OpenHardwareMonitorJsonServer (AppTracker Backend)

A Windows tray application for tracking time spent in user-selected applications, with global hotkey support, notifications, a settings GUI, and JSON server for hardware stats.

Features

• Tray icon with right-click menu
• Register a global hotkey (default: Win+Shift+L) to add the current app to the tracked list
• Prompt for a custom name when adding an app
• Tracks time spent in each app (even if not focused)
• Notifications when apps are added
• Settings window to view/remove tracked apps and edit the hotkey
• Data is saved in trackedapps.json
• Serves hardware stats and tracked app info via JSON (for frontend dashboard)

Requirements

• Windows 10/11
• .NET Framework 4.7.2+ or .NET 6+
• Visual Studio 2019/2022 or .NET CLI

Dependencies

• NHotkey.WindowsForms
• System.Text.Json
• Microsoft.VisualBasic (for InputBox prompt)

Install these via NuGet Package Manager or with the CLI:

dotnet add package NHotkey.WindowsForms
dotnet add package System.Text.Json
dotnet add package Microsoft.VisualBasic

Build Instructions

Using Visual Studio

1. Open OpenHardwareMonitorJsonServer.sln in Visual Studio.
2. Restore NuGet packages (right-click solution > Restore NuGet Packages).
3. Build the solution (Ctrl+Shift+B).
4. Run the project (F5 or Ctrl+F5).

Using .NET CLI

1. Open a terminal in the openhardwaremonitor-json-server/OpenHardwareMonitorJsonServer/ directory.
2. Run:

   dotnet restore
   dotnet build
   dotnet run
   

Usage

• The tray icon will appear in the system tray.
• Press Win+Shift+L to add the currently active app to the tracked list. You will be prompted for a name (leave blank to use the window title).
• Right-click the tray icon and select Settings to view or remove tracked apps.
• Tracked time is saved automatically in trackedapps.json in the app's working directory.

Changing the PC IP for the Frontend

• The frontend dashboard (hwmonitor/index.html) uses an IP address to connect to the backend for hardware stats and app info.
• To change the PC IP:
  1. Open hwmonitor/index.html in a text editor.
  2. Find the line with the iframe or JavaScript URL, e.g.:

     <iframe id="pc-stats-iframe" src="http://YOUR_PC_IP:8885/dashboard.html"></iframe>

  3. Replace YOUR_PC_IP with the local IP address of the PC running this backend.
  4. Save the file and reload it in your browser.

Customization

• Change the default hotkey: Edit the registration in TrayApp.cs.
• Add more tracked app features: Extend TrackedAppsManager.cs and TrackedApp.cs.
• Change notification behavior: Edit TrayApp.cs notification logic.
• Change JSON server port or endpoints: Update the backend code to serve on a different port or with different data.

Troubleshooting

• If you get errors about duplicate class or namespace definitions, make sure you have deleted any old versions of the files from your project.
• If the hotkey does not work, ensure no other app is using the same hotkey combination.
• If you see errors about missing dependencies, double-check that all NuGet packages are installed.
• If the frontend dashboard does not update, make sure the backend is running and the IP/port are correct in the HTML.

License

MIT