ProjectBench - Features & Aces Up Its Sleeve
What can ProjectBench do?
projectbench can track issues. And can help you manage your project better. And it achieves
all that by providing a flexible friendly interface. It's a tool which aims to be low maintenance while
at the same time allowing for advanced features you can find in similar commercial packages.
This does not attempt to be an exhaustive list of feature (and you can check the screenshots page
for some visual details), it merely hopes it provides you with a better understanding of why I believe projectbench
is powerful.
Issue Tracking
- records issues by project, module, version, screen
- supports various issue types (bug, RFE, task, etc)
- you can even define your own types!
- helps you manage your issues better by tracking targets, deadlines, time estimates
- tracks issue dependency both as dependent and as child-of
- allows users to enter time spent on issue for time tracking purposes
- powerful filtering of issues allows you to see exactly what you want
- multiple filters so you can switch to another view on the fly
- sports both a simple display of the list of issues as well as a detailed one
- display only the columns you want to see
- choose between a simple issue entering/editing interface with the bare minimum of fields and a complete interface with a lot of fields for fine tuning, recording and tracking
- define your own severity for issue (or use the built-in ones)
- customize the stages of issue reporting (development, build time, in production, etc)
- printer friendly version of issues and issue list
- tab separated version of issue list
- get email notification when new issues are assigned to you or something happens on any of your issues
- manage projects better using versions and milestone
- manage issues better by defining project modules/subprojects for more accurate tracking and workload distribution
- set target dates for versions
- save requirements with each version
- each user accesses only projects you want them to
- use project notes to keep track of everything: database modifications, requirements changing
- you can probably even blog using the project notes :)
- powerful filtering and search feature let you zero-in on exactly the information you were looking for
- project summary gives you a quick idea of where you are and what's next - numbers only
- use the project roadmap to see the list of issues fixed or planned for each version
- see the project load of each of the members of your team - by version!
- use the Gantt chart to see a graphical evolution of the project, including forecasts
- Gantt chart attempts to infer estimates even when it doesn't have complete data
- each project has its own project manager
- customize the information you see on the homepage
- choose to display the list of issues changed since your last login, the highest priority issues, dashboard/overview of issues, issues you have opened, issues due in next X weeks
- use jscalendar for fast date picking
- see how overlib reduces the interface clutter by displaying large information in tooltips
- let users customize the level of details and the information they want to see
- feel you're working faster as a lot of pages remember the last combination of filters you entered
- feel you're more efficient customizable colorful and graphic interface, yet simple and easy to use
- use powerful, customizable filtering features
- printer friendly version of issues and issue list
- customize your email notifications
- guest users can enter issues even without having an account (customers?)
- a lot of pages have very verbose (like -vv verbose!) instructions and details on what do those settings/options/actions help you achieve
So, how does ProjectBench stack up?
At the time I took the initiative to build upon workbench, there was no other project management app
that satisfied my requirements. I have research and compared similar PHP project management tools,
and since I was familiar with workbench I have decided to use it as a base even though other apps
had more advance features.
The following table shows how projectbench stacks up against different PHP
project management/issue tracking applications. Most of them are open source.
Please note
- that this chart was made sometimes during H2 of 2003, so it may not reflect current advances in the respective apps
- that I have selected features I was interested in having, or features I thought were useful; as you can see, not even projectbench implements all listed features.
All projects listed in here are EXCELLENT applications - I personally want to thank their authors for allowing me to flatter them by inspiring from their features.
| Workbench | NetOffice | XPWeb | webcollab | PHProjekt | pmtool | taskware | FogBUGZ | ProjectBench | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open Source? | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | - | X |
| project management? | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| subprojects? | modules | - | X | - | X | - | - | - | modules |
| issue history? | X | X | - | - | - | - | - | X | X |
| project modules? | X | - | - | - | subprojects | - | - | - | X |
| project versions? | X | - | thru iterations | - | - | - | - | - | X |
| issue target date? | X | X | - | X | X | X | X | - | X |
| issue time estimate? | X | X | X | - | - | X | - | X | X |
| issue child of? | X | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | X |
| issue dependent on? | X | - | - | - | - | X | - | - | X |
| project child of? | - | - | - | - | X | - | - | - | - |
| project dependent on? | - | - | - | - | X | - | - | - | - |
| extensible? | - | - | - | - | X | X | - | - | - |
| plugins/addons? | - | - | - | - | X | X | - | - | - |
| time spent on issue? | - | X | - | - | X | - | - | - | X |
| track issue progress? | - | X | X | - | X | - | - | - | X |
| milestones? | thru versions | - | thru iterations | - | - | - | - | - | thru versions |
| dated milestones? | - | - | X | - | - | - | - | - | X |
| reports? | per project | custom | - | - | per project | X | - | some | per project |
| Gantt? | - | X | - | - | - | - | - | - | X |
| record time by issue? | - | - | - | - | - | X | - | - | X |
| report time by person? | - | - | - | - | - | X | - | - | - |
| report time by team? | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| team? | X | X | X | X | X | - | - | - | X |
| overview homepage? | - | X | - | X | X | X | - | X | X |
| issue classification (bug, rfe) | X | - | - | - | X | - | X | X | X |
| database | MySQL | MySQL | ADOPHP | My/Pg | Multi | My/Ext | MySQL | MySQL | MySQL |
| mail notification? | X | X | - | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| individual mail setting per issue? | - | X | X | X | X | - | X | - | - |
| project owner/manager? | - | X | X | X | X | X | - | X | X |
| custom reports? | - | X | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| notes? | - | X | - | - | X | - | - | - | X |
| simple list of issues? | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| detailed issue list? | - | X | X | - | - | X | - | X | X |
| custom filtered list? | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | X | X |
| multiple filters? | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | X | X |
| calendar? | - | X | - | X | X | - | - | - | - |
| Total Features | 15 | 18 | 12 | 9 | 19 | 14 | 6 | 12 | 24 |
I honestly hope this will serve somebody's research (at least I have done a lot of installing and testing and evaluations); if you feel an application should have been listed here, please let me know so I can do so. Thanks!