PSION CD 2/PsionCDVol2.iso/Programs/170/bankplus.txt

Text File | 2001-04-16 | 14.4 KB | 405 lines

                          "BankPlus" by Pete Sipple
                     Written for the Psion Series 5/5mx



BankPlus is a financial package which allows the user to create up to
sixteen accounts, which can be either BANK or CREDIT CARD accounts. It
will automatically pay standing orders, arrange inter-account transfers,
and lets you print a statement to screen or printer. It allows the user
to verify bank statements, and comes with a basic password facility, to
prevent casual prying.

BankPlus is not the most feature-packed program available, but is designed
for users who want a quick & easy way of keeping their bank accounts in
order.




Installation:
=============

BankPlus uses a .sis file to install the files into the correct location on your
Series 5. This makes installation straightforward.

Here is how to install BankPlus:

1. Connect your Series 5 to your PC with the PsiWin lead.
2. Unzip the bankplus.sis file to any folder on your PC.
3. On your PC, double-click on the bankplus.sis file. This will start the
   Epoc Install program, and copy the required files will be copied to
   your Psion.
4. Click on your Psion's Extras button, you should see a new icon, "BankPlus".

If you do not have access to a PC with PsiWin, you will need to copy a program
called instexe (supplied by Psion) onto your Series 5. Tapping this file will
install support for sis files on your Series 5. You can then copy the
bankplus.sis file onto your Psion and install BankPlus by double-tapping.
The instexe file is available for download from the BankPlus website, from Psion,
or on the Palmtop Magazine CD.


=================================================================================

Info on using BankPlus:
=======================


Menu Options
============

The 'Account' Menu Card presents a list of the accounts that you have
set up - Select an account to use.

Find - Search the selected account for an individual item
New Item - To enter a new item. Just pressing [Enter] does the same job
Transfer - Transfer funds between accounts
Standing Orders - Setup or edit standing orders

View - View a list of transactions/balances in date order (Bank statement)
Check - To verify BankPlus data with your bank statement
Balances - Total balances on all accounts (press [menu] for other commands)
Categories - For an overview of category spend
Print - Print a list of transactions/balances in date order (Bank statement)

Tidy - Tidy entries older than specified date (entries are deleted)
Archive - Copy data from all accounts into a seperate file for archiving
Export - Export as Quicke, comma delimited or tab delimited (for spreadsheets)
Currency Converter - A calculator for currency conversion
Converter settings - Set currency conversion defaults
Information - Bank account numbers, sort code, phone number and notes
Display Graph - A visual representation of your accounts

Setup Accounts - Change / setup bank account information
Settings - To set basic defaults
International - Setup currency details and number formats.
Category settings - Up to 30 categories are allowed. Enter names here.
Password - change password. Enhanced option protects BankPlus when multitasking



Explanation of "Clearing" & "Stmt"
==================================

By default, new entries are marked as "uncleared", which means that they
haven't appeared on your monthly statement from your bank.

The Balance shown on the main menu screen shows "Balance" (which includes
all transactions, cleared or not, as of today's date)

The 'Cleared' total shows the amount shown on your latest bank statement.

To adjust "cleared", use the "check" option from the statement menu. Press
[C] to confirm that an item is cleared, ie. has appeared on your statement.

Note that items with a transaction date greater than today's date will not
affect the current balance, until that date is reached.



Standing Orders
===============
There is no limit to the amount of standing orders that can be set up. At the
beginning of each month, BankPlus automatically checks and pays any standing
orders that are due in the current month, or the next month. This range
can be expanded from the settings menu option if required. The automatic
check once per month is all that is required, however there is a "force s/o
check option" available if required from the Standing Order screen.

Standing orders normally will be paid every month, but specific months can be
excluded if required, to accomodate non-specific standing orders (such as
quarterly payments). Weekly standing orders cannot be handled by BankPlus.



Explanation of Credit Card accounts
===================================
Some users have expressed confusion over how "credit card" account types
work. Here is a summary of how they should be used.

