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EXCHEQUER Version 2.3 USER'S MANUAL Left Coast Software P.O. Box 160601 Cupertino, CA 95016-0601 Voice: (408) 996-3130 Fax: (408) 996-7154 December 1, 1990 Copyright 1990 Left Coast Software. All rights reserved. "Exchequer" and "Left Coast" are registered trademarks of Left Coast Software. SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT Exchequer is distributed as a shareware program. It is NOT a public domain program! However, we encourage you to copy the program for trial purposes. The program and all associated files can be freely copied and shared to allow others to try Exchequer. You may upload this program and all associated files to any bulletin board system (BBS) or on-line computer service. You may not charge more than $10 to distribute Exchequer in any form. If you try Exchequer and decide to use it, you must register your copy. If you do not register your copy, you are not authorized to use the program beyond an initial evaluation period of thirty (30) days. By registering, Left Coast Software grants you a license to use the copyrighted computer program Exchequer on a single computer, subject to the terms and conditions of this license. You agree not to (a) modify, disassemble, or decompile the program or (b) use this program on more than one terminal of a network, on a multi-user computer, on a time-sharing system, on a service bureau, or on any other system on which the program could be used (other than for trial purposes) by more than one person at a time. The registration fee for Exchequer is $15. When you register, you will receive the most recent version of the program and will be placed on our mailing list to receive information on future upgrades to the program. To register for Exchequer, send your checks to: LEFT COAST SOFTWARE P.O. BOX 160601 CUPERTINO, CA 95016-0601 Voice: (408) 996-3130 Fax: (408) 996-7154 Users located outside the U.S. please send international money orders denominated in U.S. dollars. You may also register or order by phone. We accept VISA and MasterCard. A registration/order form is included at the end of this manual. THE PROGRAM ON THIS DISKETTE IS PROVIDED "AS IS". LEFT COAST SOFTWARE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO THE PROGRAM OR ITS PERFORMANCE OR QUALITY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICU- LAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT WILL LEFT COAST SOFTWARE BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, LOST PROFITS OR LOST DATA, RESULTING FROM THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM. EXCHEQUER USER'S MANUAL TABLE OF CONTENTS A. INTRODUCTION...............................................1 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS........................................2 FILES ON THIS DISKETTE.....................................2 ABOUT CHECKS...............................................3 ABOUT THIS MANUAL..........................................3 HOW TO BEGIN...............................................4 B. QUICK START................................................5 OVERVIEW...................................................5 THE REGISTER SCREEN........................................5 THE MEMORIZED CHECKS SCREEN................................6 THE CATEGORIES SCREEN......................................6 THE SETUP AND ACCOUNTS MENU................................6 DATA ENTRY HINTS...........................................6 C. USING EXCHEQUER............................................8 C.1 MEMORY MANAGEMENT.....................................9 C.2 STARTING EXCHEQUER...................................10 C.3 MOVING AROUND THE SCREEN.............................11 C.4 THE FUNCTION KEYS....................................11 C.5 COMMAND MENUS........................................13 C.6 ENTERING DATA........................................14 C.6.a ENTERING DATES................................15 C.6.b ENTERING DOLLAR AMOUNTS.......................15 C.6.c ENTERING TEXT.................................16 C.6.d ENTERING CATEGORIES...........................16 C.7 REGISTER SCREEN......................................16 C.7.a FINDING A TRANSACTION.........................18 C.7.b ADD TRANSACTION...............................20 C.7.c SPLITTING A TRANSACTION.......................22 C.7.d MODIFYING A TRANSACTION.......................24 C.7.e DELETING A TRANSACTION........................25 C.8 CHECKS SCREEN........................................25 C.8.a ADDING A MEMORIZED CHECK......................28 C.8.b MODIFYING A MEMORIZED CHECK...................29 C.8.c DELETING A MEMORIZED CHECK....................30 C.9 CATEGORY SCREEN......................................31 C.9.a ADDING A CATEGORY.............................34 C.9.b MODIFYING A CATEGORY..........................34 C.9.c DELETING A CATEGORY...........................34 C.10 PRINTING A CHECK(S)..................................35 C.10.a PRINTING A BATCH OF CHECKS....................37 C.10.b PRINTING A SINGLE CHECK.......................37 C.10.c QUICK ENTRY...................................38 C.11 REPORTS..............................................38 1. Check Register...................................40 2. Sorted by Category...............................40 3. Sorted by Payee..................................40 4. Single Category..................................40 5. Single Payee.....................................40 6. Uncleared Checks.................................41 7. Category Totals..................................41 8. Income/Expense...................................41 9. List of Memorized Checks.........................41 10. List of Categories...............................41 C.12 SETUP OPTIONS MENU...................................42 C.12.a PRINT TEST CHECK.............................42 C.12.b SET DRIVE/DIRECTORY..........................42 C.12.c SET TODAY'S DATE.............................42 C.12.d SET STARTING CHECK NUMBER....................43 C.12.e MODIFY PROGRAM DEFAULTS......................43 C.12.f MODIFY CHECK LAYOUT..........................44 C.13 ACCOUNT OPTIONS MENU.................................46 C.13.a BALANCE/RECONCILE ACCOUNT....................46 C.13.b LOAD EXISTING ACCOUNT........................47 C.13.c BACKUP ACCOUNT FILES.........................48 C.13.d OPEN NEW ACCOUNT.............................48 C.13.e MODIFY ACCOUNT DATA..........................51 C.13.f ROLL ACCOUNT FORWARD.........................52 D. EXAMPLES...............................................54 1. PRINTING A CHECK...................................54 a) PRINTING A SINGLE CHECK.........................54 b) PRINTING A BATCH OF CHECKS......................54 2. FINDING A TRANSACTION IN THE CHECK REGISTER........55 3. ADDING A TRANSACTION TO THE REGISTER...............56 4. MEMORIZING A CHECK.................................56 5. ADDING A BUDGET/EXPENSE CATEGORY...................57 6. BALANCING YOUR CHECKBOOK...........................57 7. PRINTING THE CHECK REGISTER........................58 8. PRINTING THE LIST OF MEMORIZED TRANSACTIONS........59 9. PRINTING THE LIST OF CATEGORIES....................59 10. OPENING A NEW ACCOUNT..............................60 11. SWITCHING ACCOUNTS.................................60 E. OTHER USES FOR EXCHEQUER................................62 CUSTOMER SERVICE...........................................63 OTHER LEFT COAST PROGRAMS..................................64 ORDER/REGISTRATION FORM....................................66 EXCHEQUER USER'S MANUAL A. INTRODUCTION Exchequer is an easy-to-use check writing and checkbook management program for IBM PC-compatible computers. It is designed primarily for home users and small businesses wishing to automate and simplify the process of paying their bills. Although Exchequer avoids the complexities of most small accounting programs, it also provides many features which support small busi- ness accounting. It provides powerful yet flexible reporting capabilities. Any part of the check register can be printed in chronological order, sorted by category, or sorted by payee. You can list all transactions in a single category or to/from a single party. Exchequer even prints an income statement and any report can be sent to a printer, the screen or a file. FEATURES Exchequer provides the following features and functions: * Exchequer can pay all of your regular monthly bills with just one keystroke per check. * Exchequer's check register looks and works just like a regular checkbook register. * Exchequer makes balancing your checkbook easy by automatically totalling all uncleared checks and deposits. * Exchequer works with virtually all types of continuous-feed checks. The user has complete control over the check layout. * Exchequer supports an unlimited number of accounts. * Exchequer's check register can store up to 4000 transactions. An archive function saves the oldest transactions to a separate file (e.g. at year's end), thus making room for more transactions. * Exchequer can memorize up to 255 predefined transactions (checks, withdrawals, deposits, service charges, etc.) These transactions can be easily recalled and used when paying bills. * Exchequer can assign each transaction to one of 255 user-defined categories. Reporting functions allow the user to sort the check register by category, making tax preparation a breeze! * Exchequer offers 10 different report types which facilitate record keeping and expense analysis. * Exchequer can handle transaction amounts up to $99,999.99 and register balances up to $999,999.99 or down to -$99,999.99. The 1 maximum expenditures or deposits to any single category can be up to $999,999.99. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Exchequer will run on any IBM PC, XT, AT or PS/2 compatible computer running MS-DOS or PC-DOS Version 2.0 or higher. It works with any video adapter. Exchequer requires approximately 230 K of available memory (after installation of any memory-resident programs). Exchequer can be operated quite easily with just one floppy-disk drive. The program will work with any printer which handles continuous-feed checks. FILES ON THIS DISK Exchequer comes with files for a sample checking account so you can immediately see how Exchequer works. The diskette containing Exchequer contains the following files: FILE DESCRIPTION ---- ----------- XC.EXE Exchequer program XC.CFG Program configuration file SAMPLE.CFG Configuration file for SAMPLE account SAMPLE.REG Sample check register file SAMPLE.CHK Sample memorized transactions SAMPLE.CAT Sample list of categories SAMPLE.SPL Sample split transactions MOORE.DAT Sample check layout data file XC.DOC This manual EXAMPLES.DOC A supplement to the manual that contains examples of how to do simple, common tasks with Exchequer. (May not be included on a 5-1/4 inch disk.) GO.BAT Batch file which gives instructions for printing documentation and starting the program PRINTDOC.BAT Batch file which prints the documentation. DISCOUNT Information on how to get discounts from selected check suppliers. CHANGES.!!! Text file which describes recent changes to the program. 2 CHANGES.BAT Batch file to print CHANGES.!!! To avoid accidental erasure, you should not run Exchequer from the distribution diskette. We strongly encourage you to make at least two backup copies of Exchequer before you first use the program, then use one of these copies to actually run Exchequer. ABOUT CHECKS Exchequer works with virtually any continuous-feed check which has an actual width of 8-1/2 inches (i.e. standard business size checks). It may also work with personal size checks with a width less than 8-1/2 inches. You checks can be almost any length, although checks shorter than 3-1/2 inches may not have enough room for all of the information which Exchequer can print on a check. Exchequer works with both top- and bottom-stub checks as well as checks with no stub. Most continuous-feed checks also come with multiple parts (i.e. carbon copies). Business users may need three- or four-part checks while two-part checks should be sufficient for personal use. It is a good idea to keep a copy of all checks in a safe place just to have a permanent record. Continuous-feed checks are available from your bank and numerous other business form suppliers and check printers. Left Coast does not sell checks for use with Exchequer. However, we have negotiated agreements with several reputable check vendors to provide our customers with checks at reduced prices. Typically, these prices are 10 to 20 percent less than regular prices. To obtain these discounts, you must provide a specific vendor number to the check supplier when ordering your checks. The text file DISCOUNT on the distribution disk contains the latest information on the check suppliers who are participating in Left Coast's discount check program, the discounts each is offering, and instruction on how to obtain the discount. Please read this file carefully. In some cases, the discounts apply to a wide variety of office supplies and not just to checks. Exchequer is specifically designed to print checks for use with window envelopes, thus eliminating the need to address envelopes. These envelopes are available from your check supplier and are well worth the extra expense. ABOUT THIS MANUAL This manual is designed to give a complete explanation of Exchequer to the relatively inexperienced computer user. Since Exchequer is specifically designed to avoid the complexities of other computer- ized accounting systems, no prior knowledge of accounting is assumed or needed. Experience with writing checks and balancing a checkbook is assumed, however. 3 All users should start by reading Quick Start (Section B). This provides a quick overview of Exchequer along with the essential information needed to get Exchequer running in the shortest possible time. Since Exchequer's user interface is designed to be user-friendly and self-explanatory, experienced users may find that this section and the first few parts of Using Exchequer (Section C) are all they need to read. Even inexperienced users may want to just play with the program to become familiar with it. Using Exchequer (Section C) gives a detailed description of all Exchequer functions. Users who wish to understand all of Exchequer's unique features should read this section in its entirety. Others can use it as a reference to find solutions to specific problems. In particular, we draw your attention to Section C.7.c, Splitting a Transaction, which contains important information which applies to most aspects of Exchequer's operation. It is not complicated, but it is important. Section D, Examples, provides complete step-by-step descriptions of how to perform most of the necessary checkbook functions (e.g. writing a check, balancing your account, etc.) with Exchequer. HOW TO BEGIN "Fine", you say, "forget the manual, the examples and the sample files. I've copied all the files and am ready to go. How do I actually start to do some useful work with Exchequer?" It's simple: 1. Run Exchequer by typing "XC" and pressing Return. 2. Open a new account by using the Open New Account selection from the Accounts Menu (F3). Be sure to make the appropriate selec- tions for your checks. 3. Enter your beginning balance by pressing F9 (Add). Tell Exchequer that this is a deposit (assuming it's a positive balance) by highlighting the type of transaction at the top of the form and press 'D'. Move to the payee field and enter "BEGINNING BALANCE". Move to the amount field of the check form and enter the amount. Enter this in the register by pressing F9 again. Press ESC to return to the register. 3. If you want this account to load every time Exchequer starts, tell Exchequer by using the Modify Program Defaults selection from the Setup Menu (F2). 4. Insert your checks in the printer, select Modify Check Layout from the Setup Menu and set the location of all the fields. 5. Now you're ready to start printing checks. Press F5 (Checks), then F10 (Print) and away you go! 4 B. QUICK START The best way to learn Exchequer is to just play with it. THERE IS VIRTUALLY NOTHING YOU CAN DO FROM WITHIN EXCHEQUER TO DAMAGE THE PROGRAM, THE SAMPLE DATA FILES, YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM OR ANY OTHER PROGRAM OR DATA FILES. Go ahead, experiment! Computers can be fun. OVERVIEW Exchequer uses four main data files and three main screens which act as "windows" into these data files. The Register Screen displays the contents of the check register file (e.g. the "SAMPLE.REG" file on the distribution diskette) and the split file ("SAMPLE.SPL"). The Memorized Checks Screen shows the contents of the file ("SAMPLE.CHK") which holds memorized checks (and deposits or with- drawals). The Categories Screen displays a list of budget/expense categories which is contained in the category file ("SAMPLE.CAT"). To start Exchequer, move to the directory or disk containing Exchequer and enter "XC" at the DOS prompt. The program automati- cally loads the default account (the "SAMPLE.*" files on the origi- nal diskette) and displays the sample check register. Exchequer always displays a command line at the bottom of the screen which indicates the active function keys and their purpose. In addition, Up, Down, PgUp, PgDn, Home, End, Ctrl-Home and Ctrl-End are usually active and can be used to move around the screen. The ten function keys are used to activate most of Exchequer's functions. Most of these keys have equivalent Control-key combina- tions. (See Section C for a complete listing). The ESC key is used to cancel functions and to "back up" in the program. Pressing the ESC key repeatedly will always get you to one of the three main display screens. You cannot hurt anything by pressing ESC. You cannot exit from the program by pressing ESC. Exchequer has an autosave feature which will save any of the three main data files after you make at least 10 changes to it. You can change the number of changes between autosaves using the Setup menu. To save all data files at any time, press Ctrl-F9 (Add/Save). Pressing F1 (Quit) saves all data files, exits Exchequer and returns to DOS. If you want to quit without saving the data files, press Ctrl-F1 (Quit). THE REGISTER SCREEN You can add transactions to the register by pressing F9 (Add/Save). Press F7 (Delete) to delete the highlighted transaction. To modify existing transactions, press F8 (Modify). While modifying transac- tions, use the PgUp, PgDn, Ctrl-Home, and Ctrl-End keys to move through the check register and see various transactions. 