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1993-01-06
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Bank Account Manager
Version 3.51
Copyright (c) 1987-1993 by SupremeSoft and Manu Singh
All Rights Reserved
Released January 6, 1993
Topics in this Manual:
1.......Introduction............................3
2.......Installing Bank Account Manager.........3
3.......Configuring Bank Account Manager........3
4.......Printer configuration...................4
5.......Color configuration.....................4
6.......Converting old data files...............6
7.......Starting Bank Account Manager...........7
8.......The SupremeSoft interface...............8
9.......Moving windows to new positions.........9
10......Data entry keys.........................9
11......About prompts...........................10
12......Keys in the interface...................11
13......About date formats......................12
14......The main menu...........................13
15......Adding a new account....................14
16......Adding a few new accounts...............14
17......Searching for an account................15
18......Sorting the accounts database...........15
19......Printing the accounts database..........15
20......Adding a new transaction................16
21......Adding a few new transactions...........17
22......Searching for a transaction.............17
23......Sorting the transaction database........18
24......Printing the transaction database.......19
25......Changing the current view screen........19
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 1
Topics continued:
26......The transaction view screen.............20
27......Transfer funds function.................21
28......The account view screen window..........22
29......The category view screen window.........23
30......Loading new data files..................23
31......The check register function.............24
32......The bank statement computer.............25
33......The account breakdown function..........26
34......The calculator function.................26
35......The program information display.........27
36......Executing a DOS command shell...........27
37......Changing the default disk directory.....28
38......Exiting Bank Account Manager............28
39......General error messages..................29
40......File related error messages.............33
41......Printer related errors..................34
42......Registering Bank Account Manager........35
43......Several things of interest..............35
44......Warranty information....................36
Notation used in this manual:
[ ] Indicates optional item.
< > Indicates keystroke/keys to be pressed.
Some keys to be pressed are indicated as <Alt-KEY> or
<Ctrl-KEY> where KEY indicates some other key. In this case,
you should press and HOLD DOWN the <Alt> or <Ctrl> key, and
then press KEY.
All keys within the < > notation are case independent, it
does not matter whether they are entered in upper case or lower
case.
NOTE: Please be sure to read the file NEW.DOC in addition to this.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 2
Bank Account Manager
Version 3.51
Checking and banking made easy!
Bank Account Manager is a program designed to keep track of
ALL your bank accounts, not only checking accounts. It is very
easy to use, easy to learn, and very powerful in the features
it offers. You have unlimited accounts, unlimited transactions,
the ability to categorize your transactions, perform check
reconciliation, and much much more.
Installing the program:
Use the supplied Install program to copy the program files
to your directory, or disk. The program can also invoke the
configuration utility automatically. You MUST run the
configuration program before you actually run the program
itself. In addition, the installation program can configure the
appropriate environment settings for you.
Configuring Bank Account Manager:
Before you actually run Bank Account Manager for the first
time, you MUST run the configuration program. The program is on
the distribution disk as CONFIG.EXE.
You are shown a menu with several options. Use the
cursor up/down keys to move the highlight bar around, or
press the key of a highlighted letter. Use <Enter> to choose
the currently highlighted selection. If it is a color option,
a color map will be displayed. Use the cursor keys to move
the rectangular box around to the new color you desire. Press
<Esc> to abort, or <Enter> to accept the currently selected
color. Look at the color samples to see how each different
color combination affects the display.
Pressing <Esc> while moving around the main menu will
choose the "Quit" option. This will NOT save your
modifications! To save the modifications, choose "Save and
quit".
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 3
Printer configuration:
You should now set up the printer information, by choosing
"Printer info". Here you may specify the printer type you are
going to use with Bank Account Manager. The only possible
choices are a 80 column printer, or a 132 column printer.
In addition there is an option for a printer
initialization sequence. Bank Account Manager will print all
output based upon a 12CPI font. (That is 12 Characters per
Inch) Some printers will not default to this upon power-up and
need to be told to enter 12CPI mode. If you are familiar with
the sequences your printer requires, type them in using the
following format: #xx,#xx,#xx... Where xx is a valid ASCII
code. For example, a printer may require the following:
#27,#32,#27,#84. Most printers need an "Escape" sequence,
which is the ASCII character #27 followed by a code. Thus in
the above example, <#27> is the Escape character and <#32> the
code which follows it.
If you do not understand how to enter in the proper code
sequences, do NOT attempt to make one up! Just leave this entry
blank. Then, when it comes time to print, you must manually
place the printer into 12CPI mode using its control panel. This
procedure is described in your printer users manual and you
should become familiar with it.
If your printer is not capable of 12CPI font, and you are
using a 132 column printer, specify the printer type as 80
column, and you may then print the output properly.
Finally you may chose which output port should be used to
direct the printer output to.
Color configuration:
You may change any of the default colors to colors of
your own choice, including the colors used in the help screens.
A color selection screen will be displayed for you and you may
use the cursor keys to move the selector. Please see below for
more information about display problems.
There are exploding windows, shadowed windows, and sound
capabilities within the program, any and all of which may be
disabled.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 4
Notes:
If you have a monochrome monitor system, you may still use
CONFIG to change the color hues. We use a color mapping system
to produce highlights and other types of visual display aids
for the colors you select. CONFIG will display these changes
for the colors you pick.
