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1988-03-04
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Checkbook Management Program
Version 4.0
by
Marilyn Price
M. P. Data
113 Foxport Dr.
Kingsport, Tennessee 37664
Copyright 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 by M. P. Data. All Rights Reserved.
March 1988
Checkbook Management Program
Table of Contents
Introduction.............................................................. 3
Getting Started........................................................... 5
To Run.................................................................... 5
Help...................................................................... 7
First Appearances......................................................... 7
Initializing the data files............................................... 7
Main Menu................................................................. 9
Enter Transactions........................................................ 10
Enter a check........................................................ 11
Enter other transactions............................................. 13
Corrections............................................................... 15
Correct a check...................................................... *
Correct other transactions........................................... *
Deletions................................................................. 16
Delete a check....................................................... *
Delete other transactions............................................ *
Delete all before specified date..................................... *
Bank Statement Reconciliation............................................. 18
Reports................................................................... 22
Check Register....................................................... *
List Checks Only..................................................... *
List Deposits........................................................ *
List Automatic Teller Deposits....................................... *
List Automatic Teller Withdrawals.................................... *
List All Bank Transactions........................................... *
List All Budget Categories........................................... *
Transactions in a Category........................................... *
Transactions in Category/All Categories.............................. *
Annual Expenditure Report............................................ *
Summary Report....................................................... *
Utilities................................................................. 24
Name or Bias Change.................................................. *
Category Maintenance................................................. 25
System Customization................................................. 26
Find by Contents..................................................... *
Sort Transactions by Date............................................ *
Sort Transactions by Check Number.................................... *
Cursor Key Movements...................................................... 28
Play Suggestions.......................................................... 29
To Change from previous versions.......................................... 30
New features.............................................................. 32
To Transfer Data from a Floppy Diskette to a Hard Disk.................... 33
Multiple Accounts......................................................... 34
Special Tips.............................................................. 34
Glossary.................................................................. 35
Messages.................................................................. 36
* These sections appear in the full documentation only. They were omitted from
this copy due to diskette space limitations.
Page 2
Checkbook Management Program
Introduction
This program manages a checkbook's records. It is essentially a checkbook
register with the following capabilities:
1. Create all the data files needed.
2. Enter all forms of checking account transactions, including:
Numbered checks,
Deposits,
Automatic Teller withdrawals,
Automatic Teller deposits,
Bank charges,
Interest for NOW accounts.
3. Correct any portion of any of the above transactions.
4. Reconcile a bank statement, clear transactions and find any errors that
may show up as a result.
5. Delete transactions. Transactions may be either deleted singly (for
example, a voided check) or as a group (all transactions before a given
date). The second option is used for file management.
6. Generate reports. Reports that can be generated by this program are:
A. Check Register - a listing of all transactions in the order entered.
You will be asked to supply dates defining the interval you wish
displayed. Only those transactions in the interval will be listed.
This report can be displayed on the screen or listed on a printer.
B. Checks Only - a listing of all checks in the order entered. You will
be asked to supply dates defining the interval you wish displayed.
Only those checks in the interval will be listed. The total money
for the listed transactions is also displayed. Deposits and
withdrawals are totaled separately. This report can be displayed on
the screen or listed on a printer.
C. Deposits - A listing of all deposits in the order entered. Automatic
teller deposits are not listed here. They are included in the list
of Automatic Teller Deposits. You will be asked to supply dates
defining the interval you wish displayed. Only those deposits with
dates in the interval will be listed. The total money for the listed
transactions is also displayed. This report can be displayed on the
screen or listed on a printer.
D. List of all Automatic Teller Deposits - a listing of all automatic
teller deposits, in the order entered. You will be asked to supply
dates defining the interval you wish displayed. Only those automatic
teller deposits with dates in the interval will be listed. The total
money for the listed transactions is also displayed. This report can
be displayed on the screen or listed on a printer.
Page 3
Checkbook Management Program
E. List of all Automatic Teller Withdrawals - a listing of all automatic
teller withdrawals, in the order entered. You will be asked to
supply dates defining the interval you wish displayed. Only those
automatic teller withdrawals with dates in the interval will be
listed. The total money for the listed transactions is also
displayed. This report can be displayed on the screen or listed on a
printer.
F. List of all Bank Transactions - a listing of all bank transactions,
interest, service and other charges, in the order entered. You will
be asked to supply dates defining the interval you wish displayed.
Only those bank transactions with dates in the interval will be
listed. The total money deposited and withdrawn will be totaled
separately and displayed. This report can be displayed on the screen
or listed on a printer.
G. List of all current categories - a listing of all categories
currently in use in your data file in alphabetical order. This
report can be displayed on the screen or listed on a printer.
H. Transactions in a category - a listing of all transactions in the
order entered which have the same category. You will be asked to
supply dates defining the interval you wish displayed and the
category you wish displayed. Only those transactions in the interval
and exactly matching the category will be listed. The total money
for the listed transactions is also displayed. Deposits and
withdrawals will be totaled separately. This report can be displayed
on the screen or listed on a printer.
I. Transactions in category for all categories - a listing of all
transactions, in the order entered, arranged by category. You will
be asked to supply dates defining the interval you wish considered.
All categories represented by transactions within this interval will
appear on the report, each beginning on a fresh page. The total
money for the listed transactions is also displayed. Deposits and
withdrawals will be totaled separately. The categories will appear
in alphabetical order. This report, which can take several pages to
print, can only be printed on a printer. It is not available for
screen display. For screen display of any one category, use the
report described above.
J. Annual Expenditure Report - lists a table of the total amounts spent
per month for every category. Totals are given for each month and
each category. The average monthly expenditure for each category is
also displayed. Budget categories are displayed in alphabetical
order. You will be asked to supply the last two digits of the year
the report is to cover. This report, which takes two pages to print,
can only be printed on a printer. It is not available for screen
display.
K. Summary Report - lists the total expenditures and deposits for the
account for each month and the total for the year. This report can
be displayed on the screen or listed on a printer.
Page 4
Checkbook Management Program
This is a user supported program. Address any questions or comments to:
Marilyn Price
M. P. Data
113 Foxport Dr.
Kingsport, Tennessee 37664
(615) 349-7744
If you feel this is a useful program, please send $35 to the above
address. As a registered user, you will be informed of any updates to this
program and receive a printed copy of this user manual. Functional changes to
this program will be considered and may require an additional fee.
M. P. Data is available for other program development, computer services,
and consultation. Contact M. P. Data for your computing needs.
Getting Started
You received a disk containing the Checkbook Management program
(CHECKS.EXE) and a listing of this documentation (CHECKS.DOC). Before running
the program the first time, list this document. Copy the program (CHECKS.EXE)
to a new disk. Use this new disk as your working copy and keep the other in a
safe place. Feel free to share copies of this program with other users. The
Checkbook Management program is user supported software and copying it is
encouraged.
If the program and data files are kept on the same disk, the data files
will have room for approximately 2000 transactions. If the program and data
are kept on separate disks, the data files will have room for approximately
3000 transactions.
Minimum configuration for this program is as follows. It needs at least
192K RAM, one or two disk drives, and a monitor. It supports both color and
monochrome monitors. It was developed using PC-DOS 2.10. It is written in MS
Pascal and Assembler and is available in compiled form only. Both program and
data may be placed on a hard disk.
To Run
Depending on your computer system, use one of the following sets of
instructions.
A. One diskette drive with program and data kept on the same disk.
1. Start your computer, using your DOS disk, providing the date and time
as requested. At the A> prompt, remove the DOS disk and insert the
program disk in drive A:.
2. Type CHECKS and press <enter>. The program will guide you from here
on.
Page 5
Checkbook Management Program
B. One diskette drive with program and data kept on separate disks.
(Not recommended)
1. Start your computer, using your DOS disk, providing the date and time
as requested. At the A> prompt, remove the DOS disk and insert the
program disk in drive A:.
2. Type CHECKS and press <enter>. Once the title screen appears, remove
the program disk and insert the data disk. The program will guide
you from here on. (NOTE: This option cannot be customized.)
C. Two diskette drives with program and data kept on separate disks.
1. Start your computer, using your DOS disk providing the date and time
as requested. At the A> prompt, remove the DOS disk and insert the
program disk in drive B:.
2. Insert the data disk in drive A:.
3. Type B:CHECKS and press <enter>. The program will guide you from
here on.
