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(+++) GENERAL INVOICE SALES TRACKER (+++) " G I S T - P L U S " "GP" - Version 1.1 Author & Distributor Robert F. Keber Jr. 336 Swain Blvd. Lake Worth, FL 33463-3342 (407) 967-7239 - Office (407) 969-3635 - Residence PROGRAM AUTHOR: ROBERT F. KEBER JR. COPYRIGHT (C) 1990 All Rights Reserved WHAT IS "GP" ? "GP" (GIST PLUS) is a "Customer Billing" program. It is designed for firms who have a need to produce and print Invoices which contain "Descriptions" about service (or anything else), "Names and Numbers" for parts or products, "Instructions", "Expiration Dates" or just about anything else, in addition to all the all important "Numbers" which say "How Much". GP's purpose is to allow all of this (and much more), but WITHOUT the need to hire or train a computer operator who is proficient in Accounting skills. "GP" has been kept simple enough for a novice. "GP" is NOT an accounting program, but it is a "GROSS INCOME" program. It provides all of the "Income" information that most Accountants or Bookkeepers require from a small business. In most cases, they will only need some "GP" Printouts, and the Bank Statements and Check Stubs to maintain a firm's books. But, in addition to organizing and preparing your Income Data for your Accountant, "GP" will provide "You" (as a Manager) with a great deal of other very useful business information. It will also automatically handle routine monthly chores (such as Customer Statements) without most of the usual mistakes, "Short-Cuts" and oversights that occur when these same tasks are done by an employee with a typewriter. The following are just "some" of the features offered by "GP": Customers: - Shows "Last Sale Date" & "Total Amount Spent" for every customer. - Prints a Customer Telephone Directory (2 phones with extension #s). - Prints Two Customer Address Directories (Long & Short Versions). - Prints Customer Mailing Labels (by Name/City/State/Zip/Area/Etc.). - Large "Comment Field" for every customer (Special Terms, Etc). - Prints a Customer Statement or Customer Invoice for any account. - Data fields are designed to allow INTERNATIONAL address entries. Invoices: - Use "Hand Written" invoices or let "GP" Produce & Print your Invoices. - Allows Custom Listings of Descriptions, Part#'s and Work Performed. - Sales Tax can be configured to comply with most Laws & Regulations. - Can Print Multiple copies of Invoices (Customer & File Copies). - Generates New Invoice Numbers & New Customer Numbers automatically. - Prints Accounts Receivable Statements with matching Mailing Labels. - Prints a list of Invoices for any "Time Period/Customer/Employee". - Prints a list of invoices with totals for Accounts Receivable. - Provides 11 "ReNameable" Sales Categories + Sales Tax & Shipping. - Provides 10 "ReNameable" Sets of "Terms & Conditions". - Double checks "Calculations" on hand-written employee invoices. - Allows a Six Line "Heading" for your Name, Address & Telephone. - Allows a Six Line Invoice Footer for "Thank You" messages, etc.. - Extensive use of "Pop Up Windows" for easy use & simplicity. Income: - Prints Accounts Receivable Customer Statements automatically. - Displays "Income Totals by Sales Category" for any time period. - Displays "Income Totals" from any Employee for any time period. - Displays "Income Totals" from any Customer for any time period. - Displays "Outstanding Income" for current Accounts Receivable. - Displays every "Unpaid Invoice" in alphabetical order on screen. General: - Holds about 725,000 Customer Records & 725,000 Invoice Records. - Data files NEVER need "File Maintenance, Sorting or Purging". - Word Processing style commands for the majority of field entries. - Use "NAMES or NUMBERS" for retrieving records. - Find "Strong & Weak" categories of employee's performance. - Find "Strong & Weak" categories of Product & Service performance. - Unique "BROWSE" mode for viewing Customer & Invoice records. System Requirements: - Computer - PC/XT/AT or Compatible - DOS or MS/DOS Version 3.0 or higher - Ram Memory - 512k minimum - Hard Drive Recommended - Monitor - Mono or Color 80 column - Printer - 80 Column - Dot Matrix - IBM or Epson compatible. - CONFIG.SYS FILE Set To: "FILES = 25" (Very Important!) DIFFERENCES - "GIST" vs "GIST PLUS" Some time ago we released another program called GIST. As it was originally written, the first version was designed for keeping track of "hand written" paper Invoices. GIST itself, did NOT print any kind of Invoice at all. The original GIST was well received, and created more excitement than any other software we have yet produced. We received calls, corres- pondence and Registration Support from all over the world. But one of the most often requested improvements was that the program should be able to print some Customer Invoices on it's own. So.., many "Rapid Fire" revisions of the original GIST were produced, each better than it's predecessor. And we DID add the ability to GIST to print it's own Invoices. But in order to keep GIST compatable with earlier versions, the information on it's Invoices was (of necessity) somewhat limited when it came to "Descriptions". To make GIST produce and store Invoices