Window Logger

Window Logger is a productivity tracking tool that monitors active windows and analyzes time spent across applications and categories. The system consists of two .NET console applications that work together to provide insights into computer usage patterns.

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🎯 Overview

The system has two main components:

1. WindowLogger - Monitors and logs active windows continuously
2. WindowAnalyser - Analyzes logs and generates Excel reports

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🚀 Quick Start

Step 1: Build the Projects

Build both applications using Visual Studio or the .NET CLI:

# From the solution directory
dotnet build WindowLogger.sln

Or build individual projects:

dotnet build WindowLogger/WindowLogger.csproj
dotnet build WindowAnalyser/WindowAnalyser.csproj

Step 2: Run the Logger

Navigate to the WindowLogger output directory and run:

cd WindowLogger/bin/Debug/net9.0
WindowLogger.exe

Or from the project directory:

cd WindowLogger
dotnet run

What happens:

• The logger starts monitoring your active windows every 100ms
• Console displays each window change
• Data is saved to window_log.csv in the same directory as the executable
• Press Enter to stop logging

Step 3: Analyze the Data

Navigate to the WindowAnalyser output directory and run:

cd WindowAnalyser/bin/Debug/net9.0
WindowAnalyser.exe window_log.csv output.xlsx

Or from the project directory:

cd WindowAnalyser
dotnet run -- <path-to-csv> <output-xlsx-path>

Example:

dotnet run -- ../../WindowLogger/bin/Debug/net9.0/window_log.csv weekly_report.xlsx

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📂 Data Storage

Log File Location

File Name: window_log.csv
Location: Same directory as WindowLogger.exe

When running with dotnet run, the log file is created in:

WindowLogger/bin/Debug/net9.0/window_log.csv

When running the compiled executable directly:

<path-to-exe>/window_log.csv

Log File Format

The CSV file contains three columns:

Timestamp,Window Title [Executable],Status

Example Content:

2026-01-18 09:15:30,Visual Studio 2022 [devenv.exe],Active
2026-01-18 09:20:45,Google Chrome - GitHub [chrome.exe],Active
2026-01-18 09:25:10,Slack - Development Team [slack.exe],Active
2026-01-18 09:30:00,Slack - Development Team [slack.exe],Inactive
2026-01-18 09:31:15,Visual Studio 2022 [devenv.exe],Active

Status Values:

• Active - User is actively using the computer
• Inactive - No user input detected for 1+ minute (configurable)

Configuration File Location

File Name: appsettings.json
Location: Same directory as WindowAnalyser.exe

The configuration file must be in:

WindowAnalyser/bin/Debug/net9.0/appsettings.json

The project is already configured to copy this file to the output directory automatically.

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📊 WindowLogger - Data Collection

Features

• Real-time Window Tracking: Monitors the foreground window every 100ms
• Executable Detection: Records both window title and process name
• Inactivity Detection: Automatically detects when user is idle (default: 1 minute)
• Continuous Logging: Appends to CSV file - safe to stop/restart

How It Works

1. Polls the foreground window every 100 milliseconds
2. Detects window changes and logs them with timestamp
3. Monitors user input (keyboard/mouse) to detect inactivity
4. When inactive for 1 minute, logs "Inactive" status
5. When activity resumes, logs "Active" status with new window

Customization

Edit constants in WindowLogger/Program.cs:

private const double MinutesToInactive = 1;  // Inactivity threshold in minutes

Change timer interval (default: 100ms):

_timer = new Timer(100);  // Polling interval in milliseconds

Running as a Background Service

Option 1: Start Minimized

• Create a shortcut to WindowLogger.exe
• Right-click → Properties → Run: Minimized

Option 2: Windows Task Scheduler

• Schedule to run at login
• Run whether user is logged on or not
• Configure to restart on failure

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📈 WindowAnalyser - Data Analysis

Command Line Usage

WindowAnalyser.exe <input-csv-file> <output-xlsx-file>

Parameters:

• input-csv-file - Path to the CSV log file created by WindowLogger
• output-xlsx-file - Desired path/name for the Excel report

Examples:

# Absolute paths
WindowAnalyser.exe C:\Logs\window_log.csv C:\Reports\weekly_report.xlsx

# Relative paths
WindowAnalyser.exe window_log.csv report.xlsx

# Analyze multiple periods
WindowAnalyser.exe logs\january.csv reports\january_analysis.xlsx
WindowAnalyser.exe logs\february.csv reports\february_analysis.xlsx

Generated Excel Report

The output workbook contains 4 worksheets:

