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********************************************************************
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** **
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** $$$ $$$ $$$$$$$ $$$ $$$ $$$$$$ **
** $$$ $$$ $$$ $$$ $$$$ $$$$ $$$ $$$ **
** $$$ $$$ $$$ $$$ $$$$$ $$$$$ $$$ **
** $$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$ $$$ $$$$ $$$ $$$$$$$$ **
** $$$ $$$ $$$ $$$ $$$ $$ $$$ $$$ **
** $$$ $$$ $$$ $$$ $$$ $$$ $$$ $$$ **
** $$$ $$$ $$$$$$$ $$$ $$$ $$$$$$ **
** **
** **
** the **
** **
** H O M E B U D G E T M A N A G E M E N T S Y S T E M **
** **
** Version 4.21 May 1991 **
** **
** **
** Copyright (C) 1988,1989,1990,1991 BRENTSON L. WORRELL **
********************************************************************
********************************************************************
The fastest, easiest, and most flexible system to record
and report on most all of your financial transactions.
_______
____|__ | (tm)
BRENTSON L. WORRELL --| | |-------------------
6404 Mornay Dr. | ____|__ | Association of
Tampa, FL 33615-3426 | | |_| Shareware
(813) 886-2282 |__| o | Professionals
-----| | |---------------------
|___|___| MEMBER
"This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware
Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware
principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-
related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly,
ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a
dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical
support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at
545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427, or send a Compuserve message
via Compuserve Mail easyplex to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536"
Table of Contents page
___________________________________________________
ABOUT SHAREWARE ......................... 1
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS and LIMITATIONS ..... 2
WHAT IS HBMS and WHAT WILL IT DO? ....... 3
Sample Data .......................... 3
HOW DO I GET STARTED and USE HBMS? ...... 4
BASIC CONCEPTS .......................... 6
CONVENTIONS (usage) ..................... 8
Detailed descriptions of MAIN MENU items:
*-----------------------------------------------*
| |
| INITIALIZING NEW YEAR ................ 12 |
| Begin New Year .................... 12 |
| Initial Balances .................. 12 |
| |
| ACCOUNT/CATEGORY MAINTENANCE ......... 16 |
| Chart of Accounts ................. 13 |
| Resequencing ...................... 17 |
| Naming your system ................ 17 |
| Sound effects .................... 18 |
| |
| BUDGET ASSIGNMENT .................... 18 |
| |
| LEDGER POSTING ....................... 19 |
| Action Prompt ..................... 21 |
| VIEW Ledger ....................... 21 |
| EDIT Mode ......................... 21 |
| TEMPLATES ......................... 22 |
| Printing Checks ................... 23 |
| Tips & Shortcuts .................. 24 |
| |
| RECONCILE STATEMENTS ................. 25 |
| |
| CLOSE/OPEN MONTH ..................... 26 |
| |
| CHANGE BUDGET YEAR/PATH .............. 26 |
| |
| REPORTS (screen) ..................... 27 |
| |
| PRINTED REPORTS ...................... 28 |
| |
| FILE EXPORT .......................... 29 |
| |
*-----------------------------------------------*
FOR USERS of OLDER VERSIONS(before 3.0) ... 30
ABOUT SHAREWARE
--------------------
HBMS is being distributed under the Shareware concept. This is a
distribution method, not a type of software. It is also NOT Public
Domain software. Shareware authors retain all rights to the software
under the copyright laws, but still allow free distribution. With
commercial software, once you make a purchase, in most cases you are
stuck with it, even if it's not what you had hoped for. Shareware is
different! You the user, have the chance to freely obtain and try out
Shareware to see if it fits your needs. If you continue to use
Shareware after a trial period, you are expected to register with the
author and pay a registration fee. If you decide not to use it, you
have lost little. You can throw it away, or better yet, give it to
someone else for their evaluation.
Shareware is a good deal for everyone. Compared to commercial
software, prices are usually much lower. Authors save the expense of
advertising, distribution, etc. and pass the savings on. The users get
to "try before you buy". Also, most Shareware authors are usually more
likely to respond to questions and suggestions for improvement.
You can give complete copies of HBMS to others, but that does not
mean it is a free program. You may use HBMS on a trial basis. For
continued use you are obligated to pay a $35.00 registration fee. If
you obtained HBMS from a ShareWare distributor that typically sells
disks for $6 or less, rest assured than none of that money comes to me.
Registration not only includes support and keeps you abreast of
updates, but encourages authors to create and maintain quality
software. Upon receipt of the registration fee you will also receive a
copy of the latest version of HBMS and instructions on how to bypass
the Shareware announcement screen. Previously registered users, are
only charged a $5 media/handling fee to update to later versions.
HBMS is constantly being improved. Other than full registration,
there are 2 ways you can obtain a copy of the latest version:
1. Send $5 for either 5-1/4 inch or 3-1/2 inch disk.
2. Download HBMS directly from my computer. Since I don't run a
bulletin board, you will have to call ahead by voice first so I
can set up a communications program on my end.
* There is an order form named ORDER.FRM, included in the HBMS *
* package. Just copy it to your printer. ALWAYS MENTION WHAT *
* VERSION OF HBMS YOU ARE USING IN CORRESPONDENCE. *
I feel that I can provide the best support for HBMS by telephone
and mail. Although the latest version of HBMS is always kept on
Compuserve and the GEnie network, please do not try to contact me via
these services. _______
____|__ | (tm)
BRENTSON L. WORRELL --| | |-------------------
6404 Mornay Dr. | ____|__ | Association of
Tampa, FL 33615-3426 | | |_| Shareware
(813) 886-2282 |__| o | Professionals
-----| | |---------------------
|___|___| MEMBER
- 1 -
WARRANTY
The Home Budget Management System (HBMS), is supplied AS IS. There
is no warranty of any kind, expressed or implied. I shall not be held
liable for any damages, whether direct or indirect, from a failure of
this program to operate in the manner desired by the user.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
IBM PC, or compatible
DOS 2.0 or later
320K RAM (program uses approx. 223K)
1 disk drive
Printer recommended, but full screen reports available
Printer should be capable of printing 132 columns,
such as a dot matrix printer using a condensed font
(approx. 17 characters per inch).
LIMITATIONS
38 categories
254 accounts (38 per category)
12 reconcilable accounts (checking)
1148 ledger transactions per month.
This program is sometimes distributed in a "ZIP" or "ARC" file
format named HBMS421.ZIP or HBMS421.ARC.
The following files make up the HBMS package:
-----------------------------------------------------------
README.BAT batch file to display introductory text
ORDER.FRM order form for registration and latest version
VENDOR.DOC information for Shareware distributors
WHATSNEW.DOC new features and history of v4.21
TESTDRIV.DOC text file with demonstration instructions
HBMS.DOC main documentation
PRCHECK.DOC documentation file on how to create PRCHECK.HBM.
(needed only if you intend to print checks)
HBSETUP.DOC documentation for HBSETUP.EXE
HBSETUP.EXE Setup program to configure printer & color.