Definition - If you have a credit card account, it should be set up as such
under the Setup Accounts option. Bank makes a 'Credit card' card works in an
opposite way to a "Bank' account, in that debits are added to the balance,
rather than deduced. This is why the balance on the statement issued by your
credit card company shows a positive balance and payments are deduced from
the outstanding balance. This means that when you enter a transaction into
Bank, you will enter it as a "debit", whereas payments are "credits"

Balances - If an account is correctly set as a 'Credit card' account, the
fact that your 'credit card' balance is money that you owe, is reflected in
the Balances total. If you were to owe $100 to Visa/Mastercard, the
"Balances" option would show a "debit" and reduce your total balance
accordingly.

Transfers - If you wish to make an inter account transfer to show that you
have made a payment to your credit card company, you would select "Transfer",
and set the "From Account" to be the bank account, and the "To Account" to
be the credit card account. The "Transfer amount" should not be a negative
amount.




Categories
==========
This option is for users who wish to keep a record of transaction types, for
example,  cash, cheque, payment, petrol, etc. transactions. The names of the
transaction types are entered (max of 30 in the 'Category names' screen,
and the Category function is enabled in the Settings menu. When new items
are entered, you have the option to select that category.
Reports / Find / View can then search or list by category.








=================================================================================

Upgrading files from Series 3a/3c to Series 5:
============================================

Note that datafiles are NOT compatible. A seperate utility, BP3EXP.OPO
will need to be run on your Series 3/3a/3c machine to create
export files which can be read by the Series 5 version.

Settings files cannot be transferred, so you will need to re-input
account & category names.

1. Install BP3EXP.OPO into the \OPO\ directory on your 3/3a/3c
2. From under the OPO icon, select BP3EXP and run the program
3. Select which account you wish to convert
4. Repeat this procedure for each account

5. Copy the files (.BP3) onto your Series 5, in a directory called C:\BankPlus
6. Run BankPlus. You will need to manually create each account.
7. Select the first account that you wish to add data to.
8. Run "Import" from the menu and select the BP3 file which corresponds to the account.
9. Repeat the above for each account you wish to import

Repeat the same procedure for standing order export, but select the file BANKSO.ODB,
or a BankPlus archive file, if required.



Upgrading registration from Series 3a/3c:
=========================================


Note: Your Series 3a/3c registration code will work on the Series 5 version,
but you may wish to upgrade to a Series 5 registration code, which can be
obtained from the author. Your existing code will remove the main "nag" screens
and prompts which would appear after 30 days of unregistered use, but will show
a very infrequent reminder after nearly two months of use. If you wish to support
the ongoing development of BankPlus, you may wish to obtain a Series 5 code to
remove all nag messages. Normal registration price is ú8 (unchanged since 1996),
but existing users can upgrade for just ú5. If you feel that BankPlus for the
Series 5 is useful, then payment for the new version would be appreciated, to
cover development costs and to motivate me for future releases. If you feel that
you are due a Series 5 code free of charge, please let me know.

Payment can be made in the usual way. Users may wish to register for an upgrade
online. This can now be done at www.reg.net quoting ID 4155. You must supply your
existing Series 3a/3c/Siena code prior to registration.




==========================================================================




Registering BankPlus
====================

BankPlus is Shareware, and if you find this program useful, you are asked to
register it. The current price is 8.00 UK pounds.

Cheques, made payable, to P.Sipple should be sent to the following address:

Pete Sipple
6 The Lodge
109 Kingswood Chase
Leigh-on-Sea
Essex
SS9 3BE
United Kingdom



The following methods can be used to register:
1. Send a cheque drawn on a UK bank for 8ukp, made payable to "Pete Sipple"
2. Send a cheque drawn from your local bank, but payable in sterling, to "Pete Sipple"
3. Make payment by credit card (see below)
4. Contact a friend in the UK and ask them to forward payment in ukp.
5. Arrange for a direct payment into my bank account, see below.
6. Obtain payment in UK sterling notes and coins from a foreign currency exchange service.


