DP Tool Club 17/CD_ASCQ_17_101194.iso/vrac_os2/etelr18.zip/E-TELLER.INF

OS/2 Help File | 1994-07-22 | 76KB | 1,974 lines

ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. Introduction ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

E-Teller is a bank and credit card account management utility.

E-Teller is not free.  Please see the Registration topic for information on
registering E-Teller.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. What's New ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1. Version 1.8 ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

New features are:

 1. Improved report feature (easier to use with a more versatile search/report
    option).
 2. E-Teller Report now treats multiple-category transactions as individual
    transactions.
 3. Complex searches in E-Teller with and/or operators.
 4. A Close (F3) menu item in the ledger Ledger menu to close the current
    ledger only.
 5. An Exit (Alt-F4) menu item in the ledger Ledger menu to close all accounts
    and exit E-Teller.
 6. Added the ability to change the order of the ledger columns (or fields) on
    a per ledger basis.
 7. Added the ability to hide the various fields on a per ledger basis.
 8. Removed the credit/debit window.  Transactions are added directly from the
    ledger window in transaction fields.
 9. Right-clicking on the Number, Particulars, and Category entry fields now
    brings up a menu for editing/adding or deleting items.  The former invokes
    e.exe.
10. Added memo field to multiple-transaction window.
11. Added a View item to the Accounts menu to select either Icon, Name, or Text
    view, in addition to Mini or Regular icon size.
12. Q2ET now preserves split transaction memos which E-Teller can use.
13. New categories added to the multiple-category combobox are now saved as
    they are for regular transactions.
14. Tax related checkbox in the multiple-category dialog box.
15. Ability to edit multiple categories directly.
16. Multiple categories are no longer restricted to the string <Multi> as the
    parent category.

Fixes are:

 1. Intermittent problem in opening ledgers - stream would return NOTREADY.
 2. A few inconsequential and not-so-inconsequential typos.
 3. A few major and minor bugs in Q2ET.

Changes are:

 1. Category, multi-category, and memo fields can now be made visible or
    invisible on a per ledger basis.
 2. Removed the system menu from the ledger window.
 3. Fixed transactions are now edited in two separate multi-line entry fields
    in one notebook.  On-line help is available for syntax, etc.
 4. It is now possible to select multiple transactions for deletion.
 5. Refresh item in the Accounts menu changed to Refresh now.
 6. Incorporated the Credit/Debit menu items and pushbuttons into one.

    Note:  Both the menu item and pushbutton serve a different purpose in
    version 1.8 - they add a transaction rather than invoke a window.
 7. Editing a transaction (either through double-clicking or direct
    manipulation) now recalculates from that transaction rather than the entire
    ledger


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.2. Version 1.7a ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

New features are:

 1. Context-sensitive on-line help for virtually every aspect of E-Teller in a
    genuine OS/2 HLP file.
 2. Added the missing <Multi> entry in the Category selection listbox in
    E-Teller Report.

Fixes are:

 1. A bug in the installation/conversion utility.

Changes are:

 1. The No. field name in the credit/debit window to Number.
 2. Reenabled the field check following a direct edit (Alt+left-click) so that
    editing the credit or debit field automatically invokes the recalculation
    (was disabled due to a bug in VROBJ.DLL 2.0a)


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.3. Version 1.7 ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

New features are:

 1. User-defined account icons (E-Teller no longer defaults to bank.ico and
    ccard.ico)
 2. Multiple categories for a single transaction and a corresponding SEND
    parameter in E-Teller Report.
 3. Installation utility (required, since file format has changed to
    accommodate multi-category).
 4. E-Teller Report automatically selects a script called default.fmt.
 5. Save last date option in Transactions | Options (either use the current
    system date for first transaction entered in a new session, or the last,
    latest date of a transaction during a previous session).
 6. ET_Month is now able to resolve five instances of a given weekday within a
    month thereby eliminating a second spurious weekday transaction with
    monthly frequency.

Fixes are:

 1. Bug for tax-related transactions whereby <tax> would be added a second time
    if the transaction appeared in info.dat and was used again.
 2. Ledger windows were not being properly cascaded when opened.
 3. When closing the main window and a ledger required saving, E-Teller would
    close it anyway without waiting for the user's response.
 4. When editing a fixed transaction with a single-digit date, that date would
    not be properly displayed in Begin on:.
 5. Ledger container would not repaint when undeleting transactions.
 6. A miscalculation when displaying cleared transactions.

Changes are:

 1. Sort item in the Transactions menu is no longer saved to e-teller.ini (it
    was causing unpredictable results when recalculating).  Instead, click Sort
    and the records are sorted, after which you are asked if you want to save
    the sort order to file, which is the order in which E-Teller will read the
    transactions in the future.
 2. Fixed transaction checkbox disabled until amount is entered.
 3. Menu structure in E-Teller Report to reflect more accurately the items
    contained in each.
 4. Q2ET is now more reliable and automated.
 5. Q2ET now calls upon epm.exe rather than e.exe for error correction (easier
    to locate line numbers).
 6. Q2ET now preserves split category data when converting Quicken (c) QIF
    files.

Important notice: Registration fee and payment schedule has changed as of
version 1.7. Additional payments for subsequent major releases is no longer
required.  Instead, the initial registration fee has been raised to $25 US ($30
CDN) and represents a one-time payment which covers all subsequent releases for
both current and future registered users.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.4. Version 1.6 ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

New features are:

 1. Moved ledger to separate window so that multiple accounts may be opened
    simultaneously.
 2. Added checking routine to ET_Month to ensure that et_fixed.dat isn't
    processed more than once at the start of a new calendar month (in case the
    system is booted twice on the first).
 3. Added a routine to ET_Month to ensure that et_fix.dat is generated for each
    new month, in case the user doesn't boot OS/2 (c) on the first of the
    month.
 4. Added accelerators for the Reconcile and Delete menu items in the ledger
    window.
 5. Added user-defined digits support (see Setting Digits).
 6. INF-like help (crude, but effective) with semi-context-sensitive help.
 7. Fields in the credit/debit window now change their background colour
    whenever a field has the focus.
 8. User-defined behaviour for the <Enter> key in the credit / debit window
    (either selects OK or tabs to next field).
 9. Added an Income tax category checkbox in the credit / debit window.
10. E-Teller Report can now create reports of income-tax related transactions
    only.

Fixes are:

 1. Potential bug in selecting balance adjustment in reconciliation if there is
    only one transaction in the ledger.
 2. Typo in reconciliation dialogbox.
 3. The reconciliation toggle button would not return to its depressed state
    when selecting Cancel from the discrepancy dialog box.
 4. The fixed day-of-week transactions may have been inadvertently removed from
    et_fixed.dat when adding a fixed date-of-month transaction.
 5. A potential et_month problem in updating cheque numbers on transactions
    which occur more than once a month.