D. Hard disk system with program and data in same subdirectory.
1. Start your computer, providing the date and time as requested. At
the C> prompt, change directories so that the data directory is the
current directory.
2. Type CHECKS and press <enter>. The program will guide you from here
on.
E. Hard disk system with program and data in separate subdirectories.
(Before following these instructions, enter a PATH command which includes
the directory containing the copy of the program - see your DOS manual for
details about this command.)
1. Start your computer, providing the date and time as requested. At
the C> prompt, change directories so that the data directory is the
current directory.
2. Type CHECKS and press <enter>. The program will guide you from here
on.
From these directions, you may have surmised that the data must be on the
default drive and in the current directory for the program to find it. The
program can be kept somewhere else, as long as the PATH command has been set
for the subdirectory containing the program file.
"Playing" around with the program to get the feel of it before entering
your current checks is strongly recommended. The following pages will clarify
the different functions built into this program and offer some suggestions of
things to try during the exploration.
Page 6
Checkbook Management Program
Instructions for switching data files from a diskette environment to a hard
disk setting are included at the end of this document.
Instructions for setting up multiple accounts are also at the end of this
document.
Help
At any time the program is waiting for input, you may press <F1> and get
help for the particular activity that you are doing. The help message will
appear on the bottom five lines of the screen and will disappear when you press
any other key. Some of the messages are longer and take two or three screens
to display. They will disappear after the last information has been displayed.
The longer messages are all associated with menus.
First Appearances
The first time this version of the program is run, a question appears
asking if your data will be kept on a floppy or hard disk system. Once this
question has been answered, you will never see it again.
When the program starts, the first screen to appear is a cover screen
giving a brief statement of the program and the fact that it is user supported.
Pressing <F1> at this screen will produce an overview of the program. Pressing
any other key will continue execution.
If this is the first time the program has been run, or if the data files
have been deleted, the next thing you will see is the initialization sequence.
(See Initializing the data files.)
If the data files are on diskettes, the next screen you see will tell you
approximately how many more transactions you can add to your current files. If
this number is getting low, please see the deletion sequences to shrink the
file. This is just for your information and to warn you if you are running out
of disk space. This service is not provided for those keeping their data on a
hard disk system.
Initializing the Data Files
The very first time this program is run, it will ask if the data is to be
kept on a floppy diskette (Y or N). Press the letter <Y> then <enter> if the
data files will be on diskettes. Press the letter <N> then <enter> if the data
files will be on a hard disk or other high capacity (over 2M) storage device.
If you ever need to change this information, see the directions near the end of
this document.
Page 7
Checkbook Management Program
This step is initiated automatically the first time the program is run.
The disk is checked for the presence of the data files. If they are not on the
default disk, they will be created. You will be asked a series of questions
about your checking account. This is to make your computerized account similar
to your bank account. The following screen will appear:
╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Initializing Account ║
║ ║
║ Creating the files needed for this program. ║
║ ║
║ Please enter the name to be associated with this account ║
║ (40 characters max). ║
║ ┌────────────────────────────────────────┐ ║
║ └────────────────────────────────────────┘ ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Type in the name you want placed on this account (example - Mr. and Mrs. John
Q. Public) then press <enter>. Up to 40 characters and spaces will be
retained. This name will appear at the top of most reports and on the menu
screens for several of the functions. This name can be changed at any time.
See the "Name or Bias Change" on the Utility Menu for details on this.
Once the name has been entered, the following will be added to the screen:
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Please enter the initial balance for this account ║
║ .00 ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Enter the initial balance for this account. This can be your current balance
for an existing account, the new balance for a brand new account, or the
balance at any point you choose. Pressing the decimal point will align the
amount. If the initial balance is $500.00, the extra zeroes need not be
explicitly entered. The minimum amount to be entered in this case is <5> <0>
<0> <enter>. If no initial balance is desired, press <enter> only.
Once the initial balance has been entered, the following will be added to
the screen:
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Enter any bias amount (minimum amount, to be kept out ║
║ of current balance) ║
║ .00 ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Some checking accounts require a minimum balance to avoid a service charge. To
keep the balance above this amount, it isn't entered into the checkbook. If
it's forgotten, it's not spent. However, in reconciling the bank statement,
one must remember to add this amount back in, or the statement will be
continually out of balance. This is the place in the program where that hidden
amount can be entered. If you wish to take advantage of this option, enter an
Page 8
Checkbook Management Program
amount here. Press <enter> when satisfied with the amount. If you choose not
to take advantage of this option, press <enter> only. This amount can be
changed at any time. See the "Name or Bias Change" on the Utility Menu for
details on this.
Once the bias amount is entered, the files are fully initialized and the
program is ready to go. The number of transactions that may be added to the
files are displayed (if the data is on diskette).
Main Menu
The Main Menu looks like this:
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Checkbook Management Program ║
║ Account: (account name) Main Menu ║
║ Current Balance: xxxxx.xx ║
║ ║
║ (Q)uit ║
║ (E) Enter Transactions ║
║ (C) Corrections ║
║ (D) Deletions ║
║ (B) Bank Statement Reconciliation ║
║ (R) Reports ║
║ (U) Utilities ║
║ ║
║ Enter your choice ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
When this first appears, the first option (Quit) is highlighted in reverse
video. Use the arrow keys to move up and down the list until the function you
wish to use is highlighted. Press <enter> to select that option. An alternate
form of selecting an option on this menu is to press the letter which appears
inside the parentheses (R for Reports, for example). The help screen for this
menu is longer than most of the rest - in fact, it covers two full screens.
The information on those screens is included in the following explanations of
each option.
Quit - Selecting the quit option returns you to the DOS prompt (A> or C>).
Enter transactions - This option allows you to enter information about a
transaction (check, deposit, automatic teller transaction). For a check,
the screen will appear as a giant check to be filled out. For the others,
you can enter the date, amount, category, and memo fields.
Corrections - This option allows you to change the entered information on any
transaction in the file. If the amount is changed, this change is
reflected in the displayed balance. The Corrections screen will ask you
to specify the type of transaction being corrected. If it is a check, the
screen will appear as a giant check filled out exactly as you filled it in
earlier. For other transactions, the date, amount, category, memo, and
bank clearance status will be displayed.
Page 9
Checkbook Management Program
Deletions - This option allows you to delete a specific transaction or remove
obsolete records. The Deletion menu will have you specify which you want.
If a specific transaction is deleted, the amount of that transaction is
removed completely. If it was a debit, the amount will return to your
account. If it was a credit, the amount will be removed from your
balance. The requested record will be displayed and you must verify it is
the one to be deleted. Once deleted, a record cannot be reactivated. If
the Delete All option is selected, you will be asked to specify a date.
All transactions with dates prior to that date will be deleted. It is
strongly recommended that you make a back-up copy of the data files before
using this option. Once deleted, the records cannot be recovered.
Bank statement reconciliation - This option is designed to help you reconcile
the bank statement for your account each month. You can mark those
transactions which have cleared the bank, enter any bank charges, service
charges, or (if you have a NOW account) interest earned, and the program
will calculate the balance which should appear on your bank statement. It
takes your current balance, deducts any uncleared deposits, adds any
uncleared checks, and displays the result. If the amounts do not agree,
there is an option included for reviewing the checks just cleared to see
if the bank and the file disagree on the amount. This can be corrected
while still in the reconcile option in an attempt to get the two amounts
to agree.
Reports - This option presents the report menu which allows you to choose among
the eleven reports available. (See Reports).
Utilities - This option presents the Utility menu, which enables some
specialized functions to do the following: allow you to change the
account name or bias amount, allow you to globally change a category from
one name to another, allow you to customize the program, allow you to find
a transaction based on the contents of the "To Whom" and "Memo" fields,
and allow you to sort the data file by date or check number. (See
Utilities).
Entering Transactions
This option allows you to enter information about a transaction (check,
deposit, automatic teller transaction). For a check, the screen will appear as
a giant check to be filled out. For the others, you can enter the date,
amount, category, and memo fields.
The Enter Menu looks like this:
╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Entering transactions for account (account name) ║
║ Balance $ xxx.xx ║
║ ║
║(C)heck (D)eposit Auto-Teller (W)ithdrawal (A)uto-Teller Deposit (Q)uit ║
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
When this menu appears, the first option (Check) is highlighted by reverse
video. Use the cursor keys (left and right) to change transaction types until
Page 10
Checkbook Management Program
your choice is highlighted. Press <enter> to select the highlighted type. Or,
press the letter in parenthesis to select the option.
