django-timecop

Timecop is a reusable Django app for managing events on timelines. Create and edit timelines with events from the django admin.

Installation

Add timecop to INSTALLED_APPS. If using the built-in timeline objects, add 'timecop.timeline'.

Usage

Timecop adds two models: Timeline and TimeSpan. Spans attach to timelines and represent a block of time.

Your application can then foreign key to these models and retrieve them through the usual Django ORM queries. Additionally, timecop provides a helper function to get an entire sequence of spans for a given timeline:

>>> from timecop.models import get_sequence
>>> get_sequence('campaign')
{
    'current': <TimeSpan: phase2>,
    'all_spans': [
        <TimeSpan: phase1>,
        <TimeSpan: phase2>,
        <TimeSpan: phase3>
    ],
    'next': <TimeSpan: phase3>
}

Custom models

To provide your own models for TimeSpan and Timeline, simply subclass AbstractTimeline and AbstractTimespan and then update the following settings:

TIMECOP_TIMELINE_MODEL = 'customapp.models.Timeline'
TIMECOP_TIMESPAN_MODEL = 'customapp.models.TimeSpan'

The current model class for each can be retrieved by using the get_timeline_model or get_timespan_model from timecop.conf.

Custom admin

If using custom models, you'll need to extend the timecop admin base classes BaseTimeSpanAdmin, BaseTimelineAdmin and templates in order to see the timeline view in the admin.

templates/admin/customapp/timeline/change_form.html:

{% extends "admin/timecop/timeline/change_form.html" %}

templates/admin/customapp/timeline/change_list.html:

{% extends "admin/timecop/timeline/change_list.html" %}

Editing timelines

Timecop's main benefit is providing a graphical overview of your timelines via chap-links timeline.

List view:

The list view provides a high-level overview of all timelines, as well as a marker for the current time (shown in red).

Change view:

Change view provides interactive modification of time spans within a timeline. Drag + drop to move or resize spans, or edit through the standard inputs.

Limitations

• When using the Django date picker shortcuts (ie calendar), the timeline display will not update.

• When using 'add another' link in the change form, the new item is not inserted into the timeline display. Clicking 'save and continue editing' will refresh the display.