User's Choice Windows CD/User's Choice Windows CD (CMS Software)(1993).iso/misc1/microchk.zip/MICROCHK.TXT

Text File | 1992-07-28 | 26KB | 605 lines

           MicroCheck .10
          by Clayton Walnum


MicroCheck is a home-finance program that helps organize
and handle your checking account.  Using MicroCheck, you
can enter and edit checks and deposits, as well as
reconcile your account each month.  MicroCheck also
prints your check data, so you can file hard-copy records
of your transactions.  Both the current window or the
entire check register can be printed.  Finding a specific
transaction is a snap with MicroCheck.  MicroCheck's
search function can find any range of amounts, check
numbers, dates, payees, and memos.

-----------------
COPYRIGHT NOTICE:
-----------------

This program and its accompanying documentation are
copyright 1992 by Clayton Walnum.  All Rights Reserved.
MICROCHECK is shareware, and while it may be distributed
freely, if you enjoy the program, you should send
a $20 registration fee to the author at the address given
in the REGISTER.TXT file.  Your support of shareware
programs is greatly appreciated.  Thank you.

This program and documentation may be distributed only as
an ZIPped file containing the files MICROCHK.EXE,
MICROCHK.TXT, and REGISTER.TXT in unmodified form!  The
ZIP file must be named MICROCHK.ARC.

-----------------------
MicroCheck is Shareware
-----------------------

MicroCheck is a shareware program.  This means that you
may try the program in order to determine whether it is
something you want to use regularly.  If after the trial
period (in MicroCheck's case, the trial period is two
weeks), you decide that you'd like to continue using the
program, you must register it by sending a $20
registration fee to the author at address found in the
REGISTER.TXT file.

-------------------
System Requirements
-------------------

To run MicroCheck successfully, your system must meet the
following requirements



* IBM compatible computer
* EGA or better graphics
* Windows 3.x
* A Mouse
* Optional: Printer

---------------------
Installing MicroCheck
---------------------

Before you can use MicroCheck, it must be installed on
your system.  Although the program can be run from a
floppy disk, it is recommended that you install
MicroCheck on your hard drive.  This will greatly
increase the speed at which MicroCheck can access your
data files.  Follow the instructions below to install
MicroCheck onto your hard disk:

1. Log onto your hard drive by typing C: at the DOS
prompt and pressing Enter on your keyboard.

2. From the DOS prompt, type CD \ and press Enter.  This
ensures that you are currently in your disk's root
directory.

3. Type MD MICROCHK and press Enter to create a directory
for your MicroCheck files.

4. Copy the MicroCheck files into the MICROCHK directory.
(UnZIP them first, of course.)

5. Run Windows 3.x.

6. Select the window into which you wish to place the
MicroCheck program icon, by clicking the window's name in
the list found in the Program Manager's Windows menu.

7. Select the New... option in the Program Manager's File
menu.

8. In the dialog box that appears, click on the Program
Item selection, and then click the OK button.

9. When the Program Item Properties dialog appears, type
"MicroCheck" into the Description text box, and type
C:\MICROCHK\MICROCHK.EXE into the Command Line text box.

10. Click on the Program Item Properties OK button.  The
MicroCheck icon appears in the window you selected.

If you want to run MicroCheck from floppy disk, you need
do no more than ensure that the MICROCHK.EXE file is on
the floppy disk you want to use.  Then keep this disk in
your drive throughout your entire MicroCheck session.

------------------
Running MicroCheck
------------------

To run MicroCheck from your hard drive, double-click the
MicroCheck icon.  When the program has loaded, most of
the screen is filled with a window.  It is here that your
check data is displayed.  At the very top of the window
is the title bar, which contains the program's name and
the name of the currently open file.  Before you load a
file, the file name is shown as "No account open."
    Below the title bar is the menu bar.  MicroCheck's
various functions are accessed by selecting them from
this menu or by pressing the equivalent keystroke
commands.  (The keystroke required is shown next to each
item in the menu. Hold down your keyboard's CTRL key, and
press the appropriate letter key.)
    Immediately under the menu bar are the quick-select
buttons, which allow you to use your mouse to select
MicroCheck's most frequently used functions without
having to access the menu bar.  These buttons are
inoperative until you load an account file.
    The MicroCheck main window contains scroll bars and
arrows that allow you to see information that doesn't fit
in the window.  You use these in the normal Windows
fashion, by clicking or dragging them with your mouse
pointer.  (If you're not familiar with Windows 3.x's
operating procedures, please consult your Windows manual
for more information.)

