Copyright (c) 1999 by Quick's Pilot Software (QPS)
Contact point: quickster@palmpage.com or cquick@magicnet.net
Forward
MyCheckbook started out as a very simplistic, one function, electronic checkbook application
written for my wife. While still maintaining that original user friendly operation and Keep
It Simple Stupid (KISS) methodology, it has now evolved into a sophisticated, electronic
checkbook with many features and product enhancements. These new developments were in part
due to the many suggestions and comments I received from enthusiastic MyCheckbook users.
Still, there are other changes I am considering for the next version and look forward to
again hearing from you and receiving your suggestions.
Program Features
* Program follows date and number format set by User in Palm preferences.
* Application makes use of a database to retain all transaction types.
* Can edit any field in a previous transaction and save the changes.
* Can selectively clear any, or all, transactions in the register.
* Displays checkbook register (eight transactions) on main form.
* Scroll the register up or down one line or one page at a time.
* Can change the date for any transaction before you save it.
* Can assign a check / transaction to a particular category.
* i.e. Personal, Business or category of your own choosing.
* Supports the Palm operating system 'Find' function.
* Can export the checkbook register to the MemoPad.
* Simple, but elegant, user friendly interface.
Contents Of This Document
I. System Requirements
II. Installation
III. Zip File Contents
IV. Using It
V. Version History
VI. Legal Disclaimer
VII. Appendix
How To Save The Old Database and Then Restore It
The Urge To Merge Categories
Getting Register Data Into Your Spreadsheet Program
I. System Requirements
This application requires Version 2.0 or later of the Palm operating system and 20K of free memory -- a mere pittance on the Palm III or Palm V and a minuscule amount on the Palm IIIx.
II. Installation
Installation of MyCheckbook is just like any other Palm device program. Use the installation program that came with your Palm desktop software or another one like the "PalmPilot Power Install," a most bodacious install tool. Point your browser at "www.FastMoto.com" to check it out.
If you have a previous version of MyCheckbook installed, please remove it prior to installing this new version. See "How To Save The Old Database and Then Restore It" in the Appendix
Hopefully, this will present no problem as you can enter your current check number and your current balance in the new version just like the previous version.
As always, I would suggest you do a HotSync before installing any new software. I might also suggest that if you're not using BackupBuddy or the newest version of BackupBuddyNG by Alexander Hinds of Intelligent Systems, you should be. BackupBuddy works seamlessly with your Palm and does stuff that the Palm OS should be doing. And if you're interested, or not, I have no affiliation with BackupBuddy other than being a very satisfied user.
III. Zip File Contents
Checkbook.prc Checkbook application you install on your Palm device.
Readme.doc A nicely formatted version of the text file.
Readme.txt This file.
IV. Using It
The Buttons
Enter
The 'Enter' button is used to complete all transactions. If you tap the 'Enter' button, and
there are empty fields, the transaction will not be completed until each field has an entry.
Cancel
The 'Cancel' button can be used any time prior to completing a transaction with the 'Enter' button. When you tap the 'Cancel' button, all information associated with the transaction in progress is cleared.
Transaction Popup Trigger
Tapping the triangle next to the 'Transaction' label presents a popup list allowing you to select a transaction type from the following list:
Next Check Num. gets the next check number.
New Check Num. user can enter a new check number (see note below).
ATM withdraw money without a check number.
Swiped used when making a Debit card purchase.
Transfer transfer money from your checking account.
Deposit deposit money into your checking account.
Note: If a new check number is entered, this new number is saved and becomes the next number in your check number series.
Category Popup Triggers
There are two category popup triggers: one in the upper right hand corner and one in the center on the bottom of the display. These two category popup triggers share a common resource, the categories list, but use that list to perform two different functions.
The category popup trigger in the upper right hand corner acts as filter for displaying records in the register table. To see the list of categories you can select from to display items in the register table, tap on this category popup trigger. The categories shown here are the default categories which MyCheckbook installed when first loaded. To show only those checks assigned to a specific category, tap on one of the categories in the popup list. This allows you to limit the check/records shown to a single category in a manner similar to the built-in applications.
