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CheckBook Plus Version 5.9 User's Guide and Reference Manual Copyright 1989-1995 By Bill Beshears Beshears Software Associates All Right Reserved DISCLAIMER THIS SOFTWARE IS SUPPLIED TO YOU "AS IS". THE AUTHOR MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTY WITH RESPECT TO THE SOFTWARE, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS OF THE SOFTWARE FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. YOU MUST ASSUME ALL RISK FOR THE INSTALLATION, USE, AND RESULTS OBTAINED FROM THE SOFTWARE. THE AUTHOR SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY ERROR CONTAINED HEREIN OR FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM THE FURNISHING, PERFORMANCE, OR USES OF THIS SOFTWARE. This copyrighted software is not a free program. You are granted a right to use the software for an evaluation period not to exceed 30 days. You may also freely copy and share the distribution disk to allow others to try out the software. (See VENDOR.DOC file). If you find the software useful and continue to use it beyond the evaluation period, you must pay the registration fee. Registered users receive: - The latest version of the software - A printed user's manual - Free software updates for one year - Free letter or phone support - Free database file compression utility. The registration fee is $24.95 plus $5.00 shipping and handling. Telephone orders are accepted. Thank you for evaluating CheckBook Plus, and we would sincerely appreciate your comments or suggestions. Beshears Software Associates 5710 Rita Street Southside, AL 35903 (205) 442-6630 _______ ____|__ | (R) --| | |------------------- | ____|__ | Association of | | |_| Shareware |__| o | Professionals -----| | |--------------------- |___|___| MEMBER This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to The ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427 or send a Compuserve message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536 CONTENTS Chapter 1 - INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Chapter 2 - INSTALLING CHECKBOOK PLUS . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 DISK CONTENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 COPYING THE DISTRIBUTION DISK . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 INSTALLING TO A HARD DISK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 INSTALLING TO A FLOPPY DISK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Chapter 3 - GETTING STARTED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 USER INTERFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 USING PULL-DOWN MENUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 KEYBOARD TECHNIQUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 KEYBOARD ARROW KEYS TECHNIQUE . . . . . . . . 6 SHORTCUT KEYS TECHNIQUE . . . . . . . . . . . 6 MOUSE TECHNIQUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 CLOSING THE MENU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 USING WINDOWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 INFORMATION WINDOWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 INPUT WINDOWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 USING HELP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 EXITING CHECKBOOK PLUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Chapter 4 - FILES AND ACCOUNTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 FIRST TIME STARTUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 SET DATA FILE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 ACCOUNT SELECTION AND SETUP WINDOW . . . . . . . . . . . 12 ADDING AN ACCOUNT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 SELECTING AN ACCOUNT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 EDITING AN ACCOUNT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 DELETING AN ACCOUNT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 RECALCULATING ACCOUNT BALANCE . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Chapter 5 - USING THE REGISTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 RECORDING TRANSACTIONS IN THE REGISTER . . . . . . . . . 16 EDITING A TRANSACTION IN THE REGISTER . . . . . . . . . 19 DELETING A TRANSACTION IN THE REGISTER . . . . . . . . . 19 SEARCHING FOR TEXT IN TRANSACTION(S) . . . . . . . . . . 20 USING THE FIND COMMAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 USING THE NEXT FIND COMMAND . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 USING THE GOTO DATE COMMAND . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 PRINTING THE REGISTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 CHECK PRINTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 EXPORTING THE REGISTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Chapter 6 - USING CATEGORIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 WORKING WITH CATEGORIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 CATEGORY TOTALS WINDOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 DISPLAYING MONTHLY TOTALS FOR A CATEGORY . . . . . 26 VIEWING TRANSACTIONS FOR A CATEGORY . . . . . . . . 27 CHANGING A CATEGORY NAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 DELETING A CATEGORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 BUDGETING A CATEGORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Chapter 7 - USING MEMORIZED TRANSACTIONS . . . . . . . . . . 30 MEMORIZING A TRANSACTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 MEMORIZED TRANSACTIONS WINDOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 RECALLING A MEMORIZED TRANSACTION . . . . . . . . . 31 ADDING A MEMORIZED TRANSACTION . . . . . . . . . . 31 EDITING A MEMORIZED TRANSACTION . . . . . . . . . . 32 DELETING A MEMORIZED TRANSACTION . . . . . . . . . 33 Chapter 8 - VIEWING ACCOUNT, SYSTEM INFORMATION, AND TIME . . 34 VIEW ACCOUNT SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 VIEW SYSTEM INFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 VIEW TIME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Chapter 9 - CASHFLOW AND INCOME STATEMENT REPORTS . . . . . . 35 Chapter 10 - ACCOUNT RECONCILIATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 ENTERING THE ENDING ACCOUNT BALANCE . . . . . . . . . . 36 MARKING THE TRANSACTIONS THAT HAVE CLEARED THE BANK . . 36 MISSING CHECK REPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 PRINTING THE RECONCILIATION REPORT . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Chapter 11 - USING THE POP-UP CALENDAR AND CALCULATORS . . . 39 USING THE POP-UP CALENDAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 USING THE POP-UP DESKTOP CALCULATOR . . . . . . . . . . 39 USING THE FINANCIAL CALCULATOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Chapter 12 - CHOOSING OPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 RUNNING BALANCE ON REGISTER OPTION . . . . . . . . . . . 42 SOUND OPTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 CHANGE PRINTED CHECK LAYOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 CHANGE PRINTER CONTROL CODES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 CHANGE DISPLAY COLORS OPTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Chapter 13 - BACKING UP YOUR DATA FILE . . . . . . . . . . . 46 RESTORING DATA FILES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Chapter 14 - INITIALIZING A NEW YEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Chapter 15 - IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 ERROR MESSAGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Appendix A - SHORTCUT KEY LIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Appendix B - USING ISAMREPR UTILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Appendix C - ISAMPACK UTILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Chapter 1 - INTRODUCTION ------------------------ CheckBook Plus is an easy to learn and use, register based, cash management system for the home or small business. The program operates like your paper checkbook, but is much more than just a computerized checkbook. With CheckBook Plus, you can: Setup checking, savings, credit card, or any other income/payment type accounts and consolidate the information for all of your accounts to see your total financial picture. Categorize your income and payment transactions, enter budgets for your categories, then create custom reports that show you precisely where your money goes and how you are doing relative to your financial goals. Use predefined income and payment categories, or define your own categories, or both. Memorize then recall your frequently used transactions to make recording transactions faster and easier. Reconcile your checking accounts in a small fraction of the time required to do it manually. Press one key and get context-sensitive help to aid you in learning to use the program. Pop-up a calendar, desktop calculator, or financial calculator from almost anywhere in the program. Your satisfaction with our products is important to us. We are committed to producing the best quality software at the lowest possible price. However, we recognize there is always room for improvement. We would sincerely appreciate your comments or suggestions regarding the software or documentation. Please call or write us. 1 Chapter 2 - INSTALLING CHECKBOOK PLUS ------------------------------------- This chapter describes what you need to use CheckBook Plus and how to install the software. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ------------------- To use CheckBook Plus, you need the following: 1. An IBM-compatible personal computer with at least 512K of memory and DOS 2.1 or later version. 2. A monochrome or color (CGA, EGA, or VGA) monitor. 3. A hard (fixed) disk drive or 2 floppy disk drives, one of the floppy drives must be a high density (1.2 or 1.44 megabyte). 4. (Optional) a printer to print checks or reports. 5. (Optional) a Microsoft-compatible mouse. DISK CONTENTS ------------- Normally, the CheckBook Plus software is distributed in a self- extracting format and the distribution disk will include two files: CBHELP.COM - Instructions for using CB59SFX.EXE. CB59SFX.EXE - Self-extracting installation program. The CB59SFX.EXE program extracts and installs the following files to the disk drive and directory you specify: CBPLUS.EXE - The CheckBook Plus executable program. MANUAL.DOC - This User's manual. OMBUDSMN.DOC - ASP Ombudsman information. PACKING.LST - Packing list of the CheckBook Plus files. PRINTMAN.BAT - Batch file for printing user's manual. REGISTER.DOC - Registration document. VENDOR.DOC - Information about distributing CBPLUS. ISAMREPR.EXE - Utility for repairing corrupted databases. If you received the files already extracted, be sure you have all the files listed above. If any files are missing, please contact us. 2 COPYING THE DISTRIBUTION DISK ----------------------------- Before using CheckBook Plus, you should make a backup copy of your original distribution disk. To make a backup copy: 1. Insert the CheckBook Plus distribution disk into drive A: 2. Insert a blank, formatted disk into drive B: (if you have two floppy disk drives). 3. At the DOS prompt, type in the following DOS command: COPY A:*.