containing "Descriptive" information that some Users requested, would mean writing an entirely new program, incompatable with the original. And so, "GIST PLUS" ("GP") was born. It's purpose is NOT to replace the original GIST, but to provide an alternative solution for the different needs of Users. While similar in appearence and operation, the two programs are very different from one another, and each has it's own unique advantages. The original GIST is still meant to be used in situations where paper invoices are produced by employees during "out of office" sales (such as in a service company). Entering the information from those invoices is easy and FAST, as only "Numbers" are entered, and not descriptions. The Data files are very compact (numbers take up less room than text), allowing better use of smaller disk drives, and allowing easier "Backup" ability. The hand written paper invoices (stored in a file drawer) list all of the "specifics" about each and every sale. So there's no need to have the same (redundant) Data in the computer too (Saves Time & Space). On top of that, most Accountants only care about the "money" numbers, and could care less about Parts & Labor Descriptions. "GP" on the other hand, is meant to be used in situations where the majority of Invoices are produced "in the office", and "Hand Written" invoices are rarely used (such as in Mail Order companies). "GP" allows the User to store all of the "Money Numbers", PLUS (Catchy Name...) all the Part Names, Descriptions, Part Numbers, Instructions, Notes, Special Terms, Work Performed, Make, Model, Serial#, and so on. All of that Data WILL appear on the printed Invoices and IS saved in the Data file. This makes for MUCH larger Data files, but with a Hard Drive, that's not much of a problem. It takes a little more time to enter each Invoice into the computer.., but time is saved "Later" by having ALL of the Invoice Information instantly available, and NOT having to sift through a filing cabinet trying to find what you need. Which is best? ....depends on your needs. If you wish to compare both versions of GIST, and are unable to obtain a Shareware copy of the original GIST from your local suppliers (some of whom can't see the wisdom of carrying BOTH versions), send us $4.00 to cover Shipping & Handling and WE'LL be glad to send you the latest "Shareware" version. REGISTRATION GENERAL INVOICE SALES TRACKER - PLUS ("GP") is a "Shareware" package. This means that we provide you with a fully functioning sample of the program for you to "try out" for a short evaluation time. After a few weeks of use, you are required to either dispose of the program or send us the purchase price for registration. Extended use without proper registration is a violation of our rights under the Copyright Laws of the United States. Telephone and written support are available to "Registered Users" ONLY! Please have your "Registered Serial Number" (and your Version Number) available when calling for assistance. Also, be sure to include those numbers and the program's name in any letters or correspondance you may send to us. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> BONUS FOR REGISTERING <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Of course, all those who register will always receive the latest updated, improved and "Debugged" version of "GP" and all of the related files (as well as "Customer Support"). But they will also be sent FREE MAJOR UPDATES for up to ONE YEAR after Registration. In addition to all of that, they also receive another program called "GP-TOOLS.EXE", which is a "support" program for "GP". "GP-TOOLS.EXE" let's the registered user do four (4) very useful tasks related to manipulating "DTA" files (and the list keeps growing). .lm 7 #1- EXTRACT Invoices from your "INVOICE.DTA" data file and create assorted "smaller" Invoice files. This allows "Date Specific" Invoice files to be created with "Yearly, Semi-Annual, Quarterly or Monthly" data only. Another benefit of this feature is that it allows the User to keep their "current" Invoice file much smaller in size. Smaller file sizes increase the program's speed during data searches, and allows "GP" to be used on some of the smaller disk drives. #2 - MERGE Invoice files. Allows you to merge together two or more "GP" Invoice files into a larger Invoice file which can contain many years worth of invoices (up to about 725,000 separate invoices). #3 - CLEAR the "Last Sale Date" & "Total Amount Spent" fields from all the records in "CUSTOMER.DTA". Then Recalculate and insert new values for both of those fields, based upon the information contained in the "current" Invoice file. #4 - Offers additional ability to fix or repair corrupted "DTA" data files through a "File Maintenance" routine. This routine will remove all records marked as deleted, and all records it finds to be corrupt. This will usually shorten larger files, and many times this routine will "repair" a corrupted Invoice or Customer file with only a minimal loss of data. This routine is well worth the small cost of having it at your disposal if you ever need it. .LM 0 HOW DO I REGISTER? Mail a Check or U.S. Postal Money Order (Payable in US Dollars To "R. KEBER