Hi from a new member. I'm an adult recently diagnosed. I've got an idea for a new computer application targeted specifically to people with ADHD that would help them manage time. It's different from any other application I've run into - it's not a calendar, but a simple tool to help use a calendar better. It's very visually-oriented because people with ADHD often have trouble visualizing time. It's based on the system I developed for myself in MS Xcel and have used successfully.

While I know computers well enough to know what's possible, I don't have the expertise to put this together as a stand alone application, which is what it really should be to work right. Are there any programmers out there interested in playing with this idea? I see it as something I could sell along with a user's guide I would write (I'm a writer by trade), so there could be a little money in it.

The system is essentially a database of tasks presented in a timeline form. The tasks appear in a grid that can be manipulated on-screen. Xcel is close but not quite right. If anyone is interested or knows where I should look, please let me know. Thanks.

-Rick

I program in VB 6.0, VB .Net and am currently working in VBA and Access databases. I am doing A-Level Computing and am competent in the programming environments and platforms etc. Im not sure yet if i can help with this idea, given time constraints and distance, but i will think about it. May need more thouhgt on ur interface plans though.

Sounds interesting...How would this differ from, say, MS Project?

U could always use excel as a base (where all the data is stored) and make use of its powerful calcualtion ability and use VB as the interface layer. It would be a standalone program which uses excel (hidden from user) to power itself. Alternativly u could also make a database and use SQL queries to link the database to the program which wuold be onece again, standalone. Any of these formats sound interesting?? All allow full customisation of the user form and obviously r a better option for layout graphically.

Why can't this be web-based and platform-independent? Some of us ADD'ers use alternative platforms. Think thin client.

All could work. Just depends on the target audience. You could even produce multiple versions i.e. 4 Macs and Linux. This could go as far as creating web-based and stand alone. Some people dont have net access.

Welcome Daddio!

Wow, I've already started a conversation. I picked the right forum.

Here are some details about my idea. First of all, simplicity is key. This is not a catch-all personal info manager or project manager (like MS Project). This helps someone use those tools, or even the calendar on their wall, better. It's not complicated or impressive-looking, nor is it revolutionary, but that's the point.

I developed it after going to a seminar on time management for people with ADD. I learned that we have trouble percieving or visualizing time. I never really knew that before because I've never "seen" time through someone else's eyes, but we tried just that at this seminar. I realized then why I had failed so often in my attempts at planning. My brain doesn't have the built-in planning tools other people use when they track time on paper or on a computer screen. I like to say that a calendar was a great way to track the deadlines I was about to miss.

In essence, my tool is a timeline that applies the principles used by Franklin-Covey and others to prioritize tasks and to break down large tasks into smaller ones. The timeline runs from left to right, and you can see today's date and the near future. A list of tasks runs top to bottom under each date. Tasks that are part of a larger project are linked by color. Tasks that are urgent go toward the left; those that can wait go to the right. Tasks that are important are on top; tasks that won't hurt as much to miss go further down.

The user can drag and drop these to instantly adjust the position of tasks. If a task doesn't get done on the date it's scheduled for, you move it to the right somewhere. It makes it super-easy to readjust your schedule and see what the changes look like. You can judge your workload at a glance. You can move tasks from a heavy week (I go by weeks) to a light one, or get some work done early while you have time when you see that a busier time is ahead. Since a specific project's timeline doesn't have to go straight, you can easily handle multiple projects at once.

This system also allows the user to focus on what's important now without losing what will be important later. Just change to a view of only the current date once you've updated the adjustments. That gives you a list of your goals for the time period. I call it switching from a "DUE date to a DO date."

When you finish a task, you cross it out - also easy to see. The application would also include a form to break up a large project into smaller ones, then paste them into the timeline working back from the due date, all with the same color.

I put together a simple Xcel sheet that does all this, but it doesn't quite do it all. Dragging and dropping doesn't work quite the way I want, and there are other limitations.