----------------------
Starting a New Account
----------------------

Before you can use MicroCheck, you must create a new
account.  This procedure creates all of the files the
program needs to keep track of your checking activity.
You must complete this process only once for each account
you want to start.
    To create an account, select New... from the File
menu or press CTRL-N.  The New Account dialog box
appears, prompting you for the personal information the
program requires.  Type your name and address, using your
keyboard's tab key to move from one field to another.
(The name and address you enter will appear in the Check
Entry dialog box, simulating the appearance of an actual
check.)
    After entering your name and address, enter the
starting balance for your account.  If you're setting up
an account for an already existing checking account, the
best time to determine the starting balance is right
after you receive your bank statement and have balanced
your account.
    Finally, you must enter your account's "base
filename."  MicroCheck uses this filename as the starting
point for creating the files needed for your account.
You can use any name, up to six characters, for this file
name.  If your last name is Smith, for example, you might
want to name your account "SMITH."
    When you've entered all the information properly,
click on the New Account dialog's OK button to proceed.
At any time, you can click on the Cancel button to abort
the new-account function.
    When you click the OK button, MicroCheck creates a
file for each month, named XXXXXX0.DAT, XXXXXX2.DAT,
XXXXXX3.DAT, etc., where "XXXXXX" is the file name you
entered into the New Account dialog box.  The program
also creates a file named XXXXXX.MCK, which contains the
other information that you entered in the New Account
dialog box.


------------------
Opening an Account
------------------

The account-creation process described above need be done
only once for each account you wish to use.  However,
every time you run MicroCheck, you must open the account
on which you want to work.
    To open an account, click on the Open... selection
of the File menu or press CTRL-O.  The File Open dialog
box appears, showing whatever .MCK files (MicroCheck data
files) are present in the MICROCHK directory.  Double-
click on the .MCK file for the account you wish to open.
The New Month dialog box appears.  Select the month on
which you want to work, by clicking the appropriate
option button with your mouse and then clicking on the OK
button.  (Click on the Cancel button to abort the Open
function.)  The data in the selected month loads, and the
title bar shows the name of the file.  If the month you
chose contains no transactions, MicroCheck's main window
will show no data; only the file's name in the title bar
will be shown.

---------------
Entering Checks
---------------

Once you open an account, you'll probably want to begin
entering checks.  To do this, click on the Enter... entry
of the Checks menu, press CTRL-E on your keyboard, or
click on the Enter quick-select button.  The Check Entry
dialog box appears.  The Check Entry dialog contains
fields for all your check's data, plus three buttons
across the bottom.  You can move between the check fields
by using your keyboard's Tab key.  To move forward, press
the Tab key.  To move backward, press Shift-Tab.  To jump
quickly to a specific field, click on the field with your
mouse.
    The "#" field is the check number.  This field
automatically advances by one each time you enter a
check; so if you're processing your checks in order, you
won't have to type anything in this field after the first
check has been recorded.  Note, however, that there are
two reserved check numbers that you may not use for your
normal checks: 0000 and 9999.
    You should use a check number of 0000 for any
transaction (other than a deposit) that was performed
without a written check.  For example, you might withdraw
money from your checking account using an ATM (automatic
teller machine).  Although you haven't actually written a
check, you must nevertheless record this transaction.
You do this by giving it a check number of 0000, and then
filling in the rest of the check normally.
    The check number 9999 is reserved for deposits.  Any
time a transaction credits your account, this check
number signals MicroCheck to add the amount of the
transaction to your balance rather than subtract it.
    When you've entered all the information for a check,
you must click one of the buttons along the bottom of the
Check Entry dialog--or simply press Enter to enter the
current check and set up the dialog for the next.
Clicking on the Next button has the same effect as
pressing Enter.  Clicking on the OK button enters the
current check, and then closes the Check Entry dialog.
Clicking on the Cancel button closes the Check Entry form
without adding the current check to your account data.

---------------
Editing a Check
---------------

If you find that you must edit a previously entered
check, use your mouse to double-click the check's entry
in the window.  The Check Edit dialog appears.  This form
is identical to the Check Entry dialog, except the Next
button is no longer functional.  When the dialog appears,
make whatever changes you wish to the check's data, and
then click on the dialog's OK button.  If you click on
the Cancel button, the check entry remains unchanged,
even if you changed fields in the Check Edit form.
    If you make changes to the amount of the check, your
balance is, of course, updated to reflect those changes.

