Today I focused on refactoring our clock-in and clock-out functions to ensure full compatibility with the calendar system we’ve migrated to our new PHP/Laravel backend. This work was critical for maintaining the tight integration between scheduling and actual attendance tracking.
I began by completely rebuilding the core time tracking services that handle clock operations. In our previous Google Apps Script implementation, these functions were tightly coupled with the spreadsheet structure, making them difficult to migrate directly. The new implementation follows a clean service-based architecture with clear separation of concerns: validation logic, business rules enforcement, data persistence, and notification handling are now distinct components that can be tested and maintained independently.
A significant improvement in the new implementation is the validation system that verifies clock operations against scheduled shifts. I created a comprehensive validation service that checks multiple conditions before allowing a clock-in or clock-out:
- Verifying the employee has a scheduled shift at the current time
- Checking that the operation follows the expected sequence (can’t clock out without first clocking in)
- Validating location data when geofencing is enabled
- Ensuring the operation falls within allowed time windows relative to the scheduled shift
The most challenging aspect was handling edge cases like missed clock-outs or retroactive time entries. The previous system had inconsistent behavior in these scenarios, sometimes allowing corrections and other times preventing them based on complex conditional logic. I standardized this behavior according to company policies, implementing clear rules about when corrections are allowed and who has permission to make them.
I also rebuilt the attendance calculation engine that determines status codes (on-time, late, absent) based on clock data and scheduled shifts. The new implementation uses configurable thresholds that can be customized at the organization or department level, rather than the hard-coded values in our previous system. This calculation engine runs both in real-time when clock events occur and in scheduled jobs that analyze patterns and update statuses for any missed assessments.
For the calendar integration, I implemented a bidirectional data flow between the time tracking and scheduling components. When attendance data exists for a shift, it now automatically appears in the calendar view with appropriate visual indicators. Conversely, when shifts are modified in the calendar, the system reevaluates any associated attendance records to ensure status codes remain accurate based on the new schedule.
I also added a real-time notification system that alerts managers when attendance exceptions occur, such as late arrivals or missed shifts. These notifications appear both in the application interface and can be configured to send email or mobile alerts depending on severity and user preferences.
By the end of the day, I had completed the core functionality of the time tracking module and its integration with the calendar system. Initial testing shows the new implementation handles all the standard use cases correctly, though I’ve identified a few function errors in calendar events that I’ll need to address tomorrow before considering this component fully migrated.