5 To find a specific transaction in the Register, press Ctrl-F. Enter the data you wish to match, then press the up or down arrow to find the first match in that direction. To repeat the search with the same data, press Ctrl-PgUp to search towards the top of the register or Ctrl-PgDn to search towards the bottom. Pressing the space bar <Space> toggles the cleared marker for the highlighted transaction on and off. This indicates that the trans- action has been cleared by the bank. If you press F10 (Print), you will see a list of report options. To print a report, highlight it using the arrow keys, then press F10 (Print) or Return. THE MEMORIZED CHECKS SCREEN Pressing F5 (Checks) displays a list of memorized checks, withdraw- als and deposits. You can delete, modify, or add memorized checks by pressing F7 (Delete), F8 (Modify), or F9 (Add/Save) respectively. While modifying a memorized check, use the PgUp, PgDn, Ctrl-Home, and Ctrl-End keys to move through the list of memorized checks. Pressing the space bar while a memorized check is highlighted "tags" or "untags" that check for printing. Ctrl-T tags all of the checks for payment while Ctrl-U untags all of the checks. To print several checks from this list, tag them, then press F10 (Print). To print a single check from this list, press Ctrl-U to untag all of the checks, then highlight that check, press <space> to tag it and press F10 (Print). THE CATEGORIES SCREEN You can display a list of budget/expense categories by pressing F4 (Categories). Pressing F7 (Delete), F8 (Modify) and F9 (Add/Save) will delete, modify or add categories on this list. Pressing F10 (Print) displays the report options menu. THE SETUP AND ACCOUNTS MENU The function keys F2 (Setup) and F3 (Account) call up the Setup Options menu and Account Options menu, respectively. The Setup menu allows you to change the account which is automatically loaded at startup, change the print format for your check, etc. The Accounts menu lets you balance your account, open new accounts, change accounts, backup your account, etc. DATA ENTRY HINTS When entering data, the Backspace key can be used to delete the character or number to the left of the cursor; the Delete key will delete the character above the cursor. Ctrl-Backspace will delete the entire entry. 6 Enter dates by typing in the date in the format shown on the screen (e.g. "10/26/87"). Pressing "/" advances from the month field to the date field, then to the year field. You can use the Backspace key to delete numbers within the active field. Dates can also be entered by using the "+" and "-" keys to increment or decrement the date. On data fields which have a limited number of allowed responses (e.g. "YES/NO"), hitting the space bar will cycle through those selections. When you need to enter a category number, pressing F4 will show the Screen. You can add, delete or modify the categories at this time. If you want to select a specific category from this list, highlight it by using the arrow keys, then press Return. The category number will automatically be entered in the appropriate data field. 7 C. USING EXCHEQUER Exchequer uses three main display screens -- Register, Memorized Checks and Categories -- which act as "windows" into separate data files. You can move to any of these screens from any other screen by pressing F4 (Categories), F5 (Checks), or F6 (Register). The Register Screen displays the contents of the check register file which holds data on all individual transactions for the account (e.g. checks, deposits, ATM withdrawals, etc). All register files have an extension of ".REG". Each register file also has a second- ary file which contains information about split transactions; these files have an extension of ".SPL". Exchequer comes with a sample register and split file named "SAMPLE.REG" and "SAMPLE.SPL" respec- tively. The layout of the Register Screen is explained in detail in Section C.7, which also describes how to add, delete and modify transactions in the register. Exchequer also maintains a list of memorized checks, deposits, or withdrawals in the "memorized checks" file. This file contains the name of the payee, address, amount, etc. for any transaction which you have memorized and want to print or enter on a regular basis. For example, you can memorize the information needed to write a check for your mortgage each month, then print that check with just a few keystrokes. All checks files have an extension of "*.CHK". Exchequer comes with a sample checks file named "SAMPLE.CHK". (Please note that the information on these sample transactions is for demonstration purposes only.) Section C.8 explains the layout of the Checks Screen, along with how to add, delete and modify memorized transactions. The third major type of data file has the extension "*.CAT" and contains a list of budget or expense categories. Exchequer comes with a sample list of categories in a file named "SAMPLE.CAT". Since everyone's accounting needs vary, you will probably want to develop your own list of categories. The layout and operation of the Categories Screen is described in Section C.9. Exchequer has an "autosave" feature to help prevent accidental loss of data. After you perform an operation on any of the three main data files, Exchequer will automatically save the file if you have made at least 10 changes to it since it was last saved. You can change this number with the Setup Options menu. This ensures that you will not lose significant amounts of data during a power outage or similar crisis. To save all of the data files at any time, press Ctrl-F9 (Add/Save). As further protection against losing data, you should backup your data files frequently using the Account Options menu. Pressing F1 (Quit) saves all data files, exits Exchequer and returns to DOS. If you want to quit without saving the data files, press Ctrl-F1 (Abort). 8 Exchequer also maintains an account configuration file with an extension of "*.CFG" for each account. For example, the SAMPLE account has a file with the name "SAMPLE.CFG". This configuration file contains data about which categories and checks files to use with the account. (If this file is accidentally destroyed, it can be re-created simply by using the "Open New Account" from the Account Options menu. See Section C.13). C.1 MEMORY MANAGEMENT Although Exchequer can handle a maximum of 4000 transactions, 255 memorized checks and 255 categories, the actual number of transac- tions, checks and categories you can use will depend upon how much memory is in your computer. Each time you add one of these items, you use up some memory. In addition, splitting a transaction uses additional memory beyond what is required for a regular transaction. The memory requirements for each item is shown below. ITEM BYTES MAXIMUM NUMBER MAXIMUM MEMORY USAGE ---- ----- -------------- -------------------- Transaction 85 4,000 340,000 Splits 232 4,000 928,000 Category 48 255 12,240 Checks 415 255 106,080 Since DOS is limited to a total of 640 Kbytes of memory and Exchequer itself uses about 200 Kbytes, you cannot use the maximum number of all items at once. The table below shows some representa- tive combinations of items for various amounts of total free memory. Note that even with a full complement of 640 K in your computer, not all of this will be available to Exchequer since the operating system uses some memory. AVAILABLE MEMORY (KBYTES) ITEM 300 400 400 500 600 ---- --- --- --- --- --- Transaction 600 1000 1500 2000 2500 Splits 135 250 200 420 400 Category 100 150 100 200 255 Checks 50 100 50 150 200 If you run out of memory will using Exchequer, the program will warn you of this fact and you will not be able to print any more checks 9 nor add any more transactions, categories or memorized checks. You can find out how much memory you have available, expressed as a number of transactions, by pressing Alt-M. If you find yourself running out of memory, there are four things you can do. First, remove any memory resident programs such as Sidekick, print spoolers, or disk caches that you are using prior to starting Exchequer. Second, delete all unnecessary memorized checks; each check takes up the room of five transactions. Third, don't split transactions unless absolutely necessary; each split takes up as much memory as three transactions. Fourth, use the Roll Account Forward option from the Accounts Menu to store some of your transactions in a separate account. You will almost certainly want to do this at the end of each year. If you try to load an account without enough memory, Exchequer will tell you that you are out of memory and will not load the data files. Finally, the size of the files you can work with may also be limited if you are working from a 360 K floppy disk. If you have a lot of memory in your computer and add a lot of items, there may not be room to store all of the files on one floppy disk. However, Exchequer checks if there is enough room to save each file prior to saving it and provides you with an opportunity to insert a fresh disk with enough space. C.2 STARTING EXCHEQUER To start Exchequer, move to the directory or disk containing Exchequer and type "XC" at the DOS prompt. You can also start Exchequer from any directory or drive if your PATH includes the directory(s) which contains the Exchequer program (XC.EXE) and configuration files (XC.CFG). If you do this, the configuration file MUST include the name of the directory containing the default account files. However, this directory does not have to be on your PATH. Refer to your DOS manual for more information on the PATH statement. When Exchequer starts, it displays a title screen and a shareware information screen, then loads the files for the default checking account (e.g. the SAMPLE account). Once these are loaded, the Register Screen will appear. To avoid the shareware screen, start Exchequer by typing "XC Q". When Exchequer first starts, it determines which video adapter you are using and sets appropriate screen colors. On some adapter/ monitor combinations (e.g. composite monochrome monitors with CGA adapters), these colors may not display properly and the screen will be illegible. If this happens, start Exchequer by typing "XC BW" to force it to use black and white. (Note: you can enter multiple parameters, e.g. "XC BW Q" is perfectly acceptable). 10 When it starts, Exchequer also retrieves the number of the last check which was written on this account. If you do not change this number when you are printing checks, Exchequer will automatically start numbering checks at the next number. Finally, Exchequer retrieves the current date from your computer if the date has been set from within MS-DOS (refer to the DOS manual for how to set the date). In any case, Exchequer allows you to change the date as necessary when you actually print checks or add transactions. C.3 MOVING AROUND THE SCREEN Exchequer displays 20 lines of information at a time in the Register Screen, the Memorized Checks Screen and the Category Screen. One of these lines is always highlighted; this is the selected item. Many of Exchequer's functions are performed by highlighting an item to select it, then pressing an appropriate function key. You can move around the screens to see or select different items by using the four arrow keys along with the PgUp, PgDn, Home, End, Ctrl- Home and Ctrl-End keys. The following table lists the action of each of these keys in the Register, Memorized Checks and Categories screens: Down Arrow Moves down one line. Up Arrow Moves up one line. PgUp Moves up 20 lines. PgDn Moves down 20 lines. Home Moves to the top of the current screen. End Moves to the bottom of the current screen. Ctrl-Home Moves to the first item (i.e. the top) in the file. Ctrl-End Moves to the last item (i.e. the bottom) in the file. C.4 THE FUNCTION KEYS Exchequer uses the ten function keys (F1 through F10) which are found at the left hand side or across the top of your keyboard to activate virtually all of its functions. Most of the function keys have equivalent Ctrl-key combinations. A Ctrl-key combination such as "Ctrl-F" is entered by holding down the key marked "Ctrl" then pressing "f" or "F". (It does not matter whether you type an upper or lower case letter when using a Control-key combination). Exchequer always uses the bottom line of the screen to display a Command Menu/Message line. This command line serves two purposes: 11 1. Identify which function keys are active at the time. 2. Display messages, warnings, and prompts. Each of the function keys is dedicated to a specific type of function as listed below. However, not all of these function keys are active at all times. EQUIVALENT KEY FUNCTION CTRL KEY ACTION --- -------- ---------- ------ F1 Quit Ctrl-Q Exits Exchequer and returns to DOS. All data files are saved first. You must confirm that you want to exit. F2 Setup N/A Displays the Setup Options menu which lists various options for setting program defaults, changing a check format, etc. F3 Accounts N/A Displays the Account Options menu which allows the user to open a new account, switch to another account, etc. F4 Categories Ctrl-B Switches to the Category Screen. (Budget) F5 Checks Ctrl-C Switches to the Checks Screen. F6 Register Ctrl-R Switches to the Register Screen. F7 Delete Ctrl-D Deletes a memorized check, a register transaction or a category, depending upon when it is pressed. F8 Modify Ctrl-E Modifies a memorized check, a register (Edit) transaction, or a category, depending upon when it is pressed. F9 Add/Save Ctrl-A Adds and/or saves a memorized check, a Ctrl-S register entry, or a category, depending upon when it is pressed. F10 Reports/Print Either prints a check or displays the Report Options menu, depending upon when it is pressed. The action of some of the function keys -- F7 (Delete), F8 (Modify), F9 (Add/Save) and F10 (Print) -- depends upon when they are pressed. In general, their function should be clear from the context in which they are used. Complete descriptions of their workings under 12 various circumstances are given in the section of this manual which describes that part of the program. In addition to the function keys, there are several Ctrl-key and Alt- key combinations which are active throughout the program. (Alt-key combinations are similar to Control-Key except you hold down the Alt key while pressing the second key). KEY FUNCTION ACTION --- -------- ------ Ctrl-F1 Abort Exits Exchequer and returns to DOS. None of the data files are saved. You will be asked to confirm that you want to quit. Ctrl-F9 Save Saves all of the data files. Ctrl-F Find Searches for a specific transaction, memorized check or category. Ctrl-PgUp Repeats the last find towards the top of the file. Ctrl-PgDn Repeats the last find towards the bottom of the file. Alt-S Split In the Register or Checks Screens, pressing Alt-S displays split transactions. During data entry, Alt-S is used to split a transaction or edit an existing split transaction. Alt-M Memory Displays the amount of available memory. See Section C.1 for more details. Alt-B Beeps Toggles error and warning beeps on and off. The ESC key is used throughout Exchequer to cancel functions, remove data entry screens and eliminate menus. Pressing ESC repeatedly will always return to one of the three main display screens. You cannot hurt anything and you cannot exit Exchequer by pressing ESC. C.5 COMMAND MENUS Three of the function keys -- F2 (Setup), F3 (Accounts), F10 (Print) -- call up "point-and-shoot" menus in the middle of the screen which list several functions. One of the functions is always highlighted; this is the selected function. To execute a function, highlight that function, then press Return. Some of the options can also be selected by pressing an appropriate function key. The command line will indicate these choices. The following four keys can be used to select specific options: 13 Up Arrow Moves the highlight bar up one option in the menu. Down Arrow Moves the highlight bar down one line in the menu. Home Moves the highlight bar to the first menu option. End Moves the highlight bar to the last menu option. C.6 ENTERING DATA Whenever you need to enter data into Exchequer, a data entry form or box will appear. Pressing ESC will cancel the function and remove the data entry box or form. The most common data entry form is similar to a normal check and is used throughout the program to enter data for a specific transaction (check, withdrawal or deposit). Whenever this form appears, a title will also appear at the top of the screen to indicate what function is being used. In all data entry forms or boxes, the highlighted data entry "field" is active and ready to accept new data. You can move to the various fields by using the following keys: Ctrl-Right Advances to the next data entry field. Down Arrow Tab Return Ctrl-Left Advances to the previous data entry field. Up Arrow Shift-Tab If you move to a field which already contains correct information, simply move on to the next field. You do not need to re-enter the information every time a field is highlighted. When you have entered the appropriate data, you can tell Exchequer that you