Options are:
(C)heck - Enter the details for a check.
(D)eposit - Enter the details for a regular deposit.
Auto-Teller (W)ithdrawal - Enter the details for an Automatic Teller
Withdrawal.
(A)uto-Teller Deposit - Enter the details for an Automatic Teller Deposit.
(Q)uit - Return to the Main Menu.
The displayed balance is the current account balance. As soon as a
transaction is marked as satisfactory, the amount is added to or subtracted
from the balance and the display is changed.
Enter a Check
When this option is selected, the screen changes to this:
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Entering transactions for account (account name) ║
║ Balance $ xxx.xx ║
║ ║
║ Enter Check Check Number _____ ║
║ ║
║ Date __/__/__ ║
║ ║
║ To Whom _________________________________________ Amount ________0.00 ║
║ ║
║ Memo ____________________________________________ ║
║ ║
║ Budget Category __________ ║
║ ║
║ Cleared the bank NO_ ║
║ ║
║ Satisfied? X Or Abort? X ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Use the cursor keys to move from field to field, filling in the pertinent
details. Each field is described below. Cursor keys are detailed on page 70.
Fields:
Check Number - The number of this check. Up to five characters are allowed for
this. You may use any combination of letters and numbers that make sense
to you. However, keep in mind that the Correction and Deletion routines
Page 11
Checkbook Management Program
will require an exact match (including spaces) to find these checks again.
Duplicate numbers are allowed, but not encouraged. Press <enter> or <tab>
to move to the next field. A <Q> entered in this field will return you to
the Enter Menu without adding this check to the data file. If numbers
only are entered for this field, the program will prefill this area with
the next check number. This will begin with the second check entered to
the program.
Date - The date of this check. It must be a valid date (February 30 is not a
valid date). Dates in the future are not allowed (unless changed by
customization). "The future" is deemed to be any day after the entered
system date. If the date is invalid, the program will not allow you to
leave this field. Press <enter> or <tab> to move to the next field. A
<Q> pressed while in this field will return you to the Enter Menu without
adding this check to the data file. This field is prefilled with the
system date for the first transaction, each time the program is run. If
you change the date, this new date is repeated for the next transaction.
To Whom - The recipient of this check. Forty characters are allowed for this
information. There are few restraints for this field. Pressing <enter>
or pressing <tab> are two ways to continue to the next field. A <Q>
pressed while in this field is assumed to be part of the name and will not
return you to the Enter Menu.
Amount - The amount of the check. Only leading blanks, valid digits, and a
decimal point are allowed in this field. Pressing the decimal point will
align the amount in the field. Pressing <enter> or pressing <tab> are two
ways to continue to the next field. A <Q> pressed while in this field
will return you to the Enter Menu without adding this check to the data
file. This amount is subtracted from the balance as soon as the check is
marked as satisfactory. If the amount is left zero when you indicate you
are satisfied with the check, you will be asked if you want to void, edit,
or quit. Void will enter the check with a zero amount. Edit will allow
you to change the check as it appears. Quit will ignore this check.
Memo - A forty character field for entering any additional details you wish
kept about this check. This is similar to the small line in the lower
left corner of most checks for writing a note to yourself about the
purpose of the purchase. For example, a check written to J. C. Penney's
might have the words "shoes for Mom" in the memo area. This is printed in
the Transactions in a Category Reports only. There are few restraints for
this field. Pressing <enter> or <tab> are two ways to continue to the
next field. A <Q> pressed while in this field is assumed to be part of
the memo and will not return you to the Enter Menu.
Budget Category - A ten character field used to classify transactions for the
Annual Expenditure Report and the Transactions in a Category Report. Up
to fifty unique categories can be used. These categories are your choice.
Three are preassigned. All Automatic Teller Withdrawals have budget
categories of 'CASH '. All bank charges and deposits have budget
categories of 'BANK '. All deposits (ATD and regular) have
categories of 'INCOME '. Notice that I have used all capital letters
for these and left justified them. As you enter letters into this field,
they will be converted from lower to upper case. This decreases the
Page 12
Checkbook Management Program
chance of a mismatch. Pressing <enter> or <tab> are two ways to continue
to the next field. A <Q> pressed while in this field is assumed to be
part of the category and will not return you to the Enter Menu. Please
note: the program does not distinguish between deposit and withdrawal
categories for report purposes.
Cleared the bank - This is a flag indicating whether or not the check has
cleared the bank. For almost all checks that you enter, this will stay
NO. However, if a check is entered into the program after it clears the
bank, press <Y> here. Pressing <Y>, <N>, <enter>, or <tab> are some of
the ways to continue to the next field. A <Q> pressed while in this field
will return you to the Enter Menu without adding this check to the data
file.
Satisfied? - If the check, as you see it on the screen is the way you want it
to appear in the permanent copy, position the cursor in the box following
Satisfied? and press <enter>. A <Q> pressed while in this box will return
you to the Enter Menu without adding this check to the data file.
Pressing <enter> here is the only way to add this check to the data file.
If the amount has been left zero, you will be asked if you want to void,
edit, or quit. Void will enter the check with a zero amount. Edit will
allow you to change the check as it appears. Quit will ignore this check.
Abort? - If the check, as you see it on the screen is not the way you want it
to appear in the permanent copy, position the cursor in the box following
Abort? and press <enter>. This will return you to the Enter Menu without
adding this check to the data file.
Enter Other Transactions
Non-check transactions have the same general entry appearance. They are
grouped here for convenience. When entering a non-check transaction (Deposit,
Auto-Teller Withdrawal, or Auto-Teller Deposit), the screen changes to this:
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Entering transactions for account (account name) ║
║ Balance $ xxxx.xx ║
║ ║
║ Enter [transaction type] ║
║ ║
║ Date __/__/__ Amount ______.00 ║
║ ║
║ Category __________ ║
║ ║
║ Memo ___________________________________________ ║
║ ║
║ Cleared the bank NO_ ║
║ ║
║ Satisfied? X Or Abort? X ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
The phrase [transaction type] will be replaced with the actual type chosen
(Deposit, Automatic Teller Withdrawal, or Automatic Teller Deposit).
Page 13
Checkbook Management Program
Use the cursor keys to move from field to field, filling in the pertinent
details. Each field is described below. Cursor keys are detailed on page 70.
Fields:
Date - The date of this transaction. It must be a valid date (February 30 is
not a valid date). Dates in the future are not allowed (unless changed by
customization). "The future" is deemed to be any day after the entered
system date. If the date is invalid, the program will not allow you to
leave this field. Press <enter> or <tab> to move to the next field. A
<Q> pressed while in this field will return you to the Enter Menu without
adding this transaction to the data file. This field is prefilled with
the system date for the first transaction, each time the program is run.
If you change the date, this new date is repeated for the next
transaction.
Amount - The amount of the transaction. Only leading blanks, valid digits, and
a decimal point are allowed in this field. Pressing the decimal point
will align the amount in the field. Pressing <enter> or pressing <tab>
are two ways to continue to the next field. A <Q> pressed while in this
field will return you to the Enter Menu without adding this transaction to
the data file. This amount is subtracted from the balance if this is a
withdrawal, added to the balance if it is a deposit, as soon as the
transaction is marked as satisfactory. If the amount is left zero when
you indicate you are satisfied with the transaction, you will be asked if
you want to void, edit, or quit. Void will enter the transaction with a
zero amount. Edit will allow you to change the transaction as it appears.
Quit will ignore this transaction.
Budget Category - A ten character field used to classify transactions for the
Annual Expenditure Report and the Transactions in a Category Report. Up
to fifty unique categories can be used. These categories are your choice.
Three are preassigned. All Automatic Teller Withdrawals have budget
categories of 'CASH '. All bank charges and deposits have budget
categories of 'MISC '. All deposits (ATD and regular) have
categories of 'INCOME '. Notice that I have used all capital letters
for these and left justified them. As you enter letters into this field,
they will be converted from lower to upper case. This decreases the
chance of a mismatch. Pressing <enter> or <tab> are two ways to continue
to the next field. A <Q> pressed while in this field is assumed to be
part of the category and will not return you to the Enter Menu. Deposit
categories do not affect the Annual Expenditure Report. Please note: the
program does not distinguish between deposit and withdrawal categories for
reporting purposes.