Changes are:

 1. Rewrote comma code to support unlimited commas.
 2. Integrated progress bar into the ledger window (separate window was too
    obtrusive)
 3. Cleared toggle button is depressed if user chooses not to save after
    reconciliation.
 4. Removed the back/forecolor window.  Neat, but took up too much valuable
    code real estate to warrant its existance.  User can still set the
    background colour only of the ledger and accounts containers only.
 5. Removed the set ledger font window, but it is still possible to set the
    font of the ledger container.
 6. Cycling through the date in the credit/debit window now recognizes leap
    years.
 7. Removed the window associated with et_month (messages went by far too
    quickly to be of any real use).
 8. Changed the Entries menu item in the ledger window to Transactions


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.5. Version 1.5 ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

New Features are:

 1. More intelligent and dependable Quicken (c) file conversion program (now an
    .exe).
 2. Added comma support for amounts (stops at 999,999,999.00 since Rexx begins
    to use exponents after that).
 3. Fixed transactions are now more intelligent and can be set for specific
    weekdays and one of four frequencies - weekly, biweekly, triweekly, and
    monthly.
 4. ET_Month now keeps track of the last cheque (if applicable) and prompts the
    user to enter the next cheque number at the start of each calendar month if
    the Prompt for next cheque number checkbox is checked in the Fixed
    Transaction window
 5. Added progress bar for reading, and saving transactions.
 6. Added a Recalculate. item in the Entries menu to force a recalculation.
 7. Added mnemonics to the accounts and ledger groupboxes for quick switching.
 8. Various *.dat files are now reduced to three:  number.dat, info.dat, and
    category.dat (unchanged).
 9. Editing et_fix.dat and et_fixed.dat is now handled separately.
10. Added an error handling routine in case something goes wrong when reading
    account files.in
11. Dispensed with the transaction count when reading cleared and uncleared
    transactions to speed up the reading/formatting process.
12. The recalculation routine is called when reading uncleared transactions
    rather than having the running balance updated for each record read -
    speeds up the reading/formatting process.

Fixes are:

 1. Fixed an erroneous (and harmless) message about an account not having a
    filename associated with it when saving the account after reconciling.
 2. The balance column was not made visible after successfully reconciling the
    account.
 3. If deleted transactions are displayed and user saves account, the undeleted
    transactions are first displayed (to prevent only the deleted transactions
    from being saved).
 4. Fixed an error whereby the string 'day' would be saved for fixed
    transactions rather than the actual date.
 5. Fixed a bug whereby coming back from undeleting would not recalculate the
    balance.
 6. Fixed a mysterious bug in editing fixed transactions.
 7. Think I fixed a mysterious lockup in credit/debit window
 8. Fixed a buglet in the pre-reconcilition routine. (reported by S. John
    Banner)
 9. Fixed a bug whereby bogus pay to.../details data would be saved to the
    number.dat file.
10. Tabbing from the Number combo-box in the credit/debit window now fills in
    all of the various fields with previously saved data.
11. The amount field in the credit/debit window now has the descriptive text
    'Amount' attached to it, so pressing Alt+A moves user directly to that
    field.
12. The balance would not be recalculated when going from a non-sorted to a
    sorted display.
13. Routines have been added to ensure that multiple instances of the same
    window aren't loaded.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. Installation ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This section explains how to install E-Teller 1.8.

If you are a new or 1.7 user, please refer to New Users.

If you are a 1.5 to 1.6 user, please refer to Converting Files to 1.7.

If you have a version of E-Teller earlier than 1.5, you have one of two
choices:

 1. Delete your account files and start afresh.
 2. Find a copy of version 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, or 1.7a and use the scripts contained
    in the et_cmd.zip file to convert your accounts. Be sure to follow the
    instructions in the read.me file to the letter if you choose this option.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.1. New Users ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

New and 1.7/1.7a users have the easiest task of installing E-Teller.

Just run the install.cmd script and select Skip when prompted to convert
account and fixed transaction files.

Note:  If you are a 1.7a user, you can skip this note.  If you used the
installation/conversion utility to convert your account and fixed transaction
files to work under version 1.7, you may have to alter your et_fixed.dat file
manually, since there was a bug in the conversion program.  Basically,
et_fixed.dat holds fixed date-of-month transactions at the top of the file and
fixed weekday transactions after, something like this:

   [01]                      <- date of month
   d:\e-teller\savings.ldg   <- ledger filename
   NATM                      <- number
   PWithdrawal               <- particulars
   T-100.00                  <- amount
   L<Multi>                  <- category
   S{                        <- begin multi-cat.
   Groceries $70
   Personal $30
   }                         <- end multi-cat.
   ^                         <- trans. separator
   <end>                     <- end date-of-month

   [Weekdays]                <- weekday header
   Friday                    <- day of week
   d:\e-teller\savings.ldg   <- ledger filename
   N100                      <- number
   PJohn Doe                 <- particulars
   T-700.00                  <- amount
   LRent                     <- category
   ^                         <- trans. separator

The problem with the conversion utility concerns the [Weekdays] section which
begins the fixed weekday transactions.  The conversion utility may have omitted
this line from the et_fixed.dat file.  To repair the file, simply open it with
a text editor and add it before the first weekday transaction. If you haven't
got any fixed weekday transaction defined in et_fixed.dat, then ignore these
instructions.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2. Converting Files to 1.7 ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The installation/conversion utility converts your files automatically for you.
The only thing you have to do is to tell the installation utility to Convert
the account and fixed transaction files when the time comes.  With luck, the
conversion process will go smoothly.  If you would like to look over the
various files for your own peace of mind, see the New Users topic where the
file format is listed - account .ldg and .clr files follow an identical format
as et_fixed.dat beginning with the date line.

As the conversion takes place, your old *.clr files are copied to *.cbk, *.ldg
to *.lbk, and et_fix*.dat to et_fix*.bak.  If the conversion went without any
difficulty and the accounts are properly formatted, these files can be safely
deleted.  The best way to verify the format of the new files is to load them
into E-Teller.

Note:  If you have a copy of E-Teller earlier than 1.5, you cannot use the
installation utility to convert you account files.  See the Installation
introduction for more information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. Working with Accounts ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This section describes the operations specific to the Accounts window.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1. Creating a New Account ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select the New item from the Accounts menu to create a new account.

When creating a new account, you supply a minimum of four pieces of information
from an available six:

o Name
o Number
o Balance
o Date
o Type
o Icon

Name (required)
          is the name which appears in the Accounts window and in the Report
          Accounts notebook page.

Number (optional)
          is an optional account number

Balance (required)
          is used by E-Teller when you first reconcile your account.  Before
          the account is first balanced, your starting Balance is, in fact, the
          Ending Balance.

Date (required)
          is used by E-Teller in searching for transactions and in printing
          reports.  Dates must adhere to the yy/mm/dd format which E-Teller
          uses in order to sort transactions.

Type (required)
          is used by E-Teller to decide upon an appropriate action when
          crediting and debiting an account.  There are only two types of
          accounts:

   o Bank
   o Credit Card

Icon (optional)
          is an .ICO file of your choice which will act as a visual
          representation in E-Teller's accounts container.  This .ICO file can
          reside anywhere on your hardrive.  For simplicity's sake, an \Icon
          directory was created beneath E-Teller's if you used the installation
          utility.

          Note:  The only limitation is the Fixed Transactions item in the
          accounts container.  It uses the et_month.ico file (if it exists) and
          cannot be changed.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2. Opening an Existing Account ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To open an account, double-click on its icon in the Accounts window or select
the icon and press <Enter>.  An opened account is denoted by the cross-hatch
background.

If you try to open an already opened account, you will be asked if you wish to
refresh the account's ledger window.  Selecting Refresh essentially rereads the
transactions into the ledger.

Note:  In versions of E-Teller earlier than 1.6, users could drag the icon to
the ledger container.  Since, as of 1.6, each ledger has its own window, drag
and drop is no longer supported.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3. Saving an Account ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Rarely is it necessary to save the account ledger data since many of the common
activities, such as crediting and debiting accounts, are automatically written
to file.  There are two exceptions to this:

o editing transactions
o deleting transactions

If you forget to save after any of these activities, E-Teller will notify you
before the ledger window is closed or E-Teller shuts down.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.4. Closing an Account ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

It is seldom necessary to close an account manually.  The exception is when you
select either the New fiscal year... or Edit... items from the Accounts menu.
Otherwise, all ledger windows will be closed when you quit E-Teller, but not
before asking if you want to save the data if necessary.

If you prefer to close the accounts manually, have only one ledger window
opened, and that window has the focus, simply press F3  If the accounts window
has the focus, then either right-click on the account icon and select Close or
select the appropriate icon and click on the Close (Ctrl-F4) menu item in the
Accounts menu.