are finished with that field by pressing any of the cursor movement keys discussed above or any of the active function keys. Exchequer will use the information as it is currently displayed. Some data entry fields require you to select from a limited number of choices (e.g. "YES/NO"). When a fields of this type is high- lighted, pressing the space bar will cycle through the options. You can also choose an option by pressing the first letter of that option (e.g. "y" for YES). Make a final selection by pressing Return, an arrow key, or one of the active function keys. 14 C.6.a ENTERING DATES Dates can be entered directly by typing them in the format in which Exchequer displays them and then pressing Return. For example, you could type "10/26/87" and hit Return. When entering dates, the date which Exchequer displays at any given time can be entered by pressing Return. For example, if Exchequer displays "7/8/88" and you type "8/1", then Exchequer will display "8/1/88". You can enter this date by pressing Return. There is no need to enter the year if it is unchanged. Entering dates is actually a three part process. You first enter the month, then the day, then the year. Pressing "/" advances from one part of the date to the other. The cursor indicates which part of the date you are entering. You can delete numbers within each part by pressing the backspace key. Once you have advanced to the next part of the date, however, you can no longer edit the preceding parts. You must first leave the date field and then return to it. Dates can also be entered by using the "+" and "-" keys on your keyboard. Pressing "+" will advance the date one day while pressing "-" will decrement the date. Holding down either key will continue to advance the date in that direction. C.6.b ENTERING DOLLAR AMOUNTS Dollar amounts can be typed directly into Exchequer. Enter the dollar amount, then press "." and enter the cents amount. If you are entering an even dollar amount (e.g. "$30.00"), you do not need to enter the decimal point and the cents. The program automatically displays the amount in the correct format; you do not need to enter commas or a dollar sign. (In fact, the program will beep if you try to do this). When entering dollar amounts, the cursor shows the current location within the data field. You can edit dollar amounts by using the Backspace key to delete the number above the cursor. Ctrl-Backspace clears the field and sets the amount to $0.00. You can also use the "+" and "-" keys to enter or edit dollar amounts. Pressing "+" increments the amount by one cent; "-" decrements the amount by one cent. To change the amount rapidly, simply hold down the appropriate key. In general, you cannot edit existing dollar amounts. When you highlight a dollar field and type a new amount, Exchequer replaces the existing amount with the new amount. However, if you highlight an existing amount and immediatley press "+" or "-", you can then enter the number using the Backspace key. 15 C.6.c ENTERING TEXT Words and combinations of words for payee names, addresses and memos are simply typed into the program as you would type them on a typewriter. You can use the left and right arrow keys to move the cursor within the text field. Pressing the Backspace key will delete the character to the left of the cursor; the Delete key deletes the character over the cursor. Ctrl-Backspace will delete the entire entry. When you highlight an existing text field, the cursor will be placed at the end of the current entry and you can edit the current entry using the keys discussed in the preceding paragraph. C.6.d ENTERING CATEGORIES Many of the data entry screens allow you to enter a Category number. There are two ways to enter these category numbers. The first is to enter the number directly. As with dollar fields, Backspace deletes the number above the cursor location and Ctrl-Backspace deletes the entire field. You can also use the "+" and "-" keys to increment and decrement the category number. You can also enter a category number by selecting it from your list of categories. If you press F4 (Categories) at any time in the data entry form, the Categories Screen will be displayed. When the Categories Screen is displayed, you can add, delete and modify categories as you would normally. If you highlight a specific category and press Return, you will return to the data entry screen, and that category number will be entered in the Category data field. If you press ESC while the Categories Screen is displayed, you will be returned to the data entry screen but no category number will be entered. C.7 REGISTER SCREEN The Register Screen is Exchequer's primary display and provides a "window" into the register data file. By using the arrow keys along with the PgUp, PgDn, Home, End, Ctrl-Home and Ctrl-End keys, you can move around and see all of the transactions currently recorded in the account. You see the Register Screen when you first start up Exchequer. From either the Category Screen or the Check Screen, pressing F6 will move you to the Register Screen. To reach this screen from any other point in the program, press the ESC key until you hear a beep, then press F6. The Register Screen is very similar to the layout of a standard checkbook register. On the top line are the headings for each of the columns. From left to right, these are: * Check Number * Date 16 * Payee * ? (This is used to mark transactions that have been cleared by the bank). * Checks (and Withdrawals) * Deposits * Balance Below the headings are shown 20 transactions in the check register. One of the transactions on the screen is always highlighted. This is the active (or selected) transaction. Whenever you load an account (or first start the program), Exchequer shows you the most recent 20 transactions. You can see other transactions by using the Up arrow, Down arrow, PgUp, PgDn, Home, End, Ctrl-Home and Ctrl-End keys. At the left end of the second line from the bottom, the name of the account which is currently open is shown. The CURRENT balance of the Exchequer account is shown at the right end of this line. In the middle of this line is a field marked "MEMO:" This area dis- plays a 30-character long memo which is stored with the selected transaction. As you move around the register, you will notice that this area of the display constantly changes. If a transaction has been assigned to a budget category, this category is shown just to the left of the memo field. If you see a "<S>" in this location, it indicates that this particular transac- tion is split, i.e. allocated to more than one category. To see the details of the split, press Alt-S. At the bottom of the screen is the command menu showing the active function keys. In addition, several other keys are active and will activate specific Exchequer functions. All of the active keys and their functions, as described below. (The Ctrl-key equivalents are given in parentheses). F1 (Ctrl-Q) Exits Exchequer and returns to DOS. Any changes to files are saved first. Ctrl-F1 Exits Exchquer and returns to DOS without saving the data files. F2 Displays the Setup Options menu (see Section C.12) F3 Displays the Account Options menu (see Section C.13) F4 (Ctrl-B) Moves to the Categories screen. F5 (Ctrl-C) Moves to the Checks screen. F6 Not active since the Register screen is already displayed. F7 (Ctrl-D) Deletes a transaction from the check register. See Section C.7.e. 17 F8 (Ctrl-E) Modifies a transaction in the check register. See Section C.7.f. F9 (Ctrl-A) Adds a transaction to the check register. See (Ctrl-S) Section C.7.b. Ctrl-F9 Saves the four main data files. F10 (Ctrl-P) Displays the Report Options menu. See Section C.11. Ctrl-F Finds a transaction. See Section C.7.a. Ctrl-PgUp Repeats the last find towards the top of the register. See Section C.7.a. Ctrl-PgDn Repeats the last find towards the bottom of the register. See Section C.7.a. Alt-S Displays detailed information on split transactions. Split transactions are indicated by a "<S>" located just to the right of the memo field at the bottom of the Register Screen. Alt-M Displays the amount of remaining memory. Space Marks/unmarks a transaction as cleared. Pressing the space bar repeatedly "toggles" the marked indicator in the "?" column on and off. A small beep alerts you whenever you change the status of this indicator. C.7.a FINDING A TRANSACTION Exchequer offers a convenient way to find virtually any transaction in the check register. Pressing Ctrl-F activates a Find function which allows you to specify exactly which transaction you want to find. When you press Ctrl-F, a small box will appear in place of the highlighted transaction. You simply enter the data (check number, date, payee, check amount or deposit amount) that you want to match, then press either the Up Arrow (to find the first match going toward the top of the register) or the Down Arrow (to find the first match going toward the bottom of the register). Exchequer will search through the register, find the first transac- tion which matches the data you have entered, and display that transaction on the screen. For example, if you want to find check number 1103, enter "1103" in the first field and press the Up or Down Arrow. If you want to find a check you wrote to John Smith, type "John Smith" in the third column and press the Up or Down Arrow. 18 If you enter data in more than one field, Exchequer will try to match all of the fields. Thus, you can search for a check to John Smith dated 8/8/87 by entering "John Smith" in the payee column and "8/8/87" in the date column. When searching for a date, Exchequer will find the transaction which is closest to the search date if there is not an exact match. Specifically, Exchequer will find the first transaction which occurs on or before the search date when searching toward the top of the register. It will find the first transaction which occurs on or after the search date when searching toward the bottom. The find function is case insensitive. For example, entering "john smith" would find any transactions involving "John Smith", "JOHN SMITH", "john Smith", etc. Likewise, Exchequer will find any trans- action where the first part of the transaction payee matches the data you entered. For example, entering "MA" will match transac- tions involving "Mary Johnson","Maryland Credit Union","Matchbox Industries","Mats Unlimited", etc. while "MAR" would match "Mary Johnson" and "Maryland Credit Union" but not "Glomar Explorer". If you enter an amount in either the check or deposit column, Exchequer will find the first transaction which matches either of these fields. For example, if you enter "$300" in the check column (with a $0.00 in the deposit column), Exchequer will find the first transaction which is either (a) a check/withdrawal in the amount of $300.00 or (b) a deposit in the amount of $0.00. The following keys are active when using the Find function: Ctrl-Right Advances to the next data entry field. Tab Return Ctrl-Left Advances to the prior data entry field. Shift-Tab F7 Clears the data which Exchequer will try to find. Arrow Executes the search toward the top of the register (i.e. the earliest entry). Down Arrow Executes the search toward the bottom of the register (i.e. the most recent entries). ESC Cancels the Find function and returns to the Register Screen. You can repeat the last search you performed at any time by pressing Ctrl-PgUp (to search towards the top of the register) or Ctrl-PgDn (to search towards the bottom). This allows you to find multiple checks to the same payee very quickly. You can also use the Find function when selecting part of the register for printing (Section C.11) or to archive an account (Section C.13). 19 Exchequer also provides a way to rapidly find checks in the register with consecutive check numbers. First, find the first check in the sequence using the Find function. To find the next highest check number, simply press the "+" key. To find the next lowest check number, press the "-" key. This is similar to pressing Ctrl-PgDn and Ctrl-PgUp except that Exchequer will automatically increment or decrement the check number. This feature is especially useful while balancing your checkbook since it allows you to find consecutive checks and mark them as cleared. C.7.b ADD TRANSACTION Although Exchequer automatically records all of the data for checks which it prints, you must manually enter other transactions such as checks written on your regular checkbook, ATM withdrawals, etc. You add a transaction by pressing F9 whenever the Register Screen is displayed. A blank check form will be displayed. This form is used for withdrawals and deposits as well as checks. You specify the type of transaction in the first data field. Enter all of the data for the new entry, then press F9 to Save the transaction to the register. Exchequer saves all transactions in chronological order. Transactions occurring on the same day are sorted by check number. After the data is saved, the check form will be cleared and you can add another transaction. Once you have saved a transaction, you cannot modify it while using the Add Transaction function. You must first return to the Register Screen by pressing ESC, then press F8 to modify. In many cases, the transactions you want to add to the register will be stored in the list of memorized checks. Exchequer offers a convenient way for retrieving memorized transactions and adding them to the register. Just enter the first few letters of the payee name, then press Ctrl-F (Find). Exchequer will search from the top of the check list and display the first memorized transaction which matches the data you entered. For example, if you enter "ba", then press Ctrl-F with the SAMPLE files, Exchequer will display the information for a Bank of America service charge. You can repeat the search and search toward the bottom of the check list by pressing Ctrl-PgDn. To search toward the top of the list, press Ctrl-PgUp. This allows you to easily review and retrieve memorized checks with a minimum of data entry. For example, you can just enter the letter 'P' and quickly review all memorized checks to payees starting with 'P'. This search function is case insensitive; it does not matter if you enter lower- or upper-case letters. Likewise, it is length insensi- tive; Exchequer will display any check which matches the data you have entered. 20 You can review the transactions you have just entered without returning to the Register Screen. Use the PgUp, PgDn, Ctrl-Home and Ctrl-End keys to move through these new transactions. To continue adding transactions, press F7 to clear the display first. Exchequer stores the most recent 100 transactions from the current session in memory. It stores both new transactions and those which have been modified. It does not store deleted transactions. Pressing F9 at any time will add another transaction (using the data currently displayed on the screen) to the register. Thus, it is easy to enter several similar transactions. Enter the first trans- action and press F9 to save it, then press PgUp to re-display it. Change the data which is different, then press F9 again to save this new transaction to the register. (This ability to enter similar transactions may cause some confu- sion. As you are reviewing recently entered transactions, Exchequer displays the current check number and date, not the check number and date which goes with that transaction.) In addition to the keys discussed in Entering Data (Section C.6), the following keys are active while adding a transaction: F4 Displays the Categories Screen. F7 Erases the transaction which is currently displayed. F9 Saves a new transaction to the register. Alt-S Splits the transaction (see Section C.7.c) PgUp Displays the previous transaction which has been added during this session. PgDn Displays the next transaction which has been added during this session. Ctrl-Home Displays the first transaction which was added to the register during this session. Ctrl-End Moves to the last transaction which was added during this session. Ctrl-F Finds the first memorized check which matches the data entered in the payee field. Ctrl-PgUp Repeats the last search toward the top of the list of memorized transactions. Ctrl-PgDn Repeats the last search toward the bottom of the list of memorized transactions. 