Memo - A forty character field for entering any additional details you wish
kept about this transaction. This is printed in the Transactions in a
Category Reports only. There are few restraints for this field. Pressing
<enter> or <tab> are two ways to continue to the next field. A <Q>
pressed while in this field is assumed to be part of the memo and will not
return you to the Enter Menu.
Cleared the bank - This is a flag indicating whether or not the transaction has
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Checkbook Management Program
cleared the bank. For almost all transactions that you enter, this will
stay NO. However, if a transaction gets missed somehow, and gets entered
into the program after it clears the bank, press <Y> here. Pressing <Y>,
<N>, <enter>, or <tab> are some of the ways to continue to the next field.
A <Q> pressed while in this field will return you to the Enter Menu
without adding this transaction to the data file.
Satisfied? - If the transaction, as you see it on the screen is the way you
want it to appear in the permanent copy, position the cursor in the box
following Satisfied? and press <enter>. A <Q> pressed while in this box
will return you to the Enter Menu without adding this withdrawal to the
data file. Pressing <enter> here is the only way to add this transaction
to the data file. If the amount is left zero when you indicate you are
satisfied with the transaction, you will be asked if you want to void,
edit, or quit. Void will enter the transaction with a zero amount. Edit
will allow you to change the transaction as it appears. Quit will ignore
this transaction.
Abort? - If the transaction, as you see it on the screen is not the way you
want it to appear in the permanent copy, position the cursor in the box
following Abort? and press <enter>. This will return you to the Enter
Menu without adding this transaction to the data file.
Corrections
This option allows you to change the entered information on any
transaction in the file. If the amount is changed, this change is reflected in
the displayed balance. The Corrections screen will ask you to specify the type
of transaction being corrected. If it is a check, the screen will appear as a
giant check filled out exactly as you filled it in earlier. For other
transactions, the date, amount, category, memo, and bank clearance status will
be displayed.
The Correction menu screen looks like this:
╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Correcting transactions for account (account name) ║
║ Balance $ xxxx.xx ║
║ ║
║(C)heck (D)eposit AT (W)ithdraw (A)T Deposit (B)ank Charge (I)nterest (Q)uit║
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
When the menu appears, the first option (Check) is highlighted in reverse
video. Use the arrow keys (left and right) to highlight the type of
transaction you wish to correct. When the correct one is highlighted, press
<enter> to select it.
Options:
(C)heck - Correct a check entered through the Enter Check option.
(D)eposit - Correct a deposit entered through the Enter Deposit option. These
have the key letters DEP in the check number column of the various
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Checkbook Management Program
reports.
AT (W)ithdraw - Correct an Automatic Teller Withdrawal entered through the
Enter Automatic Teller Withdrawal option. These have the key letters ATW
in the check number column of the various reports.
(A)T Deposit - Correct an Automatic Teller Deposit entered through the Enter
Automatic Teller Deposit option. These have the key letters ATD in the
check number column of the various reports.
(B)ank Charge - Correct a bank charge entered during the Bank Statement
Reconciliation option. These have the key letters CHAR in the check
number column of the various reports.
(I)nterest - Correct an interest entry entered during the Bank Statement
Reconciliation option. These have the key letters INT in the check number
column of the various reports.
(Q)uit - Return to the Main Menu.
Pressing the letter in parentheses is another way to select the desired option.
Deletions
This option allows you to remove a specific transaction or remove obsolete
records. The Deletion menu will ask you to specify which you want. If a
specific transaction is deleted, the amount of that transaction is removed
completely. If it was a debit, the amount will return to your account. If it
was a credit, the amount will be removed from your balance. The requested
record will be displayed and you must verify it is the one to be deleted. Once
deleted, a record cannot be reactivated.
If the Delete All option is selected, you will be asked to specify a date.
All cleared transactions with dates prior to that date will be deleted.
It is strongly recommended that you make a back-up copy of the data files
before using this option. Once deleted, the records cannot be recovered. They
may be reentered.
The Deletion menu:
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Checkbook Management Program ║
║Account: (account name) Deletion Menu║
║Current Balance: xxxxx.xx ║
║ ║
║ (Q)uit ║
║ (1) Delete Check ║
║ (2) Delete Deposit ║
║ (3) Delete Auto-Teller Withdrawal ║
║ (4) Delete Auto-Teller Deposit ║
║ (5) Delete Bank Charge ║
║ (6) Delete Interest ║
║ (7) Delete all before specified date ║
║ ║
║ Enter your choice: _ ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
When this menu first appears, the first option (Quit) is highlighted in reverse
video. Use the arrow keys (up and down) to maneuver the highlighting to the
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Checkbook Management Program
option you want. Press <enter> when the option you wish is highlighted. As an
alternate on this menu, you may press the number in parentheses to select the
option associated with that letter. For example, to delete an interest entry,
either move the highlighting to the line saying Delete Interest and press
<enter> or press <6> only.
The options on this menu are:
Quit - Return to the Main Menu.
Delete Check - Delete a check.
Delete Deposit - Delete a deposit.
Delete Auto-Teller Withdrawal - Delete an automatic teller withdrawal.
Delete Auto-Teller Deposit - Delete an automatic teller deposit.
Delete Bank Charge - Delete a bank service or other charge.
Delete Interest - Delete an interest entry (NOW accounts).
Delete all before specified date - Delete all transactions with dates which are
earlier than the date you will be asked to provide.
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Checkbook Management Program
Bank Statement Reconciliation
This option is designed to help you reconcile the bank statement for your
account each month. You can mark those transactions which have cleared the
bank, enter any bank charges, service charges, or (if you have a NOW account)
interest earned, and the program will use these to calculate the balance which
should appear on your bank statement. That is, it takes your current balance,
deducts any uncleared deposits, adds any uncleared checks, and displays the
result. If the amounts do not agree, there is an option included for reviewing
the transactions just cleared to see if the bank and the program disagree on
the amount. This can be corrected while still in this option in an attempt to
get the two amounts to agree.
When this option is selected, the screen becomes:
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Reconciling bank statement ║
║ Clr Check # Date To Whom Amount ║
║ ┌┐.┌┐ . . . . ║
║ ││.││ . . . . ║
║ ││.││ . . . . ║
║ └┘ └┘ ║
║ Enter an (X) for those which have cleared the bank. ║
║ Space or <enter> to remove an extraneous X. Use the ║
║ arrow keys to change lines. ║
║ Press enter here when done. X ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
(Note: The final X on the above screen appears on the computer monitor as a
solid box.)
Your data file is scanned from earliest entry to latest. All
transactions which have not been marked as having cleared the bank will
eventually appear on this screen. Fifteen transactions are displayed at a
time. The leftmost column is surrounded by solid boxes to show you where to
place any X's.
Use the arrow keys (up and down), home key, and end key, to position the
cursor next to any transaction which has cleared the bank. Press any of the
normal typewriter keys (0 - 9, A - Z, or a - z) and an X will appear next to
that transaction. It is now marked as cleared. This marking is not
permanently recorded until you signal you are finished with this screen.
When you have finished with the transactions on the screen, position the
cursor in the box at the bottom of the screen. Pressing the end key will
automatically take you there. Press <enter>. This will make the markings
permanent and present you with 15 uncleared transactions. Some of these may
have just appeared on the last screen. Any transactions which are not marked
as cleared will reappear on the next screen. One exception to this is if there
were no transactions marked as cleared. In this case, the screen display will
advance to the next set of 15 uncleared transactions. This gives you another
chance to clear them, in case you accidentally missed some the first time.
This is especially helpful if the checks you received with your statement are
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Checkbook Management Program
not sorted. If you have 15 transactions on the screen and none of them have
cleared, place the cursor in the bottom box and press <enter> to move you on to
the next set of 15 transactions. Once a transaction disappears from the
screen, it will not reappear unless you return to the Main Menu and start
again.
After your final set of uncleared transactions, the screen will clear and
the following three screens appear:
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
1. ║ Service Charge ║
║ ║
║ Date xx/xx/xx Amount ______.00 ║
║ ║
║ Category BANK______ ║
║ ║
║ Memo ___________________________________________ ║
║ ║
║ Cleared the bank YES ║
║ ║
║ Satisfied? X Or Abort? X ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
If the bank charged you a service charge for this month, enter the amount
here. Make any other changes you want to the transaction. Press <enter> while
the cursor is in the "Satisfied" box when satisfied with the screen appearance.