If more than one ledger window is opened and you want to close them all without
quitting E-Teller, right-click on a blank area in the accounts window and
select the Close or Close all menu items.  Alternatively, select the Close all
(Ctrl-Shift-F4) item if you haven't right-clicked on the window.  In all cases,
if a ledger needs to be saved, you'll be prompted before the ledger is closed.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.5. Refreshing the Accounts Container ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Generally you shouldn't have to refresh the accounts in the accounts window
unless you manually change an account's name or type in the *.clr file and you
want the change to be reflected in the window, in which case you will click on
the Refresh now item in the Accounts menu.

If you edit an account through E-Teller, then the refresh will be called
automatically for you.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.6. Editing an Account ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To edit all but the starting balance of an account, click on the Edit...  item
from the Accounts menu.  When you've done editing the account data, click OK
and the changes will be saved to the account's *.clr file.

If either the name or type of account is changed, then the change will be
reflected in the account window.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.7. Deleting an Account ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To delete an account from within E-Teller, right-click on the account's icon
and select Delete from the popup menu. If you do not right-click on the icon,
then the currently selected account will be deleted.

In either case, you will first be prompted before the account files are
actually deleted.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.8. Setting Account Icons ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

E-Teller uses external icon files for the various accounts.  Two were supplied
in the archive, namely bank.ico and ccard.ico.

To have iconic (?) representations of your accounts, you must explicitly
specify an icon (either one supplied or another of your own making/choice) by
clicking on the Set icon... item in the Accounts menu of the accounts window or
by selecting an icon when the account is first created . The *.ico file you
select is saved to the account's .clr file in a section entitled [Icon].

Note:  The Fixed Transactions icon cannot be changed.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.9. Reconciling an Account ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Reconciling an account is simply balancing the ledger with a bank or credit
card statement.

To reconcile the account, either click on the  toggle button or select
Reconcile... from the Accounts pull-down menu (also available by right-clicking
on the Accounts container).

Note:  The toggle button will assume a 'balanced' position during the
reconciliation process and the Reconcile... menu item will have a check mark
beside it.

To end the reconcilation process, click on the toggle button or menu item a
second time.

To reconcile an account, proceed as follows:

 1. click on the toggle button
 2. enter the new balance
 3. enter any interest payments/charges
 4. enter any service charges
 5. click OK
 6. double-click on the ledger entries that are to be cleared
 7. click on the scale button again

If the account has been balanced (based upon the previous month's ending
balance, the current month's new balance, and the cleared debits/credits), then
you will be asked to confirm that you want to save the account to disk.  If you
elect to save, only the uncleared items will be displayed.  If you elect not to
save, then you will be prompted to save the account before leaving E-Teller.

If the account has not been balanced due to a discrepancy in totals, you will
be prompted to select one of four push buttons in the Reconciliation Error
dialog box:

o Yes
o No
o Cancel
o Ignore

Yes
          instructs E-Teller to fill in the appropriate transaction entry
          fields where you may make any necessary changes for the balance
          adjustment entry.

No
          instructs E-Teller to make no further attempt at reconciliation (in
          other words, your account will remain unbalanced).

Cancel
          instructs E-Teller to return to the reconciliation process.

Ignore
          instructs E-Teller to fake the balance, i.e. adjust the ending
          balance as though the account had actually been reconcile.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.10. Starting a New Fiscal Year ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Click on the New fiscal year... item from the Accounts menu to begin a new
fiscal year for a specific account.

What essentially occurs when you select this option is that all of the cleared
transactions in the *.clr file are deleted.  If you are absolutely certain that
this is what you want to do, then click on the Proceed button in the
confirmation dialog box.  If you change your mind while in the entry window,
you can click Cancel to abort the operation.  Once you click OK then the
cleared transactions will be removed and the balance in the Balance entry field
will become the new starting balance.

Note:  It is highly recommended that you not change the value of the Balance
entry field, since this represents the ending balance of the last
reconciliation process.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.11. Auto-Opening Accounts ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Check the Auto open item in the Accounts menu if you want E-Teller to open the
last closed account automatically when it starts up.

If this feature is enabled, a checkmark will appear next to the Auto open menu
item.  The status of this feature is saved to e-teller.ini when you quit
E-Teller.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.12. Backing up Accounts ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If you would like E-Teller to back up all of the account and *.dat files before
it shuts down, check the Backup on exit menu item in the Accounts menu.

If this feature is enabled, a checkmark will appear next to the menu item and a
dialog box will popup before E-Teller actually shuts down with three push
buttons:

A:
          backs up to drive A:
B:
          backs up to drive B:
Cancel
          skips the backup for this session

The status of the checkmark is saved to e-teller.ini when you quit E-Teller


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.13. Printing Accounts ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

For detailed information on printing a hard copy of your account(s) data,
please see Creating Reports.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.14. Quicken File Converter ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

For instructions on converting Quicken (c) QIF files to E-Teller format, see
the Converting Quicken Data section.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. Working with Ledgers ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This section describes operations specific to the ledger window.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.1. Field Order/Visibility ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

By default, all ledger fields are visible and are displayed in the following
order:

   Date
   Number
   Particulars
   Credit/Payment
   Debit/Charge
   Balance
   Memo
   Category
   Multi-Category
   Cleared

To alter the field order/visibility of any field for a given ledger, select the
Fields... item from the Ledger pull-down menu. A secondary window will appear
which contains the available fields and their current status if they are
currently hidden.

To change the order of a the fields, click on the field name, press and hold
the right mouse button, and drag the name to a different location within the
list.  To hide/unhide a field, double-click on its name.

If you click on the Save button, the selection will be saved to the account's
*.clr file.  Clicking Set does not save the order to file, but it does
hide/unhide the various fields. To return to the default, click the Default
pushbutton.

Note:  In all cases, the field order is changed only when the ledger is opened
again.  The field visibility/invisibility is, however, immediately implemented.

You can also hide/unhide the memo, category and multiple category fields on the
fly, as it were, by clicking on the appropriate button along the top of the
ledger.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.2. Viewing Cleared Transactions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

By default, cleared transactions are not loaded into the ledger window when the
account is initially opened in order to decrease the reading and formatting
time.

If, for whatever reason, you want to view and/or edit cleared transactions,
either click on the  toggle button or select the Cleared item from the Display
menu in the ledger window.  When you're done with viewing the cleared
transactions and want to return to the default view, simply click on the toggle
button or menu item a second time.  The transactions in the ledger will be
removed and the uncleared transactions read into the ledger again.

Note:  You cannot permanently enable the cleared display.

Note:  For obvious reasons, you cannot view cleared transactions in a fixed
transaction ledger.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.3. Viewing Memos ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If you would like to view or hide the memo field temporarily, either click on
the  toggle button or the Memos item in the Display menu in the ledger window.

To set the visiblity of the memo field permanently, see the instructions
contained in the Field Order/Visibility section.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.4. Viewing Categories ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

By default, the category field in the ledger is visible.

If you would like to view or hide the category field, either click on the
toggle button or click on the Categories item in the Display menu in the ledger
window.

To set the visiblity of the category field permanently, see the instructions
contained in the Field Order/Visibility section.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.5. Viewing Multiple Categories ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

By default, the multiple category field in the ledger is visible.

If you would like to view or hide the multiple category field, either click on
the  toggle button or click on the Multiple categories item in the Display menu
in the ledger window.

To set the visiblity of the multiple category field permanently, see the
instructions contained in the Field Order/Visibility section.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.6. Finding Transactions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To search for a transaction or set of transactions, either click on the  push
button or the Find... item in the Display menu of the ledger window.

For instructions on performing a search, see the Search Feature section.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.7. Using an External Calculator ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To invoke an external calculator, click on the  push button or the Calculator
item in the Display menu in the ledger window.