JR.") Robert F. Keber Jr. 336 Swain Blvd. Lake Worth, FL 33463-3342 PRICE: $69.00 Per Copy (Florida Residents Add Sales Tax) Please Call or Write for "Site License" Information (Prices & Features Subject To Change Without Prior Notice) Files included with "GP" =============================== GP .EXE - Main Program GP-SCRN .OVL - GIST Display Screens (Compressed) GP .DOC - This Instruction Manual CUSTOMER.DTA - Data file of sample records INVOICE .DTA - Data file of sample records HEADING .DAT - Data File of sample Invoice & Statement "Heading" FOOTING .DAT - Data File of sample Invoice "Footer" Terms & Conditions INSTALL .BAT - Activates "INSTAL.EXE" when NOT on Default Drive A: INSTAL EXE - Installs "GP" on Hard Drive & Prints Instruction Manual CNF-GP .EXE - Allows User To "Set-Up" GIST PLUS To Individual Needs. BRUN45 .EXE - MicroSoft "Run-Time Module" - Allows Smaller EXE Files. GP-TOOLS.EXE - Shipped ONLY With Registered Versions. Files which are created when "GP" is run ============================================ CUSTOMER.DTA - Random Data file for Customer records CUSTNAME.NDX - Index file - Customer Names CUSTNUMB.NDX - Index file - Customer ID Numbers CUSTOMER.BAK - Backup file - Copy of CUSTOMER.DTA INVOICE .DTA - Random Data file for Invoice records INVNAME .NDX - Index file - Invoice Customer Names INVNUMB .NDX - Index file - Invoice ID Numbers ACCREC .NDX - Index file - Unpaid Invoices INVOICE .BAK - Backup file - Copy of INVOICE.DTA GP .CNF - Configuration File For GP's Custom Settings. SETTING UP "GP" ON YOUR HARD DRIVE If you have a "Hard Drive C:" installed in your computer, the easiest way to set up "GP" is to run the "GP" Program called "INSTALL.EXE". "INSTALL.EXE" will NOT erase or delete any of your existing files. It will simply "check to see" if a Sub Directory called "C:\GP" already exists on your hard drive. If it does exist, it will warn you and then give the option to "Quit" or "Continue" operation. If there is no such Sub Directory, INSTALL.EXE will create it, and then "Copy" all the "GP" files to "C:\GP". It will also create another file called "GP.BAT", which it will store in the Drive C: ROOT Directory. This file is created for those Users who may not know their way around a Hard Drive too well. Simply typing "GP" in the ROOT Directory will automatically switch to the "C:\GP" sub directory and then run "GP.EXE" for the operator. INSTALL will also check to see if there is an existing file called "CONFIG.SYS" in the ROOT Directory of the hard drive. If CONFIG.SYS does NOT already exist, then INSTALL will create such a file for the operator. The "CONFIG.SYS" file will contain the following very important commands... FILES=25 DEVICE=ANSI.SYS BUFFERS=20 BREAK=OFF If there already is a "CONFIG.SYS" file existing, then "INSTALL.EXE" will examine it's contents and either insert or adjust the "FILES=" command to "FILES=25" which is necessary for "GP" (and lots of other programs) to run properly. You can read the commands listed in "CONFIG.SYS" by entering the following command from your system prompt: TYPE C:\CONFIG.SYS ..... and if there is such a file, it's contents will be shown on your screen (or you can edit or read the file with your Word Processor or Text Editor). It is "VERY IMPORTANT", for the "FILES=25" command to be set to at least 25 or more files or "GP" will run into a "Brick Wall" as it tries to create and access many of it's associated files. The same is true for many (lots & lots) of other programs as well. So it's not a bad idea to set this to "25" files, and never change it again (unless another program tells you to increase it to an even higher number). The "FILES=" command is one where "Too much won't hurt, but too little will" (within reason). Another important command line for your "CONFIG.SYS" file is one which allows the printing of "Extended Graphic" characters. This other command line should be "DEVICE=ANSI.SYS". "ANSI.SYS" is a file which you received either with DOS or MS/DOS. It can (and usually should) be loaded into memory as a printer device driver by means of the above command line. For the above command line to work, the "ANSI.SYS" file MUST be present in the ROOT directory of your "BOOTUP" disk. If "ANSI.SYS" is not loaded as a printer device driver in your "CONFIG.SYS" file you might not be able to use your "Print Screen" key to print some screens, or to run some programs, which contain certain graphic characters (see your DOS or MS/DOS Manual - ANSI.SYS). NO HARD DRIVE? The same instructions as above are true about the "FILES=25" and the "DEVICE=ANSI.SYS" command lines being put in a "CONFIG.SYS" file even if you don't have a Hard Drive and are trying to operate "GP" from a removable disk (which will work, but is really not recommended). The newer 720k and 1.2 or 1.4 Meg disks have some ability for running "GP", especially if the Registered version is obtained. This is because the "GP-TOOL" support program can keep INVOICE.DTA as small as necessary to stay within the disk's smaller size limitations. Usually, when there is no Hard Drive, most Users make a "BOOTUP" disk which they use to start up the computer all the time. Many Users just simply use a backup copy of their original