If you have a composite color system, you should experiment
with different color types as certain combinations do not
display correctly on such a system.
Setting the adapter type to anything but "Default" will FORCE
Bank Account Manager to expect that type of adapter. However,
if you are using a combination such as a B/W or composite
monitor with a color adapter, you should then explicitly tell
the program that it should configure itself for a monochrome
adapter.
If you have an EGA/VGA adapter, and wish to use the extended
video line modes, you should set the adapter correctly and then
specify the video height. You may also leave the adapter type
as "Default", in which case the program will use whatever video
line mode you are currently in. However, you may not have
access to the 21 or 28 line mode unless you have a utility that
can configure your adapter to these modes before running the
program.
Toggling the sound off will turn off the sound COMPLETELY. If
you turn it on, not only will exploding windows explode with
sound, but error messages will be accompanied by a short beep.
If you receive a file error message, this indicates that
the configuration program could not find/open BAM.CFG. Make
sure you have not set the ReadOnly bit, and that at least 10K
is free on the default drive.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 5
Converting old Bank Account Manager files to the new format:
Bank Account Manager has dramatically changed its file
format if you used a version prior to Version 3.51. This will
cause the program to misinterpret old Bank Account Manager
files, and refuse to load.
All REGISTERED versions will automatically update your data
files to the new format. Shareware users who have old data sets
should register the program in order to update the files.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 6
Starting Bank Account Manager:
The Bank Account Manager program itself accepts an optional
command line parameter. This allows the user to specify the
start up files to be used. The following is the syntax:
BAM [filename]
"filename" is the name of the Bank Account Manager files
you wish to use. Bank Account Manager actually uses two data
files, one that has an extension of TAC (the transaction file)
and one that has an extension of ACC (the accounts file). Both
have the same filename. The default files are BAM.TAC and
BAM.ACC, and if you omit a start up parameter, Bank Account
Manager will use that set of data files.
Usually, you will only be using one set of data files, but
you may wish to use another set for some reason, and this
provides the ability to keep a different set.
If the files do not exist, they will be created
automatically for you. If you provided an extension, it will be
ignored and the normal TAC and ACC extensions will be appended.
You may include an environment variable to let Bank Account
Manager know where it should look for itself and where to put
its data files. You should include this statement in your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file. The following is the syntax you should use:
Set BAM=[Drive]:[Directory]
Ideally you would want to set this as follows:
Set BAM=C:\BAM
This implies that you are using a Hard Disk as C: drive and
have installed Bank Account Manager in its own directory called
BAM. Please refer to your DOS manual for further information
concerning the use of environment variables.
Once you have set up the environment variable, all data
files will reside in that directory, even if you are outside of
it when you invoke the program.
When you first start Bank Account Manager, you will be
shown an initial welcome screen, which will disappear
momentarily. If you have a REGISTERED version , you may press
any key in order to remove this window prematurely.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 7
After this screen removes itself, the menu will appear. The
screen will look as follows:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Main menu options |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| Transaction View Screen Area |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Help is always displayed in this area. Check it any time you need Help
The SupremeSoft interface:
As you can tell from the above diagram, a big part of the
screen is used to display information. This screen can be any
of the three possible views.
There are some additional areas which will come up from
time to time and they are shown as follows:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Main Menu Options |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| ===================||
| || ||
| || ||
| || ||
| || Window #2 ||
| ============================== || ||
| || Window #1 || || ||
| ============================== ||=================||
| |
| =============================== ======================= |
| || || || || |
| || Window #3 || || Window #4 || |
| || || || || |
| =============================== ======================= |
============================================================================
Help is always displayed in this area. Check it any time you need Help
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 8
Window #1 is the error and confirmation window. You will see
it appear if any non-fatal error occurs, or if your
confirmation is needed for a task to complete. For example,
when you activate the print option, you are asked where you
wish to direct output to.
Window #2 is the accounts and category window, where you may
view/edit accounts and categories.
Window #3 is the accounts data entry window where you will
enter in account information.
Window #4 is the transaction date entry window where you will
enter in transaction information for edits and searches.
All the windows may be moved at anytime during the
program's operation, with a few exceptions. During any data
entry, press <Alt-M>. Look at the bottom line of the screen. It
should say "Press <Enter> to save new window position". If so,
you may use the cursor keys to move the window around the
screen. If it does not, then you may not move the window at
this time. Try at another time.
Press <Enter> to save the new window position. Now, every
time the program starts, the window will appear in this new
position.
Data entry keys:
Part of the beauty of the SupremeSoft interface is the use
of consistent data entry keys. These keys are ALWAYS active
when you are asked for a numeric/string entry. However, it
should be pointed out that at some prompts, only certain
strings or numbers may be accepted.
<Esc> or <Ctrl-Break> Abort the entry.
<Ctrl-D> Move right one character.
<Ctrl-S> Move left one character.
<Ctrl-Left> or <Ctrl-A> Move left one word.
<Ctrl-Right> or <Ctrl-F> Move right one word.
<Ctrl-G> Delete character at cursor.
<Ctrl-Q><Y> Delete to end of line.
<Ctrl-Y> or <Ctrl-X> Delete line.
<Ctrl-R> or <Ctrl-Q><L> Restore line.
