Build a time-record export data dictionary
Define field type, identity, nulls, unit and meaning for the receiving workflow.
Define every required field by meaning, type and acceptable missing value before mapping an export. Two columns with similar names can represent different records.
Start with the receiving decision
Ask which fields are necessary to identify a record, place it in a period, explain its duration and establish its review state. Remove fields that do not serve that purpose. A recipient who needs approved project minutes may not need application names or screenshots. Record whether the handoff contains individual entries, daily totals or period totals; the required key changes with that granularity.
Use a data dictionary with explicit types
This original example is a proposed interchange contract, not a claim that any merchant exports every field.
Scroll horizontally to compare every column.
| Field | Type and example | Meaning to agree |
|---|---|---|
| record_id | Text: W-010 | Stable source identity; not spreadsheet row number |
| person_id | Text: 00042 | Controlled contributor identity |
| work_date | Date: 2026-09-21 | Date assigned in the agreed reporting zone |
| duration_minutes | Number: 90 | Elapsed duration; no implicit rounding |
| project_code | Text: PR-04 | Stable mapping, separate from name |
| review_state | Text: approved | State and cutoff, not payment entitlement |
| batch_id | Text: B-2026-39-r1 | Released file/version identity |
Specify missing and transformed values
Decide whether blank means unknown, not applicable or zero; do not use one blank convention for all three. Document transformations such as minutes divided by 60 for decimal hours. Keep source and transformed fields separate while testing. DeskTime and Time Doctor describe different selectable export fields, so confirm required identifiers and status data in the exact report rather than filling gaps by inference.
Version the contract when meaning changes
Changing a column name for readability differs from changing minutes to hours. Record both, but treat a unit or semantic change as a new version requiring recipient acceptance. Test a file with a leading-zero ID, a missing optional field and a corrected record. Hold the import if the recipient silently coerces any of these into a different meaning.
Continue this work-record check
Use the linked guide for the next decision in this workflow. Keep your original records separate from experiments and record any unresolved requirement before changing a live process.
Sources and boundaries
Primary documentation supports the dated product facts. Proposed checks and fictional examples are our editorial method, not observed product results.
- DeskTime — export · checked September 23, 2026
- Time Doctor — export · checked September 23, 2026