DOS/MS-DOS System disk. On such a "BOOTUP" disk is where you should also have the "CONFIG.SYS" file. This file can be very important (even without "GP") because the "CONFIG.SYS" file is what sets many very important features in your computer's system during the BOOTUP process. Through it's lines of commands, the "CONFIG.SYS" file allows you to run many of the more complex programs, do more advanced printing of "extended" graphic characters, set RAM Drives, use extended RAM Memory, set memory buffers, load various Device Drivers, and so on. All of these capabilities are NOT automatically loaded during BOOTUP because each one of these abilities will occupy a little bit of your computer's RAM memory. So it follows that if you need every last byte of available RAM to run your software, that you wouldn't want a lot of things you don't absolutely need to be automatically loaded and simply sit there taking up valuable space. So the folks who designed your operating system allow you pick what you want loaded. THAT's what the "CONFIG.SYS" file is used for. The machine will work without CONFIG.SYS, but it's like driving a stripped down car with absolutely NOTHING extra on board. Even worse, because in this case you already bought all the extras..., and then just left them home in the garage. Because of the large variety of commands (and the files associated with those commands) which can be placed into a "CONFIG.SYS" file, we cannot simply have "GP" create it's own "CONFIG.SYS" file for you on removavble disks. There are just too many variables to try that. If you have problems, see your DOS or MS/DOS User Manual for more information on creating your own "CONFIG.SYS" files. GETTING STARTED Once you have gotten all the "GP" files installed, all that is necessary to RUN "GP" is to BOOTUP and.... .... Enter the command.........: GP <enter> "GP" will then load, create several new disk files, and present you with the "Main Menu" screen. To make things a bit easier for you, we have included a couple of "sample" Customer and Invoice data files. This will save you the time of having to enter your own data just to try out the "GP" program. Feel free to play around with these sample files, and "get the hang" of how the program works. That's the easiest and fastest way to learn (most fun way too). Run through all the different Menus and features, and try everything. Find records, add new records, edit records, delete records. Print out some labels, directories, statements and invoices. Make sure that everything in "GP" works well with all of your equipment. That's what "Shareware" is all about,"Try before you buy". If you find you are having trouble with "printing" any of the various "print" items, look farther into this text for a heading of "TROUBLE" and "PROBLEMS" for suggestions on what to check for. The following page or so describes the methods used in "GP" to enter data into "Fields". "Field" is just another word for a "blank space to be filled in with information". Example: "NAME:____(field)_______" We suggest that you take the time to at least glance through this information, as most of it has been put there to make life (and "GP") easier for you. Some of it will describe "Short-Cut" methods of entering data, while some of the others will answer some questions before you even think to ask them. DATA ENTRY & CURSOR CONTROLS FIELD EDITING -- CURSOR MOVEMENT INSERT KEY: Toggles between "Insert" & "Overwrite" of characters. Cursor changes shape for each mode. DELETE KEY: Deletes character at cursor position. BACKSPACE.: Deletes character to left of cursor position. LEFT ARROW.: Move cursor left one space. RIGHT ARROW: Move cursor right one space. UP ARROW...: Jump to previous field. DOWN ARROW.: Jump to next field. CTRL LEFT..: Move cursor left one word. CTRL RIGHT.: Move cursor right one word. HOME KEY...: Move cursor to beginning of field. END KEY....: Move cursor to end of field entry. CTRL END...: Delete field entry from cursor position to end. PAGE UP....: Jump to top field. PAGE DOWN..: Jump to bottom field. F-1 KEY....: Exit "Current Routine" and return to the previous menu. F-5 KEY....: Varied purposes. Watch Bottom Center of Display Screens. F-10 KEY...: Exit from the "GP" program. YES/NO QUESTIONS: In the majority of cases, when "GP" asks a question to be answered by a "Y" or "N", hitting the "Enter" key is the same as entering a "Y" (for Yes). But there are a few places where the reverse is true (Enter = "N"), and still a few other places where you MUST hit a "Y" or "N", and the "Enter" key won't be accepted. It sounds confusing, but (believe it or not) it works well and makes good sense in practice. However, when in doubt, just hit the "Y or N" keys. DATE ENTRY FIELDS: The Date format is always "MM/DD/YY" Anywhere in "GP" where you enter a "date" into a field, the date will be checked for validity (eg: 02/30/90 is no good). If the date is invalid, a "Warning Window" will appear on screen, and the date will not be accepted. Dates may be entered as 01/02/90 or 01-02-90 or just 010290. All Invoices require an Invoice Date. You will not be able to save an Invoice record to disk without entering a proper date in the "Invoice Date" field. To mark an