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Text File | 1986-07-07 | 29.5 KB | 638 lines

CHECK PROCESSOR Copyright 1982,83,84,85,86 by Bill Langlais Produced by Newline Software ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Check Processor (CHKPRO) is especially designed in versions for use on the IBM PC and compatibles, the DEC Rainbow, and the Heath/Zenith Z-100 series computers. CHKPRO can be used for balancing your savings passbook, checkbook, or credit card accounts. CHKPRO allows you to enter data in the same way as you would in a record book, without asking you questions or making you page through endless displays of menus. In fact, the only menu in CHKPRO can be totally avoided, if the user already knows the name of the data file he wants to work on before invoking CHKPRO. CHKPRO was designed to handle three types of data files; checking accounts, savings accounts and credit cards, and should be suitable for any normal household use. There is no limit to the number of data files that can be handled by CHKPRO other than by the amount of space available on your disk drives to hold the data. CHKPRO resembles a word processor in the way the screen display is used for entering data. Making a correction is as simple as moving the cursor to the mistake and correcting it! Account reconciliation is as simple as placing the cursor in the column marked X and typing in an X. Entries can also be deleted as easily. CHKPRO also allows you to categorize any entry with up to thirty-one user defined categories, so that specific print- outs can be made using the printout utility (CHKLST.EXE), for tax or other record keeping purposes. CHKPRO does all internal math using integers instead of floating point number representation. This means that there are no rounding errors, as typically found on small computers, causing the last digit (cents) to lose accuracy. STARTING THE CHECK PROCESSOR CHKPRO can be started in one of two ways. The first way is to run the program by typing in the program name at the MSDOS or PCDOS prompt. For example, if the Check Processor disk is in disk drive A:, then to start the program enter: A>CHKPRO CHKPRO will start by searching the default drive (whatever drive was the default drive when CHKPRO was invoked) for CHKPRO current data files (files with the extension .CUR). The "A>" denotes the default drive to be A: in the above example. The program then lists all the data files found and asks you for your selection. At this point you can do any of the following things: ENTER AN ACCOUNT FILENAME RESET DRIVE EXIT 1. ENTER AN ACCOUNT FILENAME You can enter any of the filenames listed or enter a new filename. Enter no more than 8 keystrokes. Do not enter a filename extension. For example: CHEKBOOK <-- valid CHEKBOOK.CUR <-- invalid; leave off extension SAVINGS <-- valid MASTERCARD <-- invalid; too long B:REGISTR2 <-- valid; create/use file on drive B: CHKPRO accesses the current data from the file with the filename you enter if the file exists. If the file does not exist, then it will be created. When CHKPRO creates a new file you will be asked to enter the type of file you want to create (Checking, Savings or Credit Card), what the initial balance is (if there is no initial balance then enter zero) and what the current year is. Note - Drives may be specified in the normal manner (i.e. A:, B:, C:, etc.) 2. RESET DRIVE - Press F1 When this special function key is pressed followed by a valid drive specifier (A, B, etc.) the drive selected will be logged as the default drive and a list of the CHKPRO data files on the default drive will be listed on the screen. This command can also be used to change a disk so that the CHKPRO Data files on the new disk can be displayed. This allows you to maintain several checkbook or accounts, each on separate diskettes. 3. EXIT - Press F5 This key returns control to the operating system. Any data entered is automatically stored on the disk. DO NOT INTERRUPT CHKPRO or attempt to remove the diskette until CHKPRO completes storing the new data on disk. The second way to start CHKPRO is to type in the CHKPRO program name followed by a space and the name of the data file you wish to access. In this case the process mentioned above is skipped and you will go directly into the data entry mode. For example: A>CHKPRO B:CHECK In this example CHECK is the name of an Account file on disk B: that had been created previously or that you wish to create now. DATA ENTRY MODE Once CHKPRO has a data file to work with it will read in the data file (Current entries only) and display, in column format, the last nineteen unreconciled entries. The cursor will be placed in the DATE column waiting for you to begin entering data. The following is a breakdown of each column, what data can be entered into each column, and also what special features can be used in each column. DATE 1. If an entry is to be made then the date is entered first. The format of the date must be MMM DD where MMM is the first three letters of the month and DD is a number between 1 and 31. CHKPRO will test this a character at a time while it is being typed in and if a invalid character is typed then the terminal bell will ring to signal that an error was made. Just continue by typing a valid character. CHKPRO also allows you to enter the year of