Big Blue Disk 53/bbd53.zip/CCTRAX.HLP

Text File | 1990-11-14 | 15KB | 357 lines

                   C C   T r a c k e r
                     Program  Manual

CC Tracker is  a  program  designed to  help you maintain
personal  registers  of  your  various credit cards.  You
can  maintain up to 1,000 different credit card accounts,
with up to 1,000 transactions per account!

This  program is ideal for computerizing your credit card
registers.   Entry screen flexibility lets you enter your
data  quickly and accurately, and special search features
let you  create sub-lists almost instantly.  CC Tracker's
strengths  are  that  it's very friendly, convenient, and
intuitive.

                   Program Requirements

CC Tracker requires  a  Color Graphics Adaptor, 256k RAM,
and DOS 2.1 or greater to run.

CC Tracker can be run from a floppy disk system, but with
very  limited  space available for data; or a floppy disk
can  be  used  as  a  data  disk within a hard disk setup
(with  nearly  the  same  limitations).   A  hard disk is
strongly  recommended,  however,  for  full  use  of  the
program's  storage  potential  and  speed,  and a printer
(dot-matrix  or  laser  preferred,  but  not required) is
needed,  of  course,  to  utilize  the program's printing
functions.

                     Program Features

A  context-sensitive  help screen/scrollable manual and a
quick-select  help index are always available for on-line
viewing or printing through the <F1> key.

The  <Esc>  key  is  always  available to return you to a
previous point, abort any process, or quit the program.

A  sudden,  unexpected  power  loss--  caused  by, say, a
thunderstorm--  during  program  execution causes no loss
of new data, because CC Tracker physically writes any and
all  file  changes  to  the disk immediately, rather than
wait  until the end of the program to update the files as
many  other programs do.  Also, data files are always re-
sorted  and  re-packed  on  the  spot  whenever  any file
record  is  changed  or  deleted.   All  sub-listing  and
indexing  is  done with dynamic-array pointers in memory,
so no temporary physical files clutter the disk.

A  "button"  at  the bottom of the screen often indicates
that  the  <Up Arrow>/<Down Arrow> keys are available for
various  cursor  functions.   Also  note that the <Home>,
<End>,  <PageUp>, <PageDown> and <SpaceBar> keys can also
be used to cursor quickly and intuitively.

Pop-Up,   3-D   effect   shadowed   "windows"   are  used
throughout the program in a visually appealing manner.

The  "point  &  shoot"  selection method is available for
most  program choices.  The program always remembers your
previous  choices,  and  offers  those  same choices as a
default  path during subsequent visits to that portion of
the program.

A   consistent  screen  format  is  used  throughout  the
program.   The  header,  or  top, box indicates where you
are  in  the program.  A "button" at the top right corner
of  the  screen  reminds  you  that  help is just an <F1>
touch  away.   The  bottom  of  the  screen  will contain
various  other buttons of information that always let you
know what your options are at any particular point.

User  input  boxes are word-processor capable, with arrow
cursoring,  insert/overtype/delete functions, etc.  Also,
user  input  boxes  are usually presented with a "default
entry"  already  typed  in,  based  on the program's best
guess  of  what you would probably want to enter.  If you
don't  like  the  default entry, simply start typing from
the  left-most position in the input box, and the default
entry  will  instantly  disappear at the first keystroke.
If  you  wish, however, you may edit the default entry so
long  as  you  begin  editing  at  any character position
other than the left-most position.

CC Tracker is also very friendly about date entries.  You
simply  enter  a  month  number,  date  number,  and year
(optional),  separated  by  a  slash,  dash,  period,  or
comma.  If you don't enter a year, CC Tracker assumes the
current year.  CC Tracker  then  restructures  the  entry
into a more readable form for you.

Finally, CC Tracker uses  a  special  and  very  friendly
method  for  entering  dollar amounts:  You just type the
numbers, and  CC Tracker manages the dollar sign, commas,
and  decimal  place  for you!  The amount "fills in" from
right  to  left, re-formatting automatically as you enter
the  numbers.   To enter $234.56, for example, you simply
type  "23456"--  CC Tracker takes  care of the rest.  Use
the <BackSpace> key to correct entry errors.