1. Categories Tab

Groups time by configured categories (e.g., "Productivity", "Development")

Category	Status	Time Spent (Minutes)	Time Spent (Hours)
Development	Active	240.5	4.01
Communication	Active	95.2	1.59
Productivity	Inactive	15.0	0.25

2. Applications Tab

Groups time by configured application names

Application	Status	Time Spent (Minutes)	Time Spent (Hours)
Visual Studio	Active	180.3	3.01
Browser	Active	120.5	2.01
Slack	Active	45.2	0.75

3. Undefined Applications Tab

Shows windows that didn't match any application rule - use this to identify applications you should add to your configuration

Window	Status	Time Spent (Minutes)	Time Spent (Hours)
Calculator [calc.exe]	Active	25.5	0.43
Notepad++ [notepad++.exe]	Active	18.2	0.30

4. Windows Tab

Daily breakdown of all window activity

Date	Window	Status	Time Spent (Minutes)	Time Spent (Hours)
2026-01-18	Visual Studio	Active	120.5	2.01
2026-01-18	Chrome	Active	65.3	1.09
2026-01-19	Visual Studio	Active	180.0	3.00

Analysis Workflow

1. First Run - Without appsettings.json

   WindowAnalyser.exe window_log.csv initial_report.xlsx

   • All windows appear in "Undefined Applications" tab
   • No categories are generated

2. Review Undefined Applications

   • Open the Excel report
   • Check the "Undefined Applications" tab
   • Identify which windows you want to track

3. Configure Application Rules

   • Edit appsettings.json in the WindowAnalyser directory
   • Add application definitions based on window titles
   • Define categories for grouping

4. Re-run Analysis

   WindowAnalyser.exe window_log.csv categorized_report.xlsx

   • Applications now appear in "Applications" tab
   • Categories are populated
   • "Undefined Applications" shows only unmatched windows

5. Iterate

   • Continue refining rules until most windows are categorized
   • Run analysis periodically (daily/weekly) to track trends

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⚙️ Configuration

The appsettings.json file controls how window titles are classified.

Configuration File Structure

{
  "applications": [ ... ],
  "exclusions": [ ... ],
  "categories": [ ... ]
}

Applications Section

Define how window titles map to logical application names.

Properties:

• name - Logical application name (appears in report)
• include - Keywords that must all appear in the window title
• exclude - Keywords that must not appear (optional)

Example:

{
  "name": "Browser",
  "include": [ "Firefox" ],
  "exclude": [ "taskbeat" ]
}

Matching Rules:

• All include keywords must be present (AND logic)
• Any exclude keyword disqualifies the match
• Matching is case-insensitive
• First match wins - order matters!

Best Practices:

1. Specific rules first, generic rules last:

{
  "applications": [
    {
      "name": "Notepad - MyTask",
      "include": [ "Notepad", "MyTask.txt" ],
      "exclude": []
    },
    {
      "name": "Notepad",
      "include": [ "Notepad" ],
      "exclude": [ "MyTask.txt" ]
    }
  ]
}

2. Use executable names for precision:

{
  "name": "Visual Studio",
  "include": [ "Visual Studio", "devenv.exe" ],
  "exclude": []
}

3. Group similar browsers:

[
  {
    "name": "Browser",
    "include": [ "Firefox" ],
    "exclude": []
  },
  {
    "name": "Browser",
    "include": [ "Chrome" ],
    "exclude": []
  },
  {
    "name": "Browser",
    "include": [ "Edge" ],
    "exclude": []
  }
]

Exclusions Section

Define window titles to completely remove from analysis.

Example:

{
  "exclusions": [
    {
      "include": [ "Firefox", "ebay", "cart" ]
    },
    {
      "include": [ "private", "browsing" ]
    }
  ]
}

When a window matches an exclusion rule:

• It's removed from all reports
• Time is not counted anywhere
• It's as if the window never existed

Use Cases:

• Exclude personal browsing during work hours
• Filter out sensitive/private windows
• Remove testing/debugging windows

Categories Section

Group applications into higher-level categories for aggregate reporting.