the entry. Since most entries are entered in the same year, this information need not be entered every time nor is it always displayed on the screen. CHKPRO will assume the year of the previous entry should be used if you press the Return key after entering the day. In order to enter the year for an entry all you need to do is type a Space after entering the day and the date field will clear and allow you to enter the year either as 19xx, 20xx or xx, another Space or Return will complete the entry of the date. If a year is changed by more then one you will be asked (on the 25th line) if this is what you want. SHORT HAND INPUT: A. If nothing is typed in the date column other than Return then the date will be set equal to the previous entry's date. B. If a space is typed as the first character then the day can be input and the month will be set equal to the month of the previous entry. C. Years can also be entered as 0 (1900) to 127 (2027). D. If only the month and day are entered the year will default to the year of the previous entry. 2. To enter the EDIT MODE (described later), move the cursor up one line with the UP-ARROW key while the cursor is in the first position of the date field. Now you can move the cursor around freely to edit the data. DESCRIPTION 1. The description of an entry is entered in this column. It is not necessary to enter the full description if it is one of the built-in descript- ions (W, D, I, P or C). Depending on which type of data file is being updated the following will apply: SAVINGS - W<Return> for Withdrawal. D<Return> for Deposit. I<Return> for Interest. CHECKING - The same as for savings. Anything else is considered to be a check. CREDIT - I<Return> for Interest. P<Return> for Payment. C<Return> for Credit. Anything else is considered to be a charge. 2. F1 - CATEGORY - When this key is typed you are prompted to enter a category (up to nine letters). If this is a new category you will be asked if you want this to be added to the list of categories. This is to confirm that you really want to create a new category. Up to 31 categories can be maintained and these categories will be the same for all the data files in the same disk directory. All categorized entries will be displayed on the screen with a horizontal line thru the column line between the date and description to distinguish it from non-categorized entries. WARNING - Once a category is created it cannot be deleted or renamed so care should be used in selecting the names of the categories. 3. F2 - LIST - This key will display a list of all the defined categories. C# 1. This column is used only with the checking type data file. After entering a check description, the cursor is placed in this column for a check number. Numbers up to 9999 are valid. X 1. This column is used to reconcile an entry. This is used only in the EDIT MODE. Once an item is reconciled and saved to disk, you cannot edit the entry again. DEBIT 1. If the entry is a debit then the amount is entered here. After the amount is entered the balance is calculated and printed in the balance column. The cursor then returns to the date column for the next entry. CREDIT 1. If the entry is a credit then the amount is entered here. After the amount is entered the balance is calculated and printed in the balance column. The cursor then returns to the date column for the next entry. The following keys are active at all times except when entering a category or when in the EDIT MODE. 1. F4 - MENU - This key will save all data except any data on the same line as the cursor and will return to the menu. 2. F5 - EXIT - This key will save all data except any data on the same line as the cursor and will return to the operating system. 3. CTRL-C - Control C - This key will prompt you on the twenty-fifth line to make sure you want to abort the data entry session. If you type Y to the prompt CHKPRO will return to the menu mode and any data entered on that data file, including creation of new categories, will be discarded. If you type N CHKPRO will be resume at the point it was at when you typed the control C. OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES SORTING ENTRIES - entries will be displayed during the current session as they are entered but will be sorted when output to the disk and displayed in the following order in future sessions or printouts. 1. Primary sort is by date. 2. Entries of the same date are sorted in groups by: CHECK + SAVINGS CREDIT CARD --------------- ------------ DEPOSIT CHARGES INTEREST INTEREST WITHDRAWAL CREDITS CHECKS PAYMENTS 3. Checks of the same date will be sorted according to the check number. MEMORY LIMITS - CHKPRO can maintain CURRENT data files with up to 1000 current entries. If you should exceed this limit then CHKPRO will exit saving all but the last entry with a message telling you that you have run out of memory. If this should happen you will not be able to enter any more data for that file until you reconcile some entries. DISK LIMITS - CHKPRO keeps track of the amount of space left on your disk. CHKPRO, under a normal exit, will temporarily backup the Current and Category data files in case of an error while writing the data files. When there is just enough room left for the data files to be written safely, CHKPRO asks you if you want to continue by bypassing the