HBMS.EXE main program
HBMS.OVR overlay for main program
CATS.84 sample data file
ACCOUNTS.84 sample data file
LEDGR-4.84 sample data file
-------------------------------------------------------------
HCONVERT.EXE conversion program for data created from
versions before 3.0. (available from author
and supplied to registered users only)
- 2 -
WHAT IS HBMS and WHAT WILL IT DO?
-------------------------------------
HBMS is a means to record your daily transactions and create
reports. Have you ever wondered: "Where did all the money go?". If
you kept track of your finances you would know where it went, and how
to handle it better in the future. Financial record-keeping is a
desirable and enlightening habit to get into, but it's usually a
dreaded task and a prime target for procrastination. HBMS is designed
to help make it as painless as possible.
HBMS is fast, easy, and flexible. You may want to use it as a
reference on your entire financial position, or just use it as a check
register. It's easy to keep accurate and complete records of all your
financial transactions. A carefully designed Chart of Accounts and
faithful record-keeping, will reward you with a variety of useful and
informative reports, either on screen or printed in formatted
statements. These reports can help you decide how to better manage
your money and the figures will be very welcome when tax time arrives!
Along the way, while you are creating this "history" of your
finances, HBMS allows you to compare budget goals, and reconcile your
checkbook or credit card purchases. The ability to print checks was
introduced in version 4.0. At present, HBMS will not draw charts or
create other graphics, but it does include an export feature to allow
other programs to use the data it has recorded.
HBMS uses a double entry ledger system. This concept is explained
later, and it's easier than it sounds. IF YOU ARE NOT CLEAR ON ANY
CONCEPT, SEE HOW IT'S HANDLED IN THE SAMPLE DATA.
SAMPLE DATA
---------------
Supplied with HBMS you should find three sample data files
consisting of CATS.84, ACCOUNTS.84, and LEDGR-4.84. The "84" extension
refers to the year. I recommend that you first read the rest of this
document and then experiment with this data.
By running HBMS with this sample data you can easily see what the
program has to offer. You will be able to see the results that can be
achieved before you begin your own budget and have to wait for the data
to accumulate. Specify "84" as the year extension to load these files.
WARNING: The current open month in the sample data is April. In order
to keep the program package size down, the ledger transaction files for
the first three months are missing. Since HBMS will not be able to
find these ledger files, it will refuse to do some functions associated
with these months. However, all the total values for these three
months are stored in the ACCOUNTS.84 file.
NOTE: Before trying to print any of the sample data, you must run
HBSETUP to configure your printer.
- 3 -
HOW DO I GET STARTED AND USE HBMS?
-----------------------------------------------
This documentation includes sections on CONCEPTS and CONVENTIONS
(usage), that you must know in order to use HBMS. Following the
sections on CONCEPTS and CONVENTIONS, is detailed information about
HBMS. It is arranged under each selection on the Main Menu. The
Ledger Posting and Account maintenance topics are especially important.
If you are new to HBMS, I strongly suggest that you read at least
through CONCEPTS and CONVENTIONS even before you attempt to use the
sample data. If you have already taken the "test drive", don't forget
about the sample data. It contains examples that can be very helpful
when questions arise, or you are unsure about how to do something.
There are examples of most every type of transaction you are likely to
use. Print the sample data Transaction Report, or VIEW it on screen in
the Ledger Posting section.
I have discovered that most of the problems that users have, are
associated with (in order of frequency), failure to read the
documentation, trying to run HBMS via a DOS shell or menu type program,
damaged or incomplete program files, and conflicts with memory resident
programs. Problems with printer setup seems to be the most frequent
trouble spot. Please read the documentation on printer setup
carefully.
When you are ready to start your own budget, you will need only
HBMS.EXE, its overlay HBMS.OVR, and HBSETUP.EXE. These files should be
on the same floppy, or in the same directory on your hard drive. It's
also very important that you run HBMS from the disk/directory that
contains the main program. Please do not try to run HBMS from another
directory. Some shell or menu type programs attempt to do this. HBMS
expects to find its configuration files (those with an extension of
".HBM") in the default directory.
It's ok for your data files to be located elsewhere since you can
tell HBMS where to look via the "data path" mentioned below.
When you run the program, the opening screen will prompt you for
the "Year of ACCOUNT DATA" to load. Unless your fiscal year is
different from the calendar year, enter the last two digits, such as
"89" for 1989. Next you will be asked for the "data path". This tells
HBMS where to look for your personal data files. If your data files
are to be in the same directory as the program files, the prompt should
be correct. Otherwise you must describe what disk\directory the data
files are in.
On the next page is an "outline" on how to get started with HBMS.
- 4 -
Creating your own Budget System
consists of the following basic steps:
Step Main Menu Selection
--------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Create your own "work disk" as mentioned in the README file.
2. Run HBSETUP and configure your printer and screen colors.
3. Run HBMS and "Begin a New Year". (INITIALIZE)
4. Build your "Chart of Accounts". (ACCOUNT MAINTENANCE)
5. Name your budget system. (ACCOUNT MAINTENANCE)
6. Enter any "Initial Balances" for your Assets and Liabilities.
These would be the current balances for your checking, savings,
credit cards, loans, etc. (back to INITIALIZE)
7. Assign any Budget goals you would like to shoot for and
compare later. This is an optional feature. (BUDGET)
8. Record your transactions over the days and months.
(This is the tough part). (LEDGER POSTING)
9. At the end of each month you will "Close the Month" in
preparation for the following month. Transactions can
only be posted/edited in the current open month. (CLOSE/OPEN)
10. REAP THE BENEFITS of your hard work with the screen and
printed reports. If you've done it right, your complete
financial picture will be at your fingertips. (REPORTS)
11. When you reach the end of your fiscal year, use the
"Begin New Year" menu selection to set up for the next year.
You can optionally use the same Chart of Accounts. (INITIALIZE)
- 5 -
BASIC CONCEPTS
------------------
**** CHART of ACCOUNTS ******
HBMS requires a valid Chart of Accounts before most of its features
will function. A Chart of Accounts is simply an outline of the way you
account for your money. In order to create your own personal Chart of
Accounts you must first decide what types of financial transactions you
want to manage. Usually this will be everything, so you can gain a
true financial picture.
The basic hierarchy of the Chart of Accounts begins with the four
"Money Groups": INCOME, EXPENSES, ASSETS, and LIABILITIES. Each Money
Group is split further into CATEGORIES, and finally into ACCOUNTS. You
build your Chart of Accounts by creating these categories and accounts
to your personal preferences. Also you will assign each one a CODE
name consisting of up to four letters. You will find that codes are
much easier to type and remember than numbers or lengthy names.
Whenever you need to access an account in HBMS, you call it up by its
CODE name. Finally, there are the TRANSACTIONS. These are the records
of purchases, transfers, etc., that you enter into the program.
Remember that all your transactions are entered into accounts. The
categories and Money Groups are there for grouping and reporting
functions only.
After creating your Chart of Accounts it becomes a simple matter
of recording your transactions. This is done in the Ledger Posting
section, which I like to refer as the "heart" of HBMS.