* B:/V <press the Enter key> use this command even if you have only one floppy disk drive, DOS will prompt you when you need to switch the distribution disk and backup disk. Refer to your DOS documentation if you need help copying the disk. INSTALLING TO A HARD DISK ------------------------- To install CheckBook Plus to a hard disk, you will first need to create a directory on your hard disk where the software will be installed, then execute the CB59SFX.EXE installation program from that directory. The directory name can be any valid name. In the example below, the files will be extracted from a disk in drive A: (source drive) to a directory named CBPLUS which will be created on drive C: (destination drive). You may change the source drive, destination drive, and directory name as desired. Hard Disk Installation Example: 1. Boot-up DOS 2. Insert the CheckBook Plus distribution disk into your disk drive (this example assumes the distribution disk is in drive A:). 3. Type each of the DOS commands shown below followed by the Enter key (Return key on some keyboards): 3 DOS Commands Comments (Do Not Type) ------------ ---------------------------------- C: makes drive C: the current drive. CD\ changes to drive C: root directory. MD CBPLUS makes directory named CBPLUS. CD CBPLUS changes directory to CBPLUS. A:CB59SFX installs files to CBPLUS directory. Note - If you received the files already extracted, change the last DOS command listed above (A:CB59SFX) to: COPY A:*.* copies files to CBPLUS directory. You can now run the program from the \CBPLUS directory on your hard disk by typing CBPLUS then pressing the Enter key. INSTALLING TO A FLOPPY DISK --------------------------- To install CheckBook Plus to a floppy disk, you will need two floppy disk drives, one of which must be a high density (1.2 or 1.44 megabyte). Floppy Disk Installation Example: 1. Boot-up DOS. 2. Insert the CheckBook Plus distribution disk into one of your disk drives. This example assumes the distribution disk is in drive A:. However, if one of your floppy drives is a 360K low density drive, insert the distribution disk in that drive. 3. Insert a blank, formatted, high-density disk into your other disk drive (drive B: in this example). 4. Type the following commands: DOS Commands Comments (Do Not Type) ------------ ---------------------------------- B: makes drive B: the current drive. A:CB59SFX installs files to drive B:. Note - If you received the files already extracted, change the last DOS command listed above (A:CB59SFX) to: COPY A:*.* copies files to CBPLUS directory. You can now run the program from your floppy disk by typing CBPLUS then pressing the Enter key. 4 Chapter 3 - GETTING STARTED --------------------------- This chapter describes how to use CheckBook Plus menus, windows, and on-line help, and how to get started using the program. USER INTERFACE -------------- Checkbook Plus uses a pull-down menu interface for choosing commands. A text window environment is used for entering and displaying information. The CheckBook Plus screen is divided into three parts: 1. The bar across the top of the screen shows the names of the pull-down menus and the current date. 2. The center area of the screen is used for information windows. 3. The key definition line, at the bottom of the screen, serves as a reminder of the keys that perform basic operations. USING PULL-DOWN MENUS --------------------- The horizontal bar across the top of the screen shows the names of the pull-down menus. Menu commands may be chosen using the keyboard or a mouse. KEYBOARD TECHNIQUE: 1. Press the Alt key to activate the pull-down menu system. 2. Press the highlighted letter in a menu name to pull down the menu and display the commands. For example, press F for the File menu or E for the Edit menu, etc. 3. Press the highlighted letter in a menu command name to choose the command. 5 KEYBOARD ARROW KEYS TECHNIQUE: 1. Press the Alt key to activate the pull-down menu system. 2. Use the Left/Right arrow keys to highlight a menu name. 3. Use the Down arrow key or Enter key to pull down the highlighted menu. 4. Use the Up/Down arrow keys to highlight a command. 5. Press the Enter key to choose the command highlighted. SHORTCUT KEYS TECHNIQUE: Shortcut keys are used to reduce the key strokes necessary for selecting menu commands by allowing you to bypass the top row menu. For example, to record a check in the Register, you can select the Add Check/Debit command from the File menu, or you can bypass the menu by using the shortcut key combination Ctrl+C (hold down the Ctrl key and press the C key). Shortcut keys are listed in the pull-down menus to the right of the commands. Most, but not all, menu commands can be selected using shortcut keys. MOUSE TECHNIQUE: 1. Position the mouse pointer to a menu name, and click the left button to pull down the menu. 2. Position the mouse pointer to a command in the menu, and click the left button to choose the command. CLOSING THE MENU: To close a menu without choosing a command, press the Escape key, or move the mouse pointer outside the pull-down menu, and click the left button. USING WINDOWS ------------- CheckBook Plus utilizes two types of windows, information windows and data entry or input windows. 6 INFORMATION WINDOWS ------------------- Information windows are used for displaying and working with information and have the following features: SELECTOR BAR: The horizontal bar, that highlights a line in a window in reverse video, is the Selector Bar. This bar indicates the current line that is the subject for editing, deleting, viewing, and command button operations. The Selector Bar is moved up or down using the keyboard arrow keys, PgUp, PgDn, Home, or End keys or by pointing to a line and clicking the left mouse button. SCROLL BAR: The vertical bar at the right of a window is the scroll bar. The solid box on the scroll bar indicates the relative file position of the information in a window. A mouse may be used to scroll the information in a window by pointing to a location on the scroll bar and clicking the left mouse button. Click the mouse above the solid box to move up or below the solid box to move down. COMMAND BUTTONS: At the bottom of each window will be one or more command buttons. A command button is a command that carries out an action according to its name. The command button highlighted in reverse video is executed if the Enter key is pressed. If more than one command button is displayed, the Tab key is used to toggle the buttons. If a command button is executed with a mouse by pointing to the button and clicking the left mouse button, that action will be executed regardless of the command button that is highlighted. DIALOG BOXES: A dialog box is a box that appears over an existing window when CheckBook Plus needs additional information to carry out an activity or needs to send you a message. At the bottom of a dialog box will be one or more command buttons for you to use to select an action. 7 INPUT WINDOWS ------------- Input windows are used for entering information and have the following features: DATA ENTRY FIELDS: Data entry fields are the areas in an input window where information is typed in. Some data entry fields are designated as numeric fields and can contain only numbers. For example, the amount field in a transaction input window is a numeric only field. When the cursor is in a numeric field, it is positioned to the right-most number position. Numbers are entered and deleted from this position. If you make a mistake entering a number, use the Delete key to delete the number and re- enter. Some numeric fields have fixed decimal places, and the decimal place cannot be moved. For example, the amount field in a transaction input window has 2 fixed decimal places. The keyboard keys used to move the cursor in an input window are: Key Moves Cursor To: --------- ---------------- Home First field End Last field Tab Next field Shift+Tab Previous field Up Arrow Previous field Down Arrow Next field Left Arrow Left one position Right Arrow Right one position The keyboard keys used to delete information in data entry fields are: Key Delete Action --------- ---------------------------------- Delete Deletes character at the cursor position Backspace Deletes one character to the left Ctrl+Backspace Deletes entire field The Insert key toggles the insert mode on/off. When the insert mode is on, a large cursor is displayed. 8 COMMAND BUTTONS: At the bottom of an input window will be two command buttons. The first command button (Enter=Record or Enter=Continue) is used either to record the information in the window, or to continue, depending on the current activity. The first command button action is always carried out if the Enter key is pressed. The second command button (Escape=Cancel) is used to cancel input operations and close the input window without recording the information. Either of the command buttons can be executed with a mouse by clicking the left mouse button on a command button. USING HELP ---------- CheckBook Plus features a comprehensive on-line help system to guide you through the use of the software. There are two ways to get help: 1. Context-sensitive help is always available simply by pressing the F1 key. The help text displayed will pertain to the current window open on the screen. 2. Activate the Help pull-down menu by pressing the Alt key, then the H key, then select a help topic from the Help menu. When the help system is activated, a Help window will open listing the help text for the selected topic. If the help text does not all fit in the Help window, you can scroll new text into the window using the keyboard or a mouse. To close the Help window, press the Enter key, Escape key, or use a mouse to point to the <Exit Help> command button at the bottom of the Help window, and click the left mouse button. EXITING CHECKBOOK PLUS ---------------------- To exit CheckBook Plus either select the Exit command on the File menu or execute the <Exit> command button in the Register window. It's a good practice to backup your data file before exiting the program if you have made any changes to your information. Refer to chapter 13 for information on using the Backup command. --------------------------------------------------------------- YOU SHOULD NEVER TURN OFF YOUR COMPUTER WHILE CHECKBOOK PLUS IS RUNNING. THIS COULD DAMAGE YOUR DATA FILE!!!! --------------------------------------------------------------- 9 Chapter 4 - FILES AND ACCOUNTS ------------------------------ CheckBook Plus stores information in one or more user specified disk file(s). A disk file contains information for one or more accounts: checking accounts, savings accounts, credit card accounts, etc. Most users need only one file. However, you can setup as many files as you need. There are advantages and disadvantages of having your information in more than one file. CheckBook Plus can only work with information from one file at a time, so as a general rule, you should keep all related data in the same file. This will allow you to consolidate and report summary information from all the accounts stored in a single file. You will need more the one file if: 1. Your data files become too big to fit on one disk. 2. You want to maintain separate files for each year. 3. You run a business and want to maintain separate records for your business finances and personal finances. 