21 ESC Cancels the Add Transaction function and returns to the Register Screen. C.7.c SPLITTING A TRANSACTION [The information in this section applies to most aspects of Exchequer's operation. In particular, it is relevant to adding and modifying register transactions, adding and modifying memorized checks, and printing checks.] There are many occasions when you will want to assign a specific transaction to more than one category. A prime example is when you pay your credit card bill. Part of the bill might be for vacation expenses and another for home repairs. And some of it you might not want to allocate to any category at all. Although you could write separate checks for each of these catego- ries, a simpler method is to "split" the transaction. To understand this better, you might want to examine the SAMPLE files which come with Exchequer. In the Register, transactions which are split will display "<S>" at the bottom of the screen just to the right of the Memo field. When you have highlighted a split transaction, press Alt-S to see the Split Display. This display shows ten separate lines of information. For each part of the split, you see a category number, a brief description (15 characters maximum), whether that part of the transaction is a deposit, withdrawal or check, and the amount for that item. Although you can display split information in the Register, you cannot enter or modify data here. You can only do that when you are working with the check data entry form. For example, press F9 then Alt-S to add split information for a new transaction. As you are adding information, you can move around the split by using the arrow keys, <Return>, PgUp, PgDn, Home and End. PgUp and PgDn will move you to the top and bottom of the current column. Home moves to the top left corner and End moves to the bottom right corner. Pressing <Return> advances the cursor to the next column; when you reach the end of a row, it will advance the cursor to the first column of the next row. You can select categories from the Category Screen by pressing F4. The new category number is entered on the current row. You can clear the entire split and start over by pressing F7. When you are done entering data, press ESC to return to the check form. Note that Exchequer does not save any of the data you have entered or modified until you press F9 (or F10 if you are printing checks). In this respect, the Split Display acts just like an extension of the check form. When you enter data for a split transaction, Exchequer tries to help you as much as it can by acting as a smart adding machine. If you 22 enter $0.00 as the amount for a transaction then split the transac- tion, Exchequer will automatically add all of your entries as you make them. It will also determine what type of transaction (deposit, withdrawal, check) this transaction should be. When you return to the check form by pressing ESC, Exchequer will enter the amount of the split on the check and set the type. However, if you enter a non-zero amount on the check form before pressing Alt-S, Exchequer acts a little differently. In this case, it tries to keep the total amount constant by adjusting the last item in the split. This is especially useful when you don't want to allocate an entire transaction to various categories. If you want to use all ten lines for the split, just go ahead and enter the information. If the tenth line does not use 0 as the category number, Exchequer will revert to its "adding machine mode" and calculate the revised total. Finally, you can always override Exchequer and put it in adding machine mode by pressing Ctrl-A. This may seem quite complicated but hopefully it will be pretty clear if you experiment a little. In most situations, Exchequer does exactly what you want it to do naturally. Also, don't be confused by the need to enter a type (withdrawal, etc.) for each line of the split. The ability to specify a type provides a lot of power and flexibility. For example, it allows you to write paychecks with payroll deductions or to track the deduc- tions from your own paycheck. Rather than get into a long-winded discussion of accounting techniques, we refer you to the examples in the SAMPLE files. If you don't know what type to enter for a specific item in a slit, just remember that if money goes into the account, it's a deposit, and everything else is a check or withdrawal. For purposes of splitting a transaction, there is no difference between a check and a withdrawal. To reiterate, the following keys are functional while you are entering a split transaction: Ctrl-A Invokes "adding machine mode" and adds all of the split items to determine the net amount of the trans- action. F4 Displays the Categories Screen. F7 Clears all of the split information. ESC Removes the split display and returns to the check F9 form. Again, none of the data is saved until you press F9 or F10 (depending upon the context). A final note about split transactions. If you have created a split and then modify the amount or type of the main transaction, 23 Exchequer will not let you save that transaction (or print a check) until you correct the discrepancy. As you can imagine, having discrepancies between the main transaction and the split could lead to serious problems in tracking expenses. C.7.d MODIFYING A TRANSACTION If you want to modify an existing transaction in the check register (e.g. to correct a dollar amount), highlight the transaction with the arrow keys, then press F8. This transaction will be displayed on a check form which allows you to change any of the data. When you are satisfied with the changes, press F9 to save them. Exchequer saves all transactions in chronological order. If you change the date on a transaction, Exchequer will relocate the transaction to its proper place in the register. You can review and modify other transactions without returning to the Register Screen by using the PgUp, PgDn, Ctrl-Home and Ctrl-End keys to move through the register. Each transaction will be dis- played in turn and you can modify any or all of the data. If you want to save the changes, you MUST press F9 before leaving a spe- cific transaction. If you have not saved the changes before pressing a key that will leave the current transaction, Exchequer will ask you if you want to save the changes first. Note, however, that if you exit the program directly while modifying a transaction by pressing F1 or Ctrl-F1, you will not be asked if you want to save your changes. (This will be changed in the next version). You can also use the Find function while modifying a transaction. Highlight the item you want to search for (i.e. Date, Checknumber, Payee or Amount) and enter the search key (e.g. "ACME Plumbing"), then press Ctrl-F. Exchequer will search from the current location in the register toward the top of the register for the first match. You can repeat the search by pressing Ctrl-PgUp (to search up) or Ctrl-PgDn (to search down). When searching for an amount, you must specify the correct transaction type before the search. You cannot search on multiple fields (e.g. search for a check to "ACME Plumbing" that was written on "1/10/88") while modifying transac- tions. In addition to the keys discussed in Entering Data (Section C.6), the following keys are active while modifying a transaction: F4 Displays the Categories Screen. F7 Deletes the transaction which is currently displayed. Pressing F7 at this point works exactly like pressing F7 in the Register Screen. See Section C.7.d. F9 Saves all changes to the transaction which is dis- played. It is stored exactly as displayed. 24 Alt-S Displays split information (if the transaction is already split) or splits the transaction (if it is not). Ctrl-F Finds a transaction. Ctrl-PgUp Repeats the last find towards the top of the regis- ter. Ctrl-PgDn Repeats the last find towards the bottom of the register. PgUp Displays the preceding transaction in the register. PgDn Displays the following transaction in the register. Ctrl-Home Displays the first transaction in the register. Ctrl-End Displays the last transaction in the register. ESC Cancels the Modify Transaction function and returns to the Register Screen. C.7.e DELETING A TRANSACTION Individual transactions in the check register can be deleted by highlighting the transaction you want to delete and pressing F7. BE CAREFUL! Once a transaction has been deleted, there is no way to recover it directly. However, you may be able to recover the deleted data if you keep up-to-date backups of your data files. To prevent accidental erasure of important data, Exchequer asks you to confirm that you want to delete this item. If you do, press F7 (or Ctrl-D) to proceed with the deletion. Otherwise, press ESC. C.8 CHECKS SCREEN The Checks Screen displays a list of memorized transactions (in alphabetical order) which have been stored by the user. For example, you could store all of the data to pay your mortgage (payee, amount, address, etc) as a single item in this list. Each month, you could then write a check to the bank by pressing a single key. Whenever you load an account (or first start the program), Exchequer loads the associated list of memorized checks. You can move to the Register Screen from either the Checks Screen or Categories Screen by pressing F5. To reach this screen from any other point in the program, press the ESC key until you hear a beep, then press F5. Although it is called the Checks Screen, this list can also contain information on withdrawals such as bank service charges and deposits such as automatic payroll deposits. This manual often refers to 25 such memorized transactions as checks. Whether we mean a memorized transaction or the piece of paper you give to your grocer should be clear from the context. All printing of checks is done using the Checks Screen. The Checks Screen can also used to "print" memorized withdrawals and deposits. Exchequer will enter these transactions in the register just like a check but will not actually print anything on the printer. The Checks Screen has five columns: * Batch (the little triangle indicates that this "check" is cur- rently selected for "printing"). * Payee (for deposits, the payee column lists the party from whom you received the deposit). * Category number. If a memorized check is split, this column will display "<S>". You can see detailed information on the split by pressing Alt-S. * Memo * Amount (an amount of $0.00 indicates that the amount changes every month. The actual amount is entered at the time you print the check). Below these headings are shown 20 memorized checks (or other trans- actions). One of the checks is always highlighted; this is the active (or selected) transaction. You can see other checks by using the Up Arrow, Down Arrow, PgUp, PgDn, Home, End, Ctrl-Home and Ctrl- End keys on the keyboard. The far left column of the Checks Screen displays a small marker which indicates whether that check has been "tagged" for printing. When you memorize a transaction, you specify whether you want to pay this bill on a monthly basis. When it first loads the list of memorized transactions, Exchequer recalls this data and indicates which checks will be printed. You can "untag" all of these checks by pressing Ctrl-U. The name of the account which is currently open is shown at the left end of the second line from the bottom. The CURRENT balance of the account is shown at the right end of this line. In the middle of this line is a field marked "TYPE:" As you move around the screen, you will notice that this area of the display constantly changes. This area displays the type of the currently highlighted transaction. There are three transaction types: (1) Check (2) Withdrawal or (3) Deposit. The only difference between a check and a withdrawal is that Exchequer will not print a with- drawal. Thus, your mortgage payment should be a check while the monthly service charge on your account should be a withdrawal. 26 At the bottom of the screen is the command menu which shows the active function keys. In addition, several other keys are active and will activate specific Exchequer functions as described below. (Ctrl-key equivalents are given in parentheses). F1 (Ctrl-Q) Exits Exchequer and returns to DOS. Any changes to files are saved first. Ctrl-F1 Exits Exchequer and returns to DOS without saving files first. F2 Displays the Setup Options menu (see Section C.12) F3 Moves to the Register Screen and displays the Account Options menu (see Section C.13) F4 (Ctrl-B) Moves to the Categories screen. F5 (Ctrl-C) Not active since the Checks Screen is already dis- played. F6 (Ctrl-R) Moves to the Register Screen. F7 (Ctrl-D) Deletes a memorized check from the list. See Section C.8.c. F8 (Ctrl-E) Modifies a memorized check. See Section C.8.b. F9 (Ctrl-S) Adds (memorizes) a check. See Section C.8.a. (Ctrl-A) Ctrl-F9 Saves the four main data files. F10 (Ctrl-P) Prints a check(s). See Section C.10. Return Prints the highlighted check. See Section C.10. Space Tags/untags a memorized check for printing. Pressing the space bar repeatedly "toggles" the tagged marker in the far left column on and off. When this marker is displayed, the check is tagged for printing. Ctrl-T Tags all of the memorized checks for printing. Ctrl-U Untags all of the memorized checks for printing. Ctrl-F Finds a memorized check. Ctrl-PgUp Repeats the last find towards the top of the list of checks. Ctrl-PgDn Repeats the last find towards the bottom of the list of checks. 27 Alt-S Displays detailed information on split transactions. Split transactions are indicated by a "<S>" located in the category column. Alt-M Displays the amount of remaining memory. The Find function for the Checks Screen works just like the Find function for the Register Screen (See Section C.7.a). The only difference is that you can just search for the name of a payee rather than date, check number, etc. C.8.a ADDING A MEMORIZED CHECK Pressing F9 whenever the Checks Screen is displayed allows you to memorize another transaction and add it to the list of memorized checks. When you press F9, a blank check form will be displayed. Enter all of the data for the new transaction on this form, then press F9 again to Save the check. After this transaction is memorized, the check form will be cleared and you can memorize another transaction. At the top of the form, you will see the word "Check" highlighted. This field identifies the type of the transaction you are memoriz- ing. (Although these are called checks, they can also be deposits/credits or withdrawals/charges which don't involve paper checks). If you press the space bar repeatedly, Exchequer will cycle through these three options. Or you can press the first letter of the type you want to select. Press Return to select the appropriate type. Although some payments are always the same (e.g. a fixed rate mortgage), other payments differ from month to month. If you know the amount of a check, enter it in the amount data field. If not, simply store the check with an amount of $0.00 (you do not need to actually enter this amount since it is the default value). Every time you print this check, Exchequer will prompt you for the actual amount. You can specify whether you want to print this check on a monthly basis. To do this, highlight the "BATCH?" data field on the check form and press the space bar until "YES" appears. By doing this, you tell Exchequer that you want the check tagged for printing every time it starts. (Don't worry, you can easily untag it if you don't want to actually print it). You can leave any of the information on this check form blank when you memorize a transaction. Exchequer always allows you to fill it in or change it later when you actually print the check. In addition to the keys discussed in the Entering Data section (Section C.6), the following keys are active while memorizing a check: 28 F4 Displays the Categories Screen. F7 Clears the transaction which is currently displayed. F9 Saves a new memorized check to the list of memorized checks. The transaction is stored exactly as displayed. Alt-S Splits the memorized check. ESC Cancels the Add Check function and returns to the Checks Screen. C.8.b MODIFYING A MEMORIZED CHECK If you want to modify an existing memorized check (e.g. to change an address), highlight the transaction with the arrow keys, then press F8. This memorized transaction will be displayed in a check format which allows you to change any of the data. When you are satisfied with the changes, press F9 to save them. You can review and modify other memorized transactions without returning to the Checks Screen by using the PgUp, PgDn, Ctrl-Home and Ctrl-End keys to move through the list. Each memorized check will be displayed in turn; you can modify any or all of the data. If you want to save the changes, you MUST press F9 before leaving a specific transaction. If you have not saved the changes before pressing a key that will leave the current check, will ask you if you want to save the changes first. Note, however, that if you exit the program directly while modifying a transaction by pressing F1 or Ctrl-F1, you will not be asked if you want to save your changes. (This will be changed in the next version). You can also find specific memorized transactions by using the Find function. Just enter the first few letters of the payee name, then press Ctrl-F (Find). Exchequer will search from the top of the check list and display the first transaction which matches the data you entered. You can repeat the search and search toward the bottom of the check list by pressing Ctrl-PgDn. To search toward the top of the list, press Ctrl-PgUp. This allows you to easily review and retrieve memorized checks with a minimum of data entry. For example, you can just enter the letter 'P' and quickly review all memorized checks to payees starting with 'P'. This search function is case insensitive; it does not matter if you enter lower- or upper-case letters. Likewise, it is length insensi- tive; Exchequer will display any check which matches the data you have entered. 29 In addition to the keys described in Entering Data (Section C.6), the following keys are active: F4 Displays the Categories Screen. F7 Deletes the memorized transaction which is currently displayed. Pressing F7 at this point works exactly like pressing F7 from the Checks Screen. See Section C.8.c. F9 Saves all of the changes to the memorized check which is displayed to the check file. Alt-S Displays the split information (if the transaction is already split) or splits the transaction (if it is not). PgUp Displays the preceding memorized check. PgDn Displays the next memorized check. Ctrl-Home Displays the first memorized check. Ctrl-End Displays the last memorized check. Ctrl-F Finds the first memorized check which matches the data entered in the payee field. Ctrl-PgUp Repeats the last search toward the top of the list of memorized transactions. Ctrl-PgDn Repeats the last search toward the bottom of the list of memorized transactions. ESC Cancels the Modify Check function and returns to the Checks Screen. C.8.c DELETING A MEMORIZED CHECK You can delete a memorized transaction by highlighting it with the arrow keys, then pressing F7 (Delete). Once a memorized transaction has been deleted, there is no way to recover it directly. If you keep up-to-date backups of your data files, however, you may be able to recover the deleted data. To prevent accidental erasure of important data, Exchequer asks you to confirm that you want to delete this item. If you do, press F9 to Save the deletion. Otherwise, press ESC. To repeat: F9 Saves (confirms) the deletion. ESC Cancels the Delete Check function. 