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AutoChk - AUTOMATIC CHECK BOOK
Version 3.65a
USER'S GUIDE
(c) COPYRIGHT April 1993, HENRY CHOW
USEFUL SOFTWARE ENTERPRISES
Released as Free Shareware Software
Users of this program need NOT submit a fee for the use of this
program. I am dedicating this program to all those who create
good, affordable software as Shareware. You are ENCOURAGED to
copy and distribute this program provided that
1. this program is not distributed in connection with any other
product,
2. no fee is charged, and
3. the program is not modified in any way.
*** Notice ***
This program is distributed "AS IS" without any warranty as to
its performance. You assume the entire risk as to the results
and performance of the program.
If you find any bugs or have any comments, you can contact me via
CompuServe Mail (Id: 74010,3002). Do not send comments via any
forum that you should find the program. Include details about
any bugs, DOS version, computer or printer type (if applicable),
and don't forget the version number of Autochk. I will try to
reply as necessary.
****************************
*** Revisions at the end ***
****************************
Introduction/History
--------------------
This program has been developed as an aid to the common check
book update blues. I'm sure you have found yourself, from time
to time, frantically punching the keys on a calculator trying to
balance your check book. Each time, the final number appears
different. With this program, you can accomplish that task
effortlessly. At the touch of a key, the checks that have
cleared the bank will be totalled and displayed.
I tried to write AutoChk to be as flexible to the user as
possible. In fact, this program simulates the looks of your
check book, providing you with the ability to enter a check or
deposit anywhere in the book you desire (just like the check book
you might be using now. And if you are not using one, you
should). Of course, it makes more sense to start at the top and
go down, but you don't have to. You can also fill in any one
column or all the columns for each entry. You may enter each
check using one row, or to allow for detailed description, using
multiple rows.
Originally I started to develop this program as a simple tool for
my own use. The difference between this program and other check
book programs is not so much in its functionality, but rather in
its appearance and its small size. I wanted my computer screen
to resemble my bank's check book. With this format, it is much
easier to glance at the screen and see my account right in front
of me, or to scroll through to find a certain entry. Autochk was
never intended to be a financial expertise program; however, it
does serve as a simple and easy-to-use tool for the average home.
As I got further into software development, a colleague of mine
suggested additional features that might warrant the effort of
typing in all those checks into a computer. Specifically, each
check can carry a KEY that places it in a certain category that
the user can specify. At tax time, you can print out checks that
fall in each category, along with the total.
During the development of Autochk, I received a statement from my
bank. I went over to my computer, look down the statement, and
checked off each entry that has cleared. At the end, I entered
the interest into Autochk and pressed one key. The total amount
of money that cleared the bank appeared, and I balanced my
checking account in no time! By keeping the check book up-to-
date, entering data into Autochk is no more difficult than
entering it into a check book, especially if you use your
computer with any regularity.
You are allowed 1000 lines in which you may enter you account.
Beyond that, you will have to start a new file. In my humble
opinion, keeping too much (i.e. more than 1000 entries) in one
file may be risking losing important data should the file become
corrupt. Especially if you use the categorie function for taxes,
starting a new file annually makes a lot of sense.
Getting Started
---------------
Although I have not tested this program on every possible
combination of machines, printers, and DOS versions, Autochk
should run on any DOS 2.x+ IBM PC/XT/AT 8088+, PS/2 or compatible
with a Monochrome Adapter, Hercules Graphics Card, Color Graphics
Adapter (CGA), Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA), or Video Graphics
Array (VGA). Autochk needs LESS THAN 256K of available RAM, very
unusual for programs nowadays.
Because video displays differ in characteristics, Autochk will
automatically adjust to the type you have on your system. You
will notice a somewhat slower screen update on the CGA (to avoid
snow) compared to either the monochrome, the EGA or the VGA.
The only file you need is AUTOCHK.EXE. And since you are reading
it, you should know that AUTOCHK.DOC is the corresponding
documentation. Also included in ACHKxxx.ZIP is a sample account
( SAMPLE.{$} and SAMPLE.{C} ).
Autochk will create two file (with extensions .{$} and .{C}) for
each account you specify. The file with .{$} is the check book
itself. The latter stores the categories you define. These
files are fixed in size are written in binary form for faster
access and can not be TYPEd in DOS.
