The basic layout of the register window should resemble your check book.
The register window is composed of three sections. The top section of the window is the register which shows the data base entries meeting the qualifications of the display and sort function views.
The register has several columns to show various attributes of a data base entry (record). The most used attributes should be visible. The bottom scroll bar can be used to view additional columns. The scroll bar on the left is used to view additional entries (if there are any).
The register is capable of showing either a single or double row entry. You can add a comment line to an entry which can be show on the second row.
Below and to the left of the register is the function view. The function views operate like the preference views do.
The function view visible should be Display. The Display function view determines which records are shown in the register. From the Popup menus you can make various selections (covered later in the tutorial).
The display function defaults to a double row view (comments check box checked). To see more entries, uncheck the comments check box. This will turn off the displaying of comments.
To the left of the function view is the function Popup menu. You can select other function views from this Popup menu (covered later in the tutorial).
Double-click any row in the register.
This will open the register entry window. Also note that the function view switches to the Edit Function view (a single-click would have automatically selected the Edit Function view).
The Register Entry Window:
The format of the date in the Post Date field is the present date format setting (changing the format will be covered later in the tutorial).
The only required field is the Post Date field.
If the entry does not have a check number, then you can either leave the field blank or enter a zero (0).
The first thing you should do is select the cash and budget accounts for the entry. If the selected budget account has a creditor entry, then the Name field will be filled with the creditor's name.
The Cleared field should contain the date of the bank statement that the entry appears on. If you don't know that information, I generally enter the first day of the following month (if the post date is April, I would enter May 1).
If the entry has a cleared date, this will appear in the column with a check mark as a check mark (this is normal for a register).
The Update Windows check box (when checked) causes the various data base windows to be updated after every entry. Otherwise the windows are only updated after you click the Done button.
The Add button will become active after you change the data in any field (or select different accounts).
Enter six or more entries.
When you have entered all the entries you want to, then click the Done button.
Editing A Entry:
Double-click any entry in the register.
The Register Entry is used to edit a data base entry as well as add new entries. The add button is relabled Edit to indicate the function of the register entry window. Unlike adding, the register window will automaticlly close after editing.
View Management:
Select open from the file menu and open the Tutorial Data Base.
This file is setup spceficily to show some of the features of the Register window.
The Register window should open with the cash account checking selected and ALL ACCOUNTS selected for the budget account. The comments check box should be checked.
Slide the horizontal (bottom) scroll bar to the far right. This should make the Cash Account and Entry Number columns visible. Note that the only entries visible are records that reference the cash account, checking, and that entry number 2 is missing.
From the cash account popup menu select Savings.
The only entries visible are record entry number 2 and 7 which references the cash account, Savings.
From the cash account popup menu select Checking.
From the budget account popup menu select Misc.
The only entries visible are record entry number 4 and 5 which references the cash account, Checking and the budget account Misc.
You can play with the selections to see their affect on the register. Many times the view is adjusted for the selection and the display may not appear to change. If this happens, then look to see if the vertical (right) scroll bar is activate and the thumb has moved.
Please proceed to the file, Reconciling A Register.