Like I said, I know computers enough to know what's possible, but not how to make it happen. The simplicity of this system would make developing it pretty easy, I would think. It would come with an in-depth guide I would write explaining why it works and how to use it effectively.

Anyone have more thoughts?

Originally posted by BigDaddy
All could work. Just depends on the target audience. You could even produce multiple versions i.e. 4 Macs and Linux. This could go as far as creating web-based and stand alone. Some people dont have net access.

A Java application, perhaps? Although I am not really fond of Java (everyone knows that real programmers use pointers :) ), it would be a good compiled cross platform solution. Or, we could use GTK with C or a language like Perl that is platform independent and does not produce actual object code. The Perl interface to GTK seems to work well. There are other cross platform toolkits available, such as Trolltec's QT.

Ya.

I'd say waht you have a a gant chart kind of dunction with drag and drop parts.

Java might work, even on small machines, like Palm etc., though C really goes a long way too.

I'll throw in.

just get an idea how you want to structure the investments and returns in US dolars for eveyone who plays. those issues are difficult but important to determine before conflicts start.

Glad to hear about the ease of use- could MS Project be any more complicated?

A really brilliant application would not only help ADDers manage time, but it would give them mental tools, ways of envisioning time that would help us manage time without even the computer.

Though time does seem to slip away all too fast while on the comp- so even a non-brilliant app that would help with that would be welcome. Count me in as a beta tester.

I will weight in here with my idea. U could use an MS FlexGrid programmed in VB with either an SQL database as a source or an excel document. Now the program layout and functions give u way more power than excel but u still make use of the powerful functions in excel. It would work on most machines i know. it wuold be a realistic soloution given time contrainsts and is also very easily distributed on CD or even floppy disks!! This option allows flexability and ease of use in a user friendly environment.

I may only be 18 and in college but i know my stuff. I have worked with computers for 12 years and have programmed for about 4 years. Whilst i may be young i still think this would be a much better option. The very fact this sites statistics say that 89% of the computers accessing this site are MS Windows tells you you need a solotion which will cater for this.

I dont like Java and also it has bugs in it. It is lengthy and has many disadvantages. C or something like that is viable but timing and the ability 2 create a very effective user interface in a short time is its major downfall in my opinion. Remember KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid). Always write simply and the effects are and effectiove soloution which is quick to program and is user freindly. VB and VB .Net have drag and drop abilities and i find it soooo easy 2 program in VB. I self taught myself without the MSDN collection and study Computing at college where we use VB and VB .Net. Im just saying it is a viable alternative given time contrainsts etc. Obviously, everyone programs in different environments, but something like VB also has a very good programming environment where u simple click the tool and drag it onto the form. Yoiu acn play with its settings and pictures and even amke 3D -style buttons etc which raise up when the mouse is run over it.

All comments on this idea are welcome and if anyone wants 2 take it further than this then by all means fine. Thank you for your time. Please feel free to make other comments on this or any other idea.

Another of my windows PCs has died. One with Win 2000 Pro on it. 2 CD, floppy and zip disk and tape backup, 2 13.8 GB HD, dual monitors, P III 700 MHz, 768 MB RAM.

Purchased 1-10-2000.

So I bought, reluctantly, MS Office with Virtual PC and XP Pro for Mac.

I love the Mac. While I have installed XP and Win 2000 and have ben going though all the patches, and even some trouble shhoting, the Mac it is on has been surfing the web, doing email, playing music, and Instant messaging.

Windows is stealin gtime from me by its "problems" and the Mac keeps on ticking. I'm becoming a convert.

I like working with my computer better than working ON my computer.

I hope after all this I can restore my Win 2000 NTFS files on SOMETHING on this Mac!

I vote for something that at least, also runs on Mac. : )

was 5 PCs / 1 Mac now 4 PCs / 1 Mac :)

Originally posted by HighFunctioning


A Java application, perhaps? Although I am not really fond of Java (everyone knows that real programmers use pointers :) ), it would be a good compiled cross platform solution. Or, we could use GTK with C or a language like Perl that is platform independent and does not produce actual object code. The Perl interface to GTK seems to work well. There are other cross platform toolkits available, such as Trolltec's QT.

