Shareware Overload/ShartewareOverload.cdr/busi/est23.zip/ESTIMATE.DOC

Text File | 1990-12-18 | 19KB | 401 lines

                          THE ESTIMATOR

              An estimating package for the IBM PC

                        by Darryl Brooks

                         Copyright 1990
                       All rights reserved

SHAREWARE

     'The Estimator' ver. 2.1 is being distrubted under the
"shareware" or user supported concept.  This software is NOT free
software.  The use or reproduction of this software outside of the
limits specified in this license agreement is prohibited.

     Non-registered users are granted a limited license to use this
software for a period not to exceed thirty days.  During this
period they should test and evaluate the software to determine if
it will meet their needs.  The use of this program beyond this
limited time period requires registration.  Non-registered users
are not allowed to distribute this software without the express
writted consent of Darryl Brooks.  The only exception to this
restriction are SYSOPS of electronic bulletin boards and
distributors of public domain and user supported software.  SYSOPS
and software distributors must abide by the copying restrictions
specified below.

     Registered users are granted the right to use 'The Estimator'
on only one computer at any time.  Site licensing agreements are
available for business, corporations, and government agencies
wishing to run multiple copies.  Registered users are also granted
the right to copy and distribute 'The Estimator' subject to the
following conditions.

          'The Estimator must be copied in its original unmodified
          form.

          All of the files must be included in the copy.

          No fee or charge may be requested or paid to
          any licensee by the recipient of the copy.

          'The Estimator' may not be distributed in
          conjuction with any other product without the
          express written consent of Darryl Brooks.


WHAT IT IS

     'The Estimator' is an estimating package for anyone in the
"material and labor" type trades.  'The Estimator' will grow with
you and remember all the material items and labor costs you enter.
Once entered you need not remember the cost of items.  Just enter
an eight number 'code' which you make up and the program takes it
from there.  'The Estimator' will allow discounts on materials and
or labor, will keep track of all estimates for future use and
editing, and will show a table with a summary of all estimates on
file.
     'The Estimator' is written in QuickBasic 4.5 and runs on any
IBM compatible machine.  I am running it on an XT, and with a
material database of over 1000 items, still performs well.

WHY IT IS

     'The Estimator' was written to fill a need by myself for a
simple to use no frills estimating program.  I had tried many other
Shareware estimating packages in the past, but they generally were
too large, complicated, or took too much time.  My estimates
generally consist of a number of materials, in varying quantities,
and labor to install these materials.
     I didn't need 20 different fields for each material items, or
tie the system into inventory control, or keep track of sub-
contractors.  I  simply wanted to sit down at my computer and
generate a legible estimate without having to juggle price books
from a dozen different vendors, or call a vendor to price an item
in lieu of price books.  This, 'The Estimator' does very well, so
let's take a look at how it works.

GETTING STARTED

     If you downloaded this program from a BBS and are reading this
file, then you have also de-compressed the files and probably have
a working knowledge of DOS.  It is suggested that you make a
seperate directory for the files that came with the package.  These
are:
                    EST21.EXE
                    README.TXT
                    EST.DOC

     As the program runs other files will be generated and need to
be in the same directory as the exec file.  The program will also
run fine from floppy system and will probably never exceed 360K.


OPENING SCREEN AND INITIAL SETUP

     The program starts with a Shareware reminder and a chance to
print out the registration form (also found at the end of this
file).  Registered versions will not have this annoyance.  The
first time you run 'The Estimator' you will then be asked two
questions.

1) What is the name of your company
     Fill in the name of your company, your own name, or just leave
it blank.  This information is currently only used to print at the
top of each screen to personalize the system somewhat.

2) What is your local sales tax
     Enter your sales tax in whole numbers (i.e. 5 for 5%)

     This information is saved to disk and you won't have to answer
it again.  If you wish to change this information, simply erase the
file 'USER.DAT' from your hard drive and the next time you start
'The Estimator' this will be asked again.

THE MENU

     The menu consists of four choices:

          1) Start New Estimate
          2) Edit Old Estimate
          3) Look at Estimate Table
          4) Quit

We will look at these choices one at a time.

START NEW ESTIMATE

     JOB CODE

     Until you have some estimates on file, this will be your first
choice.  When this option is selected, you are presented with a
blank screen and a prompt for a Job Code.  This is an eight
character code of your making with which this job will be
indentified with.  No two jobs can have the same job code.  If you
forget your job codes, you can use option three on the menu to look
at them.  It is suggested with this code, as with others used in
this program, that you be consistent with the form you use so that
it will be easy to remember.  I use the first four characters as an
abbreviation of the customer name, and the last four as an
abbreviation of the job name.  Whatever works for you is fine.  The
program doesn't care what you use as long as it is unique to this
job and is no longer than eight characters.

     JOB INFORMATION

     Once the program is satisfied that you have entered a valid
job code, you are asked a few more questions about the job.  This
information is for your own use and does not affect the program.
First, enter a Job Name.  This is whatever you want it to be and is
limited to 20 characters.  Next enter a Description.  Again, use
this field for whatever you like as long at it does not exceed 60
characters.  The limit of each field, by the way, is usually shown
by a series of underlines after the prompt.

     ENTER MATERIALS

     Now comes the meat of the program.  Here is where you enter
the items that make up your estimate.  As the program grows to
include your standard materials you will simply enter a quantity,
followed by a material code.  The program does the rest for you.
     But for now, you have no materials in your database, so you
must enter some to begin.  When new material items are entered,
they are not automatically part of this estimate.  After you enter
the new item, you will be returned to the previous line where you
can continue with the estimate.  This allows you to enter as many
items to your database at one time as you wish without affecting
the current estimate.  You could even create a dummy estimate just
to enter items, then delete the estimate later.  The materieal
items will remain in your material database for future use.
     The first item on each line you enter is the quantity.  Next
you enter the material code.  If you had this item stored, the
program would retrieve it from the file, show its description and
cost, multiply the extended price, and go to the next line.  If the
material code is not found, you are then told so and given the
choice to reenter the item or add it to your database.  If you have
made typing error, hit R and reenter the item.  Otherwise you need
to add this item to your database.
     The first time you run the program, simply enter anything when
prompted for mat code, and you can begin entering items.  First,
you are asked for this items Matcode.  This is a 12 character field
unique to this item.  Again, use some meaningful and consistent
code system for these items.  I have over 1000 items in my database
and can usually remember the code of most items.  I use the first
four characters for an abbreviation of the supplier, the next four
for some indication of type or color, and the last four for part
number or color number.  What you use is up to you, the important
thing is to be consistent, so items are easily recalled. NOTE - Any
field requiring a code does not have to fill the entire field.  In
other words, for mat code your code cannot exceed 12 characters,
but it can be less than 12 characters.  For instance, if you are a
carpenter some of your mat codes could be simply; '2x4' or 'nails'.
Keep it simple!
     Once the matcode is entered and accepted, you are prompted for
unit type.  This is simply a two character field to indicate how
the item is sold.  I.E. 'SF' for square feet, or 'PC' for piece.
Use anything you like here, it is simply for legibility of the
estimate, it is not used by the program itself.
     Next comes description.  This is a 15 character item for any
type of description you like and makes sense to you.
     Then you are prompted for color/type.  Again this is a 15
character field and can be used for any thing you prefer.  You
could use this field to refine the description field.  For example,
you could have several different types of 2x4's. In each case the
description could be 2 X 4 and in the color/type you could have
'treated', 'pine', or whatever.  (In the matcode for these
examples, you could have '2x4treated' - '2x4pine')
     Next comes unit price.  This is simply the price for each of
these items.  If the price you pay for these items varies according
to quantity, or the price you charge varies according to customer,
enter the high price here.  You will be given an opportunity to
discount your estimate later.
     Finally, you are asked for a supplier code.  This is a six
character field to identify the source of this item.  Future
releases of 'The Estimator' will use this field for various
purposes.  * See Future Enhancements below.
     Once you have succesfully entered a new material item into the
database, you are returned to the line you were originally on.  Now
you can enter a quantity and use this matcode, or you can continue
to enter new items, and enter the items into the estimate later.
     When you are through adding items to the estimate, press
return on the quantity field. (0 quantity).  This tells the program
you are through with materials for this estimate.  Don't worry if
you hit this key accidentally.  You are allowed to add items under
menu item 2.
     When you hit return to show you are through, the program asks
if the materials are okay.  Take a second to look at what you have
entered.  If an item is wrong, answer 'N' to this question.  You
are then prompted with a line by line listing of what you have
entered and are allowed to change or accept each line.  If you want
to change a line, simply fill in the item at the prompts. NOTE -
Any item entered here is neither checked through or added to the
material database.  It is simply added to this estimate as is.
     Once you are satisfied that materials are okay, you are asked
if you want a printout of materials.  Answer "Y" if you want a
printout of materials only, or if you will need this information to
enter labor items.  Once past this question, the screen is cleared
and you are ready to enter labor items.

     ENTER LABOR

     Entering labor works exactly the same as entering materials
with three exceptions.  When you enter a new item, the labor code
(or labcode) is only eight characters, and there is only one
description field.  You will not be prompted for color/type. Also
there is no Supplier Code.  Otherwise, just enter existing or new
items just as you did with materials.  For existing items simply
enter quantity and labcode.
For new items, enter labcode, unit type (sf, hr, ea), description
and unit price. Continue until you have entered all the labor
items.  You then get the same chance to edit labor.  Labor items
are not printed out seperately.