4. You maintain financial records for clients and need to keep separate records for each client. FIRST TIME STARTUP ------------------ The first time you start CheckBook Plus, you will need to: 1. Enter the file name and disk location for your first file in the Set Data File input window. This window will open automatically for this purpose. 2. Setup an account to record your transactions in. The steps for opening a new file and setting up an account are described below. 10 SET DATA FILE ------------- The Set Data File input window is used to setup (open) a new CheckBook Plus file, or to enter the name for an existing CheckBook Plus data file you want to work with. To open the Set Data File input window, select the Set Data File command from the File menu. To setup a new file, or enter the name and location for an existing CheckBook Plus file, type in the file information in the window as follows: FILE NAME: Enter the name for the file. The name can be any combination of letters or numbers up to 8 characters. For example, for your personal finances, you could use a file name such as PERSONAL or HOME. For your business finances, you could use a name such as BUSINESS, BIZACCTS, or the name of your business. DISK DRIVE: Enter the letter for the disk drive where the file will be located. On most MSDOS or PCDOS systems, the letter A represents the first floppy disk drive, and the letter C represents the first hard (fixed) disk drive. DIRECTORY NAME: Enter the directory name for the disk directory where the file will be located. The name can be any directory or subdirectory name that has been created on the disk drive. Precede the directory and subdirectory name with the backslash (\) character. Refer to your DOS manual if you are not familiar with disk directories. NOTE - The directory name you enter must already exist on the disk. You can't create a directory from within the CheckBook Plus program. If you want to create a new directory, you must first exit CheckBook Plus, use the DOS Make Directory ("MD") command to create a new directory, then restart CheckBook Plus and enter the directory name you created. Press the Enter key when you have the file name, disk drive letter, and directory typed in and are ready to continue. After the file name and location have been entered, the Account Selection and Setup window will open for you to setup a new account or select an existing account to use. 11 ACCOUNT SELECTION AND SETUP WINDOW ---------------------------------- The Account Selection and Setup window lists the Account Name, Account ID, Type, and Current Balance for each account setup for the file you are currently using. When this window is open, you can: Use Pull-Down Menu Commands to: COMMAND SHORTCUT KEY ----------------------------- ------------ Add New Account Ctrl+A Edit Account Highlighted Ctrl+E Delete Account Highlighted Delete Key Execute command buttons at the bottom of the window to: Select Account Highlighted Close The Account Window ADDING AN ACCOUNT ----------------- To add an Account, 1. Open the Account Selection and Setup window (if it is not already open) by selecting the Account Selection/Setup command from the File menu. 2. Open the Add New Account input window by selecting the Add Account command from the File menu (Ctrl+A shortcut key). The Add New Account input window is used to add an account in the current file. A brief description of each field follows: ACCOUNT NAME: Enter the name of the account. It can be any unique combination of letters or numbers that is meaningful to you. For banking accounts, its a good practice to enter the name of the bank such as: 1st National Bank; Bank of New York; Bank of America; etc. For credit card accounts, you could enter the name of the credit card company such as: Master Card; Visa Card; Discover Card; Shell Oil Card; etc. ACCOUNT ID (optional): Enter the identification of the account such as the account number for banking accounts. 12 ACCOUNT TYPE (optional): Enter the account type such as: Checking; Savings; Credit Card; CMA (Cash Management Account); Cash Purchases; etc. INITIAL BALANCE: Enter the balance for the account prior to the first transaction you will record. For example, if you are setting up a checking account and want to begin entering transactions dated after December 31, 1990, the Initial Balance you should enter would be the ending balance for the account as of December 31, 1990. When you have the account information keyed in, press the Enter key to record the account. To close the Add New Account input window without adding an account, press the Escape key. SELECTING AN ACCOUNT -------------------- To select an account to use: 1. Open the Account Selection and Setup window (if it is not already open) by selecting the Account Selection/Setup command from the File menu. 2. Use the keyboard arrow keys or mouse to position the Selector Bar to an account. 3. Execute the <Select Account> command button. The Register window will open and the transactions for the selected account, if any, will be retrieved from disk and displayed in the Register window. EDITING AN ACCOUNT ------------------ You can edit the Name, ID, Type, and Initial Balance for an account. If the Account Name is changed, all information related to the account (transactions, categories, etc) will be updated to reflect the new account name. If the Initial Balance is changed, the current balance for the account will be updated. To edit an account: 1. Open the Account Selection and Setup window (if it is not already open) by selecting the Account Selection/Setup command from the File menu. 13 2. Position the Selector Bar to the account to edit. 3. Open the Edit Account input window by selecting the Edit Account command from Edit menu (Ctrl+E shortcut key). The Edit Account input window is used to change information for an account that was previously setup. To change the account information, type in the new information in the Name, ID, Type, or Initial Balance fields. To record the changes, press the Enter key, or to close the Edit Account input window without changing the account information, press the Escape key. DELETING AN ACCOUNT ------------------- Deleting an account permanently deletes all information for the account including all transactions, categories, and budgets. ---------------------------------------------------------------- ONCE AN ACCOUNT IS DELETED, THE INFORMATION CAN'T BE RECOVERED, SO BE SURE YOU WANT TO DELETE THE ACCOUNT BEFORE DOING SO. ---------------------------------------------------------------- To delete an account: 1. Open the Account Selection and Setup window (if it is not already open) by selecting the Account Selection/Setup command from the File menu. 2. Position the Selector Bar to the account to delete. 3. Select the Delete Account command either by pressing the keyboard Delete key or by selecting the Delete Account command from the Delete menu. A dialog box will open for you to confirm the deletion. If you execute the <Delete> command button in the dialog box, the account, and all related information for the account, will be deleted from disk. Execute the <Cancel> command button to cancel the Delete Account command. 14 RECALCULATING ACCOUNT BALANCE ----------------------------- As you record, edit, or delete transaction information, CheckBook Plus updates the balances for the account you are working with including the values for uncleared transactions. In the event that a disk write error occurs when the balances are being saved on disk, the balances for the account could become corrupted. If you suspect the account balance is incorrect, you may recalculate the balances by following the steps outlined below: 1. Open the Register window for the account. 2. Select the Recalculate Account Balances command from the Actions menu. A message will be displayed notifying you that the balances are being recalculated. 15 Chapter 5 - USING THE REGISTER ------------------------------ Each time you start CheckBook Plus (after the initial startup), the Register window is the first window to appear. The Register window works just like your paper checkbook register. It lists the payments and deposits you have recorded, and the running balance for the account (optionally, you can choose to show the transaction category). The account name, account type, and file name are listed in the upper area of the Register window, and the current balance for the account is shown in the lower center area of the window. When the Register window is open you can: Use Pull-Down Menu Commands to: COMMAND SHORTCUT KEY ----------------------------- ------------ Record Check/Debit Ctrl+C Record Deposit/Credit Ctrl+D Edit Transaction Highlighted Ctrl+E Delete Transaction Highlighted Delete Key Memorize Transaction Highlighted Ctrl+M Recall Memorized Transaction Ctrl+R Find Transaction Ctrl+F Next Find Ctrl+N Goto Date Ctrl+G Execute the command buttons at the bottom of the window to: Work With Categories Exit CheckBook Plus These commands are discussed in more detail in the following sections. RECORDING TRANSACTIONS IN THE REGISTER -------------------------------------- Recording transactions in the register is as easy as filling out paper checks and deposit tickets. You simply tell CheckBook Plus that you want to record a transaction, and an input window will open for you to type in the payment or deposit information. The input windows look like the paper checks and deposit tickets you are familiar with. 16 To record a Check, Debit, or other transaction which reduces the account balance: 1. Open the Record Payment/Debit input window by selecting the Add Check/Debit command from the File menu (Ctrl+C shortcut key). 2. Type in the transaction information in the input window. To record a Deposit, Credit or other transaction which increases the account balance: 1. Open the Record Deposit/Credit input window by selecting the Add Deposit/Credit command from the File menu (Ctrl+D shortcut key). 2. Type in the transaction information. The fields in a transaction input window are described below: NUMBER: This field is used to number transactions. The next transaction number is automatically inserted in this field after a number is entered and recorded the first time. The number field is optional. If the transaction you are entering does not have a number (such as deposits, bank debits, service charges, etc.), delete the number from the field. DATE: The date field is used to enter the date of the transaction. The format for the date field is "mm-dd-yyyy". The first (2) positions are for the month, the next (2) positions are for the day, and the last (4) positions are for the year. The last date entered is automatically inserted in this field. To change the date, enter the new date over the date shown. PAY TO (payments) or SOURCE OF FUNDS (deposits): Enter the payee's name (for a payment) or the description of the transaction. AMOUNT ($): Enter the amount of the transaction. This field has two (2) assumed decimal places, and the decimal point need not be entered. When the cursor is in this field, it is positioned to the right-most number position. Numbers are entered and deleted from this position. If you make a mistake entering the amount, use the Delete key to delete the amount and re- enter the correct amount. 