30 C.9 CATEGORY SCREEN The Category Screen displays a list of user-defined expense/budget categories. By assigning your checks and other transactions to specific categories, you can track expenses in that category. Exchequer provides several reporting functions for this purpose. From either the Register Screen or the Check Screen, pressing F4 will move you to the Category Screen. To reach this screen from any other point in the program, press the ESC key until you hear a beep, then press F4. If you see "F4 Categories" on the bottom command line of a data entry field (e.g. while printing a check), you can also access the Category Screen by pressing F4. This allows you to review your categories and select the appropriate one for any transaction. You can return to the data entry form by pressing either ESC or Return. If you press Return, the category which is currently highlighted will be entered into the data entry form. If you press ESC, no changes are made to the data entry form. There are six columns in the Category Screen: * NUMBER Exchequer allows you to define up to 255 different catego- ries. Category numbers can be any number between 1 and 999. The default category number 0 is automatically assigned to any transaction which is not explicitly assigned a different category number. If you try to assign a transaction to a category which does not exist, Exchequer will warn you of this fact. However, it will still allow you to use that number (on the assumption that you know what you're doing). However, these transac- tions will not be included in the Sorted By Category Reports. * DESCRIPTION This is simply a 35 character description of the category (e.g. "Automobile Repair". * TYPE (INCOME, EXPENSE, TRANSFER) The Category Type determines how Exchequer treats the cate- gory for reporting purposes. THE TYPE HAS NO IMPACT UPON HOW YOU ENTER TRANSACTIONS OR ASSIGN TRANSACTIONS TO CATEGORIES. You can make deposits or withdrawals to any type of category. For example, a check you write to a customer for some returned merchandise could be assigned to a "Sales" Income category. The "Sales" category would then give you net sales rather than gross sales. If you receive a rebate on a purchase, you could enter this as a deposit to a "Supplies" Expense category. 31 The Expense and Income types are straightforward. Most personal users will probably use just these two types. The Transfer type is designed for business that need to track income separately from cashflow. It is used for transactions which do not affect net income. For example, a bank loan is an example of a transfer. Although you receive money, it is not included as income for accounting or tax purposes. If you use Transfer categories, Exchequer will list these categories below the Expense and Income categories on the Income/Expense Report. The report uses the Transfer data to calculate net cashflow for the account separately from net income. Transfers are arbitrarily treated as expenses. * BUDGET * PERIOD (WEEK, MONTH, QUARTER, YEAR) * TOTAL Exchequer allows you to enter a budget for each category. First, you enter a budget figure, then you enter the period for the budget (e.g. Week, Month, Quarter, Year). The maximum allowable budget is $99,999.99. Exchequer calculates the total annual budget in the far right column; you cannot enter this number directly. The maximum allowable annual budget is thus $99,999.99 x 52 (per week) or $5,199,999.48. However, Exchequer supports total withdrawals or deposits of only $999,999.99 in a single category. Exchequer allows you to use either set of budgets for report- ing purposes (specifically, in the Category Totals and Income/Expense Reports). You make this selection using the Modify Account Data option on the Accounts Menu. If you want to evaluate your budget performance for the year, use the Total Budget. If you want to do a comparison for a specific month or quarter, use the Partial Budget. When you print the report, be sure to select a report range which corresponds to your budget period (i.e. a month or a quarter). Also, you must be consistent in selecting your budget periods if you want to do partial-year reports. This screen shows 20 categories at a time. One of the categories is always highlighted. This is the active (or selected) category. You can see and select other categories by using the Up arrow, Down arrow, PgUp, PgDn, Ctrl-Home and Ctrl-End keys on the keyboard. At the bottom of the screen is the command menu. This shows the function keys which are currently active. In addition, several other keys are active and will initiate specific Exchequer func- tions. All of the active keys and their functions are described below. (Ctrl-key equivalents are given in parentheses). 32 F1 (Ctrl-Q) Exits Exchequer and returns to DOS. Any changes to files are saved first. Ctrl-F1 Exits Exchequer and returns to DOS without saving files first. F2 Displays the Setup Options menu (see Section C.12) F3 Moves to the Register Screen and displays the Account Options menu (see Section C.13) F4 (Ctrl-B) Not active because the Categories Screen is already displayed. F5 (Ctrl-C) Switches to the Checks screen. F6 (Ctrl-R) Switches to the Register Screen. F7 (Ctrl-D) Deletes a category. See Section C.9.c. F8 (Ctrl-E) Modifies a category. See Section C.9.b. F9 (Ctrl-A) Adds a category. See Section C.9.a. (Ctrl-S) Ctrl-F9 Saves the three main data files. F10 (Ctrl-P) Displays the Report Options menu. See Section C.11. Return When the Category Screen is called from a data entry form, pressing Return selects the currently highlighted category, returns to the data form, and enters the selected category in the category field. ESC When the Category Screen is called from a data form, ESC returns to the form without selecting a category. Otherwise, pressing ESC has no effect. Ctrl-F Finds a category. Ctrl-PgUp Repeats the last find towards the top of the list of categories. Ctrl-PgDn Repeats the last find towards the bottom of the list of categories. Alt-M Displays the amount of available memory. The Find function for Categories works just like the Find function for the Register. The only difference is that you can search for a category number and/or description rather than date, check number, etc. 33 C.9.a ADDING A CATEGORY To add a new budget/expense category, press F9 (Add/Save). A new line will appear at the bottom of the list of categories. Enter the new category number and a description of the category. Press F9 again to save this new category. Exchequer will insert the category in the proper location and clear the bottom line so you can add more categories. Press ESC to cancel and display the existing catego- ries. If you try to add a category number which is already used, Exchequer will ask you if you want to insert this number. If you insert a new number, Exchequer will automatically renumber the smallest possible block of categories to make room for the new number. It will also renumber the categories on all register transactions and all memo- rized checks as needed. The following keys are active: F7 Clears both the new category number and its description. F9 Saves the new category to the list. ESC Cancels the Add Category function and re-displays the list of existing categories. C.9.b MODIFYING A CATEGORY To modify a category, highlight it using the arrow keys, then press F8 (Modify). You can then modify the existing data or enter new data. To save these changes, press F9 (Add/Save). Pressing ESC will cancel the changes and return you to the Category Screen. If you try to change the category number to a number which is already used, Exchequer will show an error message and refuse to do this. (If you truly need to do this, you can insert a new category at the desired location, delete it to make room, then change the number on the existing category). If you modify a category number, Exchequer will automatically update the register and list of memorized checks to reflect the change. F7 Clears both the category number and its description. F9 Saves the modifications to the list. ESC Cancels the Modify Category function and re-displays the list of existing categories. C.9.c DELETING A CATEGORY Individual categories can be deleted by highlighting them with the arrow keys, then pressing F7 (Delete). BE CAREFUL! Deleting a 34 category can affect all of your data files and there is no way to directly recover from an accidental erasure. However, you may be able to recover if you keep up-to-date copies of your data files. To prevent accidental deletions, Exchequer will ask you to confirm (save) each deletion. If you want to delete the category, press F9 to save (confirm) the changes. If not, press ESC. If you try to delete a category which is used anywhere in either the register or the list of memorized checks, Exchequer will warn you of this fact and ask you if you want to proceed. If you do, then press F9 to Save (confirm) the deletion. Otherwise, press ESC. If you go ahead and delete this category, Exchequer will search through the register and the list of memorized checks and change the category number to 0 wherever the deleted category was used. F9 Saves (confirms) deletion. ESC Cancels the Delete Category function and re-displays list of existing Categories. C.10 PRINTING A CHECK(S) You can print checks either in batch mode or one-by-one by pressing F10 (Print) while the Checks Screen is displayed. You can also "print" withdrawals and deposits by pressing F10. Exchequer treats them just like checks, except that it doesn't actually print a check. It does, however, enter them into the register. When you press F10, the Checks Screen is replaced with a data entry form that displays the information for the first check which is tagged. You do not have to specify if you want to be in batch mode. Exchequer automatically goes into batch mode whenever you press F10 and any of the memorized transactions on the Checks Screen is "tagged". If you want to print just one memorized check, you can either tag it and press F10 or highlight it and press Return. A specific check is tagged and untagged for printing by pressing the space bar while the check is highlighted in the Checks Screen. When a transaction is tagged, a small marker appears in the far left column. Pressing Ctrl-T will tag all of the checks for printing while Ctrl-U will untag all checks and allow you to print checks one-by-one. If you print a check with an amount of $0.00, Exchequer will print a blank check made out to the designated payee. This is useful if you know you are going to need a specific check (e.g. to a grocery store) but won't know the amount until later. Don't forget to go back and modify this transaction in the register once you know the amount! Before you first print checks, Exchequer will remind you to insert your checks into the printer and properly align them. If you wish to test your alignment prior to printing, choose the Print Test 35 Check function from the Setup Options menu (See Section C.12) or press Alt-T. You can review other checks which you have printed (as well as any other transactions which you have added to the register during this session) without moving to the Register Screen. Use the PgUp, PgDn, Ctrl-Home and Ctrl-End keys to move through a list of these new transactions and display them on the check form. It is not possible to modify any of these transactions while printing a check. You must first go to the Register Screen, then press F8 (Modify). However, pressing F10 at any time will print another check using the data currently displayed on the screen. It is therefore easy to print similar checks to the same person. Print the first check, then press PgUp to re-display it. Change the data which should be different, then press F10 again to print this new check. Press F7 to clear the check form at any time. The following keys are active while printing checks: F4 Displays the Categories Screen. F7 In batch mode, skips the current check. Otherwise clears all data and displays a blank check form. F9 In batch mode, saves any changes to the memorized check. Otherwise, adds the transaction to the check list. F10 Prints the check. Alt-S Splits the transaction. PgUp Displays the preceding check which was printed during this session. PgDn Displays the next check which was printed during this session. Ctrl-Home Displays the first check which was printed during this session. Ctrl-End Displays the last check which was printed during this session. Ctrl-F Finds the first memorized check which matches the data entered in the payee field. Ctrl-PgUp Repeats the last search toward the top of the check list. Ctrl-PgDn Repeats the last search toward the bottom of the list. Alt-T Prints a test check. 36 ESC Cancels the Print Check function and returns to the Checks Screen. Don't forget to sign your checks before you mail them !!! C.10.a PRINTING A BATCH OF CHECKS If you have tagged any of the checks before pressing F10, Exchequer will automatically display the information for the first tagged check when you press F10. If the amount of the check you are printing is $0.00, Exchequer will prompt you for the actual amount by beeping and moving the cursor to the amount data field. While a specific check is displayed, you can modify any of the data prior to printing and recording. If you want to permanently save these changes, press F9. You can also make permanent modifications to a memorized check by pressing F8 (Modify) while the Check Screen is displayed. When all of the data is correct, press F10 again to print. Exchequer will print the check and add the transaction to the register. In addition, it will clear the batch indicator on the Checks Screen. Then it will display the information for the next check. If you decide that you do not want to print this check at this time, press F7 to skip the check. If you decide to cancel this batch of checks, press ESC to return to the Checks Screen. Note that Exchequer only clears the batch indicator on a check when the check is actually printed. If you skip a check or cancel the batch before it is complete, the checks not printed will still be tagged for payment. When Exchequer finishes printing a batch of checks, it clears the check form and allows you to print checks one-by-one (see following section). C.10.b PRINTING A SINGLE CHECK There are two ways to print a single check. If you want to print a memorized check, simply highlight that check on the Checks Screen and press Return. The check form will display the information for that check. Print the check by pressing F10 after making any desired changes. Exchequer also allows you to print checks one-by-one if none of the memorized checks is tagged for printing when you press F10 (Print). When you press F10, a blank check form is shown. You can now enter the data for the new check. When all of the data is correct, press F10 again to print. Exchequer will print the check and add the transaction to the register (but not to the memorized check list). When it is done printing, Exchequer will display the blank check form again. You can then enter and print a new check if you wish. 37 If you are working with a new check and decide that you want to memorize it, press F9 (Add/Save) to save the information to the list of memorized checks. Exchequer will assume that you do not want to print this check every month. If you do, you can modify the data using the Modify Check function (F8 from the Checks Screen). C.10.c QUICK ENTRY Exchequer offers a convenient way for retrieving memorized transac- tions while you are printing checks. Just enter the first few letters of the payee name, then press Ctrl-F (Find). Exchequer will search from the top of the check list and display the first memo- rized transaction which matches the data you entered. For example, if you enter "ba", then press Ctrl-F with the SAMPLE files, Exchequer will display the information for a Bank of America service charge. You can repeat the search and search toward the bottom of the check list by pressing Ctrl-PgDn. To search toward the top of the list, press Ctrl-PgUp. This allows you to easily review and retrieve memorized checks with a minimum of data entry. For example, you can just enter the letter 'P' and quickly review all memorized checks to payees starting with 'P'. This search function is case insensitive; it does not matter if you enter lower- or upper-case letters. Likewise, it is length insensi- tive; Exchequer will display any check which matches the data you have entered. C.11 REPORTS The Report menu provides access to Exchequer's 10 reports. Press F10 (Reports) from the Register Screen or Categories Screen to access the Report Options menu. Reports can be sent to the printer, the screen or to an ASCII file on a disk. Choose the report's destination by using the left and right arrow keys to select the destination at the bottom of the Reports menu. When you send a report to the screen, Exchequer builds the report using all available memory. When the report is finished, the report is displayed on the screen. If there is not enough memory to complete a report, Exchequer will notify you of this. It will then display that part of the report which fit into memory. You can move up and down through the report using the Up and Down arrow keys. Pressing PgUp or PgDn will move the report up or down by one screen. Similarly, pressing Ctrl-Home or Ctrl-End moves to the top or bottom of the report, respectively. To return to the check register, press ESC. If you send a report to a file, you will be asked to enter the name for the file. Enter any legal DOS file/pathname. Exchequer erases 38 any existing files with