--------------------
Searching for Checks
--------------------

If you need to locate a check or group of checks, you can
use MicroCheck's search feature.  To access this
function, click on the Search... option of the Checks
menu, press CTRL-H on your keyboard, or click on the
Search quick-select button.  The Search Parameters dialog
box appears.  Each search-parameter field in this dialog
contains default values.  If you were to use all of the
default values, you would search for every check in your
account.
    Fill in the parameters for the search, using the Tab
key or your mouse to move between the dialog's fields.
When you've filled in your search parameters, press Enter
to begin the search, or click on the dialog's OK button.
    During a search, the parameters you entered are
compared to the data found in each record of your
account.  If the transaction matches every criterion in
the search, MicroCheck adds it to the check list.  Note
that both of the text fields in the search parameters,
Payee and Memo, allow partial matches--that is, a payee
search parameter of "Ta" matches checks with such payees
as "Tammy Brooks," "Tabitha White" and "Tadbury Lumber."
To find every check with a payee field beginning with
"G," enter "G" as the payee parameter.  Also note that
the search function is not case sensitive.  To
MicroCheck, the letter "G"" and the letter "g" are the
same value.  Finally, note that the string "ANY" in the
Payee or Memo fields matches any entry.
    When the search is complete, the Check Search dialog
appears, showing the first transaction that matches your
search parameters.  This dialog is identical to the Check
Entry dialog, except the OK button is disabled.  To see
the next check that matches your parameters, click on the
Next button or press Enter on your keyboard.  To abort
the search, click on the dialog's Cancel button.
    Note that, although the Check Search dialog's edit
fields allow you to change the displayed data, there's
really no point in doing this, because any changes you
make will not be saved to the file.  In other words, you
can't edit checks during a search.

---------------------
Selecting a New Month
---------------------

Often, when entering transactions, you may have to move
from one month to another.  To close the current month
and move to another, click on the New Month... entry of
the File menu, press CTRL-M on your keyboard, or click on
the Month quick-select button.  The New Month dialog
appears.  To select a new month, click on the appropriate
month button.  Then click on the dialog's OK button or
press Enter on your keyboard.  To exit the dialog box
without selecting a new month, click on the Cancel
button.
    When you select a new month, MicroCheck saves the
currently open month's data to your disk (if necessary),
and then opens the new file.  MicroCheck then displays
the new file's transactions in the window and changes the
file name in the window's title bar.

-------------------
Printing Check Data
-------------------

MicroCheck provides two methods of printing your checking
account.  In the File menu, you will find the selections
Print Window and Print Register.  The former prints only
those checks in the current window; the latter prints the
entire account.  Click on the appropriate menu selection,
or press CTRL-P or CTRL-G, respectively.

----------------
Canceling Checks
----------------

When you receive your statement from the bank each month,
you must go through your account and mark those
transactions the bank has processed.  This is the first
step in "reconciling" your account, a process that
ensures that your figures match those of your bank's.
    To enter MicroCheck's cancel mode, click on the
Cancel... entry of the Checks menu, press CTRL-L on your
keyboard, or click on the Cancel quick-select button.
The Cancel Mode message box appears, informing you that
you are now in the cancel mode.  Press Enter or click the
OK button to close the message box.  Now, to clear a
transaction, double-click the transaction in MicroCheck's
main window.  An asterisk appears next to the
transaction.  To remove the asterisk, double-click the
transaction again.
    When you're finished canceling transactions, quit
the cancel mode by clicking on the Cancel... selection of
the Checks menu, pressing CTRL-L on your keyboard, or
clicking on the Cancel quick-select button.  The Cancel
Mode message box appears again, informing you that the
mode is now off.

------------------------
Reconciling Your Account
------------------------

Once you've gone through your statement and canceled all
cleared transactions, you may reconcile your account.  To
do this, click on the Reconcile... entry of the Checks
menu, press CTRL-R on your keyboard, or click on the
Reconcile quick-select button.  The Reconcile dialog box
appears, requesting your account's ending balance as
shown on your bank statement.  When you've entered this
amount, click on the dialog's OK button or press Enter on
your keyboard.  MicroCheck then reads through your check
files and, after making calculations, displays a final
report.  If the amount shown at the bottom of this report
is zero, then your figures agree with the bank's (always
a great feeling). Otherwise, either you or your bank made
a mistake.
    Press Enter to exit the Reconcile Report dialog box.

----------------------
Adjusting Your Balance
----------------------

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you simply cannot
get your account to agree with your bank statement.
Usually this means you've made a mistake somewhere in
your account (maybe a check is made out for a different
amount than what you recorded) that you have not been
able to find. Although you should always try to reconcile
your account properly, there may be times when you have
to give up.  In those cases, the best you can do is
adjust your account's balance to agree with your bank's.
    To make this adjustment, enter a dummy check or
deposit transaction for an amount that will bring your
balance into agreement with the bank's.  When entering a
dummy check, use the number 0000.  These dummy
transactions should be canceled, just as if they had
appeared on your statement.

-------------------------------
Displaying Your Account Balance
-------------------------------

MicroCheck ordinarily displays your account balance on
the right side of the quick-select button bar.  You may,
however, want to keep this information more confidential.
If so, you can turn off the balance display, by selecting
the Show Balance selection of the Options menu or by
pressing CTRL-B on your keyboard.  When you select this
command, MicroCheck removes the balance line from the
screen.  It also removes the checkmark next to the option
in the menu.  To turn the balance display back on, select
the Show Balance command again.