17 CATEGORY: The category field is used as a basis for summarizing and tracking income and payment transactions. Every transaction must include a category. The category can be any combination of words, numbers, or characters that is meaningful to you. Checkbook Plus contains a list of standard categories. You may select one of these, or enter a category of your own choosing. As transactions are entered, the category field is checked to verify that the category name is valid. If the category has not been setup, a dialog box will open notifying you of that fact and giving you the options to either: 1. Add the category to the category list. 2. Record the transaction to the 'Other' category. 3. Select a category from the category list. Use the Tab key to highlight the desired option, then press the Enter key. You may select a category from the category list any time a transaction input window is open. To do so: 1. Open the Select Category window by selecting the Select Category command from the File menu (F5 shortcut key). 2. Position the Selector Bar to a category either by pressing the letter key that corresponds to the first letter in the Category column or by using the keyboard cursor movement keys. 3. Execute the <Select> command button. MEMO: The Memo field is used to enter descriptive information for a transaction. This field is optional. When you have the information keyed in the input window, press Enter key to record the transaction. The transaction will be inserted in the register in the proper date sequence. To close the input window without recording the transaction, press the Escape Key. 18 EDITING A TRANSACTION IN THE REGISTER ------------------------------------- To edit a transaction in the Register: 1. Position the Selector Bar to the transaction. 2. Open the Edit Transaction input window by selecting the Edit Transaction command from the Edit Menu (Ctrl+E shortcut key) or by clicking the left mouse button on the transaction. 3. Change the transaction information in the input window. The Edit Transaction input window is used to change the information for a transaction that was previously recorded. To change the transaction information, type in the new information in the fields in the window. To record the changes, press the Enter key, or to close the Edit Transaction input window without changing the transaction information, press the Escape key. DELETING A TRANSACTION IN THE REGISTER -------------------------------------- To delete a transaction in the Register: 1. Position the Selector Bar to the transaction. 2. Select the Delete Transaction command from the Delete menu or press the keyboard Delete key. A dialog box will be displayed prompting you to confirm the deletion. If you execute the <Yes> command button, the transaction will be deleted and the account balance will be adjusted by the amount of the transaction. If you execute the <No> command button, the Delete command will be canceled. 19 SEARCHING FOR TEXT IN TRANSACTION(S) ------------------------------------ The Search menu allows you to find specific text in any field in transactions previously recorded. The Search menu contains three (3) commands: 1. The Find command 2. The Next Find command 3. The Goto Date command USING THE FIND COMMAND ---------------------- The Find command is used to search for text in a field in one or more transactions. To use the Find command: 1. Open the Find Transaction input window by selecting the Find command from the Search menu (Ctrl+F shortcut key). 2. Type in the search information in the input window. The Find Transaction input window is used to enter information to search for in one or more transactions. Type in the information you want to find in one of the fields in the window. NUMBER: Enter specific number for a transaction to search for. PAYEE/DESCRIPTION: Enter the Payee or Description text to search for. AMOUNT: Enter the specific amount to search for. CATEGORY: Enter the Category text to search for. MEMO: Enter the Memo text to search for. Note: the search text you enter in the Payee/Description field, Category field, or Memo field need not be complete contents of the field in the transactions. For example, if you would like to find payments to doctors, you could enter the search text 'Dr' in the Payee/Description field. CheckBook Plus would search for transaction that include the characters 'Dr' in the Payee/Description field. 20 When you are ready to start the search, press the Enter key. The search will begin with the transaction following the transaction displayed on the last line of the register and continue until a transaction is found that matches the search text in the field or until no match is found. To close the Find Transaction input window, without searching, press the Escape key. USING THE NEXT FIND COMMAND --------------------------- The Next Find command searches for the next occurrence of the text specified in the previous Find command. To use the Next Find command, select the Next Find command from the Search menu (Ctrl+N shortcut key). USING THE GOTO DATE COMMAND --------------------------- The Goto Date command allows you to search transactions for a specific date. To use the Goto Date command: 1. Open the Goto Date input window by selecting the Goto Date command from the Search menu (Ctrl+G shortcut key). 2. Type in the date to go to in the input window. The Goto Date input window is used to enter the date for the transaction you want to go to. The format for the date field is "mm-dd-yyyy". The first (2) positions are for the month, the next (2) positions are for the day, and the last (4) positions are for the year. Enter the date you want to go to in the window then press the Enter key. To close the Goto Date input window, press the Escape key. 21 PRINTING THE REGISTER --------------------- The Register Report lists the transactions and running balance for a specified date range for the current account and optionally, the Category and Memo fields for each transaction. To print the register: 1. Open the Print Register input window by selecting the Print Register command from the Print menu. 2. Type in the information in the input window. The Print Register input window is used to identify the information you want to appear on the report. A description of each field follows: DATE RANGE: Enter the beginning and ending date range for the transactions to be included on the report. PRINT CATEGORY AND MEMO?: Type Y (for yes) in the Print Category and Memo field if you want these fields to appear on the report, otherwise, type N (for no). SORT TRANSACTIONS BY DATE/NUMBER?: Type D (for Date) in the Sort Transactions By Date/Number field if you want the report sorted by transaction date, or type N (for Number) if you want the report sorted by transaction number. Press the Enter key when you are ready to print the report. To close the Print Register input window without printing the report, press the Escape key. CHECK PRINTING -------------- Any payment transaction entered in the register may be printed on a check form. To print a check: 1. Position the Selector Bar to the check to print. 2. Select the Print Check Highlighted command from the Print menu. 22 If the printed fields on the check are not in the proper print positions, you will need to change the printed check layout for your check form or change the printer control codes for your printer. Refer to chapter 12 for information on changing the check layout or the printer codes. EXPORTING THE REGISTER ---------------------- The transactions and category totals for an account may be exported to a separate file. The information in the exported file may then be used by spread sheet, word processor, or other software programs. To export the register: 1. With the Register window open, open the Export Register input window by selecting the Export Register command from the File menu. 2. Type in the information in the input window. The Export Register input window is used to enter the file name and disk location for the export file and to designate the file format and information to be exported. Below is a description of each field: FILE NAME: Enter the name for the export file. The name can be any combination of letters or numbers up to 8 characters. DISK DRIVE: Enter the letter for the disk drive where the export file will be located. On most MSDOS or PCDOS systems, the letter A represents the first floppy disk drive, and the letter C represents the first hard (fixed) disk drive. DIRECTORY NAME: Enter the name for the disk directory where the file will be located. The name can be any directory or subdirectory name that has been created on the disk drive. Precede the directory and subdirectory name with the backslash (\) character. Refer to your DOS manual if you are not familiar with disk directories. NOTE - The directory name you enter must already exist on the disk. You can't create a directory from within the CheckBook Plus program. If you want to create a new directory, you must first exit CheckBook Plus, use the DOS Make Directory ("MD") command to create a new directory, then restart CheckBook Plus and enter the directory name you created. 23 FILE TYPE: To create a standard text file which can be used with word processors or text editors, enter T (for text). To create a Lotus 1-2-3 PRN file which can be imported by most spread sheet programs, enter L (for Lotus). EXPORT TRANSACTIONS (Y/N): Type Y (for yes) to export transactions, or type N (for no) if the transactions are not to be exported. DATE RANGE: If you typed Y (for yes) in the Export Transactions field above, enter the beginning and ending dates for the transactions to be exported. Otherwise, these dates are ignored. EXPORT CATEGORY TOTALS: Type Y (for yes) to export monthly and year-to-date category totals for the register, or type N (for no) if the category total information is not to be exported. FOR YEAR: Type in the year for the category totals to be exported unless you typed N (for no) in the Export Category Totals field above, in which case the year is ignored. NOTE the year you enter does not have to be the current year. You can export category totals for any year inwhich this information is stored. Press the Enter key to begin the export process, or press the Escape key to close the input window without exporting. 