot to ask, but I hope by opening the source to the good citizens of the web we’ll be able to make something really good and useful for us all.

In the meantime the world still needs project management, so here’s a long list of both web and desktop software that may help you to organise your projects and tasks: http://tutorialblog.org/freelancers-manage-your-projects/

So here’s a quick preview of part of the old interface:

And it’s new counterpart:

Much better, I think.

• Page template and ‘engine’: this is the set of classes that power the entire site - templating, database connection, security etc
• AJAX components using Prototype and Performer
• Page architecture - what goes where, and what links to where

So from that you can tell I’ve made quite a bit of progress. There’s a long way to go, I still have almost every page to shuffle round so it looks better and is easier to use, but progress has been made.

In the meantime I have a bit of technical know-how that might help you out. A couple of projectGenie users have complained that they get SQL errors after installing the current version. If that’s you then don’t panic, it’s a problem to do with the configuration file (fixed in the new version to come). Going to ‘Configuration’ and clicking the update button (you don’t need to change anything, just click the button) will re-jig your installation and sort it right out.

It’s a shame, but then I did set myself an almost impossible task. The good news is I’ve made loads of progress by giving myself a really short amount of time to Get Something Done, and I’m fired up to get even more done very soon. So, hopefully, it won’t be long before I’m cutting the digital ribbon on a whole new version.

Until then, if you’re one of the people looking forward to trying out Brookmeyer, then sorry. You’ll have to wait a little bit longer.

Speaking of user interfaces, those clever blokes over at 37signals have updated the dashboard of Basecamp again. Basecamp is their insanely popular project management system (over 1 million people have signed up!) and is a huge inspiration to me. Basecamp is projectGenie’s main competitor, but seeing as I’m giving my software away for free, and they host theirs and take care of all the technical headaches, we’re not quite in the same market.

Their dashboard is now better than ever. Here’s a quick list of some of the goodies are;

• It’s not weighed down by loads of icons (I have a tendency to throw an icon at anything that moves)
• It has colour-coding, but not so much that it overwhelms the eye
• It has a calendar that shows you what you need to see, but then gets out of the way
• It has easy-to-read lists instead of clunky grids
• It shows the *required* information, not frippery (do I really need to know what time a message was posted at three weeks ago? No, I just need the date)
• It groups tasks logically, by project

As I mentioned, projectGenie and Basecamp are targeted at two different markets (OK, projectGenie isn’t really targeted at any market) so while there’s a lot to learn from the masters of lean, mean web applications, I won’t be copying it wholesale. That would be bad-mannered. Instead I’m going to try to be a little more selective in the graphical elements and layouts I choose (less icons, more simple lists, group things logically).

And, who knows, I may even get it done by the deadline.

So, depsite me saying that I wasn’t going to look at the templating system for projectGenie this time round, guess what I’ve done? That’s right, rewritten the templating system. Oh, and the installer.

There is method in my madness, you see. By having a better installer means that (hopefully) people will find it easier to start playing with projectGenie. I’m forever thinking about the users, me. And by sorting out the templating system (OK, so it’s a hybrid of a proper object-oriented templating system and my old procedural system) I can produce the rest of the system screens much more easily.

I’ve also added a simple database class so that I have a single point of failure, I mean access, to the database. And the menus are now dynamic, so people who aren;t meant to see certain section now can’t. Hurrah.

Still, to think that I’ve not even started on the list of things I’d said I’d do for version Brookmeyer … it’s a ludicrous escapade. If I make it I’ll be amazed.

In a nutshell:

1. The main screen (can I call it the Dashboard? Not really…) will be redesigned, with the five or six current sections being replaced by three. The main one will show all notes to all projects that you have access to, with some options to filter them. Much better.
2. I’ll be replacing the current clunky JavaScript library with prototype and Performer.
3. Clean URLs for people who can use them. That will be configurable by the configuration options.
4. And speaking of configuration options, I’ll be cleaning that up quite a lot. Basically there will be a standard set of configuration options, and a much more comprehensive advanced set of options.
5. There will be redesigns for most of the screens, especially the client, contact and project screen.
6. I’ll add some simple reports to help you manage projects.
7. The help section will be updated and rewritten.

Seeing as I’m not sure I’ll have time to do even that little lot, there is only a very slim chance of any of this next list happening, but we live in hope.

1. Simple financial management for projects: a total amount for different phases of each project, then details of any (possibly multiple) payments until the fee has been paid.
2. Simple time management showing some kind of on-screen timer. This would be per-task.
3. Start date and end date for tasks, allowing a simple Gantt chart to be shown.

There will be more information about my progress (or lack of it) over the next couple of weeks.

So I’m setting myself a constraints challenge. I’m limiting myself to just 16 days to get the bulk of the new projectGenie version ready for public use. That’s right, on June 14th (my birthday, by the way) version Brookmeyer will be live for playing with on this very site.

I’m not sure what features will make it, I’ll have to pick the ones that will make the most difference. Wish me luck

Some quick stats. During the BeatsBase project 29 individual tasks were created, with a total of 721 notes added. That’s in excess of 85,000 words, or 340,000 characters! Phew, no wonder my keyboard is acting strange.

projectGenie hasn’t been our only method of communication. There have been a few dozen emails and about 10 phone calls, but it’s carried the weight for most of the project. In fact using it so intensely has helped me to see several areas it could be streamlined, as well as lots of ideas for new features.

Anyway, if you’re a DJ then you need to check out BeatsBase. And while you’re there say hi to Robbie.