When you invoke an external calculator for the first time, E-Teller looks for
the pmdcalc.exe program in the os2\apps subdirectory on the drive which
contains your OS2.INI file.  If it is unable to locate the program, you will be
prompted to select a calculator program.  Once a calculator has been found or
selected, the path and anme of that program will be saved to e-teller.ini.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. Working with Transactions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This section describes operations specific to transactions.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.1. Adding Transactions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Crediting or debiting an account involves two procedures:

 1. Entering the data in the transaction fields.
 2. Appending the transaction to the ledger.

Near the top of every ledger window is a series of entry fields, labeled:

o Date
o Number
o Particulars
o Credit/Payment
o Debit/Charge
o Memo
o Category

Once you are ready to append the new transaction, either press the Ctrl+Ins key
combination, or click on the  button.

To abort the process (in other words, clear the transaction fields, etc.),
press the Ctrl+Backspace key combination.

Additional help is available for the following operations:

o Adding Simultaneous Transactions
o Income tax related transactions
o Multiple categories

For help on setting the default for various ledger options, select one of the
following items:

o Saving Particulars
o Saving Memos
o Save last date
o Enter key tabs
o Beep on transaction


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.1.1. Date ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Enter the date of the transaction in this field.

The date you enter must adhere to the yy/mm/dd format (complete with forward
slashes).  If you mix the year and/or month and/or day, E-Teller will do its
best to spot the error and inform you of the problem.  If you substitute the
forward slashes for any other character, E-Teller will notify you of the error.
There are special keys which you can use while in the date field:

PageUp
          scrolls the date forward one day at a time.
PageDown
          scrolls the date backwards one day at a time.
Ctrl+Home
          jumps to the current system date.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.1.2. Number ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Enter an optional cheque number or character code, not exceeding five
characters.  Character strings are converted to upper-case, and those that
exceed five characters are truncated.

If the transaction is a cheque, the number will be written to e-teller.ini
(provided it is not less than the one which e-teller.ini currently contains)
and incremented by one the next time you write a cheque.  Since numbers are
limited to five digits, the maximum number permitted is 99999.  Once you reach
this number, E-Teller sets the next cheque number to 1.

If the number field contains a code rather than a number, and if that code is
not already in the number.dat file, it, along with the particulars data, will
be added to the number.dat file.

When the Number field first receives focus, E-Teller will fill a list box with
the values contained in the number.dat file and display the listbox.  The list
contains four sections:

[Credit]  contains items relevant to a bank account credit.
[Debit]   contains items relevant to a bank account debit.
[Payment] contains items relevant to a credit card account payment.
[Charge]  contains items relevant to a credit card account charge.

If a next cheque number is found in e-teller.ini, the next cheque number in the
sequence will be added to the [Debit] and [Payment] sections.

To add/edit or delete items from the list, right-click on the list box.
Selecting Add/Edit... from the popup menu invokes e.exe and loads number.dat.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.1.3. Particulars ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Enter the optional description for the transaction in the Particulars field.

This field is limited to 25 characters.  Any string longer than the maximum
will be truncated.

If you wish to save the particulars, amount, and category data to the info.dat
file for future use, click on the Save Particulars checkbox in the Transaction
Options window that appears once you've appended the transaction to the ledger.
If the data is saved to info.dat and you select the previously saved
particulars from the container (see below), then the amount, category (if any),
and memo (if any) data will be written to their appropriate fields.

Note:  Regardless of the user defined default setting, the checkbox is disabled
and unchecked if the Particulars field is empty.

For help on setting the default behaviour of the Save Particulars checkbox, see
the Save Particulars topic.

When the Particulars field first receives focus, E-Teller fills a container
with the items contained in the info.dat file.  The container is divided into
four sections:

Type      contains the four sections described for the Number listbox in
          addition to one entitled [Accounts]  if more than one account exists
          in the E-Teller  directory.  This section simplifies adding a
          transaction to two separate accounts simultaneously (see Adding
          Simultaneous Transactions).
Particulars contains previously entered and saved particulars.
Amount    contains a previously entered and saved amount associated with the
          particulars.
Memo      contains a previously entered and saved memo associated with the
          particulars.
Category  contains a previously entered and saved category associated with the
          particulars.

Double-clicking on any of these container items fills the appropriate fields
with the values associated with the item.  To add/edit or delete items,
right-click on the container.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.1.4. Amount ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Enter the amount of the transaction in the appropriate field. If the account is
a bank account, the two fields will be labeled Credit and Debit respectively.
If the account is a credit card account, these will be labeled Payment and
Charge.

You may add commas where appropriate if you like or let E-Teller add them for
you before appending the transaction to the ledger.  Do not enter a currency
symbol.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.1.5. Memo ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Enter an optional memo in the Memo field.

By default, memos are not automatically saved along with the particulars,
amount, and category data in the info.dat file.  To save the memo along with
the other items, click on the Save memos checkbox in the Transaction Options
window which appears once you've appended the transaction.

Note:  The Save memos checkbox is enabled only if all of the following
conditions are satisfied:

 1. The Particulars field contains data.
 2. The Save Particulars checkbox is checked.
 3. The Memo field contains data.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.1.6. Category ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Enter an optional category for the transaction in the Category field.  If you
would like to specify multiple categories for the new transaction, select the
<Multi> item from the list box and enter the relevant data in the Multiple
Category window (see Multiple Categories section).

Every new category you enter in the field is automatically saved to the
category.dat file.  Sub-categories are permitted. Thus,

    Computer: Hardware
    Computer: Software
    Computer: Training

are all valid.  E-Teller uses categories primarily in the report feature and
can make use of such sub-categories in grouping categories based upon a common
parent.  This is accomplished by virtue of the fact that categories are first
sorted alphabetically before being sent to the report.

When this field first receives the focus, it fills a listbox with the items
contained in the category.dat  file and adds an extra item called <Multi>.  To
select an item, double-click on it.  If you double-click on the <Multi> item,
the Multiple-Category window will be invoked in which you associate more than
one category for the transaction.  To add or delete items from the list,
right-click on the listbox.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.1.7. Income Tax ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If the transaction is income tax related, check the Income tax category
checkbox in the Transaction Options window which appears once you've appended
the new transaction. The string <tax>  will be appended to the category in the
category.dat file and will appear in the Category field, as well, making it
easy to a)  detect an income tax related category and b)  have the same
category act as both an income tax related transaction and a regular
transaction - useful, for example, if a "Charity" category is generally income
tax related, but not in all cases.

You can use the income tax related category to generate a report of
transactions that must appear in your income tax return.

Note:  The checkbox is unchecked and disabled if the Category field is empty.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.1.8. Multiple Categories ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Multiple categories are, essentially, different categories used for a single
transactions.  For example, if you withdraw $200 but would like a record of
where various portions of that withdrawal has gone, you can select the <Multi>
item from the category list box and assign amounts to various categories, for
example


    Groceries $30.00 Junk Food
    Groceries $100.00 Good Food
    Personal Expenses $50.00
    Gifts $20.00

To enter multiple categories, click on the Multi... pushbutton which appears
next to the category list box whenever the Category field receives focus.

You can enter multiple categories in one of two ways:  either by selecting a
category from the list, checking the Tax related checkbox if necessary,
entering an amount in the amount field, entering an optional memo, and clicking
the Add button; or, by checking the Direct edit checkbox and entering the
strings manually in the multi-line entry field.  All multiple categories follow
the basic structure:

   category [<tax>] $amount memo

For example,

   Groceries $100.00
   Charity <tax> $35.00 Local Charity Organization

There are a few things you should be aware of if you enter the data manually:

 1. The dollar sign ($) is mandatory.
 2. A space between the category, optional <tax> string, amount, and memo is
    mandatory.
 3. Negative symbols for amounts are not permitted.
 4. It is up to you to ensure that your totals correspond to the base amount
    displayed above the multi-line entry field.