Note: All the cursor keys are available as well and act as
they should. E.g. Cursor right will move you right one
character.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 9
About prompts:
Bank Account Manager uses "tabbed" data entry forms
allowing the user to move to any other prompt at will. You may
use the following keys at any prompt:
<Up>, <Shift-Tab> Moves you to the previous
prompt. If you are at the
first prompt, you are moved
to the last prompt.
Changes ARE kept.
<Down>, <Tab> Moves to the next prompt. If
you are the last prompt, you
are moved to the first prompt.
Changes ARE kept.
<Enter> Accepts any changes made and
moves you to the next prompt.
<F10> Accepts any changes made, and
exits the current input session.
<Alt-F10> Invokes any special functions or
features if applicable for the
current data field.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 10
If you press <F10> at ANY prompt, it will save the changes
for the current prompt AND exit the current input session. Any
changes made during the input session are then updated on disk.
Pressing <Esc> at ANY prompt will abort the current input
session making NO changes.
These keys are available every time you are prompted for
more than one response.
Certain prompts will display a default response which will
be used if you press the <Enter> key. Therefore, "Confirm quit
(Y/N) [N]" indicates you may press: <Y>, <N>, or <Enter>. No
other keys are accepted. Pressing <Enter> is the same as
responding <N>.
If you input an invalid entry, the program will either emit
a beep, or display "Invalid number". Naturally, you MAY
enter in numbers for a string entry, but NOT vice versa.
Keys used in the interface:
There is a small collection of keys which work universally
in the interface and they are as follows:
<F1> Displays help.
<Tab>, <F10> Switches to main menu
<Del> Delete highlighted item.
<Enter> Edit highlighted item.
<Cursor Down> Highlights next item if possible.
<Cursor Up> Highlights previous item if possible.
<Page Down> Moves to next display page if possible.
<Page Up> Moves to previous display page if possible.
<Home> Moves to first display page.
<End> Moves to last display page.
<Esc> Aborts current operation and returns to
previous operation/location.
<Alt-X> Exits the program.
Note 1: The <Esc> key will abort whatever you are doing and
return to the location from where you chose the current
operation. E.g. It will back you up one operation, aborting
the current one.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 11
About date formats:
Bank Account manager allows the user to use a number of
date formats. The default format is taken from the current DOS
country information (when using DOS version 3.51 or above).
Therefore, you do not have to actually tell the program what
format you wish to use, as it will automatically detect the
format when it starts.
However, in all cases, you may enter in the date in the
form MM/DD/YY as used in the United States and several other
countries.
It is expected that users in foreign countries will have
set up the DOS country information correctly since several
popular programs depend on that information as well. For
further information on the DOS country features, please refer
to your DOS user's manual.
You may use either slashes (/) or dashes (-) to separate
items, or you may omit them altogether. For example, all the
following are valid date's: 01/01/91 , 01-01-91, 010190. Note
that a leading zero MUST exist!
Should you ever enter in a date in a format that the
program cannot translate, you will receive an "Invalid date
entered" message.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 12
The main menu:
This type of menu is called a "pull down" menu. Certain
options have more choices underneath them, and you will notice
this when you activate the top option.
First, you should notice that a certain letter
is highlighted. If you press this key (either uppercase
or lowercase) it will select that function.
You may use the cursor keys to navigate the menu. A
highlight bar will indicate the current function. You may use
the cursor right/left keys, and the home, end keys. In a sub-
menu, you may use the cursor up/down keys as well.
As shown previously, a small help line is displayed at the
bottom of the screen. This will give you an idea of what the
function does. If you need more help, press <F1> to bring up a
CONTEXT-SENSITIVE help screen. Or, press <Alt-F1> to bring up
the help index.
Pressing <Esc> at any time within the program will always
back up one action. (The true meaning of <Esc>... you "Escape"
out of the current area). If you are at the main menu, <Esc>
will automatically select the QUIT option.
Pressing the <Tab> key will move you into the View Screen
Panel. Depending on what the active View Screen is, you may or
may not be able to move into the View Screen. (For more
information, refer to the individual View Screen topics)
Pressing <F4> will bring up the calculator, just as though
you had chosen this option in other areas of the program.
Pressing <F9> will execute a DOS shell, just as though you
had chosen that option from the menu.
Now, on to the actual options in the main menu and what
they do.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 13
Add an account option:
Here you will be asked to enter in information for a new
account.
Enter in the number of the account you wish to use. Should
the number be used currently, you will receive a message to
that effect, and you should then choose a different number. The
program will present you with a default number which should
normally be used. Valid numbers range from 1 - 999.
Next you are asked to enter in the name for this account.
You have up to twenty-five (25) characters to do this. Normally
the name should reflect the type of account, and the account
holder's name. For instance: "Jim's Savings Account", or
"Little Rock Savings Account"
Now you are asked to enter in the next check/ID number.
This is useful for checking accounts, since the program will
automatically increment the check number once it is used,
easing the entry of checks. However, it can also be used for
other account types, since each transaction should have a
unique check/ID number assigned to it. Valid numbers range
from 0 - 39999.
Finally you are asked to enter in the account starting
balance. This is the balance that you CURRENTLY have in the
account, before you add any transactions. This allows the
program to track your account as soon as it is entered. The
value is used for check reconciliation purposes as well as
others.