**** DOUBLE ENTRY *******
HBMS is a "double entry" ledger system. This means that any type of
transaction, such as a purchase, transfer, paycheck, etc. will need a
minimum of two entries to represent it. That sounds like a lot of
work, but HBMS makes it easy! If you stop and think about it, every
financial transaction consists of at least two steps.
Lets take a simple case of writing a check at the drug store to
purchase a prescription. The first part of the double entry, would be
a decrease of the balance in your checking account. The second part of
the double entry would be the increase of your Rx account (or whatever
account you would charge the prescription to). If your check covered
more than one purchase, then this transaction would consist of more
than the minimum of two entries. For example, you might have bought a
roll of film also. This would simply be an additional third part of
this transaction. The amount that went toward the film would be
charged to whatever account you use for this type of expense. The
amount for both items will of course total up to the amount of the
check.
"Fine" you say, "but how do I represent getting money into my
checking account?" When you first start up your budget system, you
have to enter your current checking account balance by way of the
"Initial Balances" section, located under the Initialize System menu.
From that point on, it's just the normal double entry system. A good
example of money coming in might be a payroll check. The first part of
this double entry would show an INCREASE in whatever INCOME account you
use for paychecks.
- 6 -
If you deposited the entire paycheck into your checking account, the
second part of this transaction would show your checking account
balance going up by the same amount. Paychecks of course, are not
usually that simple. They have deductions for taxes, social security,
etc. A more realistic transaction of this nature would show your
paycheck (INCOME) account increasing by the gross amount of the
paycheck. Income tax and social security accounts would increase by
their respective amounts, and the remainder would go into checking,
spending cash or whatever. A transaction like this would consist of
several parts.
Credit card purchases are just as easy. To begin with, your credit
card balance would go up. You are increasing a LIABILITY account. The
second part of this transaction would show a change in whatever account
you use for that purchase, by the same amount.
Making a payment toward a LIABILITY is also simple. A good way to
treat some liabilities is to have a separate account for the principal,
and the interest incurred from that liability. A transaction like this
would contain three parts. The first part would show the full amount
decreasing the checking balance. The second part would show a partial
amount charged to and increasing an interest EXPENSE account for this
liability. The third part would show the remainder DECREASING the
principal in your liability account.
Money transfers work just as you would expect; Out of one account
and into the other. Remember that every type of transaction consists
of at least two parts. If you made several cash purchases in the
course of a day, you could combine them under one transaction. The
total amount would come out of your spending cash account and then
being disbursed to the other respective accounts. Save your receipts,
or make a note of them, and you'll find that its easy to document every
financial transaction you make.
By now you should understand the concept of "double entry".
See the sample data for more examples.
- 7 -
HBMS CONVENTIONS
--------------------
Now that you have a feel for the concepts, the following operational
facts are also vital for successful usage of the program.
**** COMMAND LINE **********
To run the program, you can simply type "HBMS". There are also two
optional parameters. One of them is the letter "d", followed by the
drive\path (directory) specification for your data files. If you use
this it will allow you to bypass the opening screen. The other
optional parameter is the letter "y", followed by the last two digits
of the year of your account data. Use only spaces as separators
between HBMS and the two command line parameters, but DO NOT leave a
space after the "d" or the "y".
NOTICE: these "d" and "y" prefixes are new for version 4.2.
example -> HBMS
HBMS dB:
HBMS dA:\DATA\
HBMS dC:\BUDGET\DATA\ y87
Notice that these two items are the same two pieces of information
asked for on the opening screen. If you specify a data path on the
command line, HBMS will zoom right past the opening screen and go
straight to the Main Menu. It will try to load data from this
directory using the year stored in your computer's system date. (This
is the date asked for when your computer boots, or you use the DOS
"DATE" command.) You will not be prompted to enter an account year, so
if you want to load data from a year other than the system date,
include the "y" command line parameter.
You might want to create a batch file for this purpose. The
following instructions will create a batch file named BUD.BAT that will
run HBMS and try to load 1991 data from the "B" drive.
COPY CON BUD.BAT (press ENTER)
HBMS dB: y91 (press ENTER)
"F6" ( hit Function key 6, then press ENTER)
It's a good idea to make sure that the system date and time are
correct. HBMS not only uses the system date as a prompt for the year
of data to load, but it's also used to date all printouts.
**** CHART of ACCOUNTS REQUIREMENT **********
HBMS will refuse to do most of the functions on the main menu until the
following requirements are met. You must have assigned AT LEAST ONE
CATEGORY FOR EACH OF THE FOUR MONEY GROUPS, and there must be AT LEAST
ONE ACCOUNT FOR EACH CATEGORY. That's a minimum of four accounts. If
you get a warning and can't remember what accounts and categories you
have assigned, the "C" key will bring up the "CODE-HELP" screen, or you
can go to the printed reports section and print out the "Raw" Data
Report. Either will show you what has been assigned and how it has
been arranged.
- 8 -
**** DATA ENTRY **********
Throughout the program, when you are prompted to enter data you will
see a field in reverse video. Your data, be it a code, name,
description, etc., will be limited to the length of this field. In
some cases you will be supplied with a default answer. If it's not
what you want, just start typing. Unless you use an editing key, the
first keystroke will erase whatever was there.
The available editing keys for text data entry are listed below, and
work just as you would expect:
<RIGHT ARROW> <LEFT ARROW> | <HOME> <END>
<INSERT> <DELETE> | <TAB> <SHIFT TAB>
<BACKSPACE> <ESC> |
The <ESC> key needs further mention. It serves a dual purpose.
If an entry field contains data, hitting the ESC key will erase it and
leave you with a "null" (empty) field. If the entry field is empty
already (or zero in the case of a number), the ESC key will act just as
if you had hit the ENTER key to accept the null value. You will often
see a help prompt on line 25 that will say "<ESC> to quit". In most
cases, what this really means is that HBMS will respond to a null value
by canceling the current mode and returning you to a menu. The ESC key
is usually all you need to "back up" out of anything.
Numerical entries resemble a "calculator" style of input. Number
entries can be cleared by either the Backspace key, the ESC key, or by
the first digit typed.
The <F1> key has multiple uses. In most parts of the program you
will need to supply a code for the account/category you are interested
in. If you can't remember the code you assigned to it, hit the F1 key
and you will be able to browse through your Chart of Accounts on
screen. When you first access this CODE-HELP feature, you will see the
four Money Groups along the top. The highlighted Money Group will have
its associated Categories displayed on the left side of the screen.
The Accounts that fall under the highlighted Category, will be
displayed on the right side of the screen. The Left/Right arrows
select different Money Groups, and the Up/Down arrows move between
different Categories. If you summoned help from a Category entry
field, striking ENTER will insert the highlighted Category code into
your entry field for you. If you asked for help from an Account code
entry field, the ENTER key will highlight the accounts in that
highlighted category. Then, the Up/Down arrows will move the account
highlight. From that point the ENTER key will insert the highlighted
account code into your entry field for you. The ESCape key will back
up one level at a time and will not insert any data.
