gistfile1.txt

    def get_total_balance(self):

        """
        Calculates the total balance for the user

	This is on the ORM's User model and is just called as

	>>>User_Object.get_total_balance()
        """

        total, total_mins = 0, 0
        tracking_days = TrackingEntry.objects.filter(user_id=self.id)
        for item in tracking_days:

            total += (  item.end_time.hour 
                      - item.start_time.hour)

            total_mins += (   item.end_time.minute 
                            - item.start_time.minute)

        return (   len(tracking_days) * self.shiftlength.hour)  
                -  (total + (total_mins / 60.0))



vs


function overallBalance($userName) {
    
         $sql_shift = 'SELECT Time_to_sec(
                                       timeDiff(shiftLength, breakLength)
                                       )
                            FROM tbluser
                            WHERE user_id="'. $userName . '"';
         
         $shift_result = mysql_query($sql_shift, 
                                     $GLOBALS['DB']) or die(mysql_error());
         
         $row = mysql_fetch_row($shift_result);
         $shift_value = $row[0];
                  
         $query = 'SELECT 
                      Sec_to_time(
                          sum(Time_to_sec(
                                          timeDiff(
                                            timeDiff(workEnd, workStart), Breaks
                                          )
                              )
                          ) - (count(date) * '. $shift_value . ')
                      ) AS overBalance
                  FROM tblcalendar 
                  WHERE user_id="' . $userName . '"       // taken from session so doesn't need parameterization
                  AND DayType in("Work Day","Work Part of Day")';           

        $result = mysql_query($query, $GLOBALS['DB']) or die(mysql_error());
        $row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result);
        return $row['overBalance'];