If requested, you will be sent the most current version of BankPlus by email.
Please remember to include your email address (if appropriate) and the
current version number (from 'About'). Files sent by email will be UUencoded
if sent over Internet.

If you cannot accept UUencoded email, or have no email account, a disk of
the latest version can be posted out to you, but please add 1.00ukp for disk
cost plus postage.


Credit Card
===========
Payment can be made by Visa, Mastercard or American Express online using RegNet.
Transactions are made by secure server. Note that payments are deducted in dollars,
and include RegNet's handling fee.

To register BankPlus for the Series 5, go to http://www.reg.net and quote
the RegNet ID #3771.

If you are unable/unwilling to register online, RegNet can be reached at 1 800 999-2734.
For those of you outside the U.S. you can call RegNet at [phone].
Please quote the RegNet ID #3771.


Bank Account
============

If you wish, you can arrange for your bank to credit my bank account. Please
note that unless you contact me to advise me that you have done this, I
have no way of knowing who the payment is from, so please mail or email me
to confirm the transaction. Also, please ensure that your name is quoted
as a reference in the transaction to enable me to identify it.
Bank: First Direct
Address: Millshaw Park Lane, Leeds LS11 0LT, UK
Account Number: 70172790
Sort Code: 40-47-86



As well as supporting the Shareware concept, registration brings additional
benefits:

1. You can join the BankPlus Mailing list and receive regular updates on new
releases as they become available.

2. You will be sent a registration number to remove the startup "nag" screen.

3. Wherever possible, your suggestions will be considered for future
releases.



=========================================================================

Latest Version:
===============

The latest version of BankPlus can be obtained by any of the following
methods:

1. Downloaded direct from the BankPlus homepage
   http://www.petesipple.co.uk/bankplus.html
2. By email. Mail [e-mail] for details
3. From the bankplus conference on CiX
4. From other shareware sources, inc the main FTP sites and 3lib
5. By sending a disk and stamped addressed envelope to the author


=========================================================================


Contacting the author
=====================

Comments, queries and bug reports are welcomed. I can be reached by email
at:

[e-mail]

(please remember to state the version number that you are using!)

* PLEASE NOTE THAT TELEPHONE REGISTRATION & SUPPORT IS NOT AVAILABLE *



Finally:
========


Thanks to William Nightingale and Martin Packer for their help with
designing the BankPlus icon.

A big thanks also to my beta testers, especially Nick Baker - Without your
help, the program wouldn't be what it is today!






Disclaimers, etc
================
Although this procedure appears stable, I cannot accept any liability for
loss, or damage, as a result of using this procedure.


The procedures included with releases of BankPlus remain copyright of
Pete Sipple.
You may freely distribute the files to other users, but please make sure
that ALL files including this documentation are kept together. Reverse
translation to obtain the source code is not permitted.



Written by: Pete Sipple
            7th Dec 1999

==================================================================
                       ** BANKPLUS REGISTRATION **

To:         Pete Sipple
            6 The Lodge
            109 Kingswood Chase
            Leigh-on-Sea
            Essex  SS9 3BE
            United Kingdom


Title:      ___  First Name:  _________  Last Name:  ________________


Address:    _______________________________________________

            _______________________________________________

            _______________________________________________

            _____________________________________


Email:      _____________________________________________


I enclose a cheque/Eurocheque/Money Order (in UK Pounds, payable to
'Pete Sipple', for ______

Credit Card registration is possible with RegNet. See the text file which
accompanies BankPlus for details, or visit http://www.petesipple.co.uk/


Please quote the current version number: ______ (Series 5 : 3a/3c : Siena)


Where did you hear about BankPlus: ___________________________  (5sis)


=======================================================================
Please post this form to the above address. Note that phone/fax
registration is not available.


Please send any useful feedback to [e-mail]