Invoice "Unpaid", don't enter anything in the "Paid Date" field. You accomplish this by just hitting the "Enter" key. The OLDEST date "GP" can handle is 01/02/50 (Year = 1950) The NEWEST date "GP" can handle is 12/31/49 (Year = 2049) This range effectively gives "GP" a 100 year date range. SEARCH KEYS: When "GP" asks you to enter some information to search for a particular record..... If asking for an ID Number, for the best results try to enter the entire number (not just part of it). If asking for a Customer's Name, for the best results only enter the first three or four characters of the last name. First names are ignored. Never enter more than 18 characters of any last name for a search key. If "GP" is unable to find a record which matches the "Search Key" information which you provided, an "on screen" message may appear saying so. You then have the option of trying again. But in some cases, if an "Exact Match" is not found, "GP" will present the "Next Closest Match" for your inspection, and it will then ask if that record is correct (as in the "Browse" mode). "CUSTOMER DATA ENTRY" SCREEN =============================== "LAST SALE DATE" & "TOTAL AMOUNT SPENT" FIELDS These two fields are located on the "Customer Data Entry Screen". They are "calculated", "filled in" and "maintained" automatically by "GP". They cannot be changed or edited by an operator. As you enter "New" invoices, these fields will be updated with the new data automatically. The amount displayed in the "Total Amount Spent" field is always "rounded off" to the nearest dollar amount, and there will never be any "cent" value shown (other than "$ .00"). As a result, the values displayed are "close approximate" values. When an Invoice is "Deleted", the amount of that invoice will be subtracted from the "Total Amount Spent" field. When an Invoice is "Edited", if the Invoice "Total Amount" field is changed, the "Total Amount Spent" field will be adjusted "Up or Down" by the amount of the change in the "Total Amount" field. The "GP" "Support Program" called "GP-TOOL.EXE" offers the capability of "Clearing & Recalculating" the "Last Sale Date" & "Total Amount Spent" fields in each customer record. The new data placed into these fields will be based upon the Data in the Invoice file in use at that time (with "Registered" versions only). TWO "NAME" FIELDS "GP" provides two "Name" fields for entries. The Last/Business name field contains 30 characters, and the First name field contains 20 characters. Combined together, the two fields total a maximum of 50 characters for names. For reasons of spacing on paper and labels, only the first 30 characters of the combined two name fields will be printed on any "GP" printout. For this reason, we suggest that you keep all "First Name" field entries as reasonably short as possible. NAMES & ID NUMBERS AS "KEYS" After a "Customer" or an "Invoice" have been assigned an "ID number", and the record is saved to a disk file, you will no longer be able to change those numbers through any of the "GP" "Editing" routines. Once assigned, the "ID Numbers" are "Keyed" to the "Names", and "Vice Versa". They are permanently "MATCHED" to each other. The only way to change those "Names & Numbers" is to "Delete" the entire record, and then re-enter it all over again. THE "TELEPHONE NUMBER" FIELDS The Telephone Number fields have a special feature in that the entries may be made as "123-4567" or as "1234567". "INVOICE DATA ENTRY" SCREEN ================================ THE "DATE" FIELDS Both "Date" fields have some special features. Dates may be entered as "01/02/90" or "01-02-90" or just as "010290". The "Format" for ALL date entries in "GP" is "MM/DD/YY". To "Mark" an Invoice as "Unpaid", don't enter anything into the "Paid Date" field (just hit "Enter"). All date entries are checked for Validity before being accepted by "GP". CATEGORY OF SALES "GP" breaks your sales down into 13 different categories of "Income", eleven of which can be renamed by the User by using "CNF-GP.EXE". If you operate a "Service" type of business (with "Hourly Labor" charges), we suggest that you use the existing "LABOR CHRGS" Sales Category for your Labor charges, because that field has a special relationship with the Sales Tax set up. You can use CNF-GP.EXE to make any entries made into LABOR CHRGS taxable or tax exempt, as your local Laws require (the SHIPPING field can also be taxable or non taxable). CASH REGISTER SALES If you use a Cash Register for sales (as well as employee invoices), reserve one of the "Sales Categories" for "Cash Reg", and make an entry in that "Sales Category" at the end of each day's business. The easiest way to do this is to create a "Customer Record" for your own office by entering your firm's name and address in the customer file, or by creating a customer record with a "Name" of "CASH REGISTER SALES" (or something similar). Then, at the end of each day, create an Invoice for "CASH REGISTER SALES" (or whatever) and enter the amount from the Cash Register. If you have several Cash Registers, issue each Cashier an Employee ID Number, and use the "Employee Number" field on each invoice to keep track of "Who" turned in "How Much" on "Which Day". ************* Note: "CNF-GP.EXE" makes all of the above much easier and simpler, for it can "Rename" all of the "GP" "Sales Cats" to whatever name you wish (Parts, Supplies, Sales, Flat Fee, Lease, Rental, Etc.). Those new names then will appear on the screens and on printouts in place of "Sale Cat #". "CNF-GP.EXE" also gives you the option of renaming the field named "LABOR CHRGS". We suggest that you ONLY rename this field to something else if you operate a type of business that doesn't ever charge for any type of Labor charge. Also, if you do rename "LABOR CHRGS" to something else, then MAKE SURE that your "Sales Tax" is set to "LABOR IS TAXED" in the "CNF-GP.EXE" Sales Tax menu. AUTOMATIC "QUANTITY" PRICING In "LABOR CHGS" field, you have the ability to calculate "Quantity" math problems such as..... 12.4 Hours at $14.37 each = ? 3.7 Hours Labor at $49.39 each = ? As soon as you move the cursor into the LABOR field, at the bottom, center of the screen a message saying "F-5 = Quantity" will appear. That simply means that if you have a problem like one of the above, just hit the "F-5" key. When you do, an "On Screen Window" will appear to take your "Quantity" and "Price Each" information. "GP" will then automatically insert the correct total into the "LABOR CHRGS" field, and the "Window" will disappear. THE "SALES TAX" FIELD The Sales Tax Rates and Laws varies greatly from State to State, and from Country to Country. As a result, we had to program this field with that in mind to make "GP" useable in more locations. The "default" setting for the Sales Tax Value is 5% (0.05). That amount can be easily changed to any value from .000 through .999 (from NO tax to 99.9% tax). To change the Sales Tax rate, run CNF-GP.EXE. Then choose the "NUMBERS" selection from the main menu. If your tax rate is "5%", enter ----------- .05 If your tax rate is "6.5%", enter --------- .065 If your tax rate is "12%", then enter ----- .12 As you Enter "New", or Edit "Old" Invoices, when you reach the Sales Tax "%" field, a small window will appear saying "Tax? (Y/N)". If you type a "Y" (or hit Enter) for "Yes", Sales Tax WILL be calculated and charged to the Invoice, based upon the Sales Tax Percentage Rate you set with CNF-GP.EXE. In situations where you have set a Sales Tax rate, but are now entering a "Tax Exempt" invoice (such as for a church), then just type an "N" (for NO), and Sales Tax will NOT be applied to the invoice. If you live in an area where you have a City or County Sales Tax in addition to a State Sales Tax, then you will have to combine the two tax rates into one figure. Example: 6% State Tax + 4% City Tax = 10% Combined Sales Tax rate. SALES TAX ON LABOR & SHIPPING CHARGES? Another consideration is whether or not your State requires that you include or exclude "Labor Or Shipping" Charges from your Sales Tax calculations. The "Default" setting for "GP" is to "Include" all Labor Charges in the Sales Tax calculations, and to "Exclude" all Shipping Charges from Sales Tax. The word "Default" means "What the program will do unless you take steps to change it". If you operate in a State where Labor Charges are always Sales Tax "EXEMPT" (like California), then you need to change GP's default Sales Tax setting. The same is true for places where Shipping is taxable (like Canada). This is easily accomplished by running "CNF-GP.EXE". This program gives you two choices, to Tax or NOT to Tax Labor or Shipping Charges. Your answer will be recorded as a "TRUE" or "FALSE" in another disk file called "GP.CNF". If the recorded answer is "TRUE" then all values in the respective Labor or Shipping categories will be taxed by "GP", while a "FALSE" entry will have the opposite effect. CLEARING THE DECKS FOR ACTION Once you have gotten "GP" up and running, play around with the sample data files. Get samples of all of the various "Printouts". Change the Names in the various Sales Categories. "Edit" and "Delete" records. "Add New" records. Try your "Print Screen" key on several different screens. In general, make sure that "GP" works well with all of your equipment. Try changing the printed output on Invoices and Statements by running "CNF-GP.EXE" and choosing selection "P" (PRINTING). This will allow you to change the GP Default setting of "TEXT" characters to any of six different outputs (3 TEXT & 3 GRAPHIC). After making these changes, run "GP" and try printing either an Invoice or Statement to see the effects of different printed outputs. Then, once you've tried them all, stay with the one you like best (Note: Some printers won't work with GRAPHIC output). CUSTOMER & INVOICE NUMBERS "CNF-GP.EXE" also lets you set your "starting" Customer Number and Invoice Number. But this may require a bit of thought first. We designed "GP" in such a manner that the Customer "should" never see or know what their customer number is. The number will never appear on any invoice or statement, and is strictly for YOUR OWN USE. So why go out of your way to make your Customer Numbers large and complicated? Why not just start with a "1" instead? Smaller numbers are usually easier to remember. But if you wish, you can set your starting customer number anywhere from 0 to 999,999. INVOICE NUMBERS: Bear in mind