The F1 key has other uses in the Ledger Posting section. It's
function there will be explained later.
<KEYPAD> will be seen in some parts of the program on the prompt
line. It refers to the Up, Down, PgUp, PgDn, Home, and End keys. They
work exactly as you would expect. Use them to "navigate" through the
data. The control keys work in addition to these keypad keys for you
"WordStar" fans.
The <+> and <-> keys are used to step months forward and backward.
- 9 -
**** FILE NAMES **********
HBMS.EXE is the main program file. It creates the following
Data files:
---------------------------------------------------------------
CATS .yr category names
ACCOUNTS.yr account names and totals for each month
LEDGR-m .yr actual transaction data for each month
TEMPLATE.yr optional file containing often used transactions
DUEDATES.yr companion file to TEMPLATE.yr
HCONFIG .yr contains the name of your budget
(yr = year extension of data, m = month)
You might want to keep these data files in a separate subdirectory,
or on a separate disk. You should be able to fit an entire year of
data on one disk, or maybe have individual disks for separate budgets.
In any case, when the free space gets low, HBMS will warn you.
HBSETUP.EXE is the configuration program and is documented separately.
It creates the following configuration files:
-----------------------------------------------
COLORS.HBM Color support file
PRCODES.HBM Printer support file
PRCHECK.HBM is a check printing configuration file created by you. It
is only needed if you intend to print checks, and is also documented
separately.
**** FISCAL YEAR *********
Usually, the file extension of all the above mentioned data files will
be the last two digits of the year. HBMS can have a fiscal year
different from the calendar year. If this is the case, the file
extension of the ACCOUNTS and CATS files will be different. This
extension uses the last two digits of the first year, appended with the
last digit of the second year. For example, the Accounts file for the
88/89 budget year would be "ACCOUNTS.889". If you use an odd fiscal
year, you must enter this three digit number when asked for "Year of
Account Data" to load.
* INFORMATION CHARACTERS **********
The ">" sign shows up in many of the reports, both on screen and in
print. Depending on where you see it, it could mean that the check has
been cleared or that the account is flagged for reconciliation. The
"*" sign also shows up on screen and in print, and means that the
specified budget has been exceeded.
**** CODE SELECTION **********
Sometimes you will be provided with a starting code. After that, your
prompt will be the next code in order of their appearance in the Chart
of Accounts.
- 10 -
**** RECORD NUMBERS ***********
Transaction record numbers are displayed on the Ledger Posting screen
and in various reports. While they are necessary for HBMS, they can
also be helpful if you are trying to reference a particular entry. If
you spotted a transaction in a Sorted report that you wanted to look at
(or possibly edit), use the record number to help you locate it in the
VIEW mode of the Ledger Posting section.
**** SAVING DATA **********
In an effort to speed up the program, HBMS keeps all account values for
the whole year and all transactions for the month you are working with,
in memory. HBMS is very careful with your data. It will save all
changed data whenever you leave any of the sections listed on the Main
Menu. However, you can still force a save from the "Action Prompt" in
the Ledger Posting section. If you are entering a lot of transactions,
it's probably a good idea to save data occasionally to prevent possible
loss. A power outage or (should I dare mention) a program crash could
negate any data that was entered since the last save.
**** I/O ERROR TRAPPING **********
HBMS will sense Input/Output problems such as a paper out condition,
printer offline, full disk, drive door open, etc. However, some
computers seem to take forever before they time out and signal an error
condition. If things seem to stop for no reason, please wait at least
a minute before you give up or try to reset the computer. When HBMS
saves data it rewrites the respective data file completely. If a
problem is encountered, HBMS will display a warning message and give
you a chance to correct the situation. If it's a full disk, you can
substitute another disk with more room as an emergency measure. If you
have to resort to this, I suggest that you immediately quit the program
and inspect your data disks. If there are any duplicate files, make
sure that you retain only the ones with the latest date and time stamp.
There is a notice in the Close/Open Month explanation about what to do
if things go wrong.
PLEASE keep backup copies of your data. HBMS is as reliable as I
could make it, but backups are good insurance.
- 11 -
INITIALIZE SYSTEM
----------------------
**** BEGIN NEW YEAR *******
When starting a budget system for the first time, or at any time when
HBMS cannot find a valid ACCOUNTS file, you will be given the option to
go directly to the Begin New Year section. Any other time, this is
just a normal selection from the Initialize System menu. At this point
you will be asked for year of data, first fiscal month, and beginning
month information.
Beginning with version 4.0, I added the ability to have a "fiscal
year" different from the calendar year. Please be careful with this
and don't get the first fiscal month and beginning month confused.
Unless you are starting a budget system in the middle of your fiscal
year, the beginning month of data will be the same as the first fiscal
month.
If you already have an existing budget system and need to start a
new year, you will probably want to reuse your existing Chart of
Accounts. If this is the case, HBMS will allow you to do so, and will
optionally transfer Asset and Liability balances, as well as Budget
data. In order to take advantage of this, make sure you have a COPY of
your current data files (ACCOUNTS.yr & CATS.yr) on your NEW data disk.
Start HBMS with these copies of your existing year data files just as
you normally would. Go to the Initialize System menu and select Begin
New Year. After the new year has been initialized you can delete the
old copies of data. NOTE that if you pass any balances forward, they
will come from the current open month in the old budget.
**** INITIAL BALANCES ********
This section allows you to enter the current balances of assets and
liabilities when you first start your budget system. After you are up
and running, there is no need to enter initial balances again unless
you need to make a correction. If you add an asset or liability
account (such as a new checking account or new credit card) in a later
month, its initial balance will start at zero and be initialized
through normal transactions.
- 12 -
ACCOUNT/CATEGORY MAINTENANCE
------------------------------
**** CHART of ACCOUNTS ********* (Add, Delete, Change)
Your Chart of Accounts can be brief, with just a few accounts, or
it can be like an "outline" of your financial transactions, very
detailed with multiple accounts under many categories. You might want
to keep special accounts just for tax related items. I like to keep
separate principal and interest accounts on liabilities. By doing this
I have an accurate running balance on how much I owe.
Great care should be taken in creating your Chart of Accounts. I
cannot stress this point enough. With a little thought, you should be
able to come up with a personalized Chart of Accounts that will require
minimal "grooming" as you go along. A well defined Chart of Accounts
will allow HBMS to report accurate net worth values.
If you are still a little "fuzzy" on how it should be done, print
out a Chart of Accounts from the sample data. It will give you some
ideas. Some users have said they used the sample data as a starting
point for their own Chart of Accounts. They just loaded up the sample
data, went to the Initialize System Menu and selected "Begin New Year".
Since HBMS allows you to "reuse" an older chart of accounts, it was
simpler to just edit the codes and names to personal taste. While I
don't recommend this, it is an alternative.
In HBMS, data is stored as Account values. The Categories are
there only to group the Accounts for more informative reports. They
fall in one of the four money groups: INCOME, EXPENSES, ASSETS, or
LIABILITIES.