24 Chapter 6 - USING CATEGORIES ---------------------------- One of the most useful features of CheckBook Plus is the ability to categorize your income and payment transactions, and display or print transaction summaries by category. As transactions are recorded, a category name is entered for each transaction. The category name is used as a basis for summarizing the transaction amounts into totals by category. Category names can be any combination of words, numbers, or characters. Each time a new account is created, a predefined list of categories is automatically created for the account. You can delete any categories you don't need, change the names, or add your own categories. Since the category names are unique to an account, you can customize the categories to each of your accounts. Categories are classified as either income or payments. Income categories are for transactions that increase the account balance such as salary and wages, or interest income. Payment categories are for transactions that reduce the account balance such as groceries, clothing, or utilities. Accountants would refer to the list of categories as a chart of accounts. WORKING WITH CATEGORIES ----------------------- You can work with your categories or display category totals for a particular year by executing the <Work With Categories> command button located at the bottom of the Register window. This command opens the Category Totals window. CATEGORY TOTALS WINDOW ---------------------- The Category Totals window lists the category names, actual category totals, category budget totals, and category types (income or payment) for the current account. The categories are listed alphabetically. Income categories are listed first, followed by payment categories. The actual and budget amounts listed represent the totals of the transactions for each category for the calendar year shown in the upper center area of the window. The calendar year is determined by the transaction date for the transaction listed at the bottom of the register when the <Work With Categories> command button is executed. When the Category Totals window is open, you can: 25 Use Pull-Down Menu Commands to: COMMAND SHORTCUT KEY ----------------------------- ------------ Add A New Category Ctrl+A Edit Category Highlighted Ctrl+E Delete Category Highlighted Delete Key Work With Budget For Category Highlighted Ctrl+B Execute the command buttons at the bottom of the window to: Display Monthly Totals For Category Highlighted View/Print Transactions For Category Highlighted Close Category Totals window DISPLAYING MONTHLY TOTALS FOR A CATEGORY ---------------------------------------- To display monthly actual, budget, and variance from budget summary amounts for a category: 1. Open the Category Totals window (if it is now already open) by executing the <Work With Categories> command button located at the bottom of the Register window. 2. Position the Selector Bar to a category. 3. Open the Category Monthly Detail window by executing the <Show Monthly Totals> command button located at the bottom of the Category Totals window. The Category Monthly Detail window lists the category in the upper left area of the window and summary monthly amounts for actual, budget, and variance from budget for the current and prior year as follows: The monthly amounts listed in the Actual column represent the totals of the transactions for the category for the current account. The monthly amounts listed in the Budget column are the budget amounts setup for the category. The monthly amounts listed in the Variance column are calculated by subtracting the budget amounts from the actual amounts. A positive amount indicates an over budget condition. A negative amount indicates an under budget condition. Use the PgDn (page down) key to display the information for the next year, the PgUp (page up) key to display the information for 26 the prior year, or the Home key to display the information for the current year. To print the report, execute the Print command button. Press the Escape key to close the window. VIEWING TRANSACTIONS FOR A CATEGORY ----------------------------------- To display, then print, the transactions for a category: 1. Open the Category Totals window (if it is now already open) by executing the <Work With Categories> command button located at the bottom of the Register window. 2. Position the Selector Bar to a category. 3. Open the Transactions Listing window by executing the <View Transactions> command button. To print the transaction listing, execute the <Print> command button located at the bottom of the window. ADDING A NEW CATEGORY --------------------- To add a new category: 1. Open the Category Totals window (if it is now already open) by executing the <Work With Categories> command button located at the bottom of the Register window. 2. Open the Add New Category input window by selecting the Add Category command from the File menu (Ctrl+A shortcut key). The Add New Category input window is used to enter the name for a new category and the category type. Below is a description of each field: CATEGORY: Enter the name for the category. Category names can be any combination of words, numbers, or characters. Certain reports sort categories alphabetically, so if you want related categories to appear together on reports, use category names that will sort together. For example, if you wanted to enter categories for different types of medical expenses, you could use category names such as Medical- Doctor, Medical-Dental, and Medical-Drugs. These categories would appear together on reports since they all begin with the word Medical. 27 INCOME OR PAYMENT (I/P): Enter either I (income category) or P (payment category). When you have the information keyed in, press the Enter key to record the new category. The new category will be inserted alphabetically in the Category Totals window. To close the input window without adding a category, press the Escape key. CHANGING A CATEGORY NAME ------------------------ To Change a category name: 1. Open the Category Totals window (if it is now already open) by activating the <Work With Categories> command button located at the bottom of the Register window. 2. Position the Selector Bar to the category to change. 3. Open the Edit Category Name input window by selecting the Edit Category Name command from the Edit menu (Ctrl+E shortcut key). 4. Change the name in the input window. The Edit Category Name input window is used to change a category name. To change the name, type in the new name in the window. When you are ready to record the new name, press the Enter key. Each transaction that was coded to the old category name will be updated to the new name. The new category name will replace the old name and will be listed alphabetically in the window. To close the input window without changing the category name, press the Escape key. DELETING A CATEGORY ------------------- You can delete any category in the Category Totals window that does not have transactions coded to it. To delete a category: 1. Open the Category Totals window (if it is not already open) by activating the <Work With Categories> command button located at the bottom of the Register window. 2. Position the Selector Bar to the category to delete. 3. Select the Delete Category command from the Delete menu, or press the keyboard Delete key. 28 A dialog box will open prompting you to confirm the deletion. If you execute the <Yes> command button, the category will be deleted. If you execute the <No> command button, the Delete command will be canceled. BUDGETING A CATEGORY -------------------- You can enter a budget for your categories and view or print the budget amounts to see how you are doing relative to your financial goals. The Work With Budget command is used to add or change the budget for a category. To work with the budget for a category: 1. Open the Category Totals window (if it is not already open) by activating the <Work with Categories> command button at the bottom of the Register window. 2. Position the Selector Bar to the category to budget. 3. Open the Budget input window by selecting the Work With Budget command from the Actions menu (Ctrl+B shortcut key). The Budget input window shows the category name in the upper center area of the window, a field for entering the year in the upper left area of the window, and fields for entering monthly budget amounts for the months of January through December. The fields in the Budget input window described below: YEAR: Type in the year that the monthly budget amounts pertain to. You can enter a budget for the current year, a prior year, or a future year. BUDGET AMOUNTS: Type in the monthly budget amount(s). You can enter an amount for any specific month(s) or for all months. If budget amounts were previously setup for the category, the amounts will be listed in the input window. To change the amounts, delete the old amounts, and type in the new amounts. Press the Enter key to record the budget for the category. Press the Escape key to close the input window without recording the budget. After a budget has been setup or changed, it can be reviewed by activating the <Show Category Detail> command button located at the bottom of the Category Totals window. 29 Chapter 7 - USING MEMORIZED TRANSACTIONS ---------------------------------------- CheckBook Plus allows you to memorize your frequently used transactions. You only need to enter a repeated transaction once, memorize it, then recall the memorized transaction the next time you need to record it. This feature will not only save you time, it will also enhance the accuracy and consistency of your transactions. Examples of repeated transactions that you may want to memorize include: - Payments to your grocery store - Mortgage or rent payments - Utility and phone bills - Car payments Memorized transactions are maintained for each account, not for the entire file, so you will not have memorized transactions that are unrelated to an account. MEMORIZING A TRANSACTION ------------------------ You may memorize any transaction that appears in the Register window. To memorize a transaction: 1. Position the Selector Bar to the transaction. 2. Select the Memorize Transaction command from the File menu (Ctrl+M shortcut). The memorized transaction is added to the memorized list and may be recalled the next time you need to enter the transaction. MEMORIZED TRANSACTIONS WINDOW ----------------------------- The Memorized Transactions window lists the Payee/Description, Amount, Category, and Type (Income or Payment) for the transactions that have been memorized or added directly in the window. When the Memorized Transactions window is open, you can: Use Pull-Down Menu Commands to: COMMAND SHORTCUT KEY ----------------------------- ------------ Add A Memorized Transaction Ctrl+A Edit Highlighted Transaction Ctrl+E Delete Highlighted Transaction Delete Key 30 Execute command buttons at the bottom of the window to: Recall a memorized transaction Close the window RECALLING A MEMORIZED TRANSACTION --------------------------------- You may recall a memorized transaction any time the Register window is open. To recall a memorized transaction: 1. Open the Memorized Transaction window by selecting the Recall Transaction command from the File menu (Ctrl+R shortcut key). 2. Position the Selector Bar to a transaction either by using keyboard arrow keys or by pressing the letter key that corresponds to the first letter in the Payee/Description column. 3. Execute the <Recall Transaction> command button. The appropriate input window for the transaction type (payment or deposit) will open and the transaction will be displayed in the window. You can change the transaction information in the window if necessary. To record the transaction in the Register, press the Enter key. To close the input window without recording the transaction, press the Escape key. ADDING A MEMORIZED TRANSACTION ------------------------------ You can add a transaction into the Memorized Transaction window without first recording the transaction in the Register. To do this: 1. Open the Memorized Transaction window by selecting the Recall Transaction command from the File menu (Ctrl+R shortcut key). 