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
2. ║ Other Charges ║
║ (This screen repeats until the amount is left zero.) ║
║ ║
║ Date xx/xx/xx Amount ______.00 ║
║ ║
║ Category BANK______ ║
║ ║
║ Memo ___________________________________________ ║
║ ║
║ Cleared the bank YES ║
║ ║
║ Satisfied? X Or Abort? X ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
If there are any other charges (for example, new checks printed, bounced
checks, etc.), enter the amount here. Make any other necessary changes. Press
<enter> when the cursor is in the "Satisfied" box when you are satisfied with
the screen appearance.
Important! This second screen will repeat until it receives a zero amount. If
you have more than one extra charge, this allows you to enter each of them
individually. Once you are finished, leave the amount zero and the program
will continue to the third screen.
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Checkbook Management Program
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
3. ║ Interest earned ║
║ ║
║ Date xx/xx/xx Amount ______.00 ║
║ ║
║ Category BANK______ ║
║ ║
║ Memo ___________________________________________ ║
║ ║
║ Cleared the bank YES ║
║ ║
║ Satisfied? X Or Abort? X ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
If you have a NOW account, it earns interest each month. That interest
can be added in here. Make any other necessary changes to the transaction.
Press <enter> when the cursor is in the "Satisfied" box when satisfied with the
screen appearance.
The program will now pause and check all the transactions in the file. It
is totalling the amounts on uncleared transactions to calculate what it thinks
the bank statement should read. When it is ready, it will display the
following:
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Bank's balance should read xxxx.xx ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ If this does not match and you want the program to ║
║ assist you in finding the discrepancy, press <Y>. ║
║ Press any other key to return to the main menu. Once ║
║ you return to the main menu, the program can no longer ║
║ assist you with this statement. ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
If the balance printed on your bank statement and the one displayed on the
screen are identical, the account balances and there is no reason to go on with
this option. Press any key other than <Y> and you will return to the Main
Menu. However, if the two numbers don't agree, the probability is quite high
that one of the transactions just cleared was originally entered with the wrong
amount. With that in mind, the program will try to help you find it. If you
want this help, press <Y>. Once you return to the Main Menu, this help is no
longer available, even if you select Reconciliation again.
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Checkbook Management Program
If you elect to receive help, the following screen appears:
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Reconciling account (account name) ║
║ Bank's balance should read xxxx.xx ║
║ Check # Date To Whom Amount Category Clr ║
║ . ║
║ . ║
║ . ║
║ ║
║ Cursor control keys: ║
║ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Each transaction just cleared will appear on a line. Fifteen will appear on
any given screen. Use the following cursor control keys to move up and down
the list comparing the displayed amounts to the amounts on the cleared checks.
Using the procedure outlined below, select any that disagree, change the
amount, and return to this list. The displayed bank's balance will be updated
to reflect any changes made during this process.
Cursor control keys for this segment:
Home - redisplay the first screen of 15 transactions.
Down arrow - move down one row. If this moves you off the screen, the
next screen of 15 transactions (if any) appears.
Up arrow - move up one row. If this moves you off the screen, the
previous screen of 15 transactions (if any) appears.
PgUp - redisplay the previous screen of 15 transactions (if any).
PgDn - display the next screen of 15 transactions (if any).
<enter> - select this transaction.
End - exit this option and return to Main Menu.
When a transaction is selected, the current screen is replaced by the
appropriate screen used by the Correction option. (See Correct for details on
these screens.) Once you've indicated the changes are satisfactory, you will
be returned to the same list of 15 transactions you had in front of you when
you selected the transaction. Any change to the amount of that transaction
will be reflected in the displayed bank balance.
Once the discrepancy has been taken care of, or you give up trying to find
it, press <end> and you will return to the Main Menu. If this process has not
found the error, print a check register for the time period in question,
examine it carefully and use either Correct or Enter to fix the problem.
There are three other messages that could be generated by this option.
These are:
1. No entries to reconcile. This message will appear if you choose the Bank
Statement Reconciliation option before entering any transactions into the
file.
2. None cleared this time. You requested the program assist you in finding a
discrepancy, yet no transactions have been cleared since requesting the
Reconciliation option.
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Checkbook Management Program
3. More than 200 transactions were cleared. The internal array to hold
cleared transactions can only hold the first 200 cleared. This should be
adequate for most accounts, but could conceivably be exceeded. Only the
first 200 transactions can appear on the assistance screens. If this does
not isolate the problem, print a check register and use Correct to fix the
problem.
Reports
This option presents the Report Menu which allows you to choose among the
nine reports currently available. This menu follows:
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Checkbook Management Program ║
║Account: (account name) Report Menu║
║Current Balance: xxxxx.xx ║
║ ║
║ (Q)uit ║
║ (1) Check Register - list all transactions ║
║ (2) List Checks Only ║
║ (3) List Deposits ║
║ (4) List Automatic Teller Deposits ║
║ (5) List Automatic Teller Withdrawals ║
║ (6) List All Bank Transactions ║
║ (7) List All Budget Categories ║
║ (8) Transactions in a Category ║
║ (9) Transactions in Category/All Categories ║
║ (0) Annual Expenditure Report ║
║ (A) Summary Report ║
║ ║
║ Enter choice ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
This menu appears with the first option (Quit) highlighted with reverse video.
Use the arrow keys (up and down) to change the highlighting to rest on the
report you want generated. Press <enter> when the proper one is highlighted.
Or press the number or letter in parentheses to select any of the reports.
These options are:
Quit - Return to the Main Menu.
Check Register - a listing of all transactions in the current order. You will
be asked to supply dates defining the interval you wish displayed. Only
those transactions in the interval will be listed. This report can be
displayed on the screen or listed on a printer.
List Checks Only - a listing of all checks in the current order. You will be
asked to supply dates defining the interval you wish displayed. Only
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Checkbook Management Program
those checks in the interval will be listed. The total money for the
listed transactions is also displayed. This report can be displayed on
the screen or listed on a printer.
List Deposits - A listing of all deposits in the current order. Automatic
teller deposits are not listed here. They are included in the list of
Automatic Teller Deposits. You will be asked to supply dates defining the
interval you wish displayed. Only those deposits with dates in the
interval will be listed. The total money for the listed transactions is
also displayed. This report can be displayed on the screen or listed on a
printer.
List Automatic Teller Deposits - a listing of all automatic teller deposits in
the current order. You will be asked to supply dates defining the
interval you wish displayed. Only those automatic teller deposits with
dates in the interval will be listed. The total money for the listed
deposits is also displayed. This report can be displayed on the screen or
listed on a printer.
List Automatic Teller Withdrawals - a listing of all automatic teller
withdrawals in the current order. You will be asked to supply dates
defining the interval you wish displayed. Only those automatic teller
withdrawals with dates in the interval will be listed. The total money
for the listed withdrawals is also displayed. This report can be
displayed on the screen or listed on a printer.
List Bank Transactions - a listing of all bank transactions (service and other
charges and interest) in the current order. You will be asked to supply
dates defining the interval you wish displayed. Only those bank
transactions with dates in the interval will be listed. This report can
be displayed on the screen or listed on a printer.
List All Budget Categories - a listing of all categories currently in use in
your data file in alphabetical order. This report can be displayed on the
screen or listed on a printer.
Transactions in a Category - a listing of all transactions in the current order
which have the same category. You will be asked to supply dates defining
the interval you wish displayed and the category you wish displayed. Only
those transactions in the interval and exactly matching the category will
be listed. The total money for the listed transactions is also displayed.
This report can be displayed on the screen or listed on a printer.
Transactions in Category/All Categories - a listing of all transactions, in the
current order, arranged by category. You will be asked to supply dates
defining the interval you wish considered. All categories represented by
transactions within this interval will appear on the report, each
beginning on a fresh page. The total money for the listed transactions is
also displayed. The categories will appear in alphabetical order. This
report, which can take several pages to print, can only be printed on a
printer. It is not available for screen display. For screen display of
any one category, use the previous report.
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Checkbook Management Program
Annual Expenditure Report - lists a table of the total amounts spent per month
for every category. Totals are given for each month and each category.
The average monthly expenditure for each category is also displayed.
Budget categories are displayed in alphabetical order. You will be asked
to supply the last two digits of the year the report is to cover. This
report, which takes two pages to print, can only be printed on a printer.
It is not available for screen display.
Summary Report - lists the total expenditures and deposits for the account for
each month and the total for the year. This report can be displayed on
the screen or listed on a printer.