Why not Python with a GTK or WxWindows toolkit? Can this be a client/server app where the data is cached on the client but backed up on the server. I'm thinking some sort of XML-RPC action. Remeber, ADDers forget to do backups. Why not make backups automatic?

Take a look at Chandler from the Open Source Applications Foundation:

http://www.osafoundation.org/our_product_desc.htm

http://www.osafoundation.org/architecture.htm

Originally posted by domo-kun


Why not Python with a GTK or WxWindows toolkit? Can this be a client/server app where the data is cached on the client but backed up on the server. I'm thinking some sort of XML-RPC action. Remeber, ADDers forget to do backups. Why not make backups automatic?

Take a look at Chandler from the Open Source Applications Foundation:

http://www.osafoundation.org/our_product_desc.htm

http://www.osafoundation.org/architecture.htm

I wasn't necessarily implying that Perl or GTK had to be used. These were just examples. I have never used the WxWindows toolkit, but it does look nice. I'll have to play around with it to see how the API is.

I like the client/server idea. The user would not necessarily have to be connected to the internet in order to access their data, but in the instances that one is connected, their data is saved to an external source. XML-RPC is a good idea. Although I have never used it (used to doing things the hard way, I guess), I have read about it and it does seem convenient.

I'm using an application that sounds similar to the one you are trying to design. It is called PlanPlus. It synchs with Outlook. And guess who it is by? Franklin Covey ofcourse. It sounds like it does what you are doing, or pretty close to it. Take a look at it. Free Trial download fully functional at

http://www.franklincovey.com/planplus/

Jonathan

Thanks everyone for the input.

You described my idea perfectly, aforceforgood. It’s a mental tool to help use other tools better, even non-computer tools. Your grandma could do this with index cards and a wall calendar with pictures of kitties on it. But I think many ADDers are computer-oriented and like the control they give us. Anyway, it's got to stay simple.

BigDaddy, your thinking parallels mine. Alterations within Xcel or maybe MS Access using VB make sense. But would that require the user to have Xcel installed, let alone Windows? I agree that it would be great to do a cross-platform project, but if other platforms have to wait in line after Windows, it won’t be the first time. But is there a way to avoid requiring other applications or components?

As for how to throw the money around, I haven’t figured out what will happen yet. Maybe a few people will want to take a shot at developing prototypes and I’ll pick the best one and go from there. If there’s more collaboration than that I’d have to work something else out.

healthwiz:

Thanks, I'll check it out.

I have a quick demo version with limited functionality which im going 2 send you. Its is just linked 2 a bmp file for the timetable as i am working on creating a database to mlink it to at the moment. This is only a demo version and the homework planner doesnt work. Obviously the program can be altered 2 have a Day to Day planner instead of a homework planner but all those changes are cosmetic. Please tell me what you think of it.

It requires at present:
Nothing

It will need:
MS Access (although i will be working on this too)
MS Windows 95/98/ME/CE/2000/XP
(Am working on Mac OS compatability and hope 2 have it running on Mac OS 7.1 and above)

The user input required is minimal and shouldnt take very long 2 set up personal settings.

I have had an idea for quite some time for developing an ADD assistant program. If anyone interested I would love to get this ball rolling again too.

Jon

I'm thinking something that would work on a Palm rathe than Windows CE. i don't like my Windows CE device.... too many built in limitations. Ipaq 3630

Let's make this Open Source under either the BSD or MPL licenses. Let's use programming tools that enable easy porting between platforms. Java is OK. Python is cool. Lets not be too focused on one programming paradigm or platform.

i own a pocket pc running pocket pc 2002 - hope it works on that

jon

It can always be written or prototyped in one system and then re-evaluated and re-written.

Thats right. Thats what i am working on at the moment. 1 OS at a time!!