Note:  If multiple categories have been entered for a transaction, the Multi...
pushbutton will appear with yellow text on a red background - useful when
editing a transaction with the multiple category field hidden.

Note:  Multiple categories are not treated as individual transactions in the
ledger, but they are in reports.  Thus, the above Groceries and Charity example
would appear as one transaction in the ledger but as four separate transactions
in a report.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.1.9. Save Particulars ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To set the default status of the Save Particulars checkbox in the Transaction
Options window, click on the Save particulars item in the Transactions |
Options menu.

The status of this menu item is saved to e-teller.ini whenever it is clicked.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.1.10. Save Memos ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To set the default state of the Save memo checkbox in the Transaction Options
window, click on the Save memos item in the Transactions | Options menu.

The status of this menu item is saved to e-teller.ini whenever it is clicked.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.1.11. Save Last Date ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

By default, E-Teller uses the system date for the first new transaction you
enter and the latest date thereafter for every subsequent transaction during
the current session.  If you prefer that E-Teller use the latest date of the
last session rather than the current system date, click on the Save last date
item in the Transactions | Options menu of the ledger window.  If checked,
E-Teller will write the latest date of the current session to e-teller.ini and
default to that date on the next invocation.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.1.12. Enter Key Tabs ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Enter key tabs item in the Transactions | Options menu in the ledger window
is designed to alter the behaviour of the <Enter> key when adding or editing
transactions.

If you habitually use the numeric keypad when entering transactions or would
otherwise prefer to have <Enter> emulate the <Tab> key, click on the Enter key
tabs menu item.  If this item is checked, then pressing the keyboard or keypad
<Enter> will be equivalent to pressing <Tab>

The status of the item is saved to e-teller.ini whenever it is clicked.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.1.13. Beep on Transaction ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If the Beep on transaction option in the Transactions | Options menu in the
ledger window is set, then two tones will sound from the computer speaker
whenever a transaction is added or edited.  To disable the beep, uncheck the
menu item.  The default is checked.

The status of the Beep on transaction menu is automatically saved to
e-teller.ini whenever it is clicked.

Note:  The beep cannot be disabled in the non-registered version.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.2. Adding Simultaneous Transactions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To credit/debit two accounts simultaneously, enter the name of the account as
it appears in the accounts window for which the transaction is to be appended
in the particulars field of the transaction for the current account or select
the account name from the Particulars container which drops down whenever the
Particulars field receives focus.

When E-Teller encounters a name of an existing account, it automatically adds
the transaction to the named account, but the transaction is the opposite of
what it is for the current account. For example, if you have two accounts, the
first called Savings and the second Visa, and you were currently appending a
payment transaction to Visa, you would enter in the Particulars field the
string Savings.  Thus, a payment would appear in your Visa account and a debit
in your Savings account.  If you then look at your Savings ledger, you will see
that a transaction with particulars [Visa] appears at the end.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.3. Editing Transactions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To edit a transaction, either double-click on it, right-click on it and select
Edit... from the Transactions menu, or scroll to the transaction and select
press <Enter>  To confirm any changes made to the transaction, do as you would
for appending a new transaction, i.e. either press the Ctrl+Ins key combination
or click on the  button.

To abort the editing process (in other words, clear the transaction fields,
etc.), press the Ctrl+Backspace key combination.

You can also edit specific transaction fields by holding down that <Alt> key
and left-clicking on the appropriate field.  The Balance and Clr fields cannot
be edited in any way.

Note:  If you edit a cleared transaction, a dialog box will remind you that
changing the amount may invalidate the ending balance for the account.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.4. Deleting Transactions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To delete a transaction from a ledger, either right-click on the transaction
and select the Delete menu item in the popup menu, or scroll to the transaction
and select the Delete item in the Transactions menu or press the Ctrl+D
accelerator.

Note:  You cannot delete cleared transactions from within E-Teller.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.5. Undeleting Transactions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To undelete a recently deleted transaction or group of transactions, select the
Undelete item from the Transactions menu and double-click on the deleted
transactions displayed in the ledger.

To terminate the undelete operation, click on the Undelete menu item again.

You can undelete deleted transactions as long as the ledger is neither closed
nor refreshed. closed nor refreshed.

Note:  The Undelete menu item remains disabled as long as the ledger does not
contain any deleted transactions.

Note:  If you undelete all of the displayed transactions, E-Teller will
automatically uncheck and disable the Undelete item.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.6. Recalculate ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Generally it is not necessary to recalculate the balance column. Occasionally,
however, and for reasons I haven't been able to discover, E-Teller  does not
always append a transaction to the end of the ledger as it should when there is
a transaction dated later than the one being added.  Although the balance is
correct next to the newly created transaction, it, nevertheless, remains out of
sequence.  To force a recalculation, click on the Recalculate item in the
Transactions menu.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.7. Sorting/Reordering Transactions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

As of version 1.7, continuous sorting is no longer supported - it was causing
too many unpredictable results when tabulating the running balance. In other
words, clicking on the Sort item in the Transactions menu of the ledger window
no longer toggles sorting for existing and future transactions.  Instead,
clicking on the Sort menu item sorts the displayed transactions, recalculates
the balance based upon the new sort order, and then prompts you to save the
sorted transactions to file.  The order in which the transactions appear is the
order in which they are saved and read into the ledger.

You can also move transactions in a ledger by dragging them to a different
location.  Since automatic sorting is not an issue as of version 1.7, such
transactions can be moved virtually anywhere within a ledger.

Hint:  For a move to be successful, ensure that a line appears in between two
transactions (and not around one).


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7. Working with Fixed Transactions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This section describes operations specific to fixed transactions

For help on creating fixed transactions, see the Creating Fixed Transactions
topic.

For help on editing fixed transactions, see the Editing Fixed Transactions
topic.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.1. Creating Fixed Transactions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Creating fixed transactions is similar to creating regular transactions, except
that they require one, possibly three, at most four extra steps.

If you check the Fixed transaction checkbox in the Transaction Options window
which appears after you've appended a new transaction, E-Teller will treat the
new transaction as a fixed transaction and bring up the Fixed Transaction
window after you click OK

The fixed transaction window is where you specify whether the transaction is a
Date-of-Month or Weekday one.  If you check the Fixed date of the month
checkbox in this window, then you need do nothing else.  If you want E-Teller
to prompt you for the next cheque number the next time ET_Month processes the
et_fixed.dat file, then check the Prompt for Next Cheque checkbox.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.1.1. Date-of-Month Transactions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Date-of-month transactions occur on specific dates within a month. An example
would be a rent cheque which is due on the first of the month.

If the fixed transaction occurs on the same date of the month, such as the 1st,
then click on the Fixed date of month checkbox in the Fixed Transaction window.

Unchecking this checkbox creates a fixed weekday transaction.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.1.2. Weekday Transactions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Fixed Weekday transactions occur at specific intervals during a month.  An
example would be a pay cheque which is deposited into your account every second
Friday.

If this is the case, then uncheck the Fixed date of the month checkbox in the
Fixed Transaction window.  You must select a weekday upon which a transaction
habitually takes place in addition to the frequency.  The weekday automatically
defaults to the current weekday reported by the system date, and the frequency
defaults to Monthly.  If either is incorrect, click on the appropriate radio
button.

There are four possible frequency settings:

   ┬╖ Weekly
   ┬╖ Biweekly
   ┬╖ Triweekly
   ┬╖ Monthly

If, based upon the weekday and frequency settings, the transaction will reoccur
more than once during the current month, then it will be added to both
et_fixed.dat and et_fix.dat to be processed by ET_Month.