Utilities
The Utility Menu looks like this:
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Checkbook Management Program ║
║ Account: (account name) Utility Menu ║
║ Current Balance: xxxxx.xx ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ (Q)uit ║
║ (1) Name or Bias Change ║
║ (2) Category Maintenance ║
║ (3) System Customization ║
║ (4) Find by Contents ║
║ (5) Sort Transactions by Date ║
║ (6) Sort Transactions by Check Number ║
║ ║
║ Enter your choice ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
When this first appears, the first option (Quit) is highlighted in reverse
video. Use the arrow keys to move up and down the list until the function you
wish to use is highlighted. Press <enter> to select that option. An alternate
form of selecting an option on this menu is to press the number which appears
inside the parentheses (2 for Category Maintenance, for example).
Quit - Return to the Main Menu.
Name or Bias Change - This option allows you to change the account name and/or
the bias amount for this account.
Category Maintenance - This option allows you to change every occurrence of a
specified category name to something else. The new name can be a
completely new one or an existing one. This allows you to readily change
Page 24
Checkbook Management Program
misspellings, combine two categories into a single one, or change a name
to something more meaningful to you.
System Customization - This option allows you to customize the program to work
the way you want it to. Items which you may change include the colors the
program uses for a color monitor, allowing future dates to be entered,
defining a fiscal year to begin at a date other than January 1, and
redefining the number of printable lines per page.
Find by Contents - This option allows you to print or display all transactions
having some specified combination of characters in either the "To Whom"
field or the "Memo" field.
Sort Transactions by Date - This option allows you to rearrange the order
transactions are displayed. Once sorted, the transactions cannot be
placed back in their original order. This sort is by the date entered on
the transaction. If two transactions have the same date, they will be
further sorted by check number, then by transaction type.
Sort Transactions by Check Number - This option allows you to rearrange the
order transactions are displayed. Once sorted, the transactions cannot be
placed back in their original order. This sort is by the check number
entered on the transaction. If two transactions have the same check
number (or are the same transaction type), they will be further sorted by
date.
Category Maintenance
This option allows you to change every occurrence of a specified category
name to something else. The new name can be a completely new one or an
existing one. This allows you to readily change misspellings, combine two
categories into a single one, or change a name to something more meaningful to
you.
When this option is selected, the screen changes to this:
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║Category Maintenance ║
║ ║
║( 1) AAAAAAAAAA ( 4) DDDDDDDDDD ( 7) GGGGGGGGGG (10) JJJJJJJJJJ ║
║( 2) BBBBBBBBBB ( 5) EEEEEEEEEE ( 8) HHHHHHHHHH (11) KKKKKKKKKK ║
║( 3) CCCCCCCCCC ( 6) FFFFFFFFFF ( 9) IIIIIIIIII ║
║ ║
║Enter number of category being replaced (0 to stop) ___ ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Your categories will appear on the screen in alphabetical order. The number
preceding each category name is its code number. Type the code number of the
category being replaced and press <enter>. To stop at this point, press <0>,
then press <enter>.
If you enter zero, you will return to the Utility Menu. If you enter a
valid number, the screen becomes:
Page 25
Checkbook Management Program
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║Category Maintenance ║
║ ║
║( 1) AAAAAAAAAA ( 4) DDDDDDDDDD ( 7) GGGGGGGGGG (10) JJJJJJJJJJ ║
║( 2) BBBBBBBBBB ( 5) EEEEEEEEEE ( 8) HHHHHHHHHH (11) KKKKKKKKKK ║
║( 3) CCCCCCCCCC ( 6) FFFFFFFFFF ( 9) IIIIIIIIII ║
║ ║
║Enter number of category being replaced (0 to stop) X__ ║
║Replace it with what? __________ ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Carefully type the new category name. This new name can be a completely new
category or any of the existing category names. When it is complete, press
<enter>. If you change your mind and decide not to change it at all, press
<enter> or enter a string of blanks. In this case, you will return to the
Utility Menu.
Once you enter the new name, the screen becomes:
╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║Replacing...one moment please... ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
The program is now searching your data file to find every occurrence of the
category you chose. Each occurrence will be replaced with the new category
name.
When all transactions have been examined, the screen becomes:
╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║Complete... X transactions found and changed. ║
║ ║
║Press <M> to continue category maintenance. ║
║Press any other key to return to Utility Menu. ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
The X above will be replaced with the actual number of transactions having the
old category.
To replace other categories, press <M> and the first screen of this
section will reappear. To return to the Utility Menu, press any other key.
System Customization
This option allows you to customize the program to work the way you want
it to. Items which you may change include the colors the program uses for a
color monitor, allowing future dates to be entered, defining a fiscal year to
begin at a date other than January 1, and redefining the number of printable
lines per page. Default values for these are:
Regular video: White letters on Blue
Reverse video: White letters on Red
Future dates disallowed.
Printable lines per page: 55.
Page 26
Checkbook Management Program
Fiscal year begins in January.
When this option is chosen, the screen appears like this:
╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Checkbook Management Program ║
║ Customization ║
║ ║
║ Regular Print Background Example ║
║ Letters ║
║ ║
║ Reverse Print Background Example ║
║ Letters ║
║ ║
║ Future Dates Disallowed ║
║ ║
║ Number of printed lines per page? ______55 ║
║ ║
║ First Month of Fiscal Year? ___January ║
║ ║
║ Satisfied? X ║
║ ║
║ Press space to see other options. Press <enter> to select one. ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
The current assignments for the various print colors will appear on the
appropriate lines. The two "Examples" will demonstrate the color choices as
you rotate through them. When in the field for number of printed lines per
page, type the new number, then press <enter>.
Use the following keys to navigate this screen:
<space bar> - Rotates the next selection for the cursor's field into view. If
changing colors, the appropriate Example will change to reflect the effect
of this color change.
<enter> - "Selects" the currently displayed value. When <enter> is pressed
while the cursor is in the box following "Satisfied?", the changes
appearing on the screen are incorporated into the program. The Utility
Menu reappears displaying your new colors. The choices are also recorded
in the file CUSTOM.DAT so that they will be in effect the next time you
run the program.
<tab> - For most of the fields, the <tab> key operates exactly as the <enter>
key does. It selects the current value for the cursor's field and moves
the cursor to the next field. However, if <tab> is pressed while the
cursor is in the "Satisfied?" field, the cursor moves to the first field
on the screen (Regular video background).
Q,q - Leaves the screen and makes any changes appearing on the screen
permanent.
<back tab> - Moves the cursor to the previous field.
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Checkbook Management Program
<home> - Moves the cursor to the first field (Regular video background).
<end> - Moves the cursor to the last field on the screen (Satisfied?).
<down arrow> - Moves the cursor to the next field.
<up arrow> - Moves the cursor to the previous field.
When the values on the screen are the way you want them to be, move the
cursor to the box following the word "Satisfied?" and press <enter>. This
exits the screen, writes the new values to the file CUSTOM.DAT, and activates
any changes. When the Utility Menu reappears, it will be displayed in the new
colors. If the program detects a monochrome monitor in use in monochrome mode,
the colors are ignored.
Cursor Key Movements
This page describes the use of cursor control keys for the Enter and
Correction screens.
Key Action
Qq Most of the time this will return you to the previous menu. There
are exceptions, and these are noted in the field explanations under
Enter. These exceptions are primarily the "To Whom", "Memo", and
"Category" fields.
A-Z,a-z These are the regular alphabetic keys. Unless you are in a date or
amount field, these will print as you expect them to.
0-9 These are the numeric keys. They will print as you expect them to in
most circumstances.
Other printable characters. These behave as the letters above do. If it would
print on a typewriter, it will probably print on the screen.
Backspace (the arrow to the left of the NumLock key) This behaves as you
might expect it to. Most fields, it will delete the character to the
left of the cursor and move the rest over to fill in the hole. There
are exceptions. Most of the exceptions just refuse to acknowledge
the key.
Tab Move the cursor forward to the next field. If the cursor is in the
box following Abort, <tab> will move the cursor to the first field on
the screen. That is, it will "wraparound".
Shift-Tab Also referred to as Reverse Tab. It moves the cursor back to the
previous field. If the cursor is in the first field on the screen,
this will move it to the last. To use this key, hold down the shift
key and press <tab>.