NOTE: Categories must be created first, so that accounts will
have somewhere to be assigned.
Accounts may be added, changed, or deleted at any time during the
budget year. While using the program, accounts and categories will be
referred to by a code which you also assign. These codes can consist
of up to four characters. Try to keep them short and easy to remember.
Codes are not case sensitive. You can enter them in lower case and
HBMS will convert them to upper case.
When you add or change an asset or liability account, you will be
asked if you want it to be "reconcilable". To be eligible for the
reconciliation features in HBMS, accounts must be flagged as such.
Also, you will not be prompted for a check number in the ledger posting
section if the account is not flagged for reconciliation.
The restrictions that apply are as follows:
* THERE MUST BE AT LEAST ONE CATEGORY FOR EACH MONEY GROUP.
* THERE MUST BE AT LEAST ONE ACCOUNT FOR EVERY CATEGORY.
- 16 -
* The maximum number of categories is 38.
* The maximum number of accounts is 254, and no more than
38 accounts per category.
* No more than 12 reconcilable accounts.
* Accounts may be moved to different categories as long as they
don't cross money group boundaries. (EXAMPLE: an account under
an income category may not be moved to an expense category)
* Account names or codes may be changed, but this may lead to
confusion if printed reports under the first part of the year,
differ from those after the change is made. None of the other
data contained in these accounts will be changed.
* Category codes and names may be changed but the confusion factor
mentioned above still applies.
* Accounts may be deleted only if they have had no action during
the year (this includes initial balances).
* Categories may be deleted if they do not have any accounts
assigned to them. This constraint may be avoided by moving all
accounts from under the category to be deleted, to other
categories first.
* If you cancel the reconciliation ability of an account, you
should go back and unmark any transactions that have been
reconciled to avoid confusion, but this is not a requirement.
**** RESEQUENCE ACCOUNTS **********
The order in which categories and accounts appear in your Chart of
Accounts can be different from the order in which they were entered.
After creating or editing your Chart of Accounts, you may change the
order of appearance by selecting "Resequence Accounts". The current
order will be displayed and you will be allowed to change them around
to suit your taste.
If you want to resequence Accounts, you have to specify their
"parent" category. Likewise, if you want to resequence Categories you
will have to specify the money group.
**** NAMING the SYSTEM *********
Beginning with version 4.2 you have the option of specifying a name
for your budget system. This name (up to 30 characters long) appears
in the header of your printouts. It also appears on the Main Menu
along with the data file location. For those of you who keep more than
one budget, by necessity you have to separate them into separate
directories. The addition of a name assignment should be a welcome way
to keep them under control.
- 17 -
**** SOUNDS *********
The beeps and chirps will be noticed most in the Ledger Posting
section. They can be helpful when one person is dictating data, from
notes, to another who is doing the typing. In this way the person
doing the dictating can listen for the chirps and will know when the
next bit of information is needed. He need not watch the screen.
These sound effects may be annoying to some, and can be turned ON
or OFF from the Account/Category Maintenance Menu. This ON/OFF state
will be stored and will not have to be reset when the program is
started again.
This feature was part of the SETUP, but since the state of the
sound effects is stored in the ACCOUNTS file, and the setup routines
were moved to a separate program (HBSETUP.EXE), this menu selection is
now under Account/Category Maintenance.
BUDGET ASSIGNMENT
---------------------
HBMS allows you to assign a budget figure for each month. By using
this feature you may set goals for your projected income and expenses.
While it may sound unusual, you may even set budget amounts for assets
and liabilities. You might want to set goals for your savings, or
budget how soon you plan to pay off a debt. Of course it wouldn't make
sense to budget for your checking account, as its balance varies to no
set pattern.
After selecting an account to budget for, the values for each
particular month will be shown along with a grand total for the year.
If you want to make changes, answer "n" to the prompt, and you will be
allowed to enter figures for each month. If all your months will have
the same budget value, you can select "m", enter the amount, and HBMS
will insert them automatically.
If you decide you don't want to budget for an account, just enter
a zero value for each month. If all months have a zero budget value,
your reports will show a "n/a" in place of a budget figure.
Please note that budget figures can be updated at any time, but you
will only be allowed to change values for the months which have not
been closed.
When you exit the Budget Assignment section you will automatically
be presented with a summary of your budget status.
- 18 -
LEDGER POSTING
--------------------
The Ledger Posting section is the part of the program where you
enter transactions. It's the heart of HBMS, and where you will spend
the most time. As mentioned before, HBMS is a double entry ledger
system, meaning that at least two entries will be needed to represent a
completed transaction. Before attempting to go any farther, you should
have read about double entry in the Concepts part of this
documentation. There are some other terms that HBMS uses that you need
to become familiar with. They are capitalized in the text below.
For any type of transaction, be it a check, cash, credit, or
transfer, you will have to decide what account it will be drawn from.
Most of the time you will be working with a checking account or a cash
account. I will be referring to this as the SOURCE account. Once you
have determined which SOURCE will be used, you must decide how its
balance will be affected. Will it be INCREASED or DECREASED?
When you access the Ledger Posting section you will see what looks
like a blank check at the top of the screen. The cursor will be
flashing at the ACTION prompt. At this point, for a normal transaction
entry, you would enter either an "I" or a "D" character. The "I" or
"D" tells HBMS whether you want to INCREASE or DECREASE the SOURCE
account.
Once you have decided on the "Action" and provided the code for the
SOURCE account, you will be prompted for: the check number (if the
account has been flagged for reconciliation), the date, a description
of this SOURCE account, and it's amount.
Now for the other half of this double entry transaction. If you
were writing a check, you would need to specify what item(s) this check
was written for. List these purchases in the lower half of the screen,
where they will be disbursed into their respective accounts. I will
refer to these as TARGET accounts.
You need not worry whether these "TARGET" account balances will
increase or decrease. HBMS will make that decision for you. In fact,
THERE IS NO PLACE IN THE LEDGER POSTING SECTION WHERE YOU WILL HAVE TO
PROVIDE A NEGATIVE SIGN. Once you have specified whether your SOURCE
account is Increasing or Decreasing, HBMS takes care of the rest and
makes sure that your double entry transaction balances.
There are many examples of transactions in the sample data. If you
print out a "Transaction Report" from this sample data you will be able
to see how to do most any type of transaction needed. For now, I'll
step through a simple transaction of writing a check to the Drug store.
Step 1. At the ACTION prompt you would select "D" to DECREASE
checking. (SOURCE ACCOUNT)
Step 2. Enter the code for your checking account. At this point
HBMS will show you the current balance for that account.
- 19 -
Step 3. Enter the check number. This field is optional and it will
be skipped if the SOURCE account has not been flagged as
being reconcilable.
Step 4. Enter the date.
Step 5. Enter to whom the check was written. This field is also
optional. (You might not want to describe a multiple
spending cash transaction.)
* Step 6. This step is where some of the flexibility of HBMS shines.
In the case of a checking transaction you would want to enter
the full amount of the check. Later, as you disburse the
money to the TARGET accounts, HBMS will prompt you with the
remaining balance of the check as you go along.
