Software for managind of projects, notes ...

[techcode]

This probably could go in some other forum, but this seems like most logical place to me.

As I'm getting more and more into freelancing I'm geting lost. For instance one old customer asked me to repear some script I did for him. It stoped sending emails after Cpanel was updated (yeah blocks even localhost from using sendmail).

While I remotely recalled who is he, and what I worked on, that's about all I could remember. Spent quite some time to find the source code of the script on my HD ...

So if someone knows some good tool, preferably free or with test period that can be used to manage clients, projects, notes ... etc.

Desktop based preferably (Windows), but if someone also knows for some online (Web) tool that can be used for that it would be great. Altho in that case it would make sence that it has some sort of admin for the customer also. Something that could be used to leave comments on the ongoing project, or requests for features ...etc.

Thanks.

[vermonter]

This might not be what you are looking for, but I use Mantis for project management. I use it for bigger projects with multiple developers, but I think it could be customized for keeping track of smaller jobs.

It's webbased and is very helpful because of it. It is especially helpful for me because most of the people I work with are 10-12 hours ahead of me in time... so we don't have a chance to talk in person more than 3-4 hours a day (my night). During my daytime, I am able to log bugs and feature requests into the system - I don't forget them, and because I am communicating them to the developers at the same time that I am writing them down, I end up doing a better job of specifying the details.

Again, it's probably not quite what you are looking for, but it might be worth thinking about.

[techcode]

Yeah, not quite what I want. I'll probaly try to mix something in Access together with little VBA code that would do the trick. But I still dont know (probably not possible) how to store binary (ziped project files) in MDB DB ...

[Shackbase]

I would use a ticket system like perldesk or something.

That would keep a complete TT of old issues and work related discussions to a specific client.

--Tone

[techcode]

Looks like you folks havent understood what I need.

1. Store info about customers (name, email, website ...etc)
2. Be able to define a project, what's it's about, how much it costs ...etc
3. Write notes on both clients and projects
4. Store files of the projects (ussualy one zip file)

You see, I dont need anything that will be used to (directly) comunicate with the customer, just my tracking.

I've created the whole DB for that in Access, but since I havent worked in it (nor VB[A]) for a long time, I'm having dificulties to organaise forms for it - since data displayed on one form comes from several tables ...

[0fusiongraffix0]

Why dont you setup, IIS, MySQL and PHP on your local computer and make a small intranet website to track everything, thats what I do..

Just need to make the Databases for Clients/Projects/Notes, and then make the site which will pull the data from the DB.

Thats the easiest way I have found to keep track of everything, and also you can build your own admin backend to administer the local intranet/Site.

Just my opinion.

[rapido]

IIS == Unstable. ;)

[techcode]

Well I did think on doing that, but with Apache, Perl and MySql (of course got them allready installed). But it's not the same to work on a desktop app and a web based. You know, even if it's on a local host it still requires some time to update the data displayed on the screen.

And if I have a list of say all customers, desktop app would instantly display data about it (when you select it) in some other part of the screen. Web based app would need to make a request, update the html page ...etc.

So I would first like to know if there is some desktop app, if not then I would have no other choice than web based.

ps. IIS => It Isn't Stable :)