2. Open the Add Memorized Transaction input window by selecting the Add Transaction command from the File menu (Ctrl+A shortcut key). The Add Memorized Transaction input window is used to add a transactions in the Memorized Transaction window. Below is a description of each field: 31 DESCRIPTION/PAYEE: Enter the description of the transaction or the payee's name (for a payment). AMOUNT ($): Enter the amount of the transaction. The field has two (2) assumed decimal places, and the decimal point need not be entered. When the cursor is in this field, it is positioned to the right-most number position. Numbers are entered and deleted from this position. If you make a mistake entering the amount, use the Delete key to delete the amount and re- enter the correct amount. CATEGORY: The category field is used as a basis for summarizing and tracking income and payment transactions. Every transaction must include a category. The category can be any combination of words, numbers, or characters that is meaningful to you. Unlike when you are entering a transaction in the Register, the category field is not edited when it is entered in this window. MEMO: The Memo field is used to enter descriptive information for a transaction. This field is optional. INCOME OR PAYMENT (I/P): Type either I (for an income transaction) or P (for a payment transaction). When you have finished entering the information in the window, press the Enter key to record the transaction. Press the Escape key to close the input window without recording the transaction. EDITING A MEMORIZED TRANSACTION ------------------------------- You can edit (change) the transactions you have memorized or added into the Memorized Transaction window. To edit a memorized transaction: 1. Open the Memorized Transaction window by selecting the Recall Transaction command from the File menu (Ctrl+R shortcut key). 2. Position the Selector Bar to a transaction either by pressing the letter key that corresponds to the first letter in Payee/Description or by using the keyboard cursor movement keys. 32 3. Open the Edit Memorized Transaction input window by selecting the Edit Transaction command from the Edit menu (Ctrl+E shortcut key). 4. Change the information in the input window. The Edit Memorized Transaction input window is used to change the information in a memorized transaction. To change the information, type in the changes to the transaction in the window. Press the Enter key to record the new information. To close the input window without recording the changes, press the Escape key. DELETING A MEMORIZED TRANSACTION -------------------------------- You can delete transactions you have memorized or added into the Memorized Transactions window. To delete a memorized transaction: 1. Open the Memorized Transaction window by selecting the Recall Transaction command from the File menu (Ctrl+R shortcut key). 2. Position the Selector Bar to a transaction either by pressing the letter key that corresponds to the first letter in Payee/Description or by using the keyboard cursor movement keys. 3. Select the Delete Transaction command either by pressing the keyboard Delete key or by selecting the command from the Delete menu. A dialog box will open prompting you to confirm the deletion. Execute the <Yes> command button to delete the transaction, or execute the <No> command button to cancel the Delete command. 33 Chapter 8 - VIEWING ACCOUNT, SYSTEM INFORMATION, AND TIME --------------------------------------------------------- The View menu is used to view (display) summary information for an account, view information about the computer's hardware configuration and conventional memory and disk space utilization, or view the time. VIEW ACCOUNT SUMMARY -------------------- To view the account summary, open the Account Summary window by selecting the Account Summary command from the View menu. Note: if the Account window is open when the View Summary command is selected, the information displayed in the Account Summary window will pertain to the account the Selector Bar is on. If any other window is open, the information will pertain to the current account. VIEW SYSTEM INFORMATION ----------------------- To view system information, open the System Information window by selecting the View System Information command from the View menu. VIEW TIME --------- To view the time of day, open the Time window by selecting the Time command from the View menu. Note: the time displayed is the current time for your system clock. Refer to your DOS manual (Time command) for instructions to reset the clock. 34 Chapter 9 - CASHFLOW AND INCOME STATEMENT REPORTS ------------------------------------------------- The Cashflow Statement lists a summary of cash inflows and cash outflows by category. The Income Statement lists a summary of income and expenses (payments) by category. You can customize either report to: 1. Use the transactions for a specified date range. 2. Use information for the current account or for all accounts in the current file. 3. Show budget and budget variance amounts. The selected report is first displayed on the screen, and optionally, may be printed. To view/print the reports: 1. Open the Create Report input window by selecting either the View/Print Cashflow command or View/Print Income Statement command from the Print menu. 2. Type in the information in the input window. The Create Report input window is used to customize the information you want to appear on a report. Fill if the fields in the window as follows: DATE RANGE: Enter the starting and ending month and year range for the transactions to be summarized in the report. The format is mm-yyyy. The first two positions are for the month and the final four positions are for the year. SHOW BUDGET ON REPORT?: Type Y (for Yes) if you want budget amounts to appear on the report, otherwise, type N (for No). CURRENT/ALL ACCOUNTS?: Type C (for Current) if you want only the current account information to appear on the report or type A (for All) to include the information for all accounts. Press the Enter key to display the report, or to cancel the print command without printing, press the Escape key. After the report is displayed, it may be printed. To print the report, execute the <Print> command button located at the bottom of the view window. To close the view window without printing the report, press the Escape key. 35 Chapter 10 - ACCOUNT RECONCILIATION ----------------------------------- The reason for reconciling your checking account to the statement you receive from the bank, is to catch any errors that may have occurred when transactions were entered into Checkbook Plus or processed by the bank. Normally, there is a time lag between the date a check or deposit is written and the date the bank processes the transaction. The transactions that have been entered into Checkbook Plus, but have not been processed by the bank, are known as outstanding transactions. The process of reconciling your checking account involves entering the ending account balance from your bank statement and marking the transactions that have cleared the bank. Normally, CheckBook Plus can reconcile your account in a small fraction of the time it would take to manually reconcile the account. ENTERING THE ENDING ACCOUNT BALANCE ----------------------------------- The first step in reconciling your account is entering the ending balance from your bank statement in the Record Bank Balance input window. To open the window: Select the Reconcile command from the Actions menu. The Record Bank Balance input window is used to enter the ending balance from your bank statement. Type in the amount then press the Enter key to continue with the account reconciliation. MARKING THE TRANSACTIONS THAT HAVE CLEARED THE BANK --------------------------------------------------- After the bank balance is recorded, the size of the Register window will be reduced to allow for the reconciliation summary at the bottom of the screen. You are now ready to mark the transactions processed by the bank. To mark the cleared transactions: 1. Position the Selector Bar to each cleared transaction. 2. Mark transaction by executing the <Mark Transaction> command button. A check mark will appear next to the marked transaction and the values in the reconciliation summary will be adjusted by the amount of the transaction. 36 If you mark a transaction in error, un-mark the transaction by: 1. Position the Selector Bar to the transaction. 2. Un-Mark transaction by executing the <Mark Transaction> command button. If you need to record, edit, or delete transactions while reconciling, you may do so in the same manner as you would in the Register window. After all cleared transactions are marked, the unreconciled difference should be zero. If not, follow the steps outlined below to find the difference: If the unreconciled difference is a positive value: 1. Verify that the bank statement ending balance was not entered for more than the actual amount. 2. Review the cleared deposits to verify that they were all marked and that a deposit was not entered for less than the amount processed by the bank. 3. Review the checks that you marked to verify that an outstanding check was not marked in error or that a check was not entered for more than the amount processed by the bank. If the unreconciled difference is a negative value: 1. Verify that the bank statement ending balance was not entered for less than the actual amount. 2. Review the cleared checks to verify that they were all marked and that a check was not entered for less than the amount processed by the bank. 3. Review the deposits that you marked to verify that a that an outstanding was not marked in error or that a deposit was not entered for more than the amount processed by the bank. MISSING CHECK REPORT -------------------- The Missing Check report lists gaps in your transaction number sequence. The report is useful to help you spot transactions that were not entered. To print the report, select the View/Print Missimg Check List command from the Print menu. 37 PRINTING THE RECONCILIATION REPORT ---------------------------------- The Reconciliation report lists the outstanding transactions, and a reconciliation summary showing the bank statement balance adjusted by the outstanding transactions, the account balance, and the unreconciled difference. To print the report, select the Print Reconciliation command from the Print menu. 38 Chapter 11 - USING THE POP-UP CALENDAR AND CALCULATORS ----------------------------------------------------- This chapter describes how to use the pop-up calendar, desktop calculator, and financial calculator. USING THE POP-UP CALENDAR ------------------------- The calendar can be activated from almost anywhere within the program. To open the Calendar window: Press the F2 function key or select the Calendar command from the Actions menu. Initially, the calendar will show the current month and year with the day of the month highlighted. Use the cursor movement keys to operate the calendar as follows: Key Displays ----- ------------ Up Arrow Prior Month Down Arrow Next Month Left Arrow Prior Year Right Arrow Next Year Home Current Date The calendar can also be operated with a mouse by clicking the mouse on the scroll bars within the Calendar window. To clear the calendar from the screen, press the Enter key, Escape key, or click the mouse on the <Exit Calendar> command button or outside the Calendar window. USING THE POP-UP DESKTOP CALCULATOR ----------------------------------- The calculator operates like a standard desk-top calculator. It can be activated from almost anywhere within the program. To open the Desktop Calculator window: Press the F3 function key or select the Desktop Calculator command from the Actions menu. 39 Use the keys on the numeric keypad or the number keys across the top of the keyboard to enter numbers or operators. Always enter the number first, then the operation. For example, to calculate the total of the numbers 123 plus 456: 1. Type 123. 