this name and does not check to see if this file exists prior to sending the report, so be careful. Each report must be sent to a separate file; you cannot append a report to an existing file. To select a report for printing, highlight the desired report using the up and down arrows or the Home and End keys, then press either F10 or Return to print that report. If you use the same printer for printing both checks and reports, Exchequer will remind you to insert regular paper into the printer before printing a report. You can cancel a report while it is printing by pressing ESC. Exchequer will ask you to confirm that you want to cancel the report. For the first eight reports (which involve the check register), you must select a range to be included in the report. This provides great flexibility in reporting. For example, you can list all transactions for a given month, find out how much money you spent on groceries during February, etc. If you want to print the entire register or sort all of your transactions by category, simply select the entire register as your report range. Once you have selected a print range, Exchequer assumes you want to use this range for all subsequent reports. The first and last transactions in the current print range are used as the starting points when you select a range for the next report. If you want to use the same range, simply press <Return> to accept these points. You can also select a new range if you wish. The current range is reset when you leave the Reports menu. If you select one of these reports, the Reports menu will disappear. Using the arrow keys, PgUp, PgDn, Home, End, Ctrl-Home, Ctrl-End or Ctrl-F (Find), move the highlight bar to one end of the range you want to print (it doesn't matter whether it is the first or last transaction in the range). Press Return to select this transaction and mark it as the start of the range. (This transaction will be included in the report). If you make a mistake, press ESC to backup and re-select part of the register. Use the arrow keys, PgUp, PgDn, Home, End, Ctrl-Home, Ctrl-End or Ctrl-F (Find) to select the other end of the section. The section you have selected will be highlighted at all times. When you are satisfied with your selection, press Return to print the report. You will have one more chance to confirm that you want to proceed with this report. You can also control the format and content of reports by setting certain values in the Account Configuration file. For example, you can choose whether you want to print the memo and split information for each transaction. You can also choose to double space reports which may make them easier to read. This is not true double spac- ing; instead, a blank line is inserted after an entire transaction (up to 12 lines) is listed. 39 Use Modify Account Data from the Accounts Menu to make these choices (See Section C.13.3). The first eight reports involve the check register. Each of the ten reports is described below: 1. Check Register This report lists the selected range of the check register in chronological order. It also calculates and displays the total withdrawals and deposits within the report range. 2. Sorted by Category This report lists the selected range of the register sorted by category number. Deposits and withdrawals from each category are sub-totalled. The net withdrawal or deposit for the cate- gory is also calculated and displayed. Note that if you use split transactions, this report will display split information even if you have chosen not to print split information using the Accounts Menu. 3. Sorted by Payee This report shows the selected range of the register sorted alphabetically by payee name. Deposits and withdrawals for each payee are sub-totalled. The net withdrawal or deposit for the category is also calculated and displayed. Be forewarned -- printing the entire register sorted by payee can be a VERY lengthy process. 4. Single Category This option allows you to list all of the transactions found within the report range which are assigned to a single category. The format is identical to the Sorted by Category Report. When this option is selected, a data entry box will appear below the Report Options menu. Enter the number of the category you wish to print or press F4 to see the Categories screen and select a category. When you are ready to print, press F10 or Return. 5. Single Payee This option allows you to list all of the transactions to/from a single party (payee). The format is identical to the Sorted by Payee Report. When this option is select, a data entry box will appear below the Report Options menu. Enter the name of the payee you wish to print. Exchequer ignores the difference between upper and lowercase letters as it searches for matches to the payee name you entered. If you enter "maryland auto club", Exchequer will print transactions to "Maryland Auto Club", "maryland auto club", "maRYLanD auTo CLUb", etc. 40 Unlike the Find function, however, Exchequer is length-sensitive and will not include partial matches. For example, if you enter "Maryland" as the payee to match, Exchequer will NOT print transactions to "Maryland Auto Club", "Maryland AAA", etc. When you are ready to print, press F10 or Return. 6. Uncleared Checks This report is identical to the Check Register Report, except only transactions which have not been marked as cleared are listed. 7. Category Totals This report lists the total withdrawals and deposits as well as the net total for each category within the report range. If you wish, the budget and the difference between budget and actual for each category will also be listed. Only categories which have non-zero amounts or non-zero budgets are listed. You can use the Modify Account Data function to select whether to show the budgets and also to select which budgets (total or partial) to show. See the Categories Section for more details on partial and total budgets. 8. Income/Expense This report generates an income statement for this account. The categories are organized by type (income, expense, transfer) and the total amounts in each category are listed. Total income, total expenses, net income, total transfers and net cashflow are also calculated. See the Categories Section (Section C.9) for more information on how to use income, expense and transfer categories. Note that this report is not a true income statement as your accountant would produce. Exchequer is not designed to directly handle accrual accounting techniques nor is it designed to handled non-cash transactions such as depreciation expenses. However, this report can closely approximate a true income statement for many small business. And if your need to handle accrual or non-cash items is minimal, you may be able to simu- late them using "dummy" categories or accounts. Ask your accountant for professional guidance if needed. 9. List of Memorized Checks This option prints a complete list of all memorized checks. 10. List of Categories This option prints a complete list of all categories. 41 C.12 SETUP OPTIONS MENU The Setup Options Menu can be accessed at any time from the Checks, Register, or Categories screens by pressing F2. This menu allows the user to set various default values for Exchequer. To select one of the following six options, highlight that option with the Up and Down arrows, Home and End keys, then press Return. Press ESC to remove the Setup Options Menu and return to the normal display. C.12.a PRINT TEST CHECK When this option is selected, Exchequer will print a test check to verify that your checks are properly aligned in the printer. Be sure to insert the checks into the printer before selecting this option. C.12.b SET DRIVE/DIRECTORY When Exchequer starts, it reads the program configuration file (XC.CFG) to determine the drive/directory where the data files are located. You can change this default drive/directory selection with the Modify Program Defaults option (Section C.12.e). When you select this option, a data entry box will appear below the menu. Enter the name of the new drive/directory (a maximum of 35 characters) and press Return. This drive/directory will be used until you change it again. If you have work which has not been saved, Exchequer will ask you if you want to save it to the current drive/directory before it changes the drive/directory. If you save the data files after changing the current directory, they will be saved in the new directory. (The new drive/directory must already exist. See your DOS manual for instructions on how to create a directory.) C.12.c SET TODAY'S DATE Exchequer automatically retrieves the current date from the computer if it has been set with DOS. (Refer to your DOS manual for how to set the date). This option is used to change the current date. Exchequer uses the current date when it prints checks and when it prints reports. You can also change the date to be used on any individual check or transaction at the time you print or enter it. When you select this option, a small data entry box will appear beneath the menu. Enter the date that you want Exchequer to use on your checks and reports. When you have entered the correct date, press Return to accept it or press ESC to cancel and return to the Setup Options menu. Remember that you can use the "+" and "-" keys to change the date. 42 C.12.d SET STARTING CHECK NUMBER This option allows you to set the check number for the first check which Exchequer will print. A small data entry box will appear beneath the menu. When you have entered the correct number, press Return. Press ESC to cancel and return to the Setup Options menu. Remember that you can use the "+" and "-" keys to change the number. Exchequer will automatically increment the check number each time it prints. The check number can be changed any time you print a check. Exchequer will automatically increment this new check number until it is changed again. C.12.e MODIFY PROGRAM DEFAULTS When first started, Exchequer reads the program configuration file ("XC.CFG") to five four default values. You can change these default settings by selecting this option. 1) Default account name This is the name (a maximum of 8 characters) of the account which is automatically loaded whenever Exchequer is started. This default is set to "SAMPLE" when you receive Exchequer. 2) Default drive/directory This is the name of the disk drive and/or directory where the default data files are stored. Exchequer will use this drive/directory as the current drive until and unless you change it using the Set Drive/Directory option. Drive/ directory names can be up to 35 characters long. Examples of valid drive/directory names: "A:", "C:\CHECKS", "C:\XC". The default directory must already exist. This default is not set when you receive Exchequer. Exchequer will thus search only in the current drive/directory for the data files. You must enter a valid drive/directory name if you want to start Exchequer from any directory using the DOS PATH statement. The Exchequer program file (XC.EXE) does not have to be stored in the same drive/directory as the data files. However, the Exchequer configuration file (XC.CFG) must either be in the same drive/directory as the program (XC.EXE) or on your PATH. 3) Changes between autosave? Exchequer automatically saves the data files after a certain number of changes have been made to them. This prevents the loss of significant amounts of data during a power outage or other malfunction. You can use this option to set the number of changes between "autosaves". The larger the number, the longer you can use Exchequer before it saves a file. 43 The default value is ten; the maximum allowable number is 999. Although you cannot turn the autosave feature off in Exchequer, setting the number to a very high number will effectively eliminate this function. You may find that the autosave feature operates more frequently than you would expect. Don't be alarmed. This happens because Exchequer keeps track of ALL changes to the datafiles. Some operations produce changes in the files which are not immedi- ately apparent to the user. Remember: Using F1 (Quit) to exit Exchequer always saves the data files before returning to DOS. Also, pressing Ctrl-F9 (Save) at almost any point in the program saves all three main data files. 4) Printer for reports: 5) Printer for checks: This option allows you to specify where you want to send your reports and checks. Pressing the <SPACE> bar will cycle through the available options -- LPT1, LPT2, LPT3, PRN, COM1, COM2, COM3, AUX. Although Exchequer can print to any of these devices, it cannot set their parameters. See your DOS manual for information on how to do this (e.g. the Mode command). C.12.f MODIFY CHECK LAYOUT Exchequer can be customized to work with virtually any type of continuous-feed check. The Modify Check Layout function provides a highly visual and interactive method for changing the layout of the check. Most continuous feed checks have a separate stub which Exchequer can use to print certain information. The most common type of check is a bottom-stub check with an actual dimension of 8-1/2 inches wide by 3-1/2 inches long. Exchequer can also be configured to work with top-stub checks and checks with no stubs. You make this choice by modifying the account data. It will also work with checks which are shorter than 3-1/2 inches. Exchequer is not designed to work with checks narrower than 8-1/2 inches wide. You may be able to use such checks by manually select- ing a printer mode which prints 132 characters on a line such as the compressed mode on Epson FX-series printers. However, Left Coast Software does not provide support for this type of check. Exchequer is specifically designed to print checks for use with window envelopes. You have complete control over the location of the payee name (which is normally used as the first line in the address) plus three additional address lines. If you cannot use the payee name as the first line of the address on your particular check, you can type the payee name on the first address line. 44 Exchequer prints up to 10 separate pieces of information on each check that it prints. These are: o Check Number o Date o Amount (in numerals) o Amount (in words) o Payee o Address (3 separate lines) o Memo o Split Although most checks come with pre-printed check numbers, Exchequer also prints the check number so you can verify that your check numbers and the numbers on the checks themselves correspond. The memo field can be used for many purposes. Some people use it to make notes to themselves; others use it to provide information to the payee (i.e. listing the invoice number or your credit card account number). Your intended purpose will dictate where you should locate this field. You can also control whether the memo field is printed at all by modifying the account configuration file. The Split information field lists the individual items comprising the split. The 15-character description and the amount is printed for all non-zero amounts. In addition, the date, the check number, and the total amount of the check are printed at the bottom. This last line is printed even if the check itself is not split. YOU MUST HAVE A CHECK WITH A STUB TO PRINT THE SPLIT INFORMATION. You can also control whether the split information is printed at all by modifying the account configuration file. When you select the Modify Check Layout function, a check layout screen will appear which displays the main body of the check. This screen shows the actual location of each data field. When you start, the date field will be highlighted. The location of this field on the check can be changed by using the arrow keys to move it around the screen. When you are satisfied with its location, press Return to move to the next field. Although the location of most of the data is restricted to the main body of the check, you can locate the memo field on either the body of the check or on the stub. You can also locate the split informa- tion on either part of the check (although it will not print unless you have a stub). To move either of these fields onto the stub (or back onto the check itself), simply move it below the bottom of the check (or the top of the stub). The stub will be displayed and you can locate the data wherever you want. If the checks you are using do not have a separate stub, simply move both the memo and the split fields up until it appears on the main 45 part of the check. Don't worry -- the split information will not print if you do not have a stub. You must also use the Modify Account Data option on the Accounts menu to tell Exchequer that your checks do not have a stub (See Section C.13.3). When locating the split information, remember that the layout screen only shows the top left corner of the split information. When printed, this data can require up to 12 lines to print. BE CAREFUL NOT TO OVERLAP THE SPLIT INFORMATION AND MEMO DATA FIELDS! You can change the length of the check by pressing PgUp or PgDn. You must be working with the main body of the check; this does not work when you are working with the stub portion of the check. Pressing F10 (Print) will print a sample check on the printer which you can use to verify and adjust the check layout. When you are satisfied with the entire check layout, press F9 (Add/Save) to save this information to the check layout data file (e.g. MOORE.DAT on the original distribution diskette). You create this data file whenever you open an account (See Section C.13.b) or modify the account data (See Section C.13.e). Pressing ESC cancels this function and returns to the Setup menu. If you layout a check with overlapping data fields, the printing results are unpredictable. (Most of the time, the printer will print one check, then keep feeding checks through the printer). C.13 ACCOUNT OPTIONS MENU The Account Options Menu provides the user access to several account-related functions. It can be activated from the Register, Checks or Categories Screens by pressing F3. If either the Checks or Categories Screen is displayed, Exchequer will first move you to the Register Screen before displaying this menu. To select one of the following options, highlight it with the Up and Down arrows, Home and End, then press Return. Press ESC to remove the Account Options Menu and return to the Register Screen. C.13.a BALANCE/RECONCILE ACCOUNT One of Exchequer's biggest time-saving features is the Balance Account function. If you are using Exchequer to maintain the master record of your account, there are three steps you must follow before selecting this function. 