In the case of a spending cash transaction you might want to
leave the SOURCE amount blank. As you enter the separate
amounts in the TARGET accounts, HBMS will keep a running
total for you.
Step 7. Now you will begin to disburse this money to the TARGET
accounts. If all the money is intended to go to one account
only, enter the full amount. Otherwise, enter the partial
value.
Step 8. Enter the code for the TARGET account selected. (The F1 key
is available for help.)
Step 9. Enter a description for the TARGET transaction. This field
is also optional, but it helps to describe each item for
future reference. (see Tips & Shortcuts)
Step 10. Now you have fulfilled the minimum of two entries for a
transaction. If the value you entered in step 7 accounts for
all the money in the SOURCE account you will be finished.
Otherwise you will be able to keep adding entries to be drawn
from the SOURCE.
A null entry at the TARGET amount tells HBMS that you are finished.
When finished you will be asked if everything is ok. If the source
account has been marked as reconcilable, there will be an additional
choice to accept and print the check. If you made a mistake in an
entry, answer "n" and you will be allowed to go back and make
corrections. See the explanation on Editing.
The entire transaction can be aborted at any time by entering a
null value for a code prompt.
NOTE: If you answer no to the "Above OK?" prompt, the automatic
prompting for the remaining balance will not be in effect. This was
done so as not to change any TARGET amounts that may have been
correctly entered. There are circumstances where you can have HBMS
insert the remaining balance by using the F1 key. The requirements
are: you must be in "edit" mode, you must have entered a non zero
value in the SOURCE amount, and of course the cursor must be at a
TARGET amount.
- 20 -
ACTION PROMPT
-------------------
There are many other choices you can make at the Action prompt. A
HELP LINE WILL BE DISPLAYED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN TO REMIND YOU
WHAT IS AVAILABLE. From the action prompt you also have the
opportunity of going directly to the Screen Reports or the Account
Maintenance section. Need to check a balance, or add an account on the
fly? You can do it from here without going back through the main menu.
Under most conditions HBMS will remember any data that you had entered,
but had aborted prematurely. When you get back, just keep hitting the
<ENTER> key and HBMS will recall it.
The View Ledger mode is accessed from the Action prompt. From this
view mode you have the opportunity to review and/or edit previous
transactions.
Templates are called from the Action prompt by entering a "T". In
order to activate this feature, you must have built and stored at least
one template screen previously. The Template, View, and Edit modes are
explained in detail later in this document.
HBMS will always save your data to disk whenever you return to the
Main Menu, but you still have the ability to Save data from the Action
prompt. If you have been entering a lot of transactions, it might be
wise to save this data occasionally.
The <ESC> will abort everything and take you back to the main menu.
VIEW LEDGER
--------------------
If you enter a "V" in response to the Action prompt you will be
allowed to view any transactions already recorded for the entire year.
This can be very handy if you don't remember if you have entered
something. First, you will be prompted for a beginning month to view.
The initial transaction screen for that month will be displayed just as
you entered it. From this point you can "scroll" through the screens
at will by using the keypad keys. The Up and Down arrows move one
transaction screen at a time. The PgUp and PgDn keys jump 50 records
at a time. The "+" and "-" keys change months. The "ESC" key returns
you to the Ledger Posting screen. If you need to make a change, bring
the intended Ledger screen into view and enter an "E" to access the
edit mode.
EDIT MODE
------------------------
If you make a mistake in your data entry, you can correct it by
getting into EDIT MODE. This can be done in several ways. Most often
it is done by answering "n" to the "Above OK?" prompt. Exceeding the
limit of an assigned source value will generate a warning and put you
in edit mode also. Edit mode allows you to go back and change any of
your entries. You can step through them one at a time, in a similar
fashion to the way they were first entered. However there are some
other valuable features available only in Edit mode. They are explained
later in the TIPS and SHORTCUTS section.
ANY TIME YOU ARE IN EDIT MODE THERE WILL BE A FLASHING REMINDER
NEAR THE TOP OF THE SCREEN.
- 21 -
If you are using the VIEW feature to review some previously entered
transactions, the Edit mode is also available. There is one
restriction on editing from the VIEW mode. Editing is allowed in the
current open month only. If you need to make a change in an earlier
month, you will have to reopen each month until you get back to it.
See the CLOSE/OPEN month menu. While editing from a screen in VIEW
mode, you also have the ability to wipe out the entire screenful of
transactions. If this is what you want, enter a "K" (for Kill all) at
the Action prompt. You will be given a chance to abort before
accepting this command. Remember that if you try to edit individual
entries first and then decide to "Kill All", the entire ORIGINAL
transaction will be wiped out, including the attempted individual
changes. The <ESC> key at the Action prompt will abort all changes and
return you to the View Mode. Again, be sure and read the TIPS and
SHORTCUTS on Editing.
TEMPLATES
------------------
If you have repetitive types of transactions that you enter at
least once a month, why not store a sample of this transaction screen
to disk where you could call it up with just a couple of key strokes!
Monthly bills and paychecks would be good candidates for this type of
feature.
In order to take advantage of this, create an often used
transaction screen, just as you would normally. When you reach the
"Above OK?" prompt, enter a "T" for Template. The Template assignment
screen will pop up and ask you to assign a number, and enter a
descriptive title for this transaction. You will also be asked for a
due date, but I will explain that later. Just hit ENTER for now. Your
template will be stored in a file named TEMPLATE.yr. The file
extension will match that of your data files. Now, whenever you need
to make this type of entry again, you can call it up from the Action
prompt by hitting "T". The same template screen (now titled Template
Selection) will appear and you will be able to select any of up to 30
templates that have already been built. Your selection will be
displayed on the Ledger Posting screen, ready for you to accept it. If
it needs editing, just answer no to the "Above Ok" prompt.
You can also assign a "due date" to any of the templates you have
built. If you would like to be reminded that you need to pay a bill,
or make some other type of transaction, just assign the dates that
apply. There is room for up to 24 different dates. In other words you
could instruct HBMS to remind you that a template needs to be entered,
up to 24 separate times in a year (even more if you go back and edit
it). These dates should be entered in a four digit format. September
4th would be entered as "0904". November 23rd would be "1123". They
should also be in calendar sequence, starting with the earliest
reminder. The reason for this is that when you select a template to be
inserted in the Ledger screen that has a due date assigned to it, that
date will be deleted and the next one in sequence will take it's place.
- 22 -
If you don't want this reminder feature, then leave the first date
field blank. Otherwise you can assign as many as you like, up to 24.
The first dates assigned (if any) will be displayed on the template
selection screen next to the title. If any of them fall earlier than
the current system date, they will blink. Also, on your first entry
into the Ledger Posting section, HBMS will check the template file
dates and warn you if any of them have come due. The actual dates are
stored in a file named DUEDATES.yr, and like the TEMPLATE file, they
will reside in your data directory.
You can edit these dates, or the title if necessary. Just access
the Template Selection screen from the Action prompt, enter the desired
template number, and hit the UP arrow instead of the ENTER key. If you
enter a null value for the title, the entire template will be deleted.
