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APPENDIX A USING PC-ACCOUNT DATA WITH LOTUS 1 2 3 Function Key 7 cycles the direction of the output to four places, the screen, the printer, a file called ACTLIST and to a file called 123.PRN. ACTLIST is formatted like the output to the printer or the screen. It is a text file and can be copied to the printer, displayed on the screen using the DOS TYPE command or merged into word processor text. 123.PRN is also a text file, but it is formatted so that it can be used by Lotus 1 2 3. The number in the date field is converted to the 1 2 3 date format. Once in 1 2 3, you can then sort the data, use it to plot graphs, gather statistics or anything else that you wish to do. 1 2 3 has a command for importing a text file. Insert the 1 2 3 system disk into disk drive A. Put the disk with the data file named 123.PRN, which you created with PC-ACCOUNT, in drive B. Start 1 2 3. The cursor should be in cell A1 and the worksheet empty of all data. Use the following 1 2 3 commands to do this. /File Import Numbers RETURN 1 2 3 will then display the names of all files that have the suffix .PRN without displaying the suffix. Move the cursor to the file named 123 and hit return. If drive B is not the default drive for 1 2 3 data, then enter the file name as B:123. The reverse is not true. You cannot use a file created by 1 2 3 with PC-ACCOUNT. You may want to change the column widths. Some, like the payee name, you will want to make wider, and, for the account numbers, narrower. Place the cursor in any cell in the column and issue the command: /Worksheet Column-Width Set 20 RETURN Instead of 20 use whatever number you need. That is the width of the cell in number of characters. The date field in transaction records will now be displayed as an integer with a value like 31389. Issue the following 1 2 3 commands to produce the normal date display. First place the cursor in cell G1 (or whatever cell the first date value is in). This should be over the first date. Then change the column width to hold the date with the command: -65- APPENDIX A /Worksheet Column-Width Set 11 RETURN Next select the date format with the command: /Range Format Date 1 Answer the range question by entering a period. Then, with the Num Lock Off, press the key labeled END and then the down arrow key. Follow this with RETURN and presto, the integers are converted to the day-month-year format. 1 2 3 displays the twenty-first century years with four digits. After the year 1999 you will set the width of the date field to 13. To format the transaction amount field for currency, place the cursor in cell B1 and issue the commands: /Worksheet Column-Width Set 11 RETURN /Range Format Currency 2 RETURN Answer the range question the same as you did for the date format, period, END, down arrow, RETURN What data is in what columns? If you were in column A when you executed the Import command the fields will be as follows. The data in the transaction record are in the following columns. A Transaction Number G Date B Amount H Search Code C First Account Number I Check Number D First Account Name J Check Clear Indicator E Second Account Number K Comment F Second Account Name The data in the account record are in columns: A Account Number B Account Name C Last Month's Balance D Current Month's Balance E Month Name F Month Number G Year H Date in Lotus 1-2-3 Format -66- APPENDIX A The data in the Payee records are in columns: A Payee Sequence Number B Payee Name C Memo The data in the Search Code records are in columns: A Sequence Number B Search Code C Description If several sets of data were appended to the file, they will be separated by blank rows. To remove the blank rows, move the cursor to any column in the blank row and issue the command: /Worksheet Delete Row RETURN -67- APPENDIX B This section gives some technical information on sizes and limits in the program PC-ACCOUNT. Some of the limits were chosen arbitrarily, like the number of accounts. Others were based on the size of the output screen and printer width, such as the length of the account name field and the highest dollar amount displayed for an account. Memory required (Memory Bytes Free as shown by CHKDSK) 256K Double sided disk drive 1 Maximum Number of Transactions Per Month Definable (320) Number of Asset Accounts 60 Number of Bank Accounts 15 Total Number of Accounts 75 Maximum number of Payees Definable (300) Maximum number of Search Codes Definable (300) Check Numbers 1 to 32767 User Defined Search Code -32768 to 32767 Number of setup or reset codes 10 Total number of printer setup and reset codes for the check format 13 Definable means that you select and change the maximum number of records that you expect to have in these files. If you select a number that is too low, you can increase the limit with ACT_INIT.EXE. It can be started by selecting item I on the PC-ACCOUNT main menu. The number in parentheses is the initial default. The maximum value for a dollar