Add a few accounts:
This is essentially the same as adding one account, except
the program will return you to a new blank account entry form
for further additions.
To stop adding accounts, press the <Esc> key at any time.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 14
Search for an account:
Normally you would view accounts in the account view,
however, sometimes you wish to search for an account by name.
A window will open up, and you will be asked to enter in
the account name. Enter in any part of the account name that
you are sure of. The program will then search for that name in
any of the accounts in the database.
If the account is found, the account view window will be
opened, and the found account will be highlighted. Note that
the program will stop at the FIRST match it finds, and will not
continue to look for another.
Once in the account view, you may use any of the options
available as described later in the account view section of
this manual.
Should the account not be found, you will receive an error
message to this effect. Press <Esc> to clear the message and
return to the main menu.
Printing accounts:
This option allows one to print out a listing of all the
accounts in the account database.
A window will open with the prompt "Output to file or
printer (F/P/Esc)". Press <P> to cause the output to be
directed to the line printer. Press <F> to cause output to be
directed to a disk file. You will be asked to enter in the
filename to use. Should the file exist, it will be appended to.
Should you wish to abort the printing operation, press
<Esc>.
If an error occurs during printing you will receive the
message "Output error.....Press <R> or <Esc>". Press <Esc> to
abort the operation, or press <R> to retry the operation.
Sorting the accounts file:
When you choose this option you will sort the accounts
database by account number. The sort will produce a listing of
accounts in ascending numeric order.
Since this is not done automatically by the program, you
must request the sort whenever you wish to view the accounts in
numeric order.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 15
Add a transaction:
This is where you may enter in the information for one new
transaction as follows:
1) The account number. This should be any valid account
number. Press <Alt-F10> to bring up the account view window,
where you may use the highlight bar to choose the account you
wish to use. Valid account numbers range from 1 - 999.
Should the account number not exist, you will
receive an error message to that effect. Press <Esc> to clear
the message and return to the prompt.
2) The check/ID#. This is already filled in with the
next check/ID# information from the account. This should
usually be correct, however, you may change the number to
anything you desire. Valid ranges are 0 - 39999.
3) The date of the transaction. This is the
transaction posting date, and NOT the date you are entering in
the transaction. The program defaults to today's date, but can
be overridden. Please refer to about date formats above for
further information about entering date values.
4) The payee. This is where you should enter in the
Payee for this transaction. For a check, the entry is rather
obvious, but for other transactions it may be a description of
where the transaction took place. You are limited to a twenty-
five (25) character description.
5) The amount. This is the transaction amount, and
should never be a negative value. Valid ranges are 0.00 -
99999.99
6) The memo field. This is a description you may wish
to make to yourself concerning this transaction. You are
limited to a twenty-five (25) character description.
7) The charge category. This is either a deposit or a
withdrawal. Valid entries are "D","d","W","w". Nothing else is
accepted, and would produce an error message. The program
defaults to a withdrawal.
8) The reconciliation status. This is usually reserved
for checking purposes, and indicates whether or not the bank
has cleared the check. Valid entries are "Y","y","N","n"," ".
The last item is a space, and should be used if this
transaction is not a check and has no meaning. The default is
"No".
9) The category code. This is used as a description
of the type of transaction. For instance: "Checking", or maybe
"Interest". You may enter in any category code from 0 -10. If
wish to view a listing of valid codes, press <Alt-F10> and use
the highlight bar to choose the code you wish to use.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 16
Add a few transactions:
This is the same as adding one transaction, except the
program will cycle to a new blank transaction entry form.
To stop adding new transactions, press <Esc> and you will
be returned to the Main Menu.
Search for a transaction
This option allows one to search the transaction database
looking for a transaction that matches various possible search
criteria. The transaction entry window will open up and you
will see the same prompts that are available when you add a
transaction.
For each prompt, you may enter in a specific value, or use
one of the following relational operations, followed by a value
that is meaningful for the current prompt:
< Indicates "less than" the following value
<= Indicates "less than or equal" to the
following value
> Indicates "Greater than" the following value
>= Indicates "Greater than or equal" to the
following value
<> Indicates "Not equal" to the following value
? Indicates "match all". There is no following
value
Each prompt will default to a "?" indicating that all items
will match, no matter the value.
For the memo and payee entries, you may use either a "?" or
enter a part of a string. The other operators have no meaning
for these entries.
Once you have completed the form, or have pressed <F10>,
the program will search for matches. If matches are not found,
you will receive an error message to that effect. Press <Esc>
to clear the message.
If matches are found, you will enter the search view
screen, where you may use all the options available in the
regular transaction view screen.
Should the search match the entire database, you will
receive an error message. Press <Esc> to clear it.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 17
Sorting the transaction database:
This option brings up a sub-menu with different sorting
choices. Once sorting starts, it may take some time to
complete, so please be patient.
The sorting operation is performed in memory for speed, so
it may be possible that a sorting error occurs due to lack of
memory. In this case you will receive the message "Sort
error....Press <Esc>". No update of the database occurs, and
you should press <Esc> to return to the Main Menu.
Here are the possible sorting options:
Date sort This is the default sort order that is
used by the program.
Account sort This sorts the database by account
number.
Amount sort This sorts by the amount.
Category sort This will sort by the category code.
Check/ID sort This will sort by the check/ID number.