Enter For most fields, this operates as the <tab> key does. It signals
that you are finished with the current field and want to move on to
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Checkbook Management Program
the next one. Pressing <enter> in either of the last two boxes on
the screen has a different meaning. If <enter> is pressed while the
cursor is in the box following Satisfied?, the transaction is
permanently added to the data file in the form on the screen. If
<enter> is pressed while the cursor is in the box following Abort?,
the transaction is ignored.
Home Moves the cursor to the first field on the screen.
End Moves the cursor to the last field on the screen. In this case, the
box following Abort?.
Up Arrow Move the cursor to the field directly above the current field.
Down Arrow Move the cursor to the field directly below the current field.
Left Arrow Move the cursor to the left one position, but don't leave the field
it is currently positioned in. If the cursor is at the beginning of
a field, the key is ignored.
Right Arrow Move the cursor to the right one position, but don't leave the
field it is currently positioned in. If the cursor is at the end of
a field, the key is ignored.
Insert Key Toggles the insertion status on and off. If the insertion status
is on, the next character will be inserted at the cursor position,
moving the characters following it to the right to make room for the
new character. Pressing <insert> one more time turns this ability
off.
Del Key Deletes the character at the cursor position. For most fields, the
characters remaining to the right of the cursor will move left one
space to fill in the blank.
<F1> Display a Help screen related to what is going on at the moment.
None of the other function keys are used by this program.
Play Suggestions
I strongly urge you to take some time and play around with this program
before using it for your real checks. This will give you a feel for how it
works and a chance to decide if you really want to use it.
Start out by answering the initialization questions as they appear on the
screen. From here, the only thing you can do is enter transactions (the other
functions will tell you they have nothing to work with). You have two courses
you can take here. One is to just sit down and make up the transactions as you
think of them, and the other is to pull some checks, deposits, etc., from a
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Checkbook Management Program
year or so ago and work with them.
Try entering each of the types of transactions - checks, deposits, and
automatic teller transactions. If your bank doesn't have automatic teller
capabilities, you may want to skip that part.
Once you have some transactions entered (I'd recommend 20-30 to start out
with), explore the other options. Try displaying and printing some of the
reports. Printing the check register will give you a hard copy of what you
have entered. This will come in handy on the Correction and Deletion segments,
when you must supply the check number or the date of any other transaction to
find the correct one.
Change the name of the account. It's easy with the Name or Bias Change
option (Utility Menu).
Try changing the information on some of the transactions, using Correct.
Try deleting an individual transaction.
Pull out an old bank statement and try reconciling the account to it (try
this if you entered some old checks, and this statement deals with them).
Try deleting the first half of what you entered. You'll need a date for
that.
Try changing some category names using Category Maintenance (Utility
Menu).
Try looking up some transactions based on the content of the "To Whom" and
"Memo" options using the Find by Content option of the Utility Menu.
When you feel comfortable with the program, delete the data files and
start over using real data. To delete the data files:
Return to the DOS prompt (A>).
Place the disk with the data files in drive A.
Type del *.dat and press <enter>.
That's all there is to it. Enjoy the program.
To Change from Previous Versions
A) Be sure to replace your current copy of CHECKS.EXE with the enclosed copy
before attempting to use the converted data files.
From version 3.x to 4.0: No data conversion is necessary.
From version 2.x to 4.0:
1) Make a backup copy of your existing data files (just in case).
2) Verify that the number of bytes remaining on the data disk is at least 10%
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Checkbook Management Program
more than the number of bytes used by your CHECKS.DAT file. If there is
not, please contact M. P. Data. I will immediately send you (at no
additional cost) a different conversion program. If you do not have
sufficient room remaining on the disk, DO NOT continue this procedure.
3) Place the data disk in the default drive (A: or C:)
4) Place the new program disk in the other drive (B: or A:). If you are
using a hard disk, substitute A: for B: in the directions below.
5) Type B:CONV and press <enter>. The conversion program will change
your data files to the new format.
6) When the program concludes (the DOS prompt will reappear), type B:CHECKS
and press <enter> to begin the program.
7) To verify the files converted correctly, please run one of the reports
that lists transactions (such as the check register) to see if the
information looks correct. If it does not, please see the notes on
"Double Precision" users below.
8) If the report looks correct, exit the program (through the menus) and
delete the file TEMP.DAT from your data disk.
From version 1.0 (1985) to 4.0:
1) Make a backup copy of your existing data files (just in case).
2) Verify that the number of bytes remaining on the data disk is at least 10%
more than the number of bytes used by your CHECKS.DAT file. If there is
not, please contact M. P. Data. I will immediately send you (at no
additional cost) a different conversion program. If you do not have
sufficient room remaining on the disk, DO NOT continue this procedure.
3) Place the data disk in the default drive (A:).
4) Place the new program disk in the other drive (B:).
5) Type B:CONV and press <enter>. The conversion program will change
your data files to the new format.
6) When the program concludes (the DOS prompt will reappear), type B:CHECKS
and press <enter> to begin the program.
7) To verify the files converted correctly, please run one of the reports
that lists transactions (such as the check register) to see if the
information looks correct. If it does not, please see the notes on
"Double Precision" users below.
8) If the report looks correct, exit the program (through the menus) and
delete the file TEMP.DAT from your data disk.
Double precision users only:
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Checkbook Management Program
Some of you have previously requested double precision (or big number) versions
of the program. Version 3.0 delivers this capability to everyone. If you are
in doubt as to whether you have a double precision version, follow the
appropriate steps above and check a report. If you already had double
precision capability, your report will have garbage on the first screen - that
is, the transactions will not line up properly on the screen and there may be
some strange characters displayed.
If you get a bad report or if you know for sure that you have double precision
capability, restore the data files from your back up copy, and follow these
instructions.
1) Delete the file CUSTOM.DAT from your data disk.
2) Start the new program. You will be asked whether the data is on a floppy
diskette or a hard disk. Answer <Y> if your data is on a floppy disk.
Answer <N> if it is on a hard disk.
3) The program will begin. You will have to redo any customizing you had
already specified (monitor colors and future dates).
4) Try running a report again. If the files are still faulty, please contact
M. P. Data for assistance.
New Features
New features of version 4.0:
1) Bank charges and interest entries (through Bank Reconciliation) will ask
for more information than before. You can now enter a different date and
your own category and memo information. (See pages 31 and 32)
2) The Find by Contents report now totals the amounts involved.
3) Enter and Correct menus can access transaction types by pressing the first
letter of the transaction type in addition to highlighting the name and
pressing <enter> (see pages 13 and 19).
4) New report: List Bank Transactions. (See page 48)
5) Voided transactions (those with zero amounts) can be retained for report
purposes.
6) The report listing AutoTeller transactions has been split into two
separate reports. One lists AutoTeller Deposits, the other lists
AutoTeller Withdrawals.
7) Those reports which list both deposits and withdrawals will total these
amounts separately.
8) The account balance now appears on the Main Menu, Report Menu, and
Deletion Menu screens.
9) Printed report pages are now numbered.
10) Files are now closed then reopened after five transactions have been
entered. This forces the files to be written to the disk, reducing the
potential amount of material lost in the event of a power failure or other
mishap.
11) The transactions can be sorted by check number (with other transactions
appearing in alphabetical order at the end of the list). See page 68.
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Checkbook Management Program
New features of version 3.x:
1) The ability to correctly handle amounts of money larger than 90,000.
2) New reports - List of checks only in an interval (see page 39) and Summary
Report (see page 59).
3) List all budget categories now lists the categories in alphabetical order.
4) The ability to change all occurrences of a category name with a different
category name (new or existing).
5) The three special listing reports (Checks only, Deposits, and Automatic
Teller Transactions) print/display the total of all transactions appearing
in the report at the end of the report.
6) The first four reports (Check Register, Checks only, Deposits, and
Automatic Teller Transactions) print/display the current balance as part
of the report header information.
7) The transactions can be sorted into chronological order rather than
leaving them in the order entered (see page 67).
8) There is a new column on the Annual Expenditure Report, giving the average
monthly expenditure for each budget category (see page 56).
9) There are two new customized options. You can define a fiscal year other
than the calendar be used for the two annual reports (Annual Expenditure
Report and Summary Report). And you can change the default number of
printed lines per page (see page 64).
10) The ability to list transactions based on the contents of the "To Whom"
and "Memo" fields (see page 65).
11) Check numbers larger than 32767 will now increment correctly.
12) This version also contains corrections for all the minor bugs reported in
the last year.
New features of version 2.x:
1) Data files on hard disks will no longer cause an error.