In versions of E-Teller  previous to 1.7, there was a potential problem in
weekday transactions with a monthly frequency if there were five of a given
weekday in a month.  If such a transaction fell on the first of those 5 days,
then a second transaction would be added to the ledger, which, of course, was
incorrect.  As of version 1.7, ET_Month  ensures that only one such transaction
is added to a ledger and verifies that the next transaction will, indeed, be
added the following month when et_fix.dat is regenerated as opposed to the
fifth weekday of the previous month.  If it is not, then the number which
ET_Month  uses to calculate the transaction dates will be incremented by seven.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.1.3. Prompt for Next Cheque ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This checkbox in the fixed transaction window instructs ET_Month to prompt you
for the next cheque when it recreates et_fix.dat at the start of each new month
or when it regenerates et_fix.dat after you've edited a fixed transaction.
This is useful for post-dated rent cheques, for example.

If ET_Month finds the string prompt next to a cheque number, then it will bring
up a prompt dialog box in which will be displayed the payee and last cheque
number.  After you enter then next cheque in the series and click OK, the
transaction will be added to the et_fix.dat file to be processed later and the
cheque number in et_fixed.dat will be updated with the number just entered into
the prompt box.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.2. Opening Fixed Transaction Ledgers ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If either or both et_fix.dat and et_fixed.dat exist in E-Teller's directory
when you first start E-Teller, then an extra account will be added to the
accounts window, named Fixed Transactions.

To open a fixed transaction ledger for editing purposes, double click on its
icon as you would for any other account. Unlike regular accounts, editing fixed
transactions is performed in a notebook, containing two pages, Daily File and
Fixed File. For help on editing fixed transactions, see the Editing Fixed
Transactions topic.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.3. Editing Fixed Transactions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Fixed Transaction notebook contains two pages, Daily File and Fixed File
The first contains the data found in the et_fix.dat file; the latter data in
the et_fixed.dat file.

In both cases, editing is done in much the same way as you would edit any text
file.  Each page has its separate Save push button.  Clicking on that button
saves the contents of the multi-line entry field to the appropriate file.

Note:  It is your responsibility to ensure that the format and data are correct
since E-Teller does not verify that what you have entered is acceptable.

For additional help on file formats, select one of the topics below:

o Daily File Format
o Fixed File Format

At the bottom of the Fixed File page is a button labelled Regenerate.  This
button is enabled only when you've made changes to the file and clicked the
Save button. Regenerate invokes et_month.exe and recreates the et_fix.dat file
based upon the information contained in the newly saved et_fixed.dat file.  It
is necessary to regenerate only if you have made changes that would affect the
automatic transaction inclusion for the remainder of the month, such as moving
the date of a fixed weekday transaction back in order to have one such
transaction automatically added to your account file.

Note:  It is recommended that, after you click the Regenerate button, you
return to the Daily File page and click on the Refresh button to omit any
transactions that should not be automatically added to your account file next
time et_month.exe is invoked.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.3.1. Daily File Format ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

A typical entry for the Daily File page is:

   [01]
   d:\e-teller\savings.ldg
   NDEP
   PPay Deposit
   T1,000.00
   LPay Income
   ^

All but the first two lines are identical to those found in regular account
files.  The first line represents the date of the month on which the
transaction is to be added to the account file found on the second line.  Thus,
if the first line contains [01], then the transaction between the filename
line, in this case d:\e-teller\savings.ldg and the transaction separator (^)
would be added to the savings.ldg file.

Note:  You must ensure that the data in the Daily File is accurate, since
E-Teller makes no attempt to verify its accuracy.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.3.2. Fixed File Format ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

There are two sections to most et_fixed.dat files depending on the options
which were selected when the fixed transaction was first created.

The first section is identical to that outlined in the Daily File Format with
the exception that at the end of this first section, the string <end> appears
on a line by itself, for example

   [01]
   d:\e-teller\savings.ldg
   NDEP
   PPay Deposit
   T1,000.00
   LPay Income
   ^
   <end>

The second section begins with a line containing the string [Weekdays].  There
are three exceptions to such fixed entries as opposed to those which appear in
the first section:

 1. Rather than a date of the month, the first line contains a day of the week.
 2. The last line of every transaction contains a four-character code which
    must begin with either a W, B, T, or M, representing a Weekly, Biweekly,
    Triweekly, or Monthly transaction respectively.  Following this one letter
    is an equals sign (=) and a two-digit date which represents the date upon
    which et_month.exe should begin calculating when it regenerates the
    et_fix.dat file at the beginning of the next month.  In other words, the
    number must fall upon the day of the week for which the transaction is
    supposed to occur.  It is pointless, for example, to assign a date of 14 to
    a monthly Friday transaction whose starting date should be 12.  If you were
    to assign a starting date of 14, then the calculation for the next month
    would be incorrect, and the transaction would, in all likelihood, not fall
    on a Friday.
 3. The section is not terminated by an <end> string.

A typical weekday section, then, may look like:

   [Weekdays]
   Friday
   d:\e-teller\savings.ldg
   NDEP
   PPay Deposit
   T1,000.00
   LPay Income
   B=08
   ^
   Wednesday
   d:\e-teller\savings.ldg
   NWIT
   PMortgage Payment
   T-750.00
   M=06
   ^


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.4. Using ET_Month ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

ET_Month generally works independently and in the background.  The exception to
this is if it encounters a transaction for which you've requested to be
prompted for the next cheque number.

For ET_Month to be effective, it should reside in your E-Teller directory, and
a shadow should be placed in your startup folder.

If a shadow of ET_Month is located in your startup folder, then it will look in
the et_fix.dat file for any transactions that require processing depending on
the system date.  If you haven't booted OS/2 in a few days, don't worry,
because ET_Month processes all the transactions it finds with a date earlier or
equal to the system date.  As transactions are processed, they are removed from
the et_fix.dat file so that they don't get processed more than once a month.

At the beginning of the month, ET_Month looks in the et_fix.dat file for any
unprocessed transactions.  If it finds any, it processes them.  It then
regenerates et_fix.dat based upon the information contained in et_fixed.dat,
first running through the date-of-month transactions and then the weekday ones.
If you failed to boot OS/2 on the first of the month, don't worry, because
ET_Month  ensures that the date for both the et_fix.dat and et_fixed.dat files
reflect the month reported by the system date.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8. Creating Reports ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

E-Teller provides a fairly powerful report feature called E-Teller Report.
This section explains how to use the report feature.

Note:  E-Teller Report uses an external text editor/printer for editing and
printing the report.  To define an editor, click on the Select editor... item
from the Options menu. The editor you select is saved to the e-teller.ini file.
If, at startup, E-Teller Report is unable to locate such an entry in the .ini
file, the editor file dialog box will be automatically invoked.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1. Report Options Notebook ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Report Options notebook is where you define the various aspects of a
report, from the layout to category restrictions.

There are four pages to the Report Options notebook:

 1. Layouts
 2. Accounts
 3. Details
 4. Search

When defining report options, you must choose options in at least 3 of the 4
pages, namely Layouts, Accounts, and Details.

When you have defined the report to your satisfaction, click on the Create
report (Ctrl+C) item in the Options menu.  The status text at the top of the
window (beneath the menu) will keep you informed of what's being done.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.1. Layouts ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Layouts notebook page is where you select the layout you would like to use.
Currently E-Teller Report supports two layouts, Transaction Ledger and Sorted
Category.

To select a layout, simply click on the desired name within the listbox, after
which its name will appear in the notebook's status area.  You may also wish to
change the default Title for the report, and to exclude the printing of the
account name and date/time in the title at this time.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2. Accounts ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Accounts notebook page is where you select one or more accounts to be used
in creating the report(s).  You may also choose to exclude one of the two
account files from the report at this time, either the cleared or uncleared
transaction file. Obviously, at least one file must be selected to create a
report.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.3. Details ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Details notebook page is essentially the primary formatting page, in which
you select what information E-Teller Report should include in the report.
Depending on the type of layout you have selected, the Include listbox will
contain slightly different items.  Select the items you want included in your
report.  Any item not selected will be excluded.  In other words, if you aren't
particularly interested in keeping a record of the Memo for all the
transactions in the ledger, ensure that the item is not selected.