Usually you should leave the sort order as date since it is
the standard way to view transactions. However, the other
options are available so that you may view the database in any
order for whatever reason.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 18
Printing the transaction database:
This option operates as the account printing function. You
will be asked if you wish to send the output to a disk file or
a printer. Press <F> for a file, <P> for a printer, or <Esc> to
return to the Main Menu.
When this option is chosen, the entire transaction database
is printed. Should you wish to print only a part of the
database, refer to the transaction print option within the
transaction view screen later in this manual.
Change view option:
Here you may choose between the transaction view screen,
the account view screen window, or the category view screen
window.
Once inside the actual view screen, you have several
options, as described under each individual topic in this
manual.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 19
The transaction view screen:
You can determine if you are actually in the view screen by
looking at the main menu itself. If no option is highlighted,
and the words "View screen" just below the menu, have changed
to the menu's selected item color, you are in the view screen.
Each transaction is listed on one display line, and each
screen has several transactions listed. A highlight bar is
used to indicate the currently selected transaction. You may
use the following keys to manipulate the view screen:
<Enter> : Edit this transaction.
<Del> : Deletes this transaction.
<Cursor Right> : Toggles to the next screen.
<Cursor Left> : Toggles to the previous screen.
<Cursor Up> : Selects the previous transaction.
<Cursor Down> : Selects the next transaction.
<Page Up> : Moves to the previous page of
transactions.
<Page Down> : Moves to the next page of
transactions.
<Home> : Selects the very FIRST transaction.
<End> : Selects the very LAST transaction.
<Alt-S> : Search for a transaction.
<Alt-T> : Performs an account transfer operation.
<Ins> : Add a new transaction.
<Alt-A> : Bring up account view screen window.
<Alt-C> : Bring up category view screen window.
<Alt-P> : Print the transactions.
<Alt-O> : Sorts the transaction file by date.
<F4> : Bring up the calculator.
<F9> : Invoke a DOS shell.
<Tab> : Returns to the main menu.
<Esc> : Returns to the previous location.
<F10> : Returns to the main menu.
<F1> : Displays help.
<Alt-X> : Exits the program.
Editing a transaction is performed in exactly the same way
as when you chose the add transaction option from the main
menu, except information is already filled in.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 20
By using the <cursor right> and <cursor left> keys you may
toggle the informational screens each of which displays
different pieces of information from the transaction record. to
return to the first screen, press <cursor left>.
If you can not locate the transaction you need, you may
press <Alt-S> to search for it. You should enter in the
information as described under the search for a transaction
menu option discussed above. You will then be placed in the
search view screen.
If you press <Alt-P> in the normal view screen, the entire
transaction database is printed.
If you press <Alt-P> when in the search view screen, only
those transactions found will be printed. This allows for
selective transaction printing.
Transferring funds:
When you invoke this option, you are requesting a transfer
of funds among accounts. The first thing you need to do is fill
out a transaction entry for the account FROM which you desire
to transfer funds.
You may not change the charge field, nor the category code.
These are pre defined and must remain what they are.
After you have filled out the transaction entry, you are
asked which account you wish to transfer funds TO. If you are
unsure about the account number, you may press <Alt-F10> to
bring up a listing of accounts.
Once you have chosen the account to transfer to, TWO
transactions are then placed in the database. Should you ever
wish to delete the transfer, be sure to delete BOTH of these
transaction entries!
Note that both transactions have a category code of zero
(0). When searching for transactions, you may enter in a
Category code of "0" to match all transferred funds.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 21
The account view screen window:
When you invoke this view screen, a window will appear with
a listing of accounts. They are listed one at a time, using a
highlight bar to indicate the currently selected account. You
may use the following keys to manipulate the database:
<Enter> : Edit this account.
<Del> : Deletes this account.
<Cursor Up> : Selects the previous account.
<Cursor Down> : Selects the next account.
<Page Up> : Moves to the previous page of
accounts.
<Page Down> : Moves to the next page of
accounts.
<Home> : Selects the very FIRST account.
<End> : Selects the very LAST account.
<Ins> : Add a new account.
<Alt-P> : Print the accounts.
<Alt-S> : Searches for an account.
<Alt-O> : Sorts the accounts by number.
<F4> : Bring up the calculator.
<F9> : Invoke a DOS Shell.
<Tab> : Returns to the main menu.
<Esc> : Returns to the previous location.
<F10> : Returns to the main menu.
<F1> : Displays help.
<Alt-X> : Exits the program.
Editing an account is performed just as if you were adding
the account, except the information is already filled in.
If you press <Alt-P> printing will commence as described
under the printing accounts option discussed above.
If you press <Alt-S> you will be able to search for an
account as described under that main menu option.
Pressing <Alt-O> will sort the accounts file as described
under that main 2Menu option.
When you delete an account, the transactions will all
remain. However, when they are displayed, the account name
field will be "Account not available". You will be asked if you
wish to delete all the transactions for this account. Press <Y>
to delete all the transactions, or press <N> to keep them in
the database.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 22
The 2Category view screen window:
When you invoke this view screen, a window will appear
with a listing of categories. (The same window as the accounts
window). They are listed one at a time, using a highlight bar
to indicate the currently selected category. You may use the
following keys to manipulate the database:
<Enter> : Edit this category.