that "GP" will never allow any duplicate Invoice or Customer Numbers. The default starting "Invoice Number" is "10,000", but you can change that by using CNF-GP.EXE to any number you wish. But, if you sometimes use external (hand written) invoices which are pre-printed and already contain their own Invoice Numbers, then make sure that you set your "GP" starting Invoice number a fair amount HIGHER than any of the numbers on your pre-printed paper invoices (to avoid "Duplicate Invoice" numbering problems at a later date). TROUBLES & PROBLEMS "GP" ERROR MESSAGES - "GP" REBOOTS REPEATEDLY In extreme cases where "GP" has been running without problems for an indefinite period of time, and it suddenly starts to give lots of Error Messages and keeps repeatedly "ReBooting" the computer (and nothing you try seems to cure the problem), then you probably have a corrupted "DTA" file. If this happens two or more times in a row, then you definately have a bad "DTA" file. If you are NOT a Registered User, then there is not much else you can do except to get and use your latest Backup Copies of your "DTA" files. BUT..., if you ARE a Registered User, you have another option. Use GP-TOOL.EXE and run "FILE MAINTENANCE" from the main menu. This routine will remove records marked as "Deleted" from "GP" Data Files. At the same time it will also check for bad, duplicate or corrupt records, and it will eliminate them too. Usually it's only one or two bad records that will "mess up" an entire "DTA" file. Many times this routine will "Repair or Fix" a corrupted Data file with only minimal data loss. Run File Maintenance on BOTH the Customer and Invoice "DTA" files. Then run "GP" again to see what happens. If "GP" seems to run okay, then your problem has been solved. But, if EVEN THIS doesn't work, then your "DTA" file is too badly corrupted for "fixing". It's time to get your latest Backup "DTA" files too, and replace the corrupted "DTA" files with them. (Make backup copies often for these reasons). OTHER REASONS FOR PROBLEMS: .LM 5 - Make sure that the version of DOS or MS/DOS you are using is version 3.0 or higher. Older versions won't work properly. - Make sure CONFIG.SYS is set as described in the previous pages. - Your Printer is "NOT" ready for action, or may be incompatible, or is NOT plugged LPT Port #1. Many times this problem will simply "Hang Up" your computer UNTIL the printer "IS" ready for action. - Not enough free disk space left. - Not enough free RAM memory available. Remove all other Memory Resident programs from memory BEFORE running "GP". PROBLEMS WITH PRINTED OUTPUT: - Make sure that you are using a "Dot Matrix IBM/Epson/Compatible" printer. Daisy Wheel, "Serial" or "non-compatible" printers just won't work properly (or some won't work at all) with "GP". - Make sure the printer's "DIP SWITCHES" are properly set to print "EXTENDED IBM/EPSON GRAPHIC" characters (see your owner's manual). - Make sure the printer is plugged into your "Parallel Port #1". Many computers have more than one Printer Port. A Printer designed to be plugged into a "Serial Port" will not work with "GP". - If you find that on some of the "GP" printouts you are getting printed lines of full "E's, D's" or other characters in place of solid lines or boxes, then one of two things are happening. Either you don't have your printer set up to print "IBM Extended Graphic" characters (see the Instruction Manual for your printer), or your printer is not capable of printing Graphics. In such cases, run the file called "CNF-GIST.EXE" which is included with the "GP" family of files. Choose selection "P" to set up GP.EXE to produce printouts using only one of the three sets of "TEXT" (non-graphic) characters. Then run "GP" again and try to print either an Invoice or Statement. If all went well, (and your printer is compatable) your problem should be solved. .LM 0 ***** STARTING YOUR OWN "FOR REAL" DATA FILES ***** ERASE THE SAMPLE "DTA" FILES When you think you understand the operation of "GP", then it's time to erase the sample data files so that you can create your own "for real" data files. To do this, "Exit" from "GP" (F-10 Key) and get back to your system prompt. Then enter the following commands: ... Erase all Data Files with the command........: DEL *.DTA <enter> ... Erase all Index files with the command.......: DEL *.NDX <enter> ... Erase all Backup files with the command......: DEL *.BAK <enter> Now you're ready to run "GP" and begin building your own data files. HEADING.DAT & FOOTING.DAT DATA FILES These two files each contain up to six lines of information which will appear on the top and bottom of Invoices and Statements. The HEADING.DAT file is meant to contain your company's Name, Address and Phone. All information on each line will be automatically centered on both Statements and Invoices. The FOOTING.DAT file is only used on the bottom of printed Invoices (not on Statements). It is meant to contain YOUR information like "Thank You Messages, Warranty Information, Company Mottos, Etc.". To change the data in either of these two files, go to the "GP" "PRINTING MENU", and then choose selection "S" (Statement). Another Sub-Menu will appear which has both the "HEADER" & "FOOTER" options. It