If you have selected the Transaction Ledger layout, then the listbox will
contain 6 items:

o Date
o Number
o Particulars
o Amount
o Memo
o Category

Note:  A MultiCategory item is not included because E-Teller Report treats
multiple categories as individual transactions.  In other words, whereas in the
ledger you might have the following entry:

Particulars    Debit    Category
-----------    -----    --------
Junk Food      10.00    Questionable Food

in a report, the above would look like:

Particulars    Debit    Category
-----------    -----    --------
Junk Food       3.00    Jelly Beans
Junk Food       5.00    Chocolate
Junk Food       2.00    Gum

If you have selected the Sorted Category layout, then the listbox will contain
9 items:

o Date
o Number
o Particulars
o Inflows
o  Total Inflows
o Outflows
o  Total Outflows
o Balance
o Memo

Note:  You will notice that there is no Category item in the list box.  This is
because a category report is governed by the an alphabetical list of categories
rather than a sequential list of transactions.

Note:  Total Inflows prints a total of all of the Inflows per category, and
Total Outflows prints a total of all of the Outflows

You may also change the date range of the transactions which will be included
in the report.  There are three options:

All       transactions
          places no date restriction

Current calendar year
          excludes all transactions which fall outside of the current calendar
          year

Month     range
          excludes all transactions which do not fall within the months you
          specify in the two spin buttons, the first being from, the second to.

If you do not want column headings in the report, uncheck the Print column
headings checkbox.  Otherwise, column headings matching the names in the
Include listbox are printed at the top of the report, beneath the title.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.4. Search ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Search notebook page permits you to specify exactly which transactions
should be included in the report.  For help in defining search criteria, see
the Search Feature topic.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9. Search Feature ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This section describes how to define or build search criteria for both ledgers
and reports.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.1. Search Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Whatever appears in the Criteria multi-line entry field is what will be used to
search for transactions in both the ledger and in reports.  All search criteria
comprise, basically, three elements:

 1. Field
 2. Operator
 3. Value

Field
          Specifies the field in which value is to be applied.
Operator
          Is the operator to use when comparing value to field

   ?         indicates that field contains value
   !         indicates that field does not contain value
   =         indicates that field is equal to value
   >         indicates that field is greater than value
   <         indicates that field is less than value
   <>        indicates that field does not equal value
Value
          Is the value for which E-Teller should search.

You can build complex searches using the AND and OR buttons.  For example,

   CATEGORY ? "RENT" &
   CATEGORY ! "RENTAL"

will find all transactions with a category which contains the string rent but
exclude those which contain the string rental.  Similarly,

   CATEGORY = "RENT" |
   CATEGORY ? "RENTAL" &
   CATEGORY ! "CAR"

will include all transactions which equal the string rent  or contain the
string rental, but exclude those which contain car, such as Car Rental.

If you are searching for a category but are unable to remember which category,
click on the Categories... button to invoke a list of currently defined
categories.  Double-click on the one you are looking for to insert it into the
Criteria multi-line entry field.

For objects specific to the search window in ledgers and reports, see Ledger
Searches or Report Searches.

Note:  In all cases, searches are case insensitive.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.1.1. Ledger Searches ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

There are two buttons which are distinct to a ledger search

 1. Search
 2. Undo

Search
          First verifies the syntax of the Criteria multi-line entry field.  If
          the syntax is correct, it will perform the search.
Undo
          Undoes the search result.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.1.2. Report Searches ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Search notebook page in E-Teller Report contains a Syntax pushbutton.  You
must click on this button in order to verify the syntax and to confirm the
search. Failing to do so essentially ignores the value contained in the
Criteria multi-line entry field.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10. Converting Quicken Data ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This section describes how to convert Quicken (c) data to E-Teller format,
using the q2et.exe conversion utility.

Note:  As of version 1.7 of E-Teller, account files follow a similar format to
Quicken QIF files (but not identical). As a result, converting QIF files is
significantly more reliable.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10.1. Creating a Quicken QIF File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To convert a Quicken (c) data file into QIF format, follow these steps:

 1. Start Quicken.
 2. Open the account register you want to convert.
 3. Select Export from the Print menu.
 4. Enter a filename for the exported data.
 5. In the Export window, ensure that ONLY "Export Transactions" is set to YES.
    All other options must be set to NO.
 6. Ensure that the date range encompases all of the account transactions.
 7. Select Continue.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10.2. Converting a Quicken QIF File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Converting a Quicken (c) QIF file to E-Teller format is a completely automated
process, unless a syntax error is detected.

To convert the QIF file, follow these steps:

 1. Select File | Import Quicken File... (Ctrl-I).
 2. Select the newly created export QIF file.
 3. Once the data has been read, Q2ET will automatically verify the syntax.  If
    an error is detected, Q2ET will start epm.exe and display the line number
    beneath the 'Message' text where the error has occurred along with some
    kind of indication of what the error is.  Use the line number in the status
    display in EPM to find the line and correct the error.  Once corrected,
    save and close the file and select the Verify syntax item in the File menu.
 4. Once the syntax has been verified and the q.tmp file found to be error
    free, Q2ET will automatically display the New Account window.  Enter the
    relevant data which is not supplied in the QIF file, e.g. account number,
    and/or make any appropriate changes.
 5. Click OK.

Note:  It is strongly recommended that you not alter the starting balance for
the newly created account file.  The amount displayed is, in fact, a total of
all the cleared transactions which were found in the QIF file and which will be
saved to the account's .clr file.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10.3. QIF File Format ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Quicken (c) QIF files generally follow these conventions:

   !Type:Bank
   D12/ 1/94
   T1,000.00
   CX
   POpening Balance
   L[chequing]
   ^
   D 1/ 1/94
   N123
   T-700.00
   CX
   PJohn Doe
   MFirst and Last
   LRent
   ^
   D 1/ 2/94
   T-130.00
   PWithdrawal
   LGroceries
   SGroceries
   EJunk Food
   $-10.00
   SGroceries
   EGood Food
   $-90.00
   SPersonal
   $-30.00
   ....

!Type
 can be "Bank", "CCard", or any other type of account. E-Teller uses only two
 types, "Bank" and "CreditCard". Q2ET will attempt to identy the account type.
 If it is unsuccessful, it will inform you and default to type "Bank".
D
 is the prefix identifying the date
T
 is the prefix identifying the total
C
 is the prefix identifying a cleared transaction.  If the transaction has not
 been cleared, this line does not appear.
N
 is the prefix identifying the cheque or code number.  If the transaction has
 no number, this line does not appear.
P
 is the prefix identifying the particulars.  If the transaction has no
 particulars, this line does not appear.
M
 is the prefix identifying the memo.  If the transaction has no memo, this line
 does not appear.
L
 is the prefix identifying the category.  If the transaction has no category,
 this line does not appear. Q2ET takes the value of the first transaction as
 the account name.
S
 is the prefix identifying a split category.  If the transaction has no split
 category, this, the optional memo, and the amount lines do not appear.
  E
   is the prefix identifying the memo of a split category.
  $
   is the prefix identifying the amount of a split category.
^
 is the transaction separator.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11. Known Bugs/Limitations ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

None of which I am currently aware.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 12. A Call for Suggestions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

I realize that E-Teller Report is still limited, particularly where layouts are
concerned.  If you would like a specific layout included in a later release,
then send your suggestion to me.  What I would need is:

 1. A list of headings.  If you have a heading which is not currently found in
    the two layouts, a somewhat detailed description of its purpose would be
    useful if not essential.
 2. Some idea of how the data should be organized, i.e. columns, lines, etc.