file backup procedure or to exit so you can make more room on your disk. If you decide to bypass the backup procedure, then CHKPRO will continue until it decides you have just enough room to exit safely and then will exit. TWENTY-FIFTH LINE The twenty-fifth line shows the current definition of any special function keys as well as the Reconciled Balance and the number of entries that can be entered before you run out of disk space or memory. Also the year of the entry you are currently working on. EDIT MODE When the cursor is in the first character position of the date column and the up arrow key is typed the cursor will move up one line and you will now be in the edit mode. The purpose of the edit mode is to correct mistakes made while initially entering data and to reconcile entries. The following keys have special meanings while in the edit mode. - UP ARROW - This key will move the cursor up one line. If the cursor is on the line just under the headings then all entries will move down the screen one line and the entry before the one the cursor is on will appear just under the heading column. If the cursor is on the first entry in the data file then the console bell will ring and nothing will happen. - DOWN ARROW - This key will move the cursor down one line. If the cursor is on the last entry at the bottom of the screen then all entries will move up one line and the next entry will appear on the same line as the cursor. If there is no next entry then CHKPRO will return to the data entry mode. - RIGHT ARROW - This key will move the cursor right one position. If the cursor is on the last character position of a column then the cursor will jump over the column separator. If the cursor is in the CREDIT or DEBIT column then the console bell will sound and nothing will happen. - LEFT ARROW - This key will move the cursor left one position. If the cursor is on the first character position of a column then the cursor will jump over the column separator. If the cursor is in the first position of the DATE column then the bell will sound and nothing will happen. - HOME - This key will put the cursor directly on the first line under the heading columns in the first character position of the DATE column. If the cursor is already there then the screen is redisplayed starting with the first entry in the data file. - NUM LOCK - (IBM-PC only) On the IBM PC the numeric keypad can be used to enter numerics when used either with the NUM LOCK key on or with the SHIFT key. - TAB - This key will move the cursor to the first character position of the next column. If in the CREDIT or DEBIT column then the bell will sound and nothing will happen. - RETURN - This is the same as the Down Arrow key except the cursor is also moved to the first character position of the date column. - ESC - (IBM PC) - ESC ESC - (Z100) When this is typed you are put back in the data entry mode. NOTE - When you type anything other then one of the above mentioned special keys in the DATE, C#, DEBIT or CREDIT columns then the column contents will be erased and the new data may be entered just as it was when in data entry mode. Once you start to enter new data in a column you must finish before you can move the cursor somewhere else using the special keys. NOTE - The cursor is not allowed in the DESCRIPTION or C# columns on any of the special description entries (i.e. DEPOSIT). The cursor will skip over these columns in this case. Any other key will type over the character being displayed provided the character being typed is valid for the column the cursor is in (i.e. in the CREDIT and DEBIT columns only numbers are allowed). ACCOUNT RECONCILATION Account reconciliation is achieved by typing an X in the X column of all entries that are to be reconciled. As each entry is being reconciled, the reconciled balance on the twenty- fifth line is recalculated to reflect the change. After all entries on your statement are reconciled, the balance on the statement should agree with the balance on the twenty-fifth line. If a entry is reconciled and you want to make a change to the amount of that entry then you must first unreconcile it. This is accomplished by typing a space over the X in the X column. When you exit CHKPRO the reconciled entries are written to files of the same name as the current entries but with a file type of the year of the entry. For example; if an entry from a file called CHECK with a date of MAY 26, 1984 is reconciled it will be written to a file called CHECK.984. If this file exists the new entries will be inserted in sorted order into the file; otherwise it will be created. WARNING - Once an entry has been written to a reconciled data file it cannot be changed. WARNING - If any entries of previous years are still in the current data file then their respective reconciled data files and all years between must not be removed from the data disk otherwise reconciling those entries will cause new reconciled data files to be created which will not be correct. WARNING - When reconciling data CHKPRO updates the reconciled data files in place rather then rewrite new ones. This is done so that a minimum of disk space and time is required to use CHKPRO. The disadvantage of this method is that if any errors occur during the writing of these files then all data for that account will be