is NOT necessary to enter data on every single line. To leave a line with no data will have the effect of "skipping" a line (putting in a blank line) on the printed output. Each line of text can be edited by using the UP/DOWN Arrow keys, and your normal "Field Editing" keys. When you hit "Enter" on the last field (#6), the newly edited lines of text will automatically be saved into the appropriate "DAT" file, and used in all Invoices and Statements from that point forward. You may want to experiment with these two files, as there are many different ways to "input" the text (Upper/Lower Case, etc.), and some look much better than others (it's a matter of personal preference). The two files can be changed endlessly without causing any problems. The reason why FOOTING.DAT is NOT used on the Statements is because a Statement usually "States" just "How Much" the customer owes to you "Right Now". There are not usually any "Terms, Warrantys, etc." involved on Statements. IMPORTANCE OF MAKING BACKUP FILES "GP" is a very complex program. It was written using a combination of three different programming languages, and contains many very advanced programming routines (Binary Indexed Trees, etc.). As such, it performs very well, but it doesn't "take kindly" to being mistreated by operators. The worst thing an operator can do to "GP" is to take a "short-cut exit" from the program by simply turning off the computer, or by doing a Warm Boot (Control + Alternate + Delete Keys). During a proper exit (F-10 key) "GP" does quite a large number of tasks related to closing all files properly, restoring the RAM memory to normal, and in general, just tidying up after itself. To intentionally and repeatedly "bypass" those tasks is risking serious damage (or even a complete loss) of the Random data files. While we have taken every step we could think of to minimize that kind of disaster, on rare occasions it can still happen. This same problem can occur with most programs that access files, and it's not really a problem that's unique "only" to "GP". But because "GP" accesses "Many Files", and those files all "Interact" with each other, we prefer to stress the importance of proper "Exits" and NOT taking "Short Cuts". Because of this possibility of Data loss, we can't stress strongly enough the importance of keeping "Backup" copies of your data files. By "Backup" files we don't mean just the backup files that "GP" gives you the option of creating upon an exit (*.BAK). While those files are usually fine as "Backups", it is very easy to overwrite THEM with a badly scrambled file, leaving you with nothing but ALL scrambled files on your disk. So by "Backup Files" we mean other "insurance" backup copies of your "*.DTA" files kept on separate disks for safe keeping. HARD COPY PAPER BACKUPS In addition to "Disk File" Backup copies, we strongly recommend that you also keep a file of "paper" copies of every invoice. This can be accomplished by several methods. Either use a copy machine to make a "File Copy" of every GP Invoice, or use "Two Part Carbonless" computer paper to print an original and one "File Copy" at the same time, or use CNF-GP.EXE to set "GP" to print TWO (or more) copies of every Invoice. In the event of a disaster (fire, flood, lightning, theft, etc.), the rusty (but tough) old filing cabinate with it's drawers full of "old fashioned" paper Invoices can still "save the day". WHAT FILES DO I NEED TO BACKUP? When you decide to make "Backup" copies of your records, you really only NEED to make copies of "CUSTOMER.DTA and INVOICE.DTA" (Assuming that your are already using a backup of "GP" and it's related files). All the other files (DAT, NDX, CFG, BAK) can be automatically recreated as needed. But the two "DTA" files are irreplacable without backup copies. A method which "we" use to keep our backups is to create one or more "Archive" files containing the important "GP" files. We keep the Archived files in the same directory as "GP" (Hard Drive), and we also keep a couple of copies of the Archive file on removable disks for insurance (hard disk crash, etc.). At the end of each day's business, we simply "Freshen" the Archive files, and then make our insurance copies of the Archive files. We have made this method fast, easy and automatic through the use of "BATCH" command files which run "GP" and update the Archive upon exit from "GP" without operator intervention. CONVERTING & RENAMING "BAK" FILES TO "DTA" FILES If you should ever want to convert "INVOICE.BAK" or "CUSTOMER.BAK" to a "DTA" file, do so by entering the following commands from your system prompt: ... Erase the old "DTA" files...........: DEL *.DTA <enter> ... Erase all the old "NDX" files.......: DEL *.NDX <enter> ... Rename both Backup files............: REN *.BAK *.DTA <enter> Then, when you run "GP" again, it will automatically create new, updated "NDX" files, and you're ready to go again. Copyright (C) Robert F. Keber Jr. 1990 All Rights Reserved The term "IBM" is a registered trademark of the IBM Corp. The term "DOS" is a registered trademark of the IBM Corp. The term "EPSON" is a registered trademark of the Epson Corp. The term "MS-DOS" is a registered trademark of the Microsoft Corp. .pa