The syntax to start Autochk is:
AUTOCHK [ [d:][path]filename[.{$}] ]
Everything following AUTOCHK is optional. If you do not enter
anything else on the command line, Autochk will prompt you with a
listing of its data files in the default directory. From there,
you may change the default drive or path by selecting the
appropriate option ([D] or [P], respectively) listed at the
bottom of the screen. To load a particular file, press [L]. You
can start a new file by loading the entry number marked "<New
File>". [Esc] will exit Autochk.
As with older versions of Autochk, you may enter the data file
name directly from DOS, bypassing the startup menu. The drive
and path are optional. If you do not enter them, the default
directory will be used. You do not need to enter the extension
(.{$}); just realize that Autochk will add on the extension
automatically for you. For example, if you type
AUTOCHK E:\ACCT\SAMPLE
the SAMPLE.{$} and SAMPLE.{C} files will be loaded from the \ACCT
directory on drive E. If the file you entered does not exist, a
new one will be created.
To save you the aggravation of not being able to save the check
book when you are done, Autochk make sure that your file is not
write-protected. And of course if you enter an illegal path,
Autochk will also let you know.
The data files require about 50K of disk space, and at startup,
AutoChk will check to see if you have enough room on the disk
drive to store any NEW accounts.
Editing Keys
------------
You may use the arrow keys to move the cursor from row to row or
column to column. When you reach the bottom of the screen, the
check book will scroll up (and vice versa at the top). Hitting
the [PgUp] or [PgDn] keys will scroll up or down one screen,
leaving the cursor on the same line and column on the screen.
The [Home] key returns the cursor to the top entry. Conversely,
the [End] key will take you to the line after the last entry. A
counter at the bottom right corner of the screen will tell you
the line on which the cursor is located.
In addition, [Del] will let you remove the entry at the cursor
position. Don't worry, Autochk will confirm the deletion with
you before it takes any action. And finally, [Ins] will add a
blank line where the cursor is located, provided that an
insertion does not push any entry past the maximum (1000th) line.
Autochk will let you know if this happens.
Entering Data
-------------
To enter data, move the cursor to the appropriate column. After
you enter something into a column, the cursor will move to the
next column. This way, Autochk allows you to move across the
page as you enter data without having to hit the arrow keys each
time. The only exception is the "check mark" column. The cursor
will remain in the same column; this way it is much easier to go
down the column and clear the checks when you receive your
statement. Finally, hitting [Enter] in ANY column will take you
to the next.
In the "Number" column, legal keys are 0 through 9. Any other
keys will be ignored. As soon as you hit a numeric key, you will
be prompted on the top line, similar to LOTUS-123(R). Type up to
four digits and hit [Enter]. Use the [Back Space] key to edit
any typographic errors. To clear an entry in this column, enter
a 0. By entering nothing (not a zero) in any column, the
previous entry remains unchanged.
Legal keys for the "Date" column are 0 through 9. The expected
format is MMDDYY (e.g. 030185 for March 1, 1985). You MUST
include leading zeros. I didn't bother to check whether the
dates are legal, so I guess you can enter any combination of
numbers you want--of course that would defeat the purpose. Enter
000000 to clear the current entry.
"Description" can take any alpha-numeric character (basically,
any of the white keys in the center of an IBM keyboard). Enter
up to 26 characters and hit [Enter]. From the description prompt
at the top of the screen, you can determine how long your entry
can be by comparing it to the width of the column directly below
it. Just like your checkbook, you may use as many lines as you
like to enter a description of a check. To clear the current
description, enter a space (only one).
Both "Credit" and "Debit" will accept any number key and the
decimal point. Maximum value is 99999.99 (I wish I had that kind
of money), i.e. you will not be able to enter a greater value.
It is conceivable that a balance within an account may exceed the
upper limit which will not fit in the column, and thus, will be
represented by "Overflow". You may also enter a value in BOTH
"Credit" and "Debit" columns. A zero will erase the current
value.