2) Better use of color on color monitors. You can change the colors used if
you do not like the colors supplied with the program.
3) Future dates are still disallowed. However, for those who write checks for
dates in the future, this disallowance can be disabled (see System
Customization).
4) Deposits and Auto Teller Transactions can have budget categories assigned
to them and can have the memo field filled in.
5) A seventh report has been added allowing you to generate the second report
(Transactions in a category) for all categories at once, rather than one
at a time.
6) A couple of minor bugs have been corrected.
7) Internal routines have been changed to better use DOS and BIOS calls
rather than writing directly to the screen buffer. This should clear up
some of the compatibility problems that have been reported.
8) Check numbers and transaction dates are prefilled, but can be changed.
9) Category reports include totals.
Transfer Data to a Hard Disk
1) Use the DOS COPY command to copy CONTROL.DAT and CHECKS.DAT from the
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Checkbook Management Program
floppy diskette to the correct subdirectory you have chosen for the hard
disk.
2) Make this subdirectory the current directory on the default drive.
3) Run the program. Since the file CUSTOM.DAT was not transferred, it will
begin with the question "Is default drive (where data is) a floppy drive?
(Y or N)". Press <N> then <enter>.
4) The program continues normally.
5) If you had customized the program, select System Customization (on the
Utility Menu) to reset these values.
Note: Do not transfer CUSTOM.DAT. Let the program recreate it. This is
the only way the internal flag for hard disk usage is set.
Multiple Accounts
It is possible to use this program with more than one account. There is
more than one way this can be accomplished.
If you are keeping your data on floppy diskettes, then use a separate
diskette for each account.
If you are keeping your data on a hard disk, then keep each account in a
separate subdirectory. The program can reside in the same directory as each
account (giving you multiple copies of the program on your disk, which will
waste space), or you can keep the program on a floppy disk and run the program
with the command A:CHECKS, or you can use the PATH command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT
file to specify the full path leading to the subdirectory containing the
program file.
Special Tips
1) Regular backups of the data files are strongly recommended. It is vital
that three data files are kept together. If the files are small enough to
fit on a single floppy, then use this command:
COPY B:*.DAT A:
(Assuming your current data files are on a diskette in drive B:.)
If the files are larger (and you are using a hard disk), use this command:
BACKUP C:*.DAT A:
You may have to adjust the PATH command so that DOS can find your copy of
the BACKUP command. Refer to your DOS manual for additional details.
If you ever need to restore your backed up files, be sure to restore all
three of them, not just one.
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Checkbook Management Program
2) If it is necessary to split a check between two or more categories, this
is the method I have used. Enter the check once with the amount to be
credited to the first category as if that's all the check was written for.
Then enter the check again (using the same check number) with the amount
to be credited to the next category. The check number can be repeated as
many times as necessary. As long as you enter all portions of the check
at the same time (or place the same date on all segments then sort by
date), the segments will appear together on most of the reports and in the
bank reconciliation process.
Glossary
This is a glossary of some of the words used in this document that may
need defining.
Auto Teller This is also referred to as an automatic teller. This is a
machine used by many banks to allow people to deposit or withdraw
funds without the assistance of a human teller. They use a special
plastic card and coded numbers to transact business. Most people
have seen one, even if their bank does not offer one.
Backup Copying the data and program files to another disk that can be kept
in another location. Then, if anything happens to the first disk,
the second can be used with a minimum of data loss. I recommend
backing up the data files every time you finish with this program.
Cursor The blinking line on the screen that shows where the next character
typed will appear.
Data Files This is where the information you enter about transactions is kept.
This program uses two primary data files named CONTROL.DAT and
CHECKS.DAT. If either is deleted, your information is lost. Please
copy these files to a backup disk every time you exit the program.
This is for your protection. Disks are not meant for permanent
storage and can go bad. This program also uses a customization data
file (CUSTOM.DAT). See System Customization for more details on
this.
<F1> Function key F1. The function keys appear to the left of the typing
keys on the IBM PC keyboard. F1 is one on these (they are marked F1,
F2, etc.). In this program, pressing <F1> will display a Help
screen. The other function keys are not currently implemented.
Future Dates - A date is considered to be a future date if it is later than the
system date (the date your computer thinks today is). The system
date is the date you enter when you turn the computer on or the date
supplied by a clock/calendar board when the computer is turned on.
The program does not allow you to enter dates later than the system
date unless you have changed this through the System Customization
feature.
Menu A choice of options. Just as a restaurant will present you with a
menu of the items they have available to sell, this program will
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Checkbook Management Program
present you with a menu of the functions it can perform. You make
your choice on these menus by either highlighting the one you want in
reverse video or pressing the letter in parentheses.
Reconciliation Sometimes referred to as balancing the checkbook. Verifying
the permanent record of the checks agrees with the bank's statement
of funds deposited and withdrawn.
Reverse video Most of the screen presentations will involve normal video
(yellow letters on a cyan background for color monitors, green
letters on a black background for green monochrome monitors, amber
letters for amber monochrome monitors). Menu choices and data to be
filled in will appear in reverse video, that is, black letters in a
field of either green or amber, for monochrome monitors, yellow
letters in a field of red, for color monitors. Systems with color
monitors have the added option of changing these colors.
Transaction For this program, a transaction is any item dealing with the bank.
This includes checks, deposits, automatic teller withdrawals,
automatic teller deposits, interest postings, service charges, and
other bank charges.
Valid date A valid date is one that can really appear on a calendar. April 31
is not a valid date as April has only 30 days. February 29, 1985 is
not a valid date, as 1985 is not a leap year.
Voided Transaction - A transaction with a zero amount.
Messages
This section summarizes some of the messages you may receive when running
this program. If you need further assistance, please contact:
Marilyn Price
M. P. Data
113 Foxport Dr.
Kingsport, Tennessee 37664
(615) 349-7744
1) Amount is zero. Void transaction (V), Edit (E), or Quit (Q)
The amount on the transaction you are entering or correcting is zero. If
you want to keep the transaction in the data file with the zero amount,
press <V> to mark it as a voided transaction. If the zero is a mistake,
press <E> to reedit the transaction or <Q> to ignore the transaction entry
or changes.
2) Date in the future.
Unless disabled through the System Customization routine, dates later than
the system date (the date you told the computer when you turned the power
on) are not allowed.
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Checkbook Management Program
3) Dates out of order.
Several of the reports require a range of dates. The first date entered
must be earlier than the second. You will be given the opportunity to
correct the situation.
4) Error in file CONTROL.DAT.
Once you have begun to really use the program, this message should never
appear. It should only appear before you have entered any data. Its
appearance means that at some time, you began the program, but it was
unable to complete the initialization process. This message would appear
the next time you attempted to run the program. To correct it, delete the
file CONTROL.DAT and begin again.
5) Invalid Date.
The date you entered cannot be found on a standard calendar. April 31
would be an invalid date as April only has 30 days. February 29, 1987,
would be an invalid date as 1987 is not a leap year.
6) More than 50 categories. Some will be omitted.
The function you are accessing sorts the categories into alphabetical
order. There is an internal limit of 50 categories for this. If this
number is too small for your purposes, please contact M. P. Data to have
it increased.
7) More than 200 transactions were cleared.
This message appears in the Reconciliation correction mode when more than
200 transactions were just cleared. This is the internal limit. You can
review the first 200 of the cleared transactions, but, if the error is not
in this group of transactions, the program will not be able to help you.
8) More than one found. Indicate which you want.
More than one transaction meets the criteria you requested. Indicate
which one on the list displayed is the one you want. Enter 1 for the
first on the list, 2 for the second, etc.
9) No entries to reconcile.
You are trying to reconcile an account with no uncleared transactions.
10) None cleared this time.
You are attempting to use the Reconciliation correction mode without
clearing any transactions. This mode only operates on those transactions
just cleared. Once you return to the Main Menu, this mode is no longer
available.
11) Not Found.
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Checkbook Management Program
The transaction you were looking for was not found. Please recheck the
check number or transaction date and try again. If this appears in a
report, it means that no transactions met the report criteria.
12) Nothing to report.
There are no transactions which match the report criteria.
13) Real indefinite.
You are attempting to run the program with the data on a hard disk after
telling it that the data would be on a floppy diskette. The program is
attempting to determine the remaining disk space. Unless your hard disk
is very full, this number is much too large for the program to handle. To
correct, follow the instructions on page 76 for transferring data from a
floppy diskette to a hard disk.
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