The second category popup trigger, located in the center on the bottom of the display is used to group, or assign, checks/transactions to different categories. That is,
Also, if you wish to edit the categories, you can select the Edit Categories... option from that pop-up list and the standard Palm OS category editing screen will be shown.
You can rename, add or delete categories using this screen. When you rename a category, all checks assigned to the old category name are moved to the new category name. If you delete a category, all checks assigned to the deleted category are moved to the Unfiled category.
See, "The Urge To Merge Categories" in the appendix for additional category information.
Menu Items
Preferences
Selecting the 'Preferences' option allows you to change the way MyCheckbook behaves.
Show balance - If checked, the current balance is shown. If not checked, the current balance will be hidden. Show Balance is set on by default.
Sticky transactions - If checked, your last transaction type is saved and causes 'MyCheckbook' to launch next time with the transaction type you last selected. It should be noted that Sticky Transactions only applies to Check numbers, ATM transactions, Debit Card (Swiped) transactions, and Transfer transactions.
Enable quick lookup - If checked, as you start typing characters in the 'Payee' field the program searches the database for a match on each character you type and if a match is found, it fills in the remaining characters.
Mark Checks
Selecting the 'Mark Checks' option allows you to mark a check or checks for deletion from the database. When you select this option you will see a screen asking if you want to export the register before you mark any checks. If you tap the 'Yes' button the register will be sent to the MemoPad with the title 'MyCheckbook' and the current date appended. Tapping the 'No' button will take you to the Mark Checks screen.
You should also note that the 'Enter' button changes to a 'Done' button during Mark Checks. It will change back to 'Enter' when you finish marking the checks.
If, after marking the checks, you tap the 'Cancel' button, no checks will be deleted and the next time you select 'Mark Checks' from the options menu those checks you marked will still be marked. However, when you tap the 'Done' button, marked checks are immediately deleted from the database and are not recoverable. It is therefore a good idea to always do an export to the MemoPad before reconciling.
Delete Prior
Selecting the 'Delete Prior' option brings up the 'Delete Prior' dialog box that has a date display, an 'OK' button and a 'Cancel' button. To select a new date, tap the displayed date within the dotted box. This will then bring up the standard Palm OS date picker form and allow you to choose a date. After selecting a date you can tap the 'OK' button and all checks in the database with a date prior to the date you selected will be deleted. If you decide this is not what you want to do, tap the 'Cancel' button and you will return to the MyCheckbook main display.
Export Register
When you select "Export Register" from the Options menu, the checkbook register is immediately sent to the MemoPad with the title 'MyCheckbook' and the current date appended.
Below is a list of each transaction type I export and the format:
2 Char category ID---------------------------+
Transaction amount---------------------+ |
Payee description----------------+ | |
Transaction type------------+ | | |
Transaction date ---+ | | | |
| | | | |
Check number 2/14/99,1234,Pizza,12.34,Pe
ATM 2/14/99,ATM ,Pizza,23.45,Pe
Swiped/Debit card 2/14/99,Swpd,Pizza,34.56,Bu
Transfer 2/14/99,Txfr,Pizza,45.67,Bu
Deposit 2/14/99,,Deposit,,56.78,Un
Notice the empty field *before* 56.78 - when the MemoPad file is then imported to Excel, or some other spreadsheet, this empty field will push '56.78' into another column which will
allow you to keep all 'Debit' transactions in one column and all 'Credit' transactions in
Selecting this option brings up an information dialog box that informs you of how many records are currently in the application's database.
About MyCheckbook
This one should be self-explanatory but if not, it shows the version number and release date.
Transaction Types
Next Check Num. gets the next check number.
New Check Num. user can enter a new check number (see note below).
ATM withdraw money without a check number.
Swiped used when making a Debit card purchase.
Transfer transfer money from your checking account.