amount in PC-ACCOUNT is 16 digits of precision. However, the maximum displayable amount is 9,999,999.99 and -999,999.99. This is because the field lengths are limited by the screen width. PC-ACCOUNT was developed for the IBM Personal Computer. It will operate with either the IBM color or IBM monochrome adapter boards. It will use any printer connected to the port designated LPT1:. If you find any of these limits difficult to work around in your application, please contact the author for an estimate on a customized version. -68- APPENDIX C HACKERS INFORMATION The information provided in this appendix is not required to perform the intended functions of PC-ACCOUNT. It is offered to those who are familiar with programming for their curiosity. These items were used by the developer and may be of interest to fellow hackers. Most of these functions can also be more easily performed in the CHANGE PROGRAM PARAMETERS section of ACT_INIT.EXE. PC-ACCOUNT is written in BASIC and compiled with the Microsoft BASIC Compiler Version 2.01. It contains assembly subroutines that write directly to and from the screen. That is how it can flash data screens so quickly. It does not use alternate pages of the color board memory so that it could also run with an IBM monochrome board. When PC-ACCOUNT starts, it reads the memory locations that record the setting of the mother board switches to identify the type of monitor board installed. It needs this information to read and write to the screen memory. There are seven hidden functions that remain from program development that can be called from the MAIN PC-ACCOUNT MENU. These are activated by holding the ALT key down, pressing three digits on the numeric keypad only, then releasing the ALT key. PC-ACCOUNT turns the output of the video board off when it creates the calendar screen and when it swaps whole screens. This works fine with the IBM color and monochrome board. If you are using another video board, you may want to cancel this feature. If you cancel it and use the IBM color board, you will see snow when the screens change. To toggle this feature off (cancel) or on (activate), enter ALT 221. ALT 222 is a toggle that can turn on and off the message that PC-ACCOUNT displays when the program ends. This selection is saved in the control file. So, each time you enter ALT 222, a message will be displayed stating that the end message is activated or canceled, and the control file will be written. ALT 223 will perform memory garbage collection and then display the amount of free memory. The BASIC Compiler allows the program to use a maximum of 64K bytes of memory for data. That is why the free space shown may only be 15 to 25 K when your computer has 640 K. ALT 224 displays the type of monitor board PC-ACCOUNT has detected and is using. ALT 228 will change the search code delimiter for the Input Transaction routine. -69- APPENDIX C ALT 229 will toggle the AUTO RETURN on and off. ALT 230 will toggle the beep on command error on and off. The following function can be used on any text input. If you key in a line of text in lower case, like an input comment or check payee, and then decide before hitting return that you want it all in upper case, enter ALT U to shift all alphabetic letters in the input string to upper case. -70- APPENDIX D FREE FORM INPUT TUTORIAL In the tutorial you learned how to enter a transaction using the Prompt Mode. When you become familiar with the concept of PC-ACCOUNT asset and bank accounts and how to use them in transactions, you may want to try the Free Form Input Mode. It has the benefit of entering the complete transaction quicker. This tutorial uses the same example as the original tutorial. To start, run PC-ACCOUNT. Select the Accounting section. Enter I for Input Transactions at the Enter Command prompt. Enter an asterisk and RETURN to switch to the Free Form Input Mode. You will now be working on the free form insert screen. Let's look at it first. Find the transaction number at the top of the screen. Next, locate the cursor. It is on the input line. If you entered a RETURN now, you would quit the insert mode and return to the command screen. The input routine uses free form input. It is a fast way to enter data because it uses the minimum keystrokes. The prompts are displayed in the lines above and below the data entry line where the cursor is now. A minimum of three data items must be entered for a valid transaction, the dollar amount, and two account numbers (any two account numbers from 1 to 75). The comment and search code are optional. We are going to enter a transaction for the purchase of four new tires which we charged on our Sears credit card. The tires cost $225.57. The PC-ACCOUNTs account number for Sears is 42. The account we enter car expenses against is number 3. The first value to enter is the amount. Type 225.57 using the numeric keypad, but do not press RETURN until told to. Also, never enter the dollar sign. Now press the space bar three times to move