The DB Preference window opens automatically to the General Preferences View. This view manages all the settings that don't relate to any other preference view.
Each data base can be given a name. The default is, House Account.
Give your data base a name (if you want a different name other than the default).
Click on the Date Icon (not the name, Date).
Date Preferences:
The year you enter in this preference view is used as the default year entry anywhere a date entry is required. When you enter a date, you do not need to enter the year. The date filters will automatically append the default year to the end of your date entry.
You generally create a data base that covers a single year. Home Accounting will manage a data base with mixed year entries.
You can split a single data base into multiple data bases by the year indicated in the post date of a data base entry.
You can also combine data bases into a single data base.
Home Accounting creates two data base icons based on whether the data base contains single year or multiple year entries.
Single Year data base icon:
Multiple Year data base icon:
The preference windows, Budget and Budget-Monthly, use this entry to determine what data base entries to process.
Enter a year for this data base.
Click on the Cash Icon.
Cash Preferences:
This preference view allows you to create cash accounts. Cash accounts represent real cash. The two most likely accounts a person will have are checking and savings accounts.
The editing cursor should already be in the account name entry field.
If you have other cash accounts to add, then enter the name of the account and click the Add button.
If you are creating a data base that continues from a previous one, then the cash accounts will most likely have a balance.
To enter a starting balance:
Select the account.
Enter a value in the starting balance field (to the right of the account name field).
Press the return key.
When you click on an account, the last selected account's starting balance is set to the value in the starting balance field. The starting balance of the selected account is then copied to the starting balance field.
Click on the Budget Icon.
Budget Preferences:
This preference view allows you to create budget accounts. Budget accounts track the disbursement of the cash in the cash accounts.
Home Accounting doesn't require you to use it's budgeting system. You can use it just to replace your manual check book. At anytime you can add budgets and change the budget account references in your data base entries. Home Accounting automatically recalculates balances for your budgets. However it is a lot easier if you use budget accounts from the start of a new data base.
The default accounts shown were created by my sister (Home Accounting was written for her).
Delete the accounts that don't apply to your situation as follows:
Select the account.
Click the Delete button.
You add budget accounts the same way you add cash accounts.
Budget accounts are used to plan ahead and/or monitor where your cash is going. By supplying a budget account reference when you make a data base entry provides you with an automatic way to monitor where your cash is going. By providing an annual budget you can plan and monitor how well you are managing your cash.
You enter an annual budget the same way as you enter the starting balance for a cash account.
A budget account needs more information than just an annual budget. You need to specify whether the account monitors an expense (payments, credits) or an income (deposits, debits).
Select the account.
Select either income or expense.
You may set an accounts creditor field.
When you enter a data base entry you will need to supply the name of who is receiving or sent the cash. This name is referred as the creditor. You can either enter the name manually (register entry window) or you can supply a creditor name with the budget account in this view. When you select the budget account for a data base entry, the name field will automatically be filled with the creditor's name (if there is one).
To enter a creditor's name:
Select the account.
Enter a name in the creditor field.
Press the return key.
Saving the Data Base Preferences as Default Preferences:
Click the Make Default button.
You will be prompted to confirm your decision.
Only the preferences of the current view are updated. To set all preferences as the default, you need to click the Make Default button for each view (normally this is done only for the cash and budget accounts views).
If you select New from the file menu a new data base will be created using the data base preferences you have just created.
Click the OK button to keep your preference settings.
The Other Preference Selections:
The Address preference view will be covered later in the tutorial.
The Security preference is usable only by my testers and will not be covered by the tutorial.