1. Enter all new transactions from your regular checkbook into Exchequer using the Add Transaction function (F9 from the Register Screen). 2. Enter all additional transactions from you checking account statement (e.g. bank service charges) by using the Add Transaction Function. 46 3. Review the bank statement and mark all transactions in the Register which have cleared the bank by pressing the space bar when that transaction is highlighted. After completing these steps, you can select this option and a new display screen will appear. Enter the ending balance shown on your bank statement and press Return. Exchequer will search through the check register for all uncleared checks and deposits and calculate the following: * Number of uncleared checks * Dollar amount of uncleared checks * Number of uncleared deposits * Dollar amount of uncleared deposits * Check Register Balance * Adjusted Check Register Balance (equals Check Register Balance plus uncleared checks minus uncleared deposits ) * Difference ( equals Ending Balance on Bank Statement minus Adjusted Check Register Balance) The adjusted balance calculated by Exchequer should equal your bank statement balance, so the Difference should be $0.00. If this is not the case, return to the Register by pressing ESC and search for transactions which have been improperly marked (or not marked) as cleared. Also, search for additional transactions which you have not entered or have entered incorrectly into the register. If you are not using Exchequer as the master record for your account, Exchequer can still help balance your account by totalling the uncleared transactions in the register. When you receive your statement, mark the cleared transactions (wherever they were entered) in your checkbook or in Exchequer's register. Use the Balance Account function to determine how many of Exchequer's transactions have not been cleared. C.13.b LOAD EXISTING ACCOUNT Select this option to load another existing account. A two-line data entry box will appear beneath the menu. Enter the drive/directory which contains the data files for the new account and the name of the new account. The drive/directory which you specify here becomes the new current directory. Press F9 to load. Press ESC to cancel and return to the Account Options Menu. When you switch accounts, Exchequer will save all of your current data files (if they have been changed), then load the data files for the new account. If Exchequer cannot load the specified file for 47 any reason, you will not be able to work with the new account. "NONAME" will appear as the account name at the bottom of the screen. C.13.c BACKUP ACCOUNT FILES This function is used to copy all of the data files for a specific account for backup purposes. We strongly encourage you to make a backup every time you use Exchequer. This will help prevent against accidental loss of data. (We also recommend that you print out, at a minimum, all new transactions every time you use Exchequer). When this function is selected, a two-line data entry box will appear below the menu. Enter the name of the drive/directory where you want the backups stored and the name of the backup (e.g. "BACKUP"). The drive/directory you enter does NOT become the current directory. The name of the backup must be different from the account name. Press F9 to Save the account files to the backup files. Press ESC to cancel and return to the Account Options menu. After backing up an account, there will be five new files on your disk (e.g. "BACKUP.CFG", "BACKUP.REG", "BACKUP.CHK", "BACKUP.CAT", and "BACKUP.DAT"). In essence, you have created a new account which is identical to the original. Therefore, you can access the backup files simply by switching to this backup account. If the backup files already exist, Exchequer will ask you if you want to replace these files. If you want to keep separate backups for separate dates, give the backup files unique names! We also recommend that you make additional archive copies of all account files (and the backup files created by Exchequer) on floppy disks or tape cartridge and keep them in a safe place. C.13.c OPEN NEW ACCOUNT Selecting this option opens a new account. When you open an account, Exchequer creates a new account configuration file which contains information about the account. When this option is se- lected, a data entry screen appears which allows you to enter the following information: 1) Account Name This is the name of the account (a maximum of 8 characters). Enter the filename only without an extension. Enter the file name only without an extension; Exchequer will automatically add the extension ".CFG" to the account configuration file and the extension ".REG" to the register file. 48 2) Account Number If you want you can enter the account number on this line. 3) Account Description This is an optional description of the account (a maximum of 35 characters). 4) Category Filename This is the name of the file which contains the list of catego- ries you want to use with this account. Enter the file name only without an extension; Exchequer will automatically add an extension of ".CAT". You can use an existing file of categories with any new account. Simply enter the name of the file you want to use. 5) Checks Filename The name of the file which contains the memorized checks you want to use with this account. Enter the file name only without an extension; Exchequer will automatically add an extension of ".CHK". You can use an existing file of memorized checks with any new account. Simply enter the name of the file you want to use. 6) Check Layout Data The file which contains the check layout data. Enter the file name only without an extension; Exchequer will automatically add the extension ".DAT". You do not need to specify a check layout file. If you do not, Exchequer will use its default values for printing checks. 7) Print Memo on Checks? If you want to print the memo field on your checks, select YES on this line. The default is YES. 8) Print Splits on Checks? If you want to print information on split transactions on your checks, select YES. Exchequer will not print this information unless you tell it that you are using checks with stubs (see next item). The default is YES. 9) Do checks have a stub? If your checks have a top or bottom stub, select YES. The default is YES. 49 10) Top or bottom stub? If your checks have a stub, you must also tell Exchequer whether it is a top or bottom stub. The default is bottom stub. If your checks do not have a stub, you can ignore this selection. 11) Print memo line on reports? Most of the report options (see Section C.11) print numerous entries from the check register. If this default value is set to YES, Exchequer will print the check number, date, payee and amount on one line and then will print the memo and category number on a second line just below that. If this value is set to NO, Exchequer will not print the memo and category number line. 12) Print Splits on Reports? If this selection is set to YES, Exchequer will print all of the information about split transactions in its reports. Specifi- cally, it will print the description, category number and amount of all non-zero items below the transaction itself. Note that if you set this setting to NO, Exchequer will still print the split information if you select the Sorted By Category Report. 13) Use Budgets on Reports? Use this setting to choose whether you want to include the budget for each category as well as the difference between budget and actual expenditures/deposits on the Category Totals and the Income/Expense Reports. 14) Use Total or Partial Budgets? If you choose to use budgets (see 13), you can also choose whether you want to use the total budget or the partial budget (i.e. $2000 per month). This allows you to do partial-year reports. For example, if all of your budgets are on a monthly basis, you could produce a monthly Income/Expense Report by choosing the appropriate report, then selecting all transactions for that month. However, you must be consistent; if you mix budget periods, the budget figures in your reports will not be accurate. 15) Double Space Reports? You can choose to double space most of the reports. This is not true double spacing. Instead, Exchequer will print a blank line after each transaction (which could be as long as 12 lines). If you do not specify a filename for the Checks, Categories or Check Layout File, Exchequer will automatically use the Account name for these files. 50 When all of the information is correct, press F9 to open the new account. Exchequer will save the data files for the account which is currently loaded and create the new data files immediately. The new files are created in the current drive/directory. (Exchequer determines if there are any files with these names. If so, Exchequer uses these files rather than creating new files). Press ESC to cancel this function and return to the Account Options menu. If you want Exchequer to automatically load this account whenever it starts, you will need to change the program defaults by selecting the Modify Program Defaults from the Setup Options menu. See Section C.12.e. C.13.e MODIFY ACCOUNT DATA This option allows you to modify the account configuration file you created when you opened a new account. The data entry screen which appears is identical to the one you used to open the account. (See Section C.13.b). The impact of changing any of the five items in the account configuration file is described below: 1) Account Name Exchequer will first save the register to the current register data file, then create a copy of this file with the new name. Any future changes will be saved to the new data file. 2) Account Description Changing the account description has no impact on any file except the account configuration file. 3) Checks Filename 4) Category Filename 5) Check Layout Data If you change the name of the checks file, the categories file, or the check layout file, Exchequer will search for an existing file (in the current directory only) with this name. If it does not exist, Exchequer will create a new file with this name. If it does exist, Exchequer will use this file whenever you load this account. You must use the Load Existing Account option (See Section C.13.c) if you want to start using this new file immediately. (Although Exchequer allows you to specify a new category or checks file for an existing account, doing so can have DISASTROUS results since this will almost certainly destroy the correlation between the category numbers on the three files. BE VERY CAREFUL if you change the names of these two files). 51 When you are satisfied with the account information, press F9 to Save it to the account configuration file. Press ESC to cancel this function and return to the Account Options menu. C.13.f ROLL ACCOUNT FORWARD Exchequer can handle up to 4000 transactions in its check register. This should be more than sufficient to handle an entire year's worth of work for most Exchequer users. At some time (typically at the start of the year) you will want to roll the account forward to make room for more transactions. When you do this, Exchequer stores all of the old transactions in a separate archive (as opposed to a backup) file, calculates a new beginning balance for the account, and inserts an entry showing that beginning balance in your account. BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN USING THIS FUNCTION SINCE IT IS IRREVERSIBLE! MAKE SEVERAL BACKUP COPIES OF YOUR ACCOUNT FILES BEFORE ROLLING AN ACCOUNT FORWARD. IF YOU ARE NOT CERTAIN YOU WANT TO ROLL THE ACCOUNT FORWARD, STOP IMMEDIATELY! When you select this option, you will be asked to enter the drive/directory where you want the files stored and the name of the archive file. When you are ready to proceed, press F9 (Add/Save). Exchequer will then display the register and ask you to mark the end of the section you want to save in the archive file. Use the arrow keys, Home, End, Ctrl-Home, Ctrl-End or Ctrl-F (Find) to make your selection, then press Return to proceed. All transactions which are highlighted will eventually be stored in the archive file. At this point, you will be given another chance to confirm that you actually want to archive this account. Exchequer will first save the current data files, then write all of the old transactions to the archive file. These transactions are then deleted from the current register and the updated register file is saved again. The first entry in the updated register will be labelled "BEGINNING BALANCE" and will show the balance as of that date. Exchequer also creates copies of the account configuration, checks, category and check layout files. This allows you to make a permanent record of these files as of this date. The archive file which is created with this process can be viewed, modified, and printed just like any other account. To do this, select the Load Existing Account option (Section C.13.c). YOU SHOULD MAKE BACKUP COPIES OF THIS ARCHIVE FILE IMMEDIATELY either from within Exchequer or with DOS. If all checks in the archive file have been marked as cleared, the cleared marker on the beginning balance entry will be set on. If there are some transactions in the archive file which have not been cleared, this marker will be off. As with the other transactions, you can toggle this marker on and off by pressing the space bar. The Balance Account function will not produce accurate results until all transactions in the old file are cleared. Balancing your account 52 will be easier if you wait until all of the transactions that you want to write to the archive file are cleared before you archive them. 53 E. EXAMPLES This section provides step-by-step examples for performing some of Exchequer's most basic operations. In all of these examples, we assume that you are starting from the Register Screen and that you are using the SAMPLE files provided with Exchequer. (Exchequer will automatically load these files upon startup until you change the program default values). If the Register Screen is not dis- played, press ESC repeatedly until you hear a beep, then press F6 to move to this screen. 1. PRINTING A CHECK There are actually two ways to print checks with Exchequer. You can print checks one at a time or you can print a batch of checks all at once. a) PRINTING A SINGLE CHECK To print a single check to Pacific Bell for $35.00, follow these step-by-step instructions: 1) Press F5 to go to the Check Screen. 2) Press the down arrow key repeatedly until "Pacific Bell..." is highlighted. Press Return. 3) If a "Insert PAPER in printer" message appears, press F10. 4) Type "35.00" to enter the amount in the highlighted data field, then press F10. The check will be printed, all of the informa- tion will be stored in the register, and the check form on the screen will be cleared. In addition, Exchequer will automati- cally advance the check number. 5) Press ESC to return to the Checks Screen. b) PRINTING A BATCH OF CHECKS To print a batch of checks all at once, follow these step-by-step instructions: 1) Press F5 to go to the Check Screen. 2) Select the checks you want to print by using the arrow keys to highlight a specific check, then press the space bar to "tag" it. Pressing the space bar repeatedly "toggles" the marker in the far left column on and off. If this indicator is shown, the check is selected and will be printed. If the marker is not shown, the check is not selected and will not be printed. 3) When you are satisfied with your selections, press F10 for print. A data entry screen which looks very similar to a regular check will appear on your screen. This check will 54 display the information for the first check which you "tagged" for printing in step 2. 4) If the amount on the check selected is $0.00, you will hear a beep and a message will appear on the command line to enter the amount of the check. 5) You can now enter or correct any of the information shown on the check prior to printing it. Use the Up, Down, Tab, Shift- Tab, Ctrl-Left, Ctrl-Right keys or Return to move around to the different fields in the check. (See Sections C.6 for how to enter data). 6) When all of the information is correct, press F10 to print the check. The check will be printed, all of the information will be stored in the register, and the check form will show the information for the next check in the batch. In addition, Exchequer will automatically advance the check number. If you decide that you don't want to print a specific check, press F7 to skip that check when it appears on the screen. It will not be entered in the register. Exchequer will display the information for the next check to be printed. You can cancel printing the remaining checks in this batch at any time by pressing ESC. 7) When all of the checks you selected have been printed, Exchequer will display an empty check form so you can enter and print additional checks. Press ESC to return to the Checks Screen. When you return to the Checks Screen, notice that the batch markers have been cleared for all checks which you printed. 