The dates can be edited as desired.
BE AWARE that assigning and storing a transaction screen to a
template, does NOT enter it into your transaction file. You have to
call it back up from the Action prompt, and answer yes to the Above Ok
prompt in order to save it.
PRINTING CHECKS
----------------------
A check printing instruction file is needed to allow HBMS to print
checks. The documentation on how to create this file is contained in
the PRCHECK.DOC file. The check printing feature can be triggered by a
"P" response either in the View mode, or at the "Above OK" prompt in
the Posting mode. If the SOURCE account has been marked as
reconcilable, and HBMS is able to find the PRCHECK.HBM file, check
printing will take place. Be aware that a "P" response to the "Above
OK" prompt will also accept the transaction as being correct.
- 23 -
TIPS and SHORTCUTS
------------------------
a) EDITING: If you make a mistake and would like to correct it before
you reach the "Above OK" prompt, you can use the UP arrow. It
will step the cursor up a line at a time. NOTE that once you use
the UP arrow, the editing mode will be in effect.
Once you are in the editing mode, the DOWN arrow will step you
down a line at a time also. (If you are not in editing mode the
Down arrow acts just like the ENTER key.) These UP and DOWN
arrows can save you a lot of time if you have to go back and
correct something on a whole screenful of data. The cursor will
always stop at either the Action prompt, or an amount field. If
you are at the SOURCE amount, remember that you have two options.
If you enter an amount, HBMS will use it to monitor Target
amounts, and provide you with a remaining balance if requested
with the F1 key. If you leave the SOURCE amount blank, there will
be no checks made on the TARGET amounts, and a "running balance"
will be displayed.
Another editing feature is the ability to "delete" a whole
TARGET transaction line. The CTRL-Y key does this job (Hold down
the Control key and hit "Y"). The entire TARGET line will be
deleted, and any remaining Targets below will move up. This
feature is especially useful when editing Templates.
b) HBMS will remember the last check number for every checking
account. If you make any entry other than a number (such as
"jrnl" for a journal entry), it will not increment the check
number.
c) If you enter the tilde <~> character only, HBMS will copy the
SOURCE description entered in step 9. See the paycheck
transactions in the sample data for an example.
d) The "+" and "-" keys can be used at the Action prompt in place
of "I" and "D" for Increase and Decrease.
e) If you have a keyboard macro utility such as Borland's SuperKey,
you can program it to insert entries into the Ledger that you use
repeatedly. Please be careful if you decide to try this. It can
cause some confusion and possibly missed data if you try to go
back and correct something while you are in the middle of a macro.
f) NOTE: I find it helpful to save my receipts from each day and jot
down any other transactions. At the end of each week I commit
these transactions to HBMS via the Ledger Posting section. You
may want to do this on a daily basis. In either case, you will
then have a printed record of all your transactions available.
- 24 -
RECONCILE STATEMENTS
------------------------
When your bank statement comes in, use this section of HBMS to
reconcile your checkbook or credit card statement. You do this by
"MARKING" each check that has cleared the bank and appears on your
statement. The reconciliation feature only works on accounts that have
been flagged as such in the Account Maintenance section. The ability
to keep track of Liability accounts is possible also.
**** MARK/UNMARK *********
When first entering this section, you will be prompted with the
earliest month that contains uncleared transactions, but you can enter
any month that falls within the beginning month and the current open
month.
All transactions for that month will be displayed and the lines for
the first and last transaction for that month will be highlighted. The
Up/Dn arrow keys move the cursor to the transaction you need to clear.
If there are more transactions than can be seen at one time, the screen
will scroll. To mark a transaction as being cleared, use the ENTER
key. A ">" symbol will appear and signify a cleared (or MARKed)
transaction. The ENTER key functions as a toggle and will turn the ">"
mark on or off. The PgUp, PgDn, HOME, and END keys work just as you
would expect, and will move you through the data. When you are ready
to switch months, use the "+" or "-" keys to step the month forward or
back. The ESC key will save the changes and return you to the
Reconciliation menu.
HBMS examines each month you access to see if all transactions have
been cleared. However if you unmark a transaction in a month that
previously had all transactions cleared, and then mark it back again,
HBMS will think that this month is the last one that was completely
cleared. This month and all the remaining months may be reconciled
correctly, but this condition will be resolved when you ask for a
Summary Report, mentioned below.
**** SHOW ALL UNCLEARED TRANSACTIONS *********
This feature will display the uncleared transactions in the order they
were entered. There is no scrolling capability here as there was in
the MARK/UNMARK section, only a screen pause.
**** SUMMARY REPORT ********
This section is where you check to see if your records and the bank
statement agree. Make sure that you have entered (via the Ledger
Posting Section), and cleared (via MARK/UNMARK feature), any bank
charges, interests, or other miscellaneous entries that appear only on
your bank statement. You will be prompted for the ending balance on
your statement. If you have not browsed through all the uncleared
transactions before asking for a Summary Report, HBMS will quickly
tally them up. Everything you need to verify your statement will be
displayed. If you receive a discrepancy warning, the information
presented should help you figure out if it was a data entry error, a
failure to make an entry, or even a bank error.
- 25 -
Please be aware that although HBMS does pass Categories, Accounts,
and balances forward to a new year, it does NOT share data between the
years. There may be occasions when the bank statement will span two
years. Take for example, the case of a fiscal year that ends in
December. Your January check statement will probably have cancelled
checks in both December and January. If you are MARKing checks in
December from this January bank statement, do not expect HBMS to be
able to give you an accurate Summary Report. When the December Summary
Report asks for the ending statement balance, this balance will most
likely include checks that have cleared in January, and a discrepancy
will be reported. You can however, keep track of things if you allow
for these cleared January transactions. You may also have to deal with
a similar problem if you are working in January, trying to reconcile
your January statement, and there are checks written in December which
have not cleared the bank.
CLOSE/OPEN MONTH
--------------------
This section does just what you would expect. At the end of each
month you should select the "Close Current Month" routine. HBMS will
read the entire ledger for the current month, update totals, and
declare the following month open.
Remember that ledger posting and editing can only be done in the
current open month. If you have to go back to a previous month to make
additions or changes, use the reopen feature.
*******************************************************************
* If for any reason you feel that the figures for your data *
* are wrong or missing, try reopening each month until you get *
* back to a valid month. Then close each month until you get *
* back to where you started. HBMS calculates all it's values *
* from the data you enter in the Ledger Posting section. When *
* you close a month, HBMS reads this data from the ledger files *
* and recalculates its totals on a monthly basis. *
*******************************************************************
CHANGE BUDGET YEAR/PATH
---------------------------
If you have several years of data or more than one budget system,
you can change to them without quitting the program. When you select
"Y" from the Main Menu, the opening screen will reappear and you will
be able to change the year and data path.