The "check mark" column is to indicate whether a check has
cleared the bank. Legal characters are [space] and A through Z,
if the appropriate category has been defined (see Defining
Categories). A [space] will toggle between a blank or a check
mark. After a category key is entered, it can be toggled from
lower case (uncleared check) to uppercase (cleared check) to
blank by pressing [space]. You will not be allowed to enter a
key unless it has been previously defined.
Additional Keys
---------------
[F1] will bring up the help window containing a
description of all the keys.
[F2] will calculate the balance in you account and
the balance of the checks/deposits cleared by
the bank. When you scroll the current display
screen, these numbers will disappear. However,
changing a credit or debit will not erase these
columns. This way you can make the changes,
look at the balance columns, and hit [F2] again
to compare the differences.
Note: when calculating balances, a negative
balance could occur. On color monitors, it will
appear RED. On monochromes, it will appear
BOLD. With monochromes, you may need to adjust
the bold and/or contrast to have BOLD appear
properly.
[F5] will activate the search menu. See Searching.
[F6] will trigger the search with previously set
parameters (searching string and direction).
[F7] or [F10] to exit the current check book. The program
will prompt you for confirmation. Hit [Y] to
save and exit, [N] to cancel exit command, and
[Q] to quit without save. See saving a file.
You will then be asked whether you would like to
exit the program. If you answer [N], then a
directory of check book files will be displayed.
Otherwise, answer [Y] to get out of Autochk.
[Alt-A] writes your check book (and categories) to an
ASCII text file. The file will have the same
name with a ".TXT" extension. This feature
allows you to TYPE the file in DOS or import the
file to another program.
[Alt-C] for the category menu. See Defining Categories.
[Alt-F] to display the check book file name you are
editing.
[Alt-P] for printer control. See Printing.
[Alt-S] to save the current file without exiting
program. See saving a file.
[Alt-X] to activate a DOS Shell. A prompt will
appear--press [Enter] to go to DOS. Once you
are in DOS, type 'EXIT' at DOS prompt to return
to Autochk. If the video mode has been changed
while in DOS, it must be restored to 80-column
text mode prior to returning to Autochk to
ensure proper display. If it is necessary to
restore video mode in DOS, type 'MODE CO80'
before returning to Autochk.
Saving a File
-------------
When saving a file, either by pressing [Alt-S] or when exiting,
Autochk will attempt not to overwrite your old check book. On
the other hand, by making copies of original files, your disk
could become quite cluttered with many backup files. Autochk
does not exactly overwrite old files or make backup copies of the
old ones. An intermediate solution is taken.
If there is enough space on disk, Autochk will rename old files
with extensions from .{$} and .{C} to .$$$ and .$C$,
respectively. Instead of leaving backup files on disk, Autochk
will then delete them. This way your directory is not littered
with large backup file and the integrity of the original data is
still maintained (as long as you do not write anything else on
the same disk as the data files). These files may be retrieved
with Norton's Utilities(R), or similar "undelete" programs found
in newer versions of DOS. If you do not own such a utility,
invest in one; it may save you hours of work some day.
When [Alt-S] is pressed, Autochk will verify whether or not to
save the current working file.
Searching
---------
By pressing [F5], a Search Menu will appear. As usual, [Esc]
will exit the menu. A string to search is displayed in the menu.
To change the search string, press [Del] to erase the old string
and type in a new one, followed by [Enter]. Uppercase and
lowercase letters will be treated the same. In fact all letters
will be converted to uppercase. Obviously if no string has been
set, a search will not be very fruitful. Elements of the search
string may consist of any alpha-numberic character.
Once a string has been entered, it will be remembered throughout
the current session. The direction to search (up or down from
current cursor position) is also remembered for the duration of
the session. Default at startup is FORWARD search. It may be
changed in the Search Menu by pressing [PgUp] or [PgDn] for
BACKWARD or FORWARD search, respectively.
After entering a string followed by a [PgUp] or [PgDn], Autochk
will perform the specified search. If it is found, the screen
will move to the appropriate position. If no match is found, a
message will be displayed.
Often, multiple entries with the same string exist. Rather than
having to activate Search Menu each time, pressing [F6] will
automatically perform a search for the next match with same
parameters. Of course, changing the string or direction needs to
be done through Search Menu.