destroyed. Thus, prior to reconciling an account you must backup these files and in the case of a problem restore your data disk from the backup. Do not reuse the files that were in effect at the time of the problem because the bad data may not be noticable but could show up after time and thus be very difficult to correct. DELETING ENTRIES Entries can be deleted by typing a D in the X column. The entry will remain in the list until the data is written to disk. The entry can be undeleted before you save the data to disk by typing a space over the D in the X column. CHANGING CATEGORIES You can change a category for an unreconciled entry by going into the edit mode and typing function key 4 (F4) when on the appropriate entry. The description of the entry will be placed in reverse video to identify it and the current category for that entry will be displayed on the twenty-fifth line. If you wish to change the category, just type in the new category. If not just hit Return or function key 4. You must register CHKPRO with Bill Langlais, 162 Orchard Street, Byfield, MA 01922 for support or assistance. The fee is $5.00. CHECK PROCESSOR is distributed by Newline Software AS IS. DO NOT CALL OR WRITE US AT NEWLINE about questions you have concerning CHKPRO as we are not in a position to provide support. Your questions and comments will be handled by Bill Langlais after you register. CHECK LIST Copyright 1982,83,84,85 by Bill Langlais Produced by Newline Software ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Provided with CHKPRO is a comprehensive list utility for printing reports from your checkbook, savings account, or credit card data files created by CHKPRO. The program can be run in one of two ways. The first is to type CHKLST at the command prompt: A>CHKLST CHKLST will first ask you for the date so it can put it on the top of the printouts. You can actually type in any twenty character string that you would like placed on the top of the printout. After this a menu similar to the one in CHKPRO will appear on the screen. You may enter a file name from the valid list on the screen, or you may select one of the options described below. The second way to run CHKLST is to specify a file name on the command line when CHKLST is invoked: A>CHKLST MYCHECK In this example, CHKLST will ask you for the date as described above and then if the data file 'MYCHECK.CUR' exists on the logged on disk drive (in this example A:), then CHKLST will begin to print the CURRENT active entries of that file on your Terminal Screen. After printing, CHKLST will display the options menu and allow you to select another file or one of the options described below. The options are selected by the function keys, clearly shown on the 25th line of the screen display. F1 - RESET DRIVE Hit F1 and type the single letter of the drive where your data disk is contained. The default is your current logged on disk drive. F2 - SELECTS PRINTER OR SCREEN for output Hitting F2 toggles you between the list device (your printer) and the system console (screen) for data output. The default is the system console. F5 - EXIT TO SYSTEM When done with CHKLST hit this key to exit to the operating system. F7 - SELECTS PRINTOUT TYPE Hitting F7 changes the type of printout to be one of the following: CURRENT - Prints only the active entries of the specif- ied file. ALL - prints all entries for a file for the year specified by F8. CATEGORY - prints only entries in a specified category for the specified file and year. After you select a file a list of the categories will be displayed and you may select the category you want by entering the number of it based on the list. The categories are defined in your database by CHKPRO. The default is CURRENT. F8 - SET YEAR (only when ALL and CATEGORY types are selected) When the ALL and CATEGORY types are selected a F8xxxx (where xxxx is the year) is displayed on the twenty fifth line also. Pressing the F8 key at this time will allow you to type in a new year for the ALL and CATEGORY printouts to be based on. Whenever the Printout type is changed to or from CURRENT, or when the year is changed, the list of printable files is changed from the list of CURRENT data files (when CURRENT is selected) to the list of data files that exist for the specified year (when ALL or CATEGORY is selected). While a file is being printed the printout may be paused by striking any key on the keyboard. At this time if you should decide that you want to abort the printout you can do so by typing the C key while holding down the CTRL key. Doing this will cancel the printout and return CHKLST directly back to the menu. If you type any other key while printing is paused then the printing will resume. WARNING - When you are printing out data in the ALL and CATEGORY modes only data for the specified year, both Current and Reconciled, will be printed even if there is data for a differ- ent year that has not been printed yet. You must register CHKPRO with Bill Langlais, 162 Orchard Street, Byfield, MA 01922 for support or assistance. The fee is $5.00. CHECK PROCESSOR is distributed by Newline Software AS IS. DO NOT CALL OR WRITE US AT NEWLINE about questions you have concerning CHKPRO as we are not in a position to provide support. Your questions and comments will be handled by Bill Langlais after you register.