-------------------------
Saving Your Checking Data
-------------------------

You can save your checking data at any time, by selecting
the Save... option of the File menu or by pressing CTRL-S
on your keyboard.  When you do, the data in the currently
opened file is saved to disk, after which you can
continue working on the account.

--------------
Closing a File
--------------

MicroCheck allows you to open only one account at a time.
If you'd like to switch to a different account, you must
first close the active one.  You don't need to exit the
program to do this.  Instead, use MicroCheck's Close
command.  To select this command, click on the Close
entry of the File menu or press CTRL-C on your keyboard.
If you've made changes to the current account, you'll be
asked if you want to save the changes.  If you've made no
changes to the account, MicroCheck removes the account's
window from the screen, after which you may open another
account.

-------
Exiting
-------

You may exit MicroCheck by selecting the Exit entry of
the File menu or by pressing CTRL-X on your keyboard.
Like Close, the Quit selection is a safe way of closing
your account.  If you've made changes to the current
account, you'll be asked if you want to save the changes.

-------------------
Starting a New Year
-------------------

MicroCheck's calendar runs from January to December.
That means that, come January 1, you must clear out the
old files and start anew.  Before you do this make sure
you have backed up your MicroCheck data! If you fail to
do this, you will have no way to refer to the previous
year's files!
    Before you can set up a new year, you must close the
account you have open (if any).  Then click on the New
Year... entry of the Utilities menu or press CTRL-Y on
your keyboard.  MicroCheck asks whether you really want
to create a new year. If you click on the Yes button,
MicroCheck asks if you've backed up your files.  If you
select the Yes button, MicroCheck asks a final time, just
to be sure--remember, this function destroys existing
MicroCheck files on your disk.  Finally, a File Open
dialog appears.  Click on the .MCK file for the account
you wish to set up for the new year.
    MicroCheck then goes through your entire account,
deleting all canceled transactions and moving uncanceled
transactions into a special file called "Month 0."  The
Month 0 file can be manipulated just like any other
month's file and is simply a place where unprocessed
transactions from the previous year are stored until your
bank statement shows that they have been processed.  When
you get your bank statement, you should go through Month
0, canceling checks as you would for any other month.
    When the New Year process is complete, your account
contains check data only in Month 0 (and only then if you
had uncanceled transactions in your account, which is
likely); all other months are cleared.  (You made that
back-up, right?)

-----------------------------------------------
Tips on Using a "Computerized" Checking Account
-----------------------------------------------

In order to use a home-finance program like MicroCheck
effectively, you need to adopt some new habits.  For
example, it's not practical to load the program every
time you write a check.  Instead, you should set aside a
time every week when you enter, in one sitting, all the
checks you've written that week.  A "computerized"
checkbook's biggest advantage is not the ease with which
you can enter checks into your account, but rather the
way it simplifies such activities as reconciling your
account, printing reports, and finding specific checks.

Norton Desktop for Windows 1.0 users: Due to a bug in the
way Norton Desktop for Windows 1.0 adds its own entries
to system menus, it is not fully compatible with programs
written using Borland's Turbo Pascal for Windows.
MicroCheck was written using Turbo Pascal, so to run it
under Norton Desktop 1.0, you must make changes to your
Norton Desktop configuration.  To do this, click on the
Preferences entry of Norton Desktop's Configure menu.
The Configure Preferences dialog box appears.  Now, turn
off the three options listed in the Control Menu box, and
then select the dialog's OK button.  Finally, so that the
new options take effect, exit and restart Windows.
    If you'd like to avoid the above work-around, you
can call Symantec, the publishers of Norton Desktop.
They are aware of the incompatibility with Turbo Pascal
for Windows and will send you new, updated Norton Desktop
disks.

----------------
IMPORTANT NOTE!!
----------------

This is the first version of MicroCheck and, as such,
should be considered to be in "beta" condition.  In other
words, although the author has tested the program
carefully, there may be small bugs that he missed during
the development and testing of the program.  If you
experience problems or discover a bug in the program,
please inform the author, by writing to the address found
in the REGISTER.TXT file.  Please include as much
information as possible when reporting a bug, in order to
make it easier to track down.
    If shareware contributions make it feasible, newer
versions of MicroCheck will be released periodically.
Therefore, if you have suggestions for future versions,
please feel free to write.

-----------------------
BOOKS BY CLAYTON WALNUM
-----------------------

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Price: $16.95.

Please see the REGISTER.TXT file for ordering
information.

If you like, you may contact MicroCheck's author via
email on any of several online services, at the addresses
that follow:

CompuServe: 70303,3633
GEnie: C.WALNUM1
Delphi: ANALOG4
America OnLine: CLAYWALNUM