Defining Categories
-------------------
Whenever [Alt-C] is invoked, the category submenu will appear.
First, a list of KEYs will by displayed along with their
definitions. A dot represents an undefined key. You may clear
or revise a definition. Each key description is truncated after
20 characters.
Type [C] to clear a previously defined category. You will then
be prompted for a key to erase. Type [Esc] to return to the
revision menu. If the key you entered is defined, Autochk will
ask you to confirm the deletion.
Type [R] to revise a category. Once you are prompted for the new
definition, simply enter the new category definition, or press
[Return] to make no changes.
Printing
--------
An [Alt-P] will invoke the print option submenu. You may print
your check book in one of many ways.
Press [A] to print all entries, i.e. the entire check
book.
Press [P] to print the display screen.
Press [F] to print from a certain page to the end of the
check book. You will be told how many pages
there are in the file and be asked to enter
which page to start printing. Of course it is
illegal to start printing from past the end of
the last entry. If no entries exist, AutoChk
will assume that you can print 1 page (in case
you would like to see what a blank page looks
like). Press [Enter] to return to the print
option menu.
Press [C] to print all the checks that fall into a
particular category. You will be asked to enter
the key for that category. Press any legal
(pre-defined) key, or [Esc] to return to the
print option menu.
Since a change in the middle of the check book will affect the
rest of the balances, no option to print pages in the middle has
been provided. This is to prevent accidentally printing certain
pages in the middle without updating subsequent pages, thereby
having a hardcopy with incorrect balances at the end. If you
make a change, use the [F] option to get an up-to-date printout.
The name of the file will be included at the top of each printed
page to help you identify the account. Date, time, and page
number will also appear at the top of each printed page.
Printing may be aborted at any time by hitting [Esc] (which will
also return you to your check book).
Without getting too fancy, Autochk assumes that your printer
handles 66-lines per page. So, if your printer varies from this,
the page alignments may be off, notably with printers that are
set to skip perforations. When Autochk reaches the end of a page
during printer output, it will send a "form feed" command to your
printer. Therefore, it is very important that the paper is
aligned properly.
*** IMPORTANT NOTE -- READ CAREFULLY ***
You should align the paper at the TOP of the page then turn the
printer ON and set it ON-LINE. Every attempt has been made to
check your printer status before printing. However, due to the
unpredictable nature of different devices, spoolers, or print
buffers on the market, it is impossible to test the program on
every combination.
If Autochk is unable to engage your printer, your computer may
appear to freeze. Autochk will continue to try to engage the
printer. Make sure the power to your printer is ON and set ON-
LINE. Printing should resume normally. If after about 20
seconds Autochk is unable to engage the printer, you will be
notified and returned to the checkbook.
Help preserve the Shareware concept. Feel free to share this
program (AUTOCHK.EXE and AUTOCHK.DOC) with others.
Revisions in Version 3.00
-------------------------
1. You do not need to type in the data file name to start
Autochk. If you do not enter a name, a list of data files
will appear. You may change the default drive or the default
path. The file can then be directly loaded into Autochk from
the startup menu. However, you may still enter the file name
as before to bypass the menu.
2. Instead of overwriting the screen, Autochk will now scroll
when you hit PgUp or PgDn.
3. Whenever you print a check book, the file name will also be
included with the header.
4. Autochk is now capable of writing your check book (including
the category definitions) to an ASCII file; such feature may
be useful if you would like to import your account into a
spreadsheet program. The file will have the same name as the
check book, except with a ".TXT" extension.
5. You will now be unable to insert an entry if the 1000th line
(the upper limit) of the check book is filled. This should
prevent any accidental erasures.
Revisions in Version 3.01
-------------------------
1. Whenever you have a negative balance, rather than displaying
a negative number, Autochk will show the amount in RED on a
color display or bold on a monochrome display.
2. The problem with recalculation not working properly in
certain places within the checkbook has now been fixed.
Revisions in Version 3.50
-------------------------
1. Autochk has been compiled with a new compiler to run much
faster than in previous versions. The major speed difference
will be noticed in screen updates. By accessing the graphics
card directly (rather than through the BIOS), the speed
output to the screen has been increased up to ten fold.