the cursor under the I in IN. The IN account is the Sears account. We are putting $225.57 into the Sears account to have when the Sears bill comes. Enter the Sears account number 42. Press the space bar twice to position the cursor under the U in OUT. Enter the car account number, 3. We are taking the $225.57 out of the car account. Press the space bar six times and enter the comment, 4 New Tires. Enter a space. We have designated a search code of 28 for car expenses. Find it at the bottom of the screen. Before entering this code we must enter the sign that will tell PC-ACCOUNT that we are finished with the comment and that the search code follows. So enter the | followed by a space. It is on the key that is to the right of the left shift key on the IBM PC keyboard. Then enter 28. -71- APPENDIX D The screen will look like $ ASSET AMOUNT IN OUT COMMENT | SEARCH CODE [QUIT]? 225.57 42 3 4 New Tires | 28_ BANK OUT IN Press the return key. PC-ACCOUNT reads the input string and responds with $225.57 ENTER INTO 42 SEARS 6/26/86 WITHDRAW FROM 3 CAR SEARCH CODE 28 Car Expense 4 New Tires IS THE TRANSACTION OKAY [Y]? PC-ACCOUNT interprets the transaction input data and displays it as it understands it. The account names and search code nomenclature have been added and so has the date. If the transaction is okay, press RETURN. If not, enter N and start over. Since a check is not being printed by this transaction, the screen will be erased and you will be prompted for the next transaction. Here are a few notes about the free form input. You could have entered 225.57 42 3 4 New Tires | 28 or 225.57423 4 New Tires|28 or many variations of this. The only space required by PC-ACCOUNT is the one between the 3, the second account number, and the 4, the comment. If the car account had been a two digit number or the 4 was spelled out, Four, even that space would not be required. If that space were not there, PC-ACCOUNT would think that the out account number is 34. The comment and the search code are both optional. Only use the delimiter | when entering a search code. You may use spaces to make it clear to you, but spaces are only required to remove ambiguities. The same for the amount. If the amount is $10, then just enter 10 followed by a space and then the account numbers. If the first account number is a single digit, that would also have to be followed by a space. The comment can be as long as you wish. -72- APPENDIX D There are more examples on this in the reference section of the manual. It will become easier as you use it, and you will appreciate its speed. This is a case where you let the computer do a lot of work to figure out what you want, rather than you doing more work to make it easier on the program. Review the INPUT command in the reference section of the manual for more discussion on the concept and rules of free form input. Enter a few transactions different ways and see what happens. That is what a tutorial is for. You cannot hurt anything. Play with it. When you are entering a transaction, PC-ACCOUNT displays your list of search codes in a window at the bottom of the screen. If you have more than nine, use the function keys 9 and 10 to scroll the list. It will look like this: Scroll Search Codes with FUNCTION KEYS 9 & 10 1 Miscellaneous 2 Medical Expenses 3 Income 5 Tax Deductible 20 Mortgage 21 Paid Gold VISA 22 Paid Master Charge 23 Paid VISA 28 Car Expense If there are a large number of search codes, the list can be jump scrolled with the ALT key in combination with the A, S, Z, or X keys. The A and S keys scroll by page and the Z and X keys jump to the beginning or end. The S and X keys are on the right and move the data in the same direction as the Function 10 key does. Try it. Just remember to press the ALT key while doing it. Now we will print a check. Use the blank paper in your printer for this. We want to pay the Sears bill of $225.57. The check will be written on the checking account number 61. Enter the transaction $ ASSET AMOUNT IN OUT COMMENT | SEARCH CODE [QUIT]? 225.57 61 42 Paid Sears Bill BANK OUT IN Money will be taken out of two accounts, the checking account, 61, and the Sears asset account, 42. Notice the prompt for the BANK account numbers. The IN and OUT are the reverse of the ASSET account -73- APPENDIX D numbers. Accounts 61 through 75 are all treated as BANK accounts and follow the bottom prompt. Press RETURN to enter the transaction. When you respond that the transaction is okay, PC-ACCOUNT will ask if you want to print a check. Press RETURN for yes. Immediately PC-ACCOUNT will open a window to display your payee list. Press function keys 9 and 10 to scroll the list of payees to find the Sears record. You can also use the ALT A, S, Z, or X to jump scroll the payees as it was described above for the search codes. Play with this by scrolling up and down. Later you will sort this list. PC-ACCOUNT asks if you want to print a check only for bank accounts for which you created a check format file. Enter 