The Business Master (3rd Edition)

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******************************************************************** ******************************************************************** ** ** ** ** ** $$$ $$$ $$$$$$$ $$$ $$$ $$$$$$ ** ** $$$ $$$ $$$ $$$ $$$$ $$$$ $$$ $$$ ** ** $$$ $$$ $$$ $$$ $$$$$ $$$$$ $$$ ** ** $$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$ $$$ $$$$ $$$ $$$$$$$$ ** ** $$$ $$$ $$$ $$$ $$$ $$ $$$ $$$ ** ** $$$ $$$ $$$ $$$ $$$ $$$ $$$ $$$ ** ** $$$ $$$ $$$$$$$ $$$ $$$ $$$$$$ ** ** ** ** ** ** the ** ** ** ** H O M E B U D G E T M A N A G E M E N T S Y S T E M ** ** ** ** Version 4.31 July 1992 ** ** ** ** ** ** Copyright (C) 1988 - 1992 BRENTSON L. WORRELL ** ******************************************************************** ******************************************************************** The fastest, easiest, and most flexible system to record and report on your financial transactions. _______ ____|__ | (tm) BRENTSON L. WORRELL --| | |------------------- 6404 Mornay Dr. | ____|__ | Association of Tampa, FL 33615-3426 | | |_| Shareware (813) 886-2282 |__| o | Professionals -----| | |--------------------- |___|___| MEMBER "This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware- related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427, or send a Compuserve message via Compuserve Mail easyplex to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536" Table of Contents page ___________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION ------------- Shareware ................................ 1 Using the Documentation .................. 2 Keyboard Designations .................... 3 Warranty ................................. 3 Requirements and Limitations ............. 3 Packing List ............................. 4 What is HBMS and What Will It Do? ........ 5 Sample Data .............................. 5 How do I Get Started and Use HBMS? ....... 6 Steps to Creating a Budget System ........ 6 PART 1 ..... BASIC CONCEPTS and CONVENTIONS --------------------------------------------------- Chart of Accounts ........................ 7 Chart of Accounts Requirement ............ 7 Double Entry ............................. 7 Fiscal Year .............................. 9 Text Data Entry .......................... 9 Numerical Data Entry ..................... 9 Command Line Parameters .................. 10 Record Numbers ........................... 11 File Names ............................... 11 Saving Data .............................. 11 Output Errors ............................ 12 ">" and "*" characters ................... 12 <F1> key ................................. 12 <F2> Code Help .......................... 12 <F3> Pop-up Calculator .................. 13 <F4> Macros ............................. 14 PART 2 DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS of MAIN MENU ITEMS ------------------------------------------------- INITIALIZING NEW YEAR .................... 16 Begin New Year .................... 16 Initial Balances .................. 17 ACCOUNT/CATEGORY MAINTENANCE ............. 17 Add, Delete, or Change ............ 17 Resequencing....................... 18 Naming your system ................ 19 Sound effects ..................... 19 BUDGET ASSIGNMENT ........................ 19 Table of Contents (continued) page ___________________________________________________ LEDGER POSTING ........................... 20 Action Prompt ..................... 22 VIEW Ledger ....................... 22 EDIT Mode ......................... 22 TEMPLATES ......................... 23 Printing Checks ................... 24 Tips & Shortcuts .................. 25 RECONCILE STATEMENTS ..................... 26 Mark/Unmark ....................... 26 Summary Report .................... 26 Show Uncleared Transactions ....... 27 CLOSE/OPEN MONTH ......................... 27 CHANGE BUDGET YEAR/PATH .................. 27 SCREEN REPORTS ........................... 28 PRINTED REPORTS .......................... 29 FILE EXPORT .............................. 30 JUMP TO DOS (DOS Shell) .................. 31 APPENDIX --------------------------------------------------- Questions and Answers .................... 31 For Users of Older Versions (before 3.0).. 33 SHAREWARE HBMS is being distributed under the Shareware concept. This is a distribution method, not a type of software. It is also NOT Public Domain software. Shareware authors retain all rights to the software under the copyright laws, but still allow free distribution. In most cases once you make a purchase of commercial software, you are stuck with it, even if it's not what you had hoped for. Shareware is different! You the user, have the chance to obtain Shareware at a minimum price, and try it out to see if it fits your needs. If you continue to use Shareware after a reasonable trial period, you are required to register with the author and pay a registration fee. If you decide not to use it you can throw it away, or better yet, give it to someone else for their evaluation. Shareware is a good deal for everyone. Compared to commercial software, prices are usually much lower because authors save on the expense of advertising, distribution, etc. The users get to "try before you buy". Also, most Shareware authors are usually more likely to respond to questions and suggestions for improvement. You can give complete copies of HBMS to others, but that does not mean it is a free program. You may use HBMS on a trial basis. For continued use you are required to pay a $35.00 registration fee. If you obtained HBMS from a ShareWare distributor that typically sells disks for $6 or less, rest assured than none of that money comes to me. Registration not only includes support and keeps you abreast of updates, but encourages authors to create and maintain quality software. Upon receipt of the registration fee you will receive a copy of the latest version of HBMS and a password that lets you bypass the Shareware reminder screen and insert your name directly into the program. Previously registered users, are charged only a $5 media/handling fee to update to later versions. HBMS is constantly being improved. Other than full registration, there are two ways you can obtain an evaluation copy of the latest version: 1. Send $5 for either 5-1/4 inch or 3-1/2 inch disk. 2. Download HBMS directly from my computer. Since I don't run a bulletin board, you will have to call ahead by voice first so I can set up a communications program on my end. * There is an order form named ORDERFRM.DOC, included in the HBMS * package. Just copy it to your printer. ALWAYS MENTION WHAT * VERSION OF HBMS YOU ARE USING IN CORRESPONDENCE. I feel that I can provide the best support for HBMS by telephone and mail. Although the latest version of HBMS is always kept on Compuserve and the GEnie network, please do not try to contact me via these services. _______ ____|__ | (tm) BRENTSON L. WORRELL --| | |------------------- 6404 Mornay Dr. | ____|__ | Association of Tampa, FL 33615-3426 | | |_| Shareware (813) 886-2282 |__| o | Professionals -----| | |--------------------- |___|___| MEMBER - 1 - USING THE DOCUMENTATION The main documentation for HBMS is divided into four parts: INTRODUCTION: Contains basic statistics and explains the Shareware concept, but more importantly it describes HBMS and gives you an idea of what to expect, and how to get started. PART 1: Contains concepts and conventions that are critical to successful usage of the program. They are listed roughly in order of their importance. PART 2: Documents HBMS by detailing the functions of each item on the Main Menu. APPENDIX: Contains commonly asked questions and answers, and information for users who are upgrading from versions before v3.0. If you are new to HBMS, I strongly suggest you read at least through PART 1 before you attempt to use the program. Veteran users might get by with just