<Delete> : Deletes this category.
<Cursor Up> : Selects the previous category.
<Cursor Down> : Selects the next category.
<Home> : Selects the very FIRST category.
<End> : Selects the very LAST category.
<F4> : Bring up the calculator.
<F9> : Invoke a DOS shell.
<Tab> : Returns to the main menu.
<Esc> : Returns to the previous location.
<F10> : Returns to the main menu.
<F1> : Displays help.
<Alt-X> : Exits the program.
Editing a category consists of adding a descriptive name to
it. The name may be anywhere up to thirty (30) characters in
length.
When you delete a category, the name is cleared. Nothing
further occurs.
Load files:
This option allows one to load in a new set of data files.
A window will open, asking you to enter in the name of the set
of data files you wish to use. If the data files do not exist,
they will be created automatically.
If you wish to view a directory of the current drive, press
<Alt-F10> and you will be presented with a directory listing.
Move the highlight bar over the file you wish to use and press
<Enter>, and it will be loaded (along with its other associated
file).
Some entries will be in a different color, and have a "\"
after them. These are directory entries, and you may move to
them, by pressing <Enter>.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 23
Check register function:
This is also know as the check reconciliation function. It
is where you may view a listing of transactions posted for a
checking account, and easily update the reconciliation status
of a check.
You are first asked to enter in the account you wish to
use. Enter in a valid account number, or press <Alt-F10> to
view a listing of accounts and choose from it. Should you enter
an invalid account number, the program will inform you of this
error. Press <Esc> to abort the operation.
Next you are asked to enter in the category to use. Bank
Account Manager does not force any specific category to be a
checking category. Therefore, you should enter in the number of
the category that is defined to be a checking category.
Alternatively, you may press <Alt-F10> to bring up a listing of
categories to choose from. Press <Esc> to abort the operation.
Now the program will scan the transaction database looking
for transactions. Once it has completed, you will see a grid
listing of transactions.
You may use the following keys within the register:
<Enter> : Change the reconciliation status.
<Cursor Up> : Selects the previous transaction.
<Cursor Down> : Selects the next transaction.
<Page-Up> : Selects the previous page of
transactions.
<Page-Dn> : Select the next page of
transactions.
<Home> : Selects the very FIRST transaction.
<End> : Selects the very LAST transaction.
<F4> : Bring up the calculator.
<F9> : Run a DOS shell.
<Alt-P> : Print a listing of the transactions.
<Esc> : Returns to main menu.
<F1> : Displays help.
<Alt-X> : Exits the program.
If you press <Enter> over a deposit, or non-check
transaction, an error message will appear. Press <Esc> to clear
the message and return to the register.
Pressing <Alt-P> will print only those transactions that
are displayed by the check register function. This allows for a
selective printout of all checking activity.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 24
Note: The check register's balance computations are based upon
the entered account starting balance, entered when the account
was first added. If you have changed the account balance due to
some error, this balance computation will be wrong.
Therefore, you should keep the following in mind. Should
you ever have any reason to change the account balance to
reflect an error or other non-entered transaction, you should
first delete the account and then correct all the information,
ensuring that you reflect the non-entered transaction in the
account starting balance.
In general, should you have a need to change the account
balance, you should be sure to enter in a transaction to
correct the balance rather than actually changing the account
balance directly. This preserves the data integrity, as well as
keeps a correct log of account activity.
The statement computer:
This function allows one to quickly verify a bank statement
balance against the Bank Account Manager balance for any
account.
You are first asked to enter in the account you wish to
use. Enter in a valid account number, or press <Alt-F10> to
view a listing of accounts and choose from it. Should you enter
an invalid account number, the program will inform you of this
error. Press <Esc> to abort the operation.
Next you are asked to enter in the limiting date. This is
the date that appears as your bank statement's closing date.
Enter this using the correct format as described earlier.
The program will then scan the transaction database, and
once it has completed, it will report on what the Bank
Statement's balance should be.
You are asked if you wish to view the outstanding checks.
Press <Y> to view these checks. Press any key to continue
cycling through the checks. You may wish to verify these
against paper records, or the bank statement itself.
You may also press <N> or <Esc> to return to the main menu.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 25
Account breakdown:
This option allows you to view the activity on an account
between any specified period.
A window will open up, asking you to enter in the account
number you wish to use. As with the check register and
statement computer, you may press <Alt-F10> to view a listing
of possible accounts.
Next you are asked to enter the starting date. This is the
date the program should start looking at transactions. You will
then be asked to enter in the end date. This is the date after
which the program should ignore transactions.
The report will list the number of deposits and withdrawals
made on the account during that period, as well as the total
amount of deposits and withdrawals that were made. Finally, the
program will display the difference between the two amounts.
The calculator:
Bank Account Manager provides a very rudimentary calculator
so that one may perform very simple arithmetic operations. The
following are the valid operations (op) you may use:
* Multiplication
/ Division
+ Addition
- Subtraction
Expressions may be entered as follows:
<value><op><value><op><value> ...
There is no limit to the number of operations you may enter
at once, but keep in mind that the calculator has no
parentheses or precedence rules. Therefore, all operations are
performed as the expression is scanned, and the result may not
be as expected. For example: 5+5*5-5 <Enter> is scanned as
follows:
5+5 = 10 then 10*5 = 50 then 50-5 = 45 Answer is: 45
Following normal arithmetic precedence rules, the answer
should really be: 25 evaluated as 5+(5*5)-5.