7, the sequence number of the payee record for Sears, and press RETURN. You can now verify the selection. If it is wrong, enter N for no and go back to the list otherwise press RETURN for yes. Next, enter the check number or accept the default. Turn the printer on and hit return when ready. The format of the check printed may not fit your personal checks. This can be changed by using the routine in section 6 of the main menu, SETUP CHECK FORMAT. The procedure is described in the SETUP CHECK FORMAT section of this manual. That is all there is to the free form insert transactions mode. Enter a few and play around with it and shortly you will have it mastered. Function keys 1 and 2 are useful when entering a transaction. Remember, you may press a function key anytime without affecting what you are doing. For example, if after you entered the 225.57 on the input line, you wanted to find the Sears account number. Press function key 2 to look for it. PC-ACCOUNT then returns exactly to where you left off and you would not have to reenter the 225.57. Press RETURN to quit the input mode. -74- PC-ACCOUNT REFERENCE CARD PC-ACCOUNT MAIN MENU 1 - ACCOUNTING 2 - EDIT CHECK PAYEES 3 - EDIT STANDARD TRANSACTIONS 4 - SEARCH THROUGH MANY MONTHS 5 - CHECKBOOK ANALYSIS 6 - SETUP CHECK FORMAT 7 - DELETE DIRECTED FILES 8 - EDIT SEARCH CODES 9 - PRINT REGISTRATION FORM I - INITIALIZATION PARAMETERS FUNCTION KEY ASSIGNMENTS 1 - DISPLAY ACCOUNTS 1 TO 40 2 - DISPLAY ACCOUNTS 41 TO 75 3 - DISPLAY CALENDAR 4 - DISPLAY FUNCTION KEY LIST 5 - SPECIAL EXIT MODES 6 - CHANGE SCREEN COLORS 7 - TOGGLE OUTPUT - SCREEN, PRINTER, FILE, 123.PRN 8 - TOGGLE STATUS LINE ON/OFF 9 - SCROLL WINDOWS DOWN 10 - SCROLL WINDOWS UP -75- PC-ACCOUNT REFERENCE CARD PC-ACCOUNT COMMANDS A * DISPLAY ACCOUNTS B BUDGET C CHANGE DATE D DELETE A TRANSACTION E EDIT A TRANSACTION F * FIND ALL TRANSACTIONS FOR AN ACT G * GET ALL TRANSACTIONS FOR AN AMOUNT H * HELP I INSERT TRANSACTIONS J * SEARCH BY CHECK NUMBER L LAST TRANSACTION NUMBER M MOVE & SAVE DATA FOR A NEW PERIOD N NAME AN ACCOUNT O * MULTIPLE CONDITION QUERY P PRINT A CHECK Q SAVE DATA AND EXIT R * RETRIEVE TRANSACTIONS FOR A CODE S * SEARCH COMMENTS T * DISPLAY TRANSACTIONS U UPDATE FILES (SAVE DATA) V * VERIFY ACCOUNT TOTALS W REWRITE SCREEN X SAVE DATA AND EXIT Y * SKIP LINE OR PAGE Z DISPLAY STATUS DATA * DIRECTED OUTPUT -76- CHECK FORMAT REFERENCE CARD MASTER MENU FUNCTION KEY ASSIGNMENTS 1 - PRINT LAYOUT DATA SHEET 4 - DISPLAY FUNCTION KEY LIST 2 - PRINT CHECK OVERLAY LINES 5 - QUIT WITHOUT SAVING DATA 3 - PRINTER SETUP DATA 6 - CHANGE ACCOUNT NUMBER 4 - DEFINE CHECK LAYOUT - RETAIN CURRENT DATA 5 - PRINT TEST CHECK 9 - SCROLL PAYEES DOWN 6 - CANCEL A CHECKING ACCOUNT 10 - SCROLL PAYEES UP 7 - EDIT ANOTHER CHECK NUMERIC FORMATS FOR CHECK VALUE 1 - 1234.56 PLAIN 2 - $1234.56 PLAIN WITH A DOLLAR SIGN 3 - ***1234.56 PLAIN WITH LEADING ASTERISKS 4 - **$1234.56 PLAIN, ASTERISKS AND DOLLAR SIGN 5 - 1,234.56 PUNCTUATED WITH A COMMA 6 - $1,234.56 PUNCTUATED AND A DOLLAR SIGN 7 - ***1,234.56 PUNCTUATED AND LEADING ASTERISKS 8 - **$1,234.56 PUNCTUATED, ASTERISKS AND DOLLAR SIGN FEATURES TO BE LOCATED ON A CHECK 1 Date when the 19 is printed on the check 2 Date when the 19 is NOT printed on the check 3 Check number 4 Payee 5 Numeric amount 6 Written amount 7 Reference or Memo 8 to 13 Each of 1 to 6 text statements -77- PC-ACCOUNT REGISTRATION FORM I am using Version ___________________________ Name ______________________________________ Address ______________________________________ City ______________________________________ State _________________ ZIP _______________ Phone ( __ __ __ ) __ __ __ -- __ __ __ __ Date you acquired PC-ACCOUNT _________________ How did you acquire PC-ACCOUNT? ____ From a friend ____ Bulletin Board ____ User Group ____ Commercial distribution service Which one? ______________________________ Computer _____________________________________ Printer ______________________________________ You are encouraged to register your license of PC-ACCOUNT to obtain telephone and mail support, receive information on future updates, support user developed software and the SHAREWARE concept, and have the delay removed from the PC-ACCOUNT title screen. You will also receive the latest or next version free. Send this form with the $45.00 registration fee (checks only) to: John P. Bauernschub, Jr. 14809 Clavel Street Rockville, Maryland 20853 Maryland residents add 5% sales tax ($2.25). You may also register with your Visa or Mastercard. Send your credit card information to New-Ware, 6198 Agee Street #71, San Diego, CA 92122. Or call the BBS in San Diego at 619-455-5226, 24 hours, N/8/1. Read the PC-ACCOUNT file HOW2REGI.STR for more details on registering. _____VISA _____Mastercard #_______________________________________ Expiration Date ___________ Signature __________________________________________________________ Member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP) Thank you for your interest and support.