Deposit deposit money into your checking account.
When you select 'Deposit' the transaction type field clears and 'Dep' is inserted there, the word 'Deposit' is written
in the To: (payee) field and the cursor moves to the 'Amount' field. After you've entered the amount of your deposit, tap the 'Enter' button to complete your deposit transaction.
The word 'Deposit' written in the To: (payee) field can be changed to whatever you like. I only used the word deposit because it is so descriptive. However, if you received money as a gift from some distant relative you can type in 'Gift' or 'Winnings' or anything.
Editing A Previous Transaction
To edit a previous transaction, tap on that transaction's date in the date column. This will place the transaction data in the appropriate check fields and allow you to edit any field.
Voiding A Check
To void any check in the checkbook register simply tap on a check number in the table. To be sure this is what you really intend to do, and before the check is actually voided, you will be shown a 'Void Check Alert' form. To confirm the void process, tap the 'OK' button or to cancel the void operation, tap the 'Cancel' button. If you choose 'OK' the checkbook balance will be adjusted accordingly, the word 'Void' will show up in the 'Payee' column, and the 'Amount' column will show a zero amount.
You can only void checks, and only if a check has not already been voided. That is, once you void a check the amount is set to 'zero' and it can't be voided again. If you tap the other transaction types that show up in the check number column, nothing will happen.
Miscellaneous Stuff
It's still a presumption that when using MyCheckbook you will be writing checks most of the time. However, if this is not the case, a new feature has been added that allows you to change the way this works. The feature is called "Sticky Transactions," and can be enabled or disabled in the 'Preferences' panel.
Although you may enter up to 30 characters in the To: (payee) field, all those characters might not show up in the register view because of the limited display area of the table. Therefore, very long names will be truncated in the register view and displayed with the Ellipsis (...) character at the end.
The PageUp/PageDown buttons on the Palm device scrolls the table one page at a time while the On-Screen scroll arrows scroll the table one line at a time.
To change the date of a transaction, tap the displayed date within the dotted box. You will then be presented with the standard Palm OS date picker form.
When you have finished entering data in the To: (payee) field you can enter the graffiti 'carriage return' character or 'tab' character to move to the next field (Amount field). Likewise, after you've entered a value in the 'Amount' field you can enter the graffiti 'carriage return' character which would be the same as tapping the 'Enter' button.
V. Version History
1. 1 October, 1998 The initial release for beta testing by my wife.
2. 11 October, 1998 Cleaned up a few anomalies she discovered while using it.
3. 20 November, 1998 Began adding code for the Checkbook database, plus a dialog box to allow the User the option of setting categories for checks written.
4. 10 December, 1998 At the requests of many users I added international money support.
5. 30 December, 1998 Beta testing the added features and fixing those found problems.
6. 10 January, 1999 Release of new beta version to the awaiting Users/Testers.
7. 15 January, 1999 Official release of latest version to the anxious masses.
Vi. Legal Disclaimer
This software is provided AS-IS; there is NO WARRANTY, express or implied. The user assumes full responsibility and liability for any use of this program. All Rights Reserved by me, Carl Quick, except as noted below.
Permission to distribute this package complete and unmodified for personal use via the Internet for no charge (other than reasonable connection charges) is granted to the public. Distribution for commercial purposes via any other medium, including but not limited to CD-ROM, floppy, or printed material, in whole or in part, requires express permission from the author, Carl Quick (cquick@magicnet.net).
Modified versions may be distributed with this notice intact, provided that said versions are clearly marked as modified. The above provisions also apply to any such modified packages.
Appendix
How To Save The Old Database and Then Restore It
OK, I apologize for the inconvenience, but changes/improvements in the application and thus changes in the saved application preferences have made it necessary for a special procedure to save your database before installing version 2.X. Then, after you have installed the new version you can re-install the old database and everything will be as it was, only better.
Of course, if you don't have any data you need to retain, you can just delete the previous version, install the new version, ignore the following instructions, and keep going.