The calculator is not full featured in order to keep
program size and complexity down. This is not a money
management program!
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 26
Program information:
This option displays some information on the current data
files, and the current program status. The following is
displayed:
1) Amount of memory available
2) Size of the transaction database
3) Size of the accounts database
4) Status of exploding windows
5) Status of shadowed windows
6) Status of sound
7) Current directory
8) Free disk space on current drive
9) The current data file set being used
You may find some of this information useful while running
Bank Account Manager itself. The size of the data files is the
most useful piece of information, since the program response
time is directly proportional to the size of the data files.
The larger the files, the slower the program, and vice versa.
Keeping the size of the transaction file to 500 is advised.
The DOS shell:
This option will return you to the DOS command line.
However, in order to make as much memory available as possible,
the program will swap itself out to either EMS memory or disk.
The decision to swap to EMS or disk is made depending on the
amount of free EMS available.
The program will swap out as much of itself as it possibly
can, should it be swapping out to disk. The disk file it uses
to swap to will not show up on a normal disk directory listing.
The program will leave only .8K of itself in memory.
You may receive an error message when the shell is
attempted for either lack of free memory, or because the
program cannot find COMMAND.COM.
While in the shell do NOT run any Terminate and Stay
Resident (TSR) programs or you might corrupt the program when
it returns, and most likely a system crash will occur.
Upon return from the shell, the original directory is
restored. Therefore, you cannot go into a DOS shell in order to
change the disk directory, use the main menu option instead.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 27
Changing directories:
This option allows the user to switch the default
directory. A window will open up and you will be asked to enter
the directory to switch to. If the directory is not available,
you will receive an error message, otherwise the change will
take place. You may also change to a different drive by
entering a drive specification such as "B:", or a drive and
directory specification, such as "B:\temp".
Quit option:
This option is either chosen from the main menu, or through
the use of the <Alt-X> key. Before the program exits, you are
asked "Sort (Y/N).....Press <Esc> to return". The program will
NOT sort the transaction file upon program exit, unless you
answer <Y>. The sort order is in the default date order.
Pressing <Esc> returns you to the main menu, and pressing
<N> will exit the program. You do NOT have to sort the database
every time you exit, unless you have entered new transactions
that are out of date sequence.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 28
General error messages:
As much as the program tries to recover from errors,
some are unavoidable. The following is a brief, yet incomplete,
list of possible errors generated. Some errors include a
short description, error code, and an error address. If you
wish to inform us regarding a problematic error, please
include ALL of this information.
Out of memory error -
This is a particularly nasty
error that may occur during a screen operation. The program
can NOT recover from this error. It is suggested that you
remove some TSR programs, and make more memory available to the
program.
Cannot find configuration file -
The program could not locate/
access the file BAM.CFG. Make sure you have not renamed the
file, or specified the ReadOnly attribute. This file can only
be created by running CONFIG.
Cannot access data file -
The data file you wish to
use cannot be accessed for some reason. You must have set the
ReadOnly attribute since the program will create a non
existent file, and no other error can usually cause this
message except for a disk full error.
Invalid date entered -
You have entered in the date in
a format that the program cannot recognize. The correct format
is either determined by DOS or you may use the format of
MM/DD/YY. Or, you have entered in an invalid date.
Number already used -
You have entered an account
number that is currently being used by another account. Enter
in a different number that is within the range 1-999.
Account not found -
There is no account with that
number in the database. Choose a valid account number, or in
most cases, pressing <Alt-F10> will bring up a listing of
defined accounts.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 29
Account # not found -
Same as above, but generated by
the transaction entry routine.
Invalid account number -
A previously defined account
number has now been deleted. Enter in a different number.
Serious account error -
The program's account database
has been corrupted, and it has lost access to valid account
numbers. Contact SupremeSoft should this occur.
No Accounts to print -
There are no accounts in the
database, so nothing can be printed.
No transactions to print -
There are no transactions in the
database to be printed.
Matches everything -
This error is produced by the
transaction search. The search criteria entered matches the
entire database, and you should move into the View Screen panel
to view the transactions.
No matches found -
No transactions matched your
entered search criteria.
Invalid charge -
You have entered in an invalid
charge. Valid entries are "D", "d", "W", "w".
Invalid reconciliation -
You have entered in an invalid
reconciliation entry. Valid entries are "N", "n", "y", "Y" or
" ". (Space)
Invalid amount -
You have entered in an amount
that is outside of the valid amount range.
Invalid operators -
You have entered in an invalid
relational operator. Valid operators are "<", ">", "<=", ">=",
"<>", "?".
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 30
No transactions available -
There are no transactions in the
database for you to manipulate.
No accounts available -
There are no accounts in the
database for you to manipulate.
Operation not allowed -
The function you are attempting
to use is not currently allowed. Some operations may not be
available depending on where you are in the program.
This is a deposit -
You are attempting to reconcile
a deposit. This is not allowed.
This is not a check -
You are attempting to reconcile
a withdrawal transaction that was not defined with the checking
category code.
Nothing to report -
There are no checks for this
account to reconcile. Generated by the check register option.
No checks to report -
There are no outstanding checks
to report for this account. Generated by the bank statement
computer.