2. Press the + key. 3. Type 456. 4. Press the + key. 5. Press the Enter key. The key operations are described below: Operation Press -------------- ----- Addition + Subtraction - Multiplication * Division / Total Enter Equal = Clear C Paste P You can paste a calculated amount from the calculator to a numeric field in an input window. To paste a calculated amount, press the P key. To clear the calculator from the screen, press the Escape key, or click the mouse outside the calculator window. USING THE FINANCIAL CALCULATOR ------------------------------ You can use the Financial Calculator to perform compound interest calculations. It can be activated from almost anywhere within the program. To use the Financial Calculator: 1. Open the Financial Calculator input window by pressing the F4 function key or by selecting the Financial Calculator command from the Actions menu. 2. Type in the loan information in the input window. 40 The Financial Calculator input window is used to enter the values to use to perform the calculation. Type in the values in the fields in the window leaving the value you want to calculate blank: LOAN AMOUNT: Enter the amount of a loan. ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE: Enter the annual rate of interest expressed as a percentage. For example, 8 3/8 percent would be entered as 8.375, or 21 7/8 percent would be entered as 21.875. PERIODIC PAYMENT: Enter the periodic payment amount for principal and interest. NUMBER OF YEARS: Enter the number of years of the loan. This is a required field and cannot be left blank. PAYMENTS PER YEAR: Enter the number of loan payments per year. The default is 12 payments per year, it can be changed to any number you want. This is a required field and cannot be left blank. To calculate the value for the field you leave blank, press the Enter key. LOAN AMORTIZATION SCHEDULE -------------------------- After the loan values have been calculated, you can display and print an amortization schedule for the loan. To display the amortization schedule, execute the <Show Loan Schedule> command button located at the bottom of the Financial Calculator window. To print the amortization schedule, execute the <Print Report> command button at the bottom of the Amortization Schedule window. Press the Escape key to close the window without printing. 41 Chapter 12 - CHOOSING OPTIONS ---------------------------- This chapter describes how you can enter options to customize CheckBook Plus to your own needs. RUNNING BALANCE ON REGISTER OPTION ---------------------------------- You have the option of displaying either the running account balance or the transaction category in the Register window. To change the current setting, select the Running Balance On Register command from the Options menu. A check mark appears to the left of the command in the Options menu when the Running Balance option is on. SOUND OPTION ------------ If CheckBook Plus encounters an error or needs additional information to carry out an action, a message box is displayed followed by an audible beep sound. You can turn the beep sound on or off. To change the current setting, select the Sound command from the Options menu. A check mark appears to the left of the command in the Options menu when the sound is on. CHANGE PRINTED CHECK LAYOUT --------------------------- The Change Print Check Layout Command is used to change the print positions where information is printed on a check form and to select the print pitch to use to print checks. A simple system of line and column numbers is used to indicate where each field is to be printed on the check form. The initial configuration is set to use a standard size personal check (6.0 inches wide by 2.75 inches long). However, you can change the printed check layout and print checks on any size check form. To change the check layout and print pitch: 1. Open the Change Printed Check Print Positions & Pitch input window by selecting the Change Printed Check Layout command from the Options menu. 2. Type in the information in the input window. 42 The Change Printed Check Print Positions & Pitch input window is used to change the configuration of the printed check form. Type in the check layout information in the window as follows: LINE NUMBERS: Enter the line number where each field is to be printed on the check. When printing checks, Checkbook Plus uses half line feeds (12 lines per inch) for vertical spacing to provide more precise positioning of the fields on the check form. A standard sized personal check is approximately 6.0 inches wide and 2.75 inches long, so there are 33 print lines (12 X 2.75) on a standard check. The line numbers you need to enter depends on how you load check form(s) into your printer and the layout of your check form. COLUMN NUMBERS: Enter the column where each field is to be printed across the check. The number of print columns on a check depends on the print pitch you select (The Pica pitch prints 10 characters per inch, the Elite pitch prints 12 characters per inch, and the Condensed pitch prints 16.7 characters per inch). Perhaps, the best way to determine the correct line and column numbers for the fields is by experimenting with printing a check on blank paper, and adjusting the line and column numbers until you are satisfied with the results. CHECK LENGTH: Enter the length of your check in inches. If your check is 3 1/2 inches long (standard length for a business check), you should enter 3.50. This value is used to determine the number of blank lines printed before the top of the next check form when using continuous form checks. CHECK WIDTH: Enter the width of your check in inches. If your check is 8 1/2 inches wide (standard width for a business check), you should enter 8.50. PRINT PITCH: Enter P (for Pica), E (for Elite), or C (for Condensed) for the print pitch you want. Press the Enter key when you are ready to save the Print Layout. Press the Escape key to close the window without changing the check layout information. 43 CHANGE PRINTER CONTROL CODES ---------------------------- Your printer uses special codes, known as escape codes or escape sequence codes, as a way to control the print pitch (pica, elite, or condensed) and the distance the paper advances at the end of a printed line (line feed). Each printer brand defines it's own codes to control these functions. The control codes for your printer should be listed in your printer manual. CheckBook Plus uses printer control codes ONLY when printing checks. The control codes are initially set for the IBM- Proprinter, since most printers either use, or can emulate, this printer mode. You will need to change the control codes ONLY if you use the check printing feature and you are unable to get your printer to print the print pitch and line feed you want. To change the control codes: 1. Open the Change Printer Codes input window by selecting the Change Printer Codes command from the Options menu. 2. Type in the information in the input window. The Change Printer Codes input window is used to change the control codes that are sent to your printer when printing checks. Follow the steps outlined below to change the control codes: 1. Refer to your printer manual to determine the control codes you need to enter in the Pica, Elite, Condensed, and Half Line Feed fields in the window. 2. Enter the numeric control codes for each field preceded by a backslash (\). For example, you would enter the control code sequence: 27 65 6 27 50 as \27\65\6\27\50. Press the Enter key when you are ready to save the control codes. Press the Escape key to close the window without changing the control codes. CHANGE DISPLAY COLORS OPTION ---------------------------- The Change Display Colors command is used to change the colors of the current window open on the screen or to change the colors of the Top Row Menus. To change the display colors: 1. Select the Change Display Colors command from the Options Menu. A dialog box will open for you to use to 44 select the display area to change. 2. Use the Tab key to select either the Current Window or the Top Row Menu display area. The appropriate change colors window will open for you to select the desired color combination. CHANGE WINDOW COLORS -------------------- The Change Window Colors window contains the following color options: Foreground: the color of the text in the window. Background: the window color. Border: the color outside the Register window. NOTE: the border color can only be changed if the Register window is open when the Change Colors command is selected. Use the Tab key to select either the foreground, background, or border color area then use the Up or Down arrow keys to select the desired color. To toggle Bright Background command, use the Tab key to highlight the command then press the Space Bar . You may use a mouse to change colors by clicking the left mouse button on a color. To save the selected colors, execute the <Save Colors> command button. To close the Change Colors window without changing the colors, execute the <Cancel> command button. CHANGE TOP ROW MENU COLORS -------------------------- Use the Up or Down Arrow keys to position the Selector Bar to the desired color then execute the <Save> command button to save your selection. You may use a mouse to change colors by clicking the left mouse button on a color. To close the Set Menu Colors window without changing the colors, execute the <Cancel> command button. 