I know some of this may seem mundane, but just remember not everyone has the same level of computer expertise that you have.
Locate the folder/directory where your Palm desktop software resides. On my systems this folder/directory is called 'Palm'.
Open this folder and inside there should be another folder/directory that has the same name as your Palm user name. In my case my user name is "Carl Quick" and my personal folder is labeled 'QuickC'. Once you have located your folder, double-click on it to open it.
Inside your personal folder should be several more folders with familiar names like address, datebook, expense, memopad, todo, etc.. There should also be a folder called 'Backup', and after locating it, double-click on it to open it.
In this folder is where most of your third party apps get put, including their databases. So now we need to find the file called 'CheckbookDB.PDB' and save it someplace special so we can re-install it later. What I usually do is just right-click on this file then drag it to my personal folder. When using the right mouse button to drag a file you are given a choice to 'Move' or 'Copy' the file. I usually just tell it to make a copy.
Whew, we're on the home stretch at last.
Now that we've got the database saved and out of the way, you can follow the standard Palm procedures to delete the old version and then install the new version.
Alright, after you've installed the new version, and run it once to initialize everything, it's time to re-install your saved database.
Start the Palm desktop application, then click on the 'Install' button located on the left side of the window. If you have multiple users, make sure the correct one is selected and then click the 'Add' button. Locate your personal folder with the 'CheckbookDB.PDB' file. Now you can either click on the file to highlight it and click the 'Open' button or double click on the file name to open it.
You should be back at the Palm Install Tool window with the 'CheckbookDB.PDB' file visible in the install window. If you're satisfied with this, click the 'Done button to finish up and install the database on your next HotSync.
The only other thing you may need to do is correct the check number by selecting 'New' as the transaction type and entering the new, next check number.
What Are Categories?
Categories are a fundamental element of Palm OS databases. Under Palm OS, categories serve a similar function to folders on a desktop computer. Record-based Palm OS applications generally offer category-based viewing of records in the list view.
A standard record type database contains slots for 16 categories, some of which have predefined names. One of them is the default category 'unfiled.' Each record is assigned to one of the categories.
Applications usually allow the user to create and edit the categories, but they may also preload a fixed set of categories. Applications also generally allow users to assign records to categories as they wish. Alternatively, applications can assign records internally based on program logic.
The Urge To Merge Categories
by Jeff Carlson, author of "Palm III & PalmPilot Visual QuickStart Guide"
The built-in Address Book, To Do List, and Memo Pad applications share the ability to group records into as many as 15 categories each. But what happens when you want to merge records from two categories into a single category? You could open each record individually and do the change, but that could involve quite a bit of repetitive, mindless drudgery if you have several records to process. Instead, the PalmOS features a hidden method of doing it all in one shot by renaming one category.
Let's assume, for the sake of trying to think of an amusing example, that you have 20 brothers and sisters, all of whom have separate addresses. You've created a category in Address Book called "MyFamily" to keep track of them. Now, to make things even more implausible, suppose your fiancĪe also has 20 brothers and sisters with individual addresses, categorized as "HerFamily" (or "HisFamily"). When you get married, you want to make everyone belong to the same family category on your Palm device (and thereby make sure everyone feels included).
Choose Edit Categories from the category pop-up menu in the upper right corner of the Address Book screen, then highlight "HerFamily". Tap the Rename button, and change its title so that it exactly matches the name of the category you wish to merge it with (including upper and lowercase letters), "MyFamily" in this example. You will be alerted that you're attempting to merge two categories; tap 'OK' to confirm the action, then tap 'OK' to exit the Edit Categories screen. Not only will your fingers and wrist appreciate the work you've saved them, there won't be any bad feelings when you beam your addresses to the rest of the family's Palm devices.
Getting Register Data Into Your Spreadsheet Program
There are two methods you can use to import the checkbook transaction register to your spreadsheet program. Choose the one that best suits your needs and the one you feel most comfortable with.