Ideally, a bogus report would be nice with a brief explanation for those items
which are not self-evident.

If your layout gets included in a future release, your contribution will be
duly noted.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13. Warranty ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

E-Teller and its accompanying software and documentation are supplied with no
warranty whatsoever, either expressed or implied. Neither its author nor Watcom
International can be held directly or indirectly responsible for any loss
and/or damage to your data and/or system as a result of the use and/or misuse
of E-Teller. All software is supplied AS IS.

If you use this program, you understand that you do so AT YOUR OWN RISK.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 14. Copyright Notices ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

                         E-Teller (c) 1994 Paul H. Caron
                        VX-Rexx (c) Watcom International
                                  OS/2 (c) IBM
                               Quicken (c) Intuit


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 15. Contacting the Author ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Should you find a bug or have suggestions for improvements, I can be reached at

     [e-mail]


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 16. Setting Digits ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

By default, Rexx starts using exponents after 9 digits.  If you're
exceptionally wealthy or if, for whatever reason, you require higher numbers
than 999,999,999.99, then you can pass a parameter to e-teller.exe, q2et.exe,
and etreport.exe which instructs these programs to change the limit at which
Rexx begins using exponents.  Thus, passing a parameter 12 would raise the
999,999,999.99 limit mentioned above to 999,999,999,999.99.  If no parameter is
passed to any of these programs, then each will use the default.

If you require larger numbers, open the Settings notebook for the appropriate
application and enter the desired number in the Parameters entry field.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 17. Setting Container Colours ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

In versions earlier than 1.6 of E-Teller, it was possible to set the foreground
colour of the accounts and ledger containers by using a secondary window.  In
amending E-Teller for 1.6, I tried to make it as compact as it could possibly
be.  As a result certain frills had to be trimmed or excised.  I'm afraid the
Set Colours window was one of those frills.  In other words, only the
background colour of the accounts and ledger containers can be changed.

To do so, drag a colour from the System Color Palette to the container.

The selection for the accounts window is saved automatically when you close
E-Teller.  This is not the case with the ledger window for various reasons.  To
save the new colour setting in the ledger window, you must explicitly instruct
E-Teller to save the setting to e-teller.ini by clicking on the Save settings
item in the Display menu, which also saves the current container font
selection.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 18. Setting Container Fonts. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To change the font of the accounts container, drag a font selection from the
System Font Palette to the container.  The new font selection is saved
automatically when you exit E-Teller.

Because the ledger container is in detail view, it is unable to recognize a
font selection dragged on to it.  As a result, a work around has been
implemented.  To change the font, first click on the Set ledger font item in
the Display menu.  Above the progress bar will appear the text, Drag font here.
Click 'Set ledger font'.  Drag the font selection to this area of the window
and click on Set ledger font  a second time.  You will then be asked if you
want to save the font selection.  Selecting Save saves both the font and the
background colour. Cancel abandons the selection.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 19. .DAT Files ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

No more than five .dat files reside in E-Teller's directory at any one time.

Two are reserved for et_month's exclusive use, et_fix.dat and et_fixed.dat,
whereas the other three are used by E-Teller when crediting and debiting
accounts, and one of those three is used by E-Teller Report.  These are:

o number.dat

Both number.dat and info.dat have four sections:

[Credit]
[Debit]
[Payment]
[Charge]

   [Credit] contains items for bank account credits.
   [Debit] contains items for bank account debits.
   [Payment] contains items for credit card account payments.
   [Charge] contains items for credit card account charges.

Note:  These section headings are case sensitive.

Category.dat contains, simply, a list of all the categories you have defined
while creating transactions.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 19.1. Deleting .DAT Items ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To delete items from number.dat, info.dat, and category.dat from within
E-Teller, right-click on the appropriate list box or container within the
ledger window and select Delete from the popup menu.  To add or edit the file,
proceed as above but select the Add/Edit... item instead.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 20. Registration ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This product is released as Shareware.  Your are granted permission to use
E-Teller for a period not exceeding 30 days for evaluation purposes only.  If
you decide to continue using E-Teller, you are required to register the program
by sending a one-time registration fee of $25 US ($30 CAN) to:

   Paul H. Caron
   c/o Mr. J-P Caron
   A10-420 Westmount Avenue
   Sudbury, Ontario
   P3A 5V4
   CANADA

Please print the supplied registration form and send it along with your cheque
or money order.

Previously, upgrades to major releases of E-Teller required additional
payments.  As of version 1.7, this is no longer the case.  Your registration
fee is a one-time payment which covers all subsequent releases of E-Teller.
Current registered users are not required to make any further payments.  As a
result of this change, the registration cost for E-Teller has risen by $5,
which is still reasonable, I think.

You are encouraged to distribute E-Teller as long as you maintain the integrity
of the original archive and do not distribute any of the programs contained
therein separately as individual applications.  You may omit VROBJ.DLL on
condition that you provide clear instructions as to where a potential
downloader may find the latest version of the DLL, and that you make it clear
that the DLL is required.  Your are not permitted to charge a fee for the use
of E-Teller.  You are permitted to charge a small fee to cover distribution
and/or media costs, as long as that fee does not exceed $5 US.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 20.1. How Do I Register? ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To register E-Teller, fill out the attached registration form and send it along
with your cheque or money order to the address appearing on the form.

Once I've received your payment, I will e-mail or snail-mail your registration
number to you, after which you will select the Product information  item from
the Help menu in the accounts window, click on the Register button, and enter
the registration number provided into the entry field.

Note:  The registration number is written to e-teller.ini, so please keep a
hard copy of the number.  I will not provide replacement numbers.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 20.2. Registration Form ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

E-Teller v.1.8

Thank you for registering E-Teller.  Your registration
entitles you free upgrades to all future releases of
E-Teller.

Please take a minute to fill out the form below, and send it along
with your registration fee (cheque or money order only, please)
to:

      Paul H. Caron
      c/o Mr. J-P Caron
      A10-420 Westmount Ave.
      Sudbury, Ontario  P3A 5V4
      CANADA


Name ____________________________________________________________

Address _________________________________________________________

City ______________________________ Prov./State _________________

Postal/Zip Code _______________________ Country _________________

E-Mail Address __________________________________________________


   _______ Version Number
   _______ Number of copies
   _______ @ $25 US ($30 Canadian)
   _______ Enclosed payment


If you have any comments or suggestions, please jot them below:


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden>  ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 Fixed transactions are those that remain constant from month to month or at a
pre-defined period within a month, such as rent cheques, mortgage payments, or
pay cheques that are automatically deposited into your bank account.

There are two different types of fixed transactions:

o Date-of-Month
o Weekday


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden>  ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 Layouts are the way in which reports are written to file.  Currently, E-Teller
Report supports two layouts, Transaction Ledger and Sorted Category.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden>  ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 Category restrictions limit or restrict the transactions that are written to
file.  In other words, any transaction which does not contain a category which
you select from the restriction list is omitted from the report.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden>  ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 The Transaction Ledger layout is similar to E-Teller's ledger in which each
transaction is printed sequentially.  What is printed depends on the various
selections you make in the other Report Options notebook pages.  Its purpose is
primarily for a hard copy of your account(s) ledger(s).


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden>  ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 The Sorted Category layout is slightly different from the Transaction Ledger
in that categories govern the final printed report rather than the sequential
order of the transactions within the various files.  It is useful primarily for
budget and income tax purposes since transactions which share a category are
grouped together.  Categories are first sorted alphabetically.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden>  ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 The cleared transaction file, which always has a .clr extension, contains, in
addition to account-specific information, all of the transactions which have
been previously cleared through the reconciliation process.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden>  ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 The uncleared transaction file, which always has a .ldg extension, contains
all of the transactions which have not been reconciled.