                   Starting the Program

To  start,  type   "CCTrax"   at the DOS prompt and press
the  <Enter>  key.  CC Tracker first  displays  the Title
Page,  and  then  presents  the Account Index Screen.  In
this  screen,  "3x5  cards"  of all accounts in the index
are  displayed one at a time.  One of the fields on every
card is called the "DOS Password" field.

CC Tracker has  a special start-up option that allows you
to  bypass  the  Account  Index Screen and go directly to
any  register  you  wish  to  see.  You do this by typing
"CCTrax",  a  space,  any  part  of  the  "DOS  Password"
entry  found  on the 3x5 card of the register you wish to
see,  and then the <Enter> key.  See the below example of
how to take advantage of this feature:

Let's  say you add a VISA card account to your index and,
in  the  "DOS  Password"  field,  you type "My usual VISA
account".    At  any  later  time  when  you   start  the
CC Tracker program, you can enter, for instance,

                    cctrax usual visa

at  the  DOS  prompt,  and  press the <Enter> key.  After
displaying the Title Page, CC Tracker internally searches
the  "DOS  Password"  field  of  all  the accounts in the
index   for  a  case-insensitive  partial  match  on  the
command  line  parameter  "usual  visa".   If  it finds a
match  (as it would it this example), CC Tracker bypasses
the  Account  Index  Screen  and  goes  directly  to  the
register  of  that  particular  VISA  account.  This is a
practical  and  convenient  time-saver  if you access one
particular account most of the time.

Note that  the above example implies that CC Tracker will
find  a  match of partial phrases.  For example, it would
have  also  found a match in the above example if you had
entered  "my",  or  "visa account", or even "sa ac" after
typing  "CCTrax"  at  the  DOS  prompt.  Any command line
parameter  that matches any part of the password for that
account,  in  upper  or  lower  case (or any combination)
will trigger a match.


                 The Account Index Screen

After displaying  the Title Page, CC Tracker presents the
Account  Index Screen.  The accounts are displayed one at
a  time  on  a  "3x5  card" as you scan through the index
with your cursor keys.  From this point, you can:

<Enter>   Select the displayed account
          to access the account's register
  <Ins>   Add an account to the index
   <F4>   Edit the displayed account information
  <Del>   Remove the displayed account from the index
  <Esc>   Quit the program


              Adding an Account to the Index

Choosing  this option allows you to add an account to the
Account  Index.   Cursor through the fields and enter the
information.   The  only  required  entry is "Type Card",
because  that  field is used to alphabetically insert the
new entry into the Account Index.

As  you  highlight  each  field,  a  "hint line" box will
display  a  brief  explanation  and/or suggestions of the
information being sought.

When  you're  finished and ready to accept the new entry,
just press the <F10> key.

               Editing an Existing Account

You  may edit the basic information of any account at any
time.   Simply  display  the  account on the 3x5 card and
press  the <F4> key.  A screen format similar to the "Add
Account"  format  will  appear  with hint lines to assist
you  in  your  editing.   The  previous  field  data  are
available  as  default  entries  for quick and convenient
editing.  Press the <F10> key to accept the changes.

Note  again  that  the  input  boxes  are  word-processor
capable.   You  can  use the various cursor keys, and the
<Ins>/<Del>/<BackSpace>  keys  for  fully functional word
processing.

               Deleting an Existing Account

You  may  delete an account from the Account Index at any
time.   Display  the  account  on  the  3x5 card and then
press the <Del> key.

As  a safeguard,  CC Tracker will  beep and a caution box
will  pop  up advising you of the proposed action, asking
you  to  confirm your wishes by typing the "y" key.  Upon
confirmation,  the  account  will  be permanently deleted
from the Account Index.

If  you  change  your  mind, or inadvertently pressed the
<Del> key, just press the "n" key to abort the action.

               The Account Register Screen

Pressing  the  <Enter> key on a displayed 3x5 card in the
Account  Index  screen  selects  that  account  for  data
display,  and  you  are presented with a register of that
account's transactions.  At this point, you can:

  <Ins>   Add a transaction to the account
   <F4>   Edit the highlighted transaction
  <Del>   Delete the highlighted transaction
   <F2>   Print the account
   <F6>   Search the account
  <Esc>   Return to the Account Index


       Adding a Transaction to the Account Register

Pressing  the  <Ins>  key  pops  up  a "New Entry" box in
which  you  are  provided  fields  to enter the necessary
"New  entry"  data.   At any time during entry, the <Esc>
key will allow you to abort the new entry.