Method 1
1) Open Excel, or whatever your favorite spreadsheet program is, and then from the 'File' menu select 'Open'. This should display another window with the title 'Open.' Here you will have to 'browse' to locate the appropriate directory/folder, which should be your HotSync name. In my case, it is located in the Palm folder which was the default from the desktop install procedure and looks like this: c:\palm\quickc\memopad.
2) You also need to set the "Files of type:" in the 'Open' window to "All Files (*.*)." After doing this you should see two files: memopad.bak and memopad.dat. It is the latter one, memopad.dat, we are interested in. Click on this file to highlight it and then click the 'Open' button.
NOTE: Excel will bring up an information dialog window here because it doesn't understand the file format. Basically, it is asking for your permission to open this file as a text file. Click the 'OK' button to continue.
NOTE: One of the unfortunate things about the Palm HotSync scheme is they don't keep each memo as separate item, but rather they lump them all together in the 'memopad.dat' file. So, if you have a lot of memos you may want to consider method 2. Other than that, we can keep going here.
3) This will bring up the "Text Import Wizard - Step 1 of 3" window. Make sure that the 'Delimited' radio button is selected and that you also select the "Start Import at Row" number. Depending on the number of memos in the file, you will probably have to scroll down in the list to locate the beginning row number of the MyCheckbook data. When you have located the row number, type this number in the "Start Import at Row" box and then click the 'Next' button.
You should now be at the "Text Import Wizard - Step 2 of 3" window. Here you will select Comma as your delimiter and then click the 'Next' button.
This brings us to the last window, "Text Import Wizard - Step 3 of 3." You can do any special things to particular columns if you want and if not, click the 'Finish' button to complete the import process.
4) That's it. You now have your check register in a spreadsheet and you can do as you please with it.
Method 2
1) Locate your Palm desktop application and then start the Palm desktop application.
2) On the left side of the Palm Desktop, locate the 'Memo' button and then click on it.
3) You should now have a listing of your current memos from the last/most recent HotSync.
4) Find the memo titled, "MyCheckbook mm/dd/yyyy." mm/dd/yyyy is the date you exported the register to the memo pad.
5) Left click on our memo of interest and drag it down to the clipboard icon located on the lower right side of the Palm desktop.
6) You can close the Palm desktop application as we are finished with it for now.
7) OK, locate the Windows 'Notepad' application and then start it. After you see the "Untitled - Notepad" window appear, go to the 'Edit' menu and select the 'Paste' option. A copy of the transactions you exported should now be seen in this window. The first item in the list should be the title "MyCheckbook mm/dd/yyyy." Where mm/dd/yyyy is once again the date you exported the register to the memo pad.
8) Now we need to save this file, and where you save it is up to you, but put it in some convenient place as we'll be opening it again in a few steps. You can label the file as to your liking, but leave the extension as '.txt' which Notepad will add as the default. On my NT workstation computers my Excel files go here: c:\documents\excellstuff\
9) Open Excel, or whatever your favorite spreadsheet program is and then from the 'File' menu select 'Open'. This should display another window with the title 'Open.' Here you will have to 'browse' to locate the appropriate directory/folder where you just saved the file you created with Notepad.
10) You will also need to set the "Files of type:" in the 'Open' window by clicking on the drop-down arrow and choosing "Text Files (*.prn; *.txt; *.csv)." After you do this you should see text file you just saved in step 8. Click on this file to highlight it, and then click the 'Open' button.
This will bring up the "Text Import Wizard - Step 1 of 3" window. Make sure that the 'Delimited' radio button is selected and that you also select the "Start Import at Row" number. This last one will default to 1. Click 'Next' when finished.
You should now be at the "Text Import Wizard - Step 2 of 3" window. Here you will select Comma as your delimiter and then click the 'Next' button.
This brings us to the last window, "Text Import Wizard - Step 3 of 3." You can do any special things to particular columns if you want and if not, click the 'Finish' button to complete the import process.
11) That's it. You now have your check register in a spreadsheet and you can do as you please with it.
