These preferences set default features of the application. Many of the settings affect the layout of the data base created when you select New from the File menu.
General Preferences:
The Preference window opens automatically to the General Preferences View. This view manages all the settings that don't relate to any other preference view.
You can give the default data base a name. The default name is, House Account.
The other preferences are described by clicking the help button.
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.
Here you can set the format of how a date is entered and how it is displayed.
Both default formats are MMDDYYYY with a Slash separator, i.e. 02/27/1995.
Click on the Cash Icon.
Cash Preferences:
This preference view allows you create default cash accounts.
Click on the Budget Icon.
Budget Preferences:
This preference view allows you create default budget accounts.
Click on the Address Icon.
Address Preferences:
The Address preference view will be covered later in the tutorial.
Click on the Save Icon.
Save Preferences:
The Save preferences will be implemented in a later release.
Click on the Reg Color Icon.
Register Color Preferences:
The Register Color preference view allows you to set the colors used in the register.
You can set the color of text when selected or not selected. You can set the color of the background of a row when selected and not selected.
The color settings for the odd rows (data row) and the even rows (comment row) can be set separately.
The sample grid allows you to see the effect of your settings.
Click on the Print Icon.
Print Preferences:
In most programs that have several ways of viewing their data, they only provide you with one page setup. Every time you switch to a different view to print the data, you must also go to the page setup to reset the page layout.
In Home Accounting you can do it this way (this is the default setting) or you can select each window in the scroll list and set it to use either the applications page setup or it's own. As an example, you would normally set the Register window to print in the landscape mode where as the Budget window would print in the portrait mode.
You also set how much data to print in this preference view. Either all the data in the associated data base or just the data that meets the views display requirements.
Click on the Text Icon.
Text Preferences:
The Text preference view is the predecessor to printing. It creates a text file equivalent of the print output.
You can set the creator code for the file (the default type code is TEXT) and defaults to Microsoft's Word application (which is what I use).
You can also set how much data to write to the file in this preference view. Either all the data in the associated data base or just the data that meets the views display requirements.
Click on the Security Icon.
Security Preferences:
The Security preference is usable only by my testers and will not be covered by the tutorial.
Click on the Errors Icon.
Errors Preferences:
The Errors preference view allows you to set which error codes are reported and which error codes are displayed in the Error Messages window.
You can also create your own error codes. These can be used when you add your own error messages in the Error Messages window. The error message data base can be sent along with any bug reports or feature requests. Adding error messages is a simple way of adding notes to an error message when it occurs.
Click on the Chart Icon.
Chart Preferences:
The Chart preferences will be implemented in a later release. The view does show some of the charts under consideration.
Click on the Undo Icon.
Undo Preferences:
The Undo preferences will be implemented in a later release. The view does allow you to set the depth (maximum number of entries) of the undo stack. It also shows you the current depth.