2. FINDING A TRANSACTION IN THE CHECK REGISTER Exchequer provides an easy way to find a specific transaction in the check register. We'll give two examples. In the first, we'll find a check with the check number "1130". In the second, we'll find the last check we wrote to "Pacific Bell". To find the check numbered 1130: 1) Press Ctrl-Home to go to the top of the register. 2) Press Ctrl-F. A Find box will appear in place of the highlight bar in the register. 3) Press Ctrl-Left (or Shift-Tab) twice to move to the check number field. 4) Type "1130" and press the Down Arrow to search down from the current position in the register. Exchequer will find the check 55 and display that section of the register. To find the last check written to Pacific Bell: 1) Press Ctrl-End to go to the bottom of the register. 2) Press Ctrl-F to display the Find box. 3) Type "Pacific Bell" and press the Up Arrow to search up from the current position. Exchequer will find the last check written to Pacific Bell and display that section of the register. 3. ADDING A TRANSACTION TO THE REGISTER Although Exchequer automatically stores all checks which you print from the Memorized Checks screen, you may want to enter other transactions such as checks written on your regular checkbook, ATM deposits, etc. To add a transaction to the register, do the following: 1) Press F9 for Add. The Register screen will be replaced by a blank data entry screen which looks very similar to a regular check. 2) Enter the information about the transaction in the appropriate data fields. Use the Up and Down arrows, Tab, Shift-Tab, Ctrl-Left, Ctrl-Right or Return to move around to the different check fields. (See Sections C.6 on entering data). 3) When all of the information is correct, press F9 to Save the transaction. All of the information will be stored in the register and the check form will be cleared. 4) If you wish to add more transactions, return to step 2. If not, press ESC to return to the Register Screen. 4. MEMORIZING A CHECK One of the major advantages of using Exchequer to pay your bills is that you can memorize all of the data for checks which you write routinely. To memorize a check (or withdrawal or deposit), do the following: 1) Press F5 to go to the Memorized Checks screen. 2) Press F9 to Add a Memorized Check. A data entry screen will appear. 3) You can now enter the payee's name, address, the amount of the check (if you know it), and the category to which you want to assign this check. Use the Up and Down arrow, Tab, Shift-Tab, Ctrl-Left, Ctrl-Right or Return to move around to the different fields in the check. (See Section C.6 on entering data). You 56 can leave any of this information blank and fill it in later when you actually print the check. 4) When all of the information is correct, press F9 to save the check. The check will be memorized and the check form will be cleared so you can memorize another check. 5) Press ESC to return to the Checks Screen. 5. ADDING A BUDGET/EXPENSE CATEGORY Follow these steps to add a budget/expense category to the list of categories: 1) Press F4 to move to the Categories Screen. 2) Press F9 to Add a category. A blank line will appear at the bottom of the list. 3) Enter the category number from 1 to 99 (e.g. "91") and press Return. 4) Enter the category description (e.g. "Entertainment") and press Return. 5) Choose a category type by pressing <Space>, then press Return. 6) Enter a budget amount (e.g. $225) and press Return. 7) Enter a budget period (e.g. Month) by pressing <Space> until the period you want is displayed, then press Return. 8) When all of the data is correct, press F9 to Save this category. If you want to add more categories, return to Step 3. If not, press ESC to return to the Categories Screen. 6. BALANCING YOUR CHECKBOOK (To try this example, you either need to create your own account and use your own bank statement or just make up data as you move through the example.) Exchequer greatly simplifies the task of balancing your checkbook. To use Exchequer's Balance Checkbook function, do the following (steps 2 and 3 should be familiar from balancing your checkbook manually): 1) Review your conventional checkbook to make sure you have entered all transactions into Exchequer's register. (See Section C.6.b). 2) Review your bank statement to identify any other deposits or withdrawals which should be entered into Exchequer's register. Enter all of these transactions into Exchequer. 57 3) Using your bank statement, mark all transactions in Exchequer's register which have cleared the bank. To do this, use the arrow keys (and PgUp, PgDn, Home, End, Ctrl-Home, Ctrl-End) to highlight the transaction, then press the space bar. A checkmark will appear in the "?" column. Pressing the space bar repeatedly will "toggle" the cleared indicator on and off. The marker indicates that this transaction has been cleared by the bank. 4) When you have accurately marked all cleared transactions, press F3 to display the Accounts Options menu. 5) Press Return to select "Balance/Reconcile Account". 6) Enter the ending balance listed on your bank statement and press Return. 7) Exchequer will calculate and show you the following data: * Number of uncleared checks * Dollar amount of uncleared checks * Number of uncleared deposits * Dollar amount of uncleared deposits * Check Register Balance * Adjusted Check Register Balance * Difference If the difference is equal to zero, your checking account is balanced. Press ESC to return to the Register Screen (and pat yourself on the back!) If the difference is not equal to zero, your account does not balance. Look for errors as you normally do when your account does not balance. 8) Press ESC to return to the Register Screen. 7. PRINTING THE CHECK REGISTER To print out the entire check register file, do the following: 1) Verify that the paper is inserted properly into the printer. 2) Press F10 to display the Report Options Menu. 3) Press either F10 or Return. 58 4) If an "Insert PAPER into printer" message appears, press F10 to proceed with printing. (This message only appears if you have printed some checks first). 5) Move to the top of the Register by pressing Ctrl-Home, then press Return to select it as the start of the report range. 6) Move to the bottom of the Register by pressing Ctrl-End, then press Return to select it as the end of the report range. 7) Press F10 or Return to print the Report. 8) When the report is finished, press ESC to return to the Register Screen. 8. PRINTING THE LIST OF MEMORIZED TRANSACTIONS The Memorized Checks screen does not display all of the information which is stored for each memorized check. Although you can see this information by pressing F8 (Modify) from the Checks Screen, you may also want a complete printout of this data. To obtain such a list, do the following: 1) Insert paper into your printer. 2) Press F10 to display the Report Options menu. 3) Press the down arrow repeatedly until the "List of Memorized Checks" option is highlighted, then press F10. 4) If an "Insert PAPER into printer" message appears, press F10 to proceed with printing. (This message only appears if you have printed some checks first). 5) Press F10 or Return to print the Report. 6) When finished, press ESC to return to the Register Screen. 9. PRINTING THE LIST OF CATEGORIES Perform the following steps to print a complete list of the budget/expense categories you are currently using. 1) Insert paper into your printer. 2) Press F10 to display the Report Options menu. 3) Press the down arrow until the "List of Categories" option is highlighted, then press F10. 4) If an "Insert PAPER into printer" message appears, press F10 to proceed with printing. (This message only appears if you have printed some checks first). 59 5) Press F10 or Return to print the Report. 6) When the report is finished, press ESC to return to the Register Screen. 10. OPENING A NEW ACCOUNT Although a sample account is included with the Exchequer distribu- tion diskette, you will undoubtedly want to open a new account. Let's assume you will name this account "MYCHECKS" and will create new files for both categories and memorized checks. Let's also assume you will continue to use the "MOORE" check layout data file. 1) Press F3 to display the Account Options menu. 2) Press the Down Arrow repeatedly until the "Open New Account" option is highlighted and press Return. A data entry box will appear in the middle of your screen. 3) Enter the name of the account (i.e. "MYCHECKS") and press Return. 4) Enter the account number (i.e. 132345-32345) and press Return. 5) Enter a description of the account (i.e. "MYCHECKS") and press Return. 6) Enter the name of the file which will contain the list of categories for this account (i.e. "MYCHECKS") and press Return. 7) Enter the name of the file which will contain the list of memorized checks for this account (i.e. "MYCHECKS") and press Return. 8) Enter the name of the file which will contain the check layout data (i.e. "MOORE"). 9) If you want, you can modify the remaining values at this time. 10) Press F9 to open the account. Exchequer will first save the current account files, then create the new account files and switch to the new account. 11. SWITCHING ACCOUNTS In many cases, you will maintain more than one account with Exchequer. To switch accounts: 1) Press F3 to display the Account Options menu. 2) Press the down arrow until the "Load Existing Account" option is highlighted and press Return. 60 3) Enter the name of the drive/directory containing the new account (e.g. "C:\CHECKS") and press Return. This directory must already exist. 4) Enter the name of the account you want to load (e.g. "MYCHECKS") and press Return. 5) Press F9 to switch to the new account. Exchequer will save all of the current data files before switching to the new account. 61 E. OTHER USES FOR EXCHEQUER Although Exchequer is designed primarily as a check writing/ check- book management program, you can use it for a wide variety of simple accounting tasks. Some potential applications include: * Savings Accounts Although you will not be writing checks on a savings account, Exchequer's other functions can be used just as they would be with a checking account. * Credit Card Accounts Use Exchequer to manage your credit card accounts by opening a separate account for each credit card. Simply enter each charge (including interest charges) on your credit card as a deposit and all payments as checks. The balance shown in Exchequer's Register will be the amount you owe on your credit card. An advantage to using Exchequer for this purpose is that you can assign each charge to a category which is useful for identifying your tax-related expenditures when preparing your tax return. * Payments to a Doctor Exchequer is also useful for tracking payments to a doctor. The method for doing this is essentially identical to tracking a credit card account. Open a separate account for each doctor and enter all bills as deposits and all payments to the doctor as withdrawals. The final balance shown on Exchequer's Register is the amount you owe the doctor at the current time. By assigning bills and payments to separate categories, you can easily track medical expenses for each member of your family. You can also track insurance payments this way. (Hint: Mark each doctor's bill as "cleared" in Exchequer's Register when you or your doctor receives the corresponding payment from your insurance company or when it is fully paid. You'll be able to tell at a glance the status of each bill). * Accounts Receivable If you run a small business, you can use Exchequer to track accounts payable as described in the preceding section. You can also use it to track your accounts receivable. Treat each invoice as a check (which allows you to enter invoice numbers as check numbers) and enter the customer and/or a description of the invoice as the payee. The amount you are owed will be shown as a negative balance. By assigning each customer a unique category number, you can use just one account to track all of your Accounts Receivable. Use the Print Sorted By Category (or Print Sorted By Payee) from the Reports Menu to get an up-to-date status report. 62 CUSTOMER SERVICE Left Coast provides free technical support for Exchequer. If you require technical support, please call us at (408) 996-3130 between 9:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. Pacific time (12:00 Noon to 8:00 P.M. Eastern time). You may also write us at: Left Coast Software P.O. Box 160601 Cupertino, CA 95016-0601 or fax a message to us at (408) 996-7154. You may also send us a message on CompuServe (71160,756). It may take us a several days to respond to CompuServe messages. You may obtain the most recent version of the program from Compu- Serve or GEnie. New versions are uploaded to these services almost immediately after their release. We thank you for supporting Exchequer. If you have suggestions for how to improve the program, please write us. We love hearing from our customers. 63 OTHER LEFT COAST PROGRAMS Left Coast Software also sells two other shareware programs for the PC -- PC-Areacode and Mandelbrot Magic. To order any Left Coast product, call (408) 996-3130 or use the order form on the next page. We accept VISA and MasterCard. PC-AREACODE (Version 2.1) PC-Areacode is a useful utility program which can find the areacode for virtually any city in the U.S. and Canada in less than two seconds on a 4.77 Mhz PC and a floppy drive. It contains almost 18,000 city names in its built-in database. You can either browse through the cities in its database or type in the name of a city you want to locate. You can even type in an areacode and PC-Areacode will tell you what state it serves. PC-Areacode can run as either a standalone program or as a memory-resident utility. PC-Areacode runs on any IBM PC, XT, AT or PS/2 compatible computer running DOS 2.0 or higher. The registration fee for PC-Areacode is just $15.00. MANDELBROT MAGIC (Version 3.1) Fractal geometry has been used in the past to create images and models of many differing subjects. From three-dimensional pictures of landscapes in movies to an accurate cross section of the heart, fractals are at the leading edge of research in many fields. Mandelbrot Magic generates stunning color displays ("slides") of the Mandelbrot Set and Julia Sets, a famous group of fractals. The Mandelbrot Set has been called "the most complicated object in mathematics." Fractal geometry is a complicated mathematical field, but Mandelbrot Magic is easy to use and will create spectacu- lar slides with a few simple inputs. With Mandelbrot Magic, you can create a new slide or load and view an existing slide from disk. The program runs on virtually any color graphics adapter and supports four different color modes from CGA (320 x 200 x 4 colors) to VGA (640 x 480 x 16 colors), depending on which adapter you use. Although the program offers three auto- matic coloring algorithms, the user has complete control over the color of any pixel as well as the color palette. Several different pre- programmed palettes are also provided. The program also features different "animation" techniques which make the features in the slide appear to move. One of the unique things about fractals is that they reveal more and more detail the closer you get and the small-scale details are similar to the large-scale details. With Mandelbrot Magic, you can graphically select any part of the slide to magnify. You can "zoom" in on various features of the fractal and reveal more detail. You can also create slideshows consisting of a sequence of up to 20 existing slides. 64 Generating a slide is an intensive computational task and can take from three to sixteen hours. However, the program supports the use of an 8087 math coprocessor which will cut generation times by a factor of 3 to 5. You can also stop work on a slide then resume generation at a later time. In addition, registered users receive a copy of BackMAGIC, a memory resident program that can generate slides in the background while you run other programs! The documentation includes a list of suggested parameters for interesting slides and a list of suggested readings for those who want to explore the theoretical foundations of fractals in greater detail. Mandelbrot Magic runs on any IBM PC, XT, AT or PS/2 compatible computer running DOS 2.0 or higher. It requires a CGA, MCGA, EGA or VGA video adapter (EGA or VGA recommended). Mandelbrot Magic requires at least 200 K, 350 K and 430 K of free memory for a CGA, EGA and VGA equipped system, respectively. An 8087, 80287 or 80387 math co-processor is recommended but not required. The registration fee for Mandelbrot Magic Version 3.1 is just $15.00. 65 ORDER/REGISTRATION FORM Ship to: Bill to (if different): _________________________ ___________________________ _________________________ ___________________________ _________________________ ___________________________ Daytime phone number: ___________________________________________ Payment Method (please circle one): VISA MC Check COD Credit Card Number:______________________ Expiration Date:_______ Name on card (if different): ____________________________________ Signature (if using credit card): _______________________________ PLEASE SHIP ME THE FOLLOWING: _____ copies of Exchequer at $15.00 = ____________________ _____ copies of PC-Areacode at $15.00 = ____________________ _____ copies of Mandelbrot Magic at $15.00 = ____________________ (includes BackMAGIC) California Residents Add Sales Tax = ______________________ Shipping/Handling (per order) 3.00 TOTAL: ____________________________ [ ] Check here if you want 3-1/2" disks Where did you obtain your copy of or hear about Exchequer? Please be specific._____________________________________________________ Send form to: Left Coast Software P.O. Box 160601 Cupertino, CA 95016-0601 Or FAX form to: (408) 996-7154 You may also order/register by phone by calling (408) 996-3130. XC23/1290 66