Upon   completion,   the  new  entry  is  chronologically
inserted   into  the  account  register.   If  necessary,
intermediate balances are instantly updated.

The   "New  Entry"  box  contains  the  following  fields
described below:


Date:

The  date  is  entered  first,  and  CC Tracker  is  very
forgiving  as  to how you enter it.  For instance, if you
enter  "6,21"  CC Tracker  will  know  that  you   wanted
"06-21-90" to be used and will make that entry for you.

Type:

For  "Type  Entry",  you  are  presented  with a "point &
shoot"  box of choices.  "PURC", representing "purchase",
is  your  first  choice on the list, and will probably be
your most often used selection.

Description:

A  description  field  is provided for any description or
comment  you  wish to make regarding the new entry.  Used
wisely,  this  field  can  be used to associatively index
otherwise  unrelated  entries  when  using  the  "Search"
features  of  this  program.   For example, if you make a
point  of  including  the phrase "Rx" in your description
of  all  medical purchases on that account, you can later
get   an   sub-listing   consisting  exclusively  of  all
transactions  that  have  "Rx"  in the description field.
Select   the   section   titled  "Searching  the  Account
Register" in the Help Screen Index for more details.

Amount:

Here  you  can  enter  any  amount-- up to $100,000-- per
transaction.   As  mentioned  earlier, the user input box
for  amounts  is  very friendly:  Just enter the numbers,
and CC Tracker handles all the related punctuation as you
type.  Some amount  must  be entered; that is, CC Tracker
will not accept a $0.00 entry for a transaction.

Upon pressing the  <Enter>  key, CC Tracker automatically
processes  the  new  entry and returns you to the Account
Register Screen with the new information included.



            Editing a Highlighted Transaction

If  you  highlight  a transaction and press the <F4> key,
CC Tracker presents you with a series of pop-up boxes and
"point  &  shoot"  choices  to  guide you in changing the
date, description, or amount of that transaction.

If  you  change  the date, the transaction is re-inserted
chronologically  in  the  register  and  the intermediate
balances are updated.

If  you  change  the  amount,  intermediate  balances are
updated  from  the  point  of  change  to  the end of the
register.

           Deleting the Highlighted Transaction

If  you  highlight a transaction and press the <Del> key,
CC Tracker will beep  and  a  caution  box  will  pop  up
advising  you  of  the  proposed  action,  asking  you to
confirm   your  wishes  by  typing  the  "y"  key.   Upon
confirmation,   the   highlighted   transaction  will  be
permanently deleted from the account register.

If  you  change  your  mind, or inadvertently pressed the
<Del>  key,  just  press  the "n" key to abort the action
and  safely  return  to the account register with no harm
done.


              Printing the Account Register

Pressing  the  <F2>  key  will  present  you  with pop-up
"point  &  shoot"  boxes  that assist you in choosing the
available printing options.  You can choose to print:

     *  The whole account, or
     *  A sub-list of the account defined by
        beginning and ending transaction dates.

Make  sure  that  your  printer  is  on-line and ready to
print.   To  reduce code size and increase program speed,
CC Tracker is not  embedded with any error-checking code.
If the printer is off-line, CC Tracker may freeze.

              Searching the Account Register

When  this powerful option is selected with the <F6> key,
CC Tracker presents a  series  of pop-up boxes that guide
you  through  a  tangle  of choices to define a search of
your  account  register.   You  can compile a sub-list of
transactions   based   on   a  certain  Date,  a  certain
Month/year,  a  given  Year, the Type of transaction, the
Description,   or   any   Amount   entry.    Searches  by
Description are case-insensitive and may be partial.

Once  compiled,  the  sub-list  is  displayed  and may be
printed.   The  number of matching transactions and total
debit/credit amounts of the sub-list are also displayed.




                   Quitting CC Tracker




Choosing  the  <Esc>  key  from  the Account Index screen
will  pop up a box that asks you to confirm that you wish
to quit CC Tracker by pressing the "y" key.

If  you  change  your  mind, or inadvertently pressed the
<Esc>  key,  you  can  press the "n" key to return to the
Account Index.

         End of    C C   T r a c k e r   Help Screen