Properties:

• name - Category name (appears in report)
• includeApplications - Application names to include
• excludeApplications - Applications to exclude (optional)

Example:

{
  "categories": [
    {
      "name": "Development",
      "includeApplications": [ "Visual Studio", "VS Code", "Terminal" ],
      "excludeApplications": []
    },
    {
      "name": "Productivity",
      "includeApplications": [ "Notepad", "TaskBeat" ],
      "excludeApplications": [ "Notepad - MyTask" ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Communication",
      "includeApplications": [ "Slack", "Teams", "Outlook" ],
      "excludeApplications": []
    }
  ]
}

Important:

• Applications can belong to multiple categories
• Time is counted separately for each category (can exceed 100%)
• Use excludeApplications to create exceptions within broader groups

Complete Example Configuration

{
  "applications": [
    {
      "name": "Visual Studio",
      "include": [ "Visual Studio" ],
      "exclude": []
    },
    {
      "name": "VS Code",
      "include": [ "Visual Studio Code" ],
      "exclude": []
    },
    {
      "name": "Browser",
      "include": [ "Firefox" ],
      "exclude": [ "taskbeat" ]
    },
    {
      "name": "TaskBeat",
      "include": [ "Firefox", "taskbeat" ],
      "exclude": []
    },
    {
      "name": "Slack",
      "include": [ "Slack" ],
      "exclude": []
    },
    {
      "name": "Notepad - MyTask",
      "include": [ "Notepad", "MyTask.txt" ],
      "exclude": []
    },
    {
      "name": "Notepad",
      "include": [ "Notepad" ],
      "exclude": [ "MyTask.txt" ]
    }
  ],
  "exclusions": [
    {
      "include": [ "Firefox", "ebay", "cart" ]
    }
  ],
  "categories": [
    {
      "name": "Development",
      "includeApplications": [ "Visual Studio", "VS Code" ],
      "excludeApplications": []
    },
    {
      "name": "Communication",
      "includeApplications": [ "Slack" ],
      "excludeApplications": []
    },
    {
      "name": "Productivity",
      "includeApplications": [ "Notepad", "TaskBeat" ],
      "excludeApplications": [ "Notepad - MyTask" ]
    },
    {
      "name": "MyTask",
      "includeApplications": [ "Notepad - MyTask" ],
      "excludeApplications": []
    }
  ]
}

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🔧 Requirements

• Operating System: Windows (uses Win32 APIs for window tracking)
• .NET Runtime: .NET 9.0 or higher
• Excel Viewer: Microsoft Excel or compatible spreadsheet application

Dependencies

WindowLogger:

• No external dependencies (uses built-in Windows APIs)

WindowAnalyser:

• ClosedXML (0.105.0-rc) - for Excel generation
• Newtonsoft.Json (13.0.3) - for configuration parsing

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📝 Tips & Best Practices

Data Collection

1. Run Continuously: Leave WindowLogger running all day for accurate tracking
2. Regular Analysis: Analyze logs daily or weekly to identify patterns
3. Backup Logs: Copy CSV files regularly - they contain your complete history
4. Multiple Logs: Create separate logs for different projects or time periods by moving/renaming the CSV file

Configuration

1. Start Simple: Begin with broad application categories
2. Refine Gradually: Add more specific rules as you identify patterns
3. Use Undefined Tab: Regularly check "Undefined Applications" to find unmatched windows
4. Test Rules: Re-run analysis after configuration changes to verify rules work as expected
5. Document Rules: Add comments (not supported in JSON, but keep notes separately) about why specific rules exist

Analysis

1. Compare Periods: Generate reports for different time periods to track changes
2. Focus on Active Time: Filter by "Active" status to see productive time
3. Review Inactive Patterns: High inactive time may indicate distractions or away-from-desk time
4. Category Overlaps: Remember that categories can overlap - total category time may exceed 100%

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🛠️ Troubleshooting

"Error reading appsettings.json"

Cause: Configuration file is missing or has invalid JSON
Solution:

1. Ensure appsettings.json exists in the same directory as WindowAnalyser.exe
2. Validate JSON syntax using a JSON validator
3. The analyzer will use default settings (no grouping) if the file is invalid

"CSV format error: each row must have at least 3 columns"

Cause: Log file is corrupted or has an unexpected format
Solution:

1. Check that the CSV file was created by WindowLogger
2. Ensure the file hasn't been manually edited with incorrect formatting
3. Verify the file isn't empty

No data in Categories or Applications tabs

Cause: No windows matched your application rules
Solution:

1. Check the "Undefined Applications" tab to see what windows were logged
2. Add application rules to appsettings.json matching those window titles
3. Re-run the analysis

Log file grows too large

Cause: Running continuously for extended periods
Solution:

1. Archive old logs regularly (e.g., monthly)
2. Analyze and move the CSV file to a different location
3. WindowLogger will create a new window_log.csv automatically

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📄 License

This project is open source and available under the repository license.