2. The executable file has been changed from AUTOCHK.COM to
AUTOCHK.EXE.
3. Rather than pressing [Space] to exit certain submenu, Autochk
will now require [Esc]. This change has been made to conform
to the "de facto" standards of the computer world.
4. In the previous version of Autochk, [Alt-S] automatically
saved the file without confirmation which could lead to
unintended erasures of the old check book. You will now be
able to confirm the action.
5. When balancing a check book, the total may become greater
than 99999.99 which will not fit in the column. Since I do
not expect anyone with that kind of money to be using this
program, any number greater than the limit will be
represented by "Overflow".
6. Due to an incompatibility with the new compiler, certain
procedures previously implemented are now non-functional
(such as checking whether the disk drive is ready or write
protected, or whether the printer is ready). These problems
are not expected to occur very often; however, the user
should be aware of them and take steps to prevent them. They
will be resolved in future releases.
Revision in Version 3.51
------------------------
1. An error that occurs during the printing of the check book by
category has now been fixed.
Revisions in Version 3.52
-------------------------
1. Previous versions of Autochk require the user to restart the
program to access another account after editing one check
book. After working with one check book, this version will
now prompt whether the user would like go back to the startup
menu. Answer 'N' to quit program or 'Y' to go back to the
directory listing.
2. In addition to the time, the date will also be displayed at
the bottom of the screen.
Revisions in Version 3.53
-------------------------
1. The previous version had a bug in the startup menu that would
not allow any subsequent check books to be loaded properly.
That problem has now been corrected.
2. To make exiting Autochk easier for WordPerfect(R) users, the
function key [F7] (in addition to [F10]) will allow you to
exit the program.
Revisions in Version 3.54
-------------------------
1. When you press [Esc] to exit Autochk from the startup menu,
you will now see the same screen as you did when exiting
directly from the check book.
2. The incompatible drive-error handling routine with the new
compiler has now been fixed. If your disk drive is open when
you attempt to load a file or change the default drive,
Autochk can now handle this problem correctly.
3. The incompatibility of the new compiler handling error
trapping routines for a write-protected disk has now been
fixed.
4. The ability of Autochk to trap printer faults when the
printer is off has been improved. See note under Printing.
Revisions in Version 3.60
-------------------------
1. A DOS Shell has been implemented and can be activated with
[Alt-X].
2. A search capability has been added. See note under
Searching.
3. Previous versions did not "form feed" after the last page has
been printed. Due to popular request, this has been added.
4. During printing, an aberrant blank space appeared in the
heading of the leading page being printed. This minor bug
has been fixed.
Revisions in Version 3.61
-------------------------
1. While creating DOS shell, an error in locating COMSPEC when
it does not appear at the beginning of the environment
variable list has been fixed.
2. Facilities to better intercept and report errors while
creating DOS shell have been implemented.
3. An extra blank line that occurs after a "form feed" at the
end of printing has been removed.
Revisions in Version 3.62, July 1991
------------------------------------
1. By popular request, the [End] key will now take you to the
line after the last entry. This way by pressing the [End]
key, new entries may be added without also having to press
the [Dn] key.
Revisions in Version 3.63, February 1992
----------------------------------------
1. A new "printer ready" status checking routine has been
implemented. This version should provide better error
reporting when the printer is not ready.
Revisions in Version 3.64a, March 1993
--------------------------------------
1. The printer output routine has been modified. Some people
have run into printing difficulties with previous versions.
2. Should the printer not be ready, a prompt will appear for you
to press [ESC] to get out of attempting to print. If [ESC]
is not entered, Autochk will continue to try to engage the
printer. If the printer problem is corrected, this prompt
will disappear and printing will resume normally.
Revisions in Version 3.65a, April 1993
--------------------------------------
1. While it works well for most people, some are still having
printer errors despite no apparent problems. The bug was
traced to the printer status routine itself. To try to make
Autochk universally compatible, this routine has been
rewritten.
Now, when Autochk attempts to print and the printer is not
ready, the computer may appear to freeze. At this time,
Autochk is attempting to engage the printer. This will last
about 20 seconds. By correcting the printer, the checkbook
should resume printing. If the program is unable to engage
the printer, an error message appears and you will be
returned to the checkbook.