45 Chapter 13 - BACKING UP YOUR DATA FILE -------------------------------------- It's a good practice to frequently backup your data file to a diskette to guard against accidental loss of data in the event of a hardware or disk media failure. The backup procedure only requires a few seconds to complete and could save you many hours of re-entering information should your data file become damaged. ---------------------------------------------------------------- YOU WILL NEED A FORMATTED DISKETTE TO BACKUP TO A FLOPPY DRIVE. ---------------------------------------------------------------- It is recommended that you use the Backup command to copy your data file to a diskette. However, you can backup to a different hard (fixed) disk drive. The Backup File procedure copies the information for the current file you are working with to the backup disk or diskette you specify. To Backup your data file: 1. Open the Backup Data File input window by selecting the Backup File command from the File menu. 2. Type in the information in the input window. The Backup Data File input window is used to select the disk drive the data file will be backed up to and to specify if the data file is to be compressed. These options are described below: DISK DRIVE: Enter the letter for the disk drive that the data file will be backed up to (destination drive for the file). On most MSDOS or PCDOS systems, the letter A represents the first floppy disk drive, and the letter C represents the first hard (fixed) disk drive. COMPRESS BACKUP FILE (Y/N): Type Y (for yes) to compress the backup file, or type N (for no) if the file is not to be compressed. If the compression option is selected, only the actual data records in the file are copied to the backup disk. The file indexes and any file space allocated to deleted records is not copied. Therefore, the file size on the backup disk may be significantly smaller than the file size on the source disk. After the information has been entered and the Enter key pressed, a backup message will be displayed notifying you that the backup is in-process. As the records are copied, a record counter is displayed. 46 RESTORING DATA FILES -------------------- Should your database file become damaged or lost, use the DOS COPY command to copy the file from your backup disk. For example, the command below will copy your file from a backup disk in drive A: to a directory named CBPLUS on drive C: COPY A:*.MDB C:\CBPLUS <press the Enter key> Refer to COPY in your DOS documentation if you need help. 47 Chapter 14 - INITIALIZING A NEW YEAR ------------------------------------ The Initialize New Year procedure copies the current file intact to an archive file you specify, then removes the transactions from the current file dated before January 1 of the year you specify. Only the transactions are removed from the current file. The memorized transactions, categories, and category totals are not removed, so you can still view and print historical category summary information in the current file after you initialize a new year. You can still work with the information in the archive file created by the initialize new year procedure. To use the archive file, use the Set Data File command on the File menu to enter the name you specified for the archive file and the disk drive and directory. You are not required to initialize a new year. However, you could conceivably accumulate so many transactions in your current file that the file will not fit on your disk or backup disk. To Initialize a new year: 1. With the Register window open, open the Initialize New Year input window by selecting the Initialize New Year command from the File menu. 2. Type in the information in the input window. The Initialize New Year input window is used to enter the file name and disk location where your current file will be archived (copied to). A description of each field follows: FILE NAME: Enter the name for the archive file that your current file will be copied to. The name can be any combination of letters or numbers up to 8 characters. DISK DRIVE: Enter the letter for the disk drive where the archive file will be located. On most MSDOS or PCDOS systems, the letter A represents the first floppy disk drive, and the letter C represents the first hard (fixed) disk drive. DIRECTORY NAME: Enter the directory name for the disk directory where the file will be located. The name can be any directory or subdirectory name that has been created on the disk drive. Precede the directory and subdirectory name with the backslash (\) character. Refer to your DOS manual if you are not familiar with disk directories. 48 NOTE - The directory name you enter must already exist on the disk. You can't create a directory from within the CheckBook Plus program. If you want to create a new directory, you must first exit CheckBook Plus, use the DOS Make Directory ("MD") command to create a new directory, then restart CheckBook Plus and enter the directory name you created. YEAR: Type in the year in the: Remove transactions from current file dated before 1-1-yyyy field. Press the Enter key to begin the archive process. Press the Escape key to close the input window without archiving. 49 Chapter 15 - IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM ---------------------------------- CheckBook Plus uses dialog boxes to notify you if it is having a problem carrying out a command or action. Below is a description of the error messages used: ERROR MESSAGES: --------------- Already On File: A record with the same key as the record you are attempting to add is already on the file. For example, a duplicate check number, a duplicate account name, or a duplicate category name. DataBase Needs This message means your data file has become Repair: corrupted. This could result from a power failure, or if your computer was turned or re-booted while CheckBook Plus was running. The Database repair utility, ISAMREPR.EXE, should fix the problem. Refer to Appendix B for information on running the repair utility. Device I/O Error: An input or output error occurred when the program was using a device, such as a disk drive or printer. Attempts to read or write to an unformatted disk will cause the error. Make sure the cable(s) to your printer or external disk are secure. Directory Not The directory name you entered is not on the Found: disk. Disk Full: There is insufficient space on the disk to store the information. Try deleting any unnecessary files from the disk. Disk Media Error: A physical flaw was detected on the disk drive. Try using a different disk or reformatting the disk. Invalid Drive: The disk drive you selected is not a valid drive. 50 Out Of Memory: More memory is required than is available to run the program or to carry out a command. Try unloading memory-resident (TSR) programs or device drivers. If you are running the program from a DOS shell or menu program, try running the program from the DOS command line. Out Of String See out of memory error above. Space: Printer Not Ready: Printer is off line, turned off, or out of paper. Too Many Files: This error normally occurs only if the FILE= and/or BUFFERS= parameter(s) in your CONFIG.SYS file are set too low. Try re- setting these parameters to: FILES=30; and BUFFERS=20; then re-start your computer. Refer to your DOS documentation if you are not familiar with the CONFIG.SYS file. Should you encounter a problem that you are unable to resolve, please make a note of the error message and procedure being performed when you experienced the problem, and contact us. 51 Appendix A - SHORTCUT KEY LIST ------------------------------ With the Register window open: ------------------------------ Command Shortcut Key ----------------- ------------ Add Check/Debit Ctrl+C Add Deposit/Credit Ctrl+D Memorize Transaction Ctrl+M Recall Transaction Ctrl+R Edit Transaction Ctrl+E Delete Transaction Delete Key Find Transaction Ctrl+F Next Find Ctrl+N Goto Date Ctrl+G Select Category F5* * Available only when Payment or Deposit input window is open. With the Account window open: ----------------------------- Command Shortcut Key ----------------- ------------ Add Account Ctrl+A Edit Account Ctrl+E Delete Account Delete Key With the Category Totals window open: ------------------------------------- Command Shortcut Key ----------------- ------------ Add Category Ctrl+A Edit Category Ctrl+E Delete Category Delete Key Work With Budget Ctrl+B With the Memorized Transactions window open: ------------------------------------------- Command Shortcut Key ----------------- ------------ Add Transaction Ctrl+A Edit Transaction Ctrl+E Delete Transaction Delete Key 52 With any window open: ------------------------------------------- Command Shortcut Key ----------------- ------------ Help F1 function key Calendar F2 function key Desktop Calculator F3 function key Financial Calculator F4 function key Exit Program Ctrl+X 53 Appendix B - USING ISAMREPR UTILITY ----------------------------------- CheckBook Plus uses Microsoft's Indexed Sequential Access Method ("ISAM") to create and maintain data files. Data files created by CheckBook Plus have a file extension (".MDB"). A stand-alone utility (ISAMREPR.EXE) is supplied with the software to repair your data files should the need ever arise. Since this utility is a stand-alone executable program, it cannot be used from within the CheckBook Plus program. You must exit CheckBook Plus and execute the programs from the DOS command line. ISAMREPR UTILITY ---------------- Should an abnormal termination occur while CheckBook Plus is running, the data file you are working with could become corrupted. If you get the error message: DATABASE INCONSISTENT or DATABASE NEEDS REPAIR when you start CheckBook Plus, this means that your data file needs to be repaired. The ISAMREPR.EXE utility systematically goes through the file and rebuilds the indexes for the information in the file. The repair utility cannot recover information for a file on a defective disk. To run the ISAMREPR utility: 1. Use the DOS Change Directory ("CD") command to make the disk directory where ISAMREPR.EXE is located the current directory. For example, if ISAMREPR.EXE is located in a directory named CBPLUS, at the DOS prompt, type the following: CD \CBPLUS <press the Enter key> 2. Start the repair utility by typing the utility name followed by the <pathname> and <filename> for the data file to be repaired. For example, to repair a file named HOME located on drive C: in a directory named CBPLUS, at the DOS prompt, type the following: ISAMREPR C:\CBPLUS\HOME <press Enter key> Upon completion, the repair utility will display the message: "Repair of database <filename.MDB> completed successfully" if it is able to repair the data file. 54 Appendix C - ISAMPACK UTILITY ----------------------------- When information (account, transactions, categories, etc) is deleted from CheckBook Plus data files, the size of the file does not change. Instead, file space occupied by the deleted information is marked and reused as new information is added to the file. If a large amount of information is deleted from a file, such as when an account is deleted that contained a large number of transactions, the file space occupied by deleted information can become excessive. The ISAMPACK utility can be used to reclaim the file space allocated to deleted information and reduce the size of the data file. In order to keep the CheckBook Plus software on one distribution disk, this stand-alone utility is not included. If you need the utility, we will be happy to send you a ** FREE ** copy. To receive a copy, please send your request, along with a check for $5.00 to cover our costs for shipping and handling. Be sure to include your address and phone number if they are not on your check. ** NOTE ** this utility is automatically supplied when you register CheckBook Plus. 55