     ESTIMATE TOTALS AND DISCOUNTS

     Once all materials and labor are entered, the job is totaled
and these totals are displayed.  You now have the opportunity to
give material and/or labor discounts.  You are first prompted for
material discount.  If you answer 'Y' you are asked for a discount
percent.  The price is adjusted by this percent and the new amount
displayed.  Don't be concerned with mistakes here.  You can play
around with different amounts and keep changing the price.  You can
also return it to 0 discount or give a negative discount to mark up
the price.  Only after you answr 'Y' to Okay? is this discount
saved and you are prompted for labor discount.  These fields can
also be edited later.  Labor discount works the same as material
discount.

     PRINT ESTIMATE

     After you are satisfied with the totals, you are asked if you
want a printout.  Answering 'Y' here will get a hard copy of all
information entered in this estimate.  You are then returned to the
main menu.


EDIT OLD ESTIMATE

     Again you are prompted for a jobcode.  In this case, however,
instead of entering a unique jobcode as for a new estimate, you
want to enter an existing jobcode of the job you wish to edit.  If
you can't remember the jobcode, see Look at Estimate Table below.
     You can't edit a job that was entered in the same session.  If
you wish to immediately edit a new estimate, you must first exit
the program and return to it.  Upon entering an existing job code,
the totals are again shown to the screen and you are asked how you
wish to edit it.
     The first option is to delete this estimate.  If you answer
'Y' to this question, you are asked "Are you sure?".  Again
answering 'Y' will permanantly erase this estimate from the file.
This will not effect material and labor items that were entered
into the database while building this estimate, however.
     Next, you are asked if you want to edit materials.  If you
answer 'Y' here, you are given the same line by line editing
capabilities used in New Estimates.  Simply follow the prompts and
fill in the new information.
     Third you are given the chance to add new material items to
this estimate.  This is done in the same manner as originally done
when you first entered this estimate.
     After you have done any editing to materials, the same
opportunity is given to edit or add to labor items.
     Last, you can change the discount amounts in the same fashion
as they were entered originally.
     Once all the items have been edited, changed, and are
acceptable,  you can get a printout of the revised estimate.

LOOK AT ESTIMATE TABLE

     This is simply a table of the existing estimates showing
JobCode, Job name, Date entered, and totals for Materials, Labor,
and the Job total.  These amounts do not reflect the discounts,
however, the discount amounts are also shown on this screen.

QUIT

     Returns you to your operating system.


WARRANTY

     Darryl Brooks makes no warranty of any kind, express or
implied, including without limitation, any warranties of
merchantability and or fitness for a particular purpose.
     Darryl Brooks shall not be liable for any damages, whether
direct, indirect, special or consequential arising from a failure
of this program to operate in the manner desired by the user.
     In no event will Darryl Brooks be liable to you for any
damages, including any lost profits, lost savings or other
incidental or consequential damages arising out of your use or
inability to use the program, or for any claim by any other party.


SHAREWARE

     Once again I feel compelled to explain the Shareware concept.
You are allowed to use this program for a short period of time to
evaluate it's usefulness to you.  If you find the program useful
then you are required to register your copy of the program.  The
small regristration fee goes to support the author and encourage
future versions of this software.
     Shareware depends on honesty.  The computer programs are
freely distributed as finished products.  The authors of this type
of program depend completely on the honesty of end users for
compensation for their work.  If you use a shareware program, any
shareware program, please be honest and register your copy.
Shareware is not free software.  It requires as much work and
effort to produce as commercial products, but usually sells at a
fraction of the cost.
     Registering shareware also gives you the opportunity to
directly effect future issues of a program.  Your comments and
suggestions go directly to the author and a response comes directly
from him/her.

PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO FILL OUT AND RETURN THE REGISTRATION FORM
WITH YOUR CHECK OR MONEY ORDER FOR THE ITEMS SELECTED.

FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS

     An option selection on the menu, allowing you to change
     certain default items used in the program.

     The ability to printout a list of material and labor
     items in the databases.

     Suggestions sent in by you, the registered user.


REGISTRATION FORM FOR "THE ESTIMATOR" VERSION 2.1

SELECT CHOICE AND SEND WITH CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO:
   DARRYL BROOKS
   1540 WICKERSHAM PLACE
   SUWANEE, GEORGIA  30174

( )   REGISTRATION   $25
( )   SITE LICENSE   $15 PER COPY (minimum 5)  copies __
( )   REGISTRATION AND 1 YEAR FREE UPGRADES  $35
( )   REGISTRATION, UPGRADES, AND SOURCE CODE   $100

INFORMATION BELOW IS OPTIONAL, BUT COULD HELP WITH FUTURE RELEASES.

WHERE DID YOU GET "THE ESTIMATOR" (IF BBS, INCLUDE NAME AND
NUMBER)?
_________________________________________________________________

WHAT IMPROVEMENTS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN "THE ESTIMATOR"?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

WHAT TYPE OF SIMILIAR PRODUCTS WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________