Cannot run shell -
The program cannot swap itself
out and make more memory available, and can therefore not run
the DOS shell.
Error in shell execution -
The program cannot find/load
COMMAND.COM, and can therefore not continue correctly. Or, upon
shell return, a program run during the shell has grabbed some
memory and interrupts and has now corrupted the program.
Error opening sort file -
The program attempted to open up
the sort file it uses to perform check reconciliation functions
The reconciliation operation has been aborted, and the program
will continue.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 31
Error erasing sort file -
The program could not erase the
sort file it uses for check reconciliation.
Wrong file versions -
The data files you are
attempting to use are not correct for this version.
Not enough memory -
The operation needs more memory
than is currently available. The operation is aborted, but the
program can still run,.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 32
File related error messages:
Bank Account Manager will attempt to recover from any non-
fatal error if it is possible to do so. A window will appear
with an error message and a solution. The following is a
listing of the error messages and their solutions:
Error : Data file access violation
Cause : The file is marked with either its ReadOnly, Hidden,
or System bit set.
Solution: Use SupremeSoft's SETATTR to clear all the
attributes. Or use the DOS ATTRIB program to do
the same. Press <R> to attempt to reset the attributes.
Error : Drive not ready error
Cause : The drive door is open.
Solution: Close the drive door.
Error : Disk in default drive is write-protected
Cause : The disk has its write protect tab on.
Solution: Either change disks or remove the write protect tab.
Error : Unknown disk format on default drive
Cause : The disk in the drive is corrupt or a non-DOS disk.
Solution: Remove the disk and insert a new one.
Error : General failure error on default drive
Cause : A non-DOS disk or a corrupted disk is in the drive.
Solution: Remove the disk and insert a new one.
Error : Disk write error on default drive
Cause : The disk is full or has been changed.
Solution: This is a fatal error.
Error : Disk read error on default drive
Cause : Either the disk is corrupted or has been changed.
Solution: This is a fatal error.
Error : CRC Error on default drive
Cause : A corrupt disk or controller.
Solution: This is a fatal error.
Error : Seek error on default drive
Cause : A corrupt disk or controller.
Solution: This is a fatal error.
Error : Sector not found
Cause : A corrupt FAT table.
Solution: The disk is hopelessly corrupt so this is fatal.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 33
Error : Disk error has occurred
Cause : Unknown cause.
Solution: This is fatal.
Error : Fatal error has occurred
Cause : Unknown memory or file error.
Solution: This is fatal.
For most of the above errors you are prompted to press
either <R> to retry the operation, <A> to Abort the operation,
or <Esc> to exit the program.
For the most part, retry will be ineffectual, while
aborting will return you to the main menu. However, if the
error occurred during a file operation, this error will occur
again, and under that condition you should exit the program to
determine what is causing the error.
Printer related errors:
Printer error -
Something went wrong with the
printing operation, press <Esc> to Abort or <R> to retry the
print operation.
Common causes of printer errors:
1) Printer is not turned on.
2) Printer is off-line.
3) Printer is out of paper.
Cautions about printer errors:
1) If you have a large printer buffer and a printer
error occurs, the program will not inform you of an error until
the buffer becomes full.
2) If you retry the print operation, you may duplicate
a line of output if you have a printer buffer.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 34
Registering Bank Account Manager:
If you are using Bank Account Manager on a regular basis,
or for a period exceeding 20 days, you MUST register the
program with SupremeSoft. When you do, you will receive the
latest version with all the shareware restrictions removed, as
well as a few utility programs. To register, send a check for
$35.00 to the following address:
SupremeSoft
105 Deerfield Drive
Easton, CT 06612
Please include your name, address, telephone number, the
version you have, and where you obtained your copy from. Better
still, fill out the supplied ORDER.DOC.
Things of interest:
1) Pressing <F1> at ANY time during the program will bring
up a context-sensitive help screen for your specific area.
2) If you wish to view an index of all help topics, press
<Alt-F1> when at the MAIN MENU ONLY! This will not work in any
other area of the program.
Within the Help system, you may return to the help
topic index by pressing <F1> once again.
3) When running a DOS shell, the program will not allow you
to start another second copy of itself, and will issue an error
message should you attempt to do so.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 35
You are granted the right to distribute the exact archive
you received to other bulletin board Systems and/or distribution
houses.
Under no circumstances are you allowed to modify the
archive! Doing so will violate this agreement, and you will be
liable for any damage done by such an action.
You may NOT use this software beyond the 20 day trial
period. Should you do so, you are in violation of this
agreement.
Disclaimer of Warranty:
SupremeSoft provides this program "as is". All warranties
either expressed or implied, are disclaimed as to the software
and its quality, performance, or fitness for any particular
purpose. You, the consumer, bear the entire risk relating to
the quality and performance of the software. In no event shall
SupremeSoft be liable for direct, indirect, incidental, or
consequential damages resulting from any defect in the
software. If the software proves to have defects, you, and not
SupremeSoft, assume the cost of any necessary servicing or
repair.
Your use of this software acknowledges your acceptance of the
terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
Bank Account Manager v3.51
Copyright (c) 1987-1993 by SupremeSoft and Manu Singh.
All Rights Reserved.
Bank Account Manager Version 3.51 36