- 26 -
REPORTS (screen)
---------------------
In this section you have access to almost all data that HBMS has to
offer. Upon entering, you will be prompted for the latest month you
want to look at. Next, enter the code of an account to view. After a
short delay for HBMS to calculate some totals, you will be presented
with the "MONTH" view of data. From here you can select among three
other formats which include: a PERCENTAGE VALUE report, an ANNUAL VIEW,
and a SORTED LEDGER. You also have the opportunity to change accounts.
By just striking <ENTER> you will be able to keep the format you are in
and select another account.
In the SORTED view, the transactions will be sorted by date first,
then check number or record number (depending on the type of account).
In the PERCENTAGE view you will not only be presented with percent
values for the selected account, you will also see the values for its
associated category. Monthly values and year to date values will be
displayed. These percentages use MONTH and YTD totals when compared
with INCOME and EXPENSES. They use TOTAL BALANCES when compared with
ASSETS and LIABILITIES.
The following table shows how the values are divided to arrive at a
percent figure. They are listed in the same relative locations that
you will see on screen. (The dashed line represents a division symbol.
The resulting quotient is multiplied by 100.)
Month Actual Ytd Actual |
-------------- ------------ |
Month Category Ytd Category |
|
|
Month Actual Ytd Actual | Month Category Ytd Category
------------ ---------- | -------------- ------------
Month INCOME Ytd INCOME | Month INCOME Ytd INCOME
|
|
Month Actual Ytd Actual | Month Category Ytd Category
------------- ----------- | -------------- ------------
Month EXPENSE Ytd EXPENSE | Month EXPENSE Ytd EXPENSE
|
|
Month Actual Ytd Actual | Month Category Ytd Category
------------ ------------ | -------------- ------------
Total ASSETS Total ASSETS | Total ASSETS Total ASSETS
|
|
Month Actual Ytd Actual | Month Category Ytd Category
------------ ---------- | -------------- ------------
Total LIAB. Total LIAB. | Total LIAB. Total LIAB.
- 27 -
PRINTED REPORTS
---------------------
Let me mention that any printed report can be directed to a file,
instead of the printer. When you reach the "Printer Ready?" prompt,
answer "F" instead of "Y". You will be asked to supply a valid DOS
filename to store the data. This "disk" printout will be stripped of
all printer commands.
**** SORTED LEDGER REPORT for the month ********
Prints the transactions with their values and balances, for all
accounts that had activity for the selected month. They will be sorted
by account and appear in order of the Chart of Accounts. Entries in
individual accounts will be sorted by date, then check number if
applicable.
**** SORTED LEDGER by ACCOUNT ********
Prints the sorted data for a selected account, for up to a whole year.
**** TRANSACTION REPORT *********
Prints a copy of your ledger transactions just as you entered them.
You might want to print out the transactions after every ledger posting
session. If so, HBMS will remember the last record printed for the
month and prompt you for the next unprinted record number. I usually
have posting sessions about 4 to 5 times a month, but wait till the end
of the month to print out a Transaction Report. If I need to see a
transaction that has not been printed yet, I use the "VIEW" feature in
the Ledger Posting section.
**** FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ********
Prints the Income and Expense Report, and a Balance Sheet Report. The
Income and Expense Report prints all the monthly oriented data
including averages, budget figures, budget left, etc. Similar to the
Monthly Totals screen report, any actual dollar amounts that have
exceeded your budget projections will be flagged with an asterisk "*".
The Balance Sheet gives you an opportunity to print out just the Asset
and Liability information.
**** ANNUAL ACTUALS *********
Prints the monthly totals up to and including the current month. All
figures are in whole dollars because of space limitations.
**** ANNUAL BUDGET **********
Prints monthly budget figures for the entire year.
**** CHART OF ACCOUNTS *********
Prints a list of accounts grouped in their respective categories
according to the sequence you have selected.
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**** INITIAL BALANCES **********
Prints a report similar to the Balance sheet but contains the beginning
balances for your assets and liabilities. These figures do not show up
on any other report.
**** RAW DATA REPORT **********
This printout is provided in case you get into trouble while working
with your Chart of Accounts. HBMS will not let you do most of the Main
Menu functions until you have met the requirement of: at least one
account per category and at least one category for each money group.
From this report you will be able to determine if you have violated
this rule. If you have failed to create any categories under a money
group, it will report it as "**** NOT YET DEFINED ****". If you have
failed to create any accounts under a particular category, it will
report it as being "EMPTY".
THIS REPORT SHOULD BE PRINTED AND SAVED after creating or changing
your Chart of Accounts. Once you have your Chart of Accounts up and
running, you should have no need to reference this printout. However,
in an emergency, such as a damaged or corrupted file, the information
on this report could possibly be used to recreate a new Chart of
Accounts (Check with author for details).
FILE EXPORT
-----------------
File exporting writes your data to an ASCII file in a "Standard
Data Format". Any text (in this case the account name) is surrounded
by quotes, and each field is separated by a comma. Most graphics and
spreadsheet programs will accept this format.
The two available reports are very similar to the printed versions
of the ANNUAL ACTUALS and the BUDGET REPORT. Each line will start with
the account name. Following it will be zero values for any months
between the first fiscal month and your beginning month, if they were
different. Next will be the Month To Date values for each of the
months up to the current month. Lastly there will be zero values for
any remaining months in the year. This means that all 12 months will
be represented, but the months that are not applicable will contain
zero values. Also, if you have a fiscal year different from the
calendar year, the first value written will be from your first fiscal
month, and progress from there (just as it is on the printed version).
If you ask for a combination report, the MTD value will be written
first, followed by its budget value. If you view this text file, you
will notice that MTD values contain a decimal point, while the budget
values do not.
You can also specify that the category name and/or a blank line is
inserted in the report.
When asked for a file name, you can use any legal DOS name. Be
sure to include a path if necessary. Entering a null file name aborts
the export.
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TO USERS of HBMS WITH VERSIONS OLDER THAN 3.0
-----------------------------------------------------
If you have accumulated data under older versions of HBMS you will
have to run the program HCONVERT.EXE to update it to the current file
format. The check reconciliation feature required that I change the
format. In doing so I also incorporated the STARTUP.HBM file into the
ACCOUNTS file. Once you have run your data through the conversion
program you can delete the STARTUP file. P L E A S E ... use COPIES of
your older data. The conversion program will replace them in the
process. If something goes wrong you can start over.
The program HCONVERT.EXE is supplied only to registered users. See
the ShareWare registration procedures near the beginning of this
document.
The old CREDIT/DEBIT format has been scratched and replaced with
INCREASE/DECREASE. Although it worked fine in the way HBMS approached
it, it was confusing to many who are trained in accounting and viewed
it with a different meaning. I hope this will clear up any
misconceptions about the way HBMS handles ledger transactions.
I am using a new screen writing technique beginning with v3.0 that
writes directly to memory. Report speed has improved significantly.
HBMS now loads all it's data in a "block" format. Also the ledger
transactions for the month are now held in memory. Loading data now
takes less than 25% of the time it did before. Sorted ledger displays
really fly now. If you are using a floppy based system you should see
a big improvement.
BRENTSON WORRELL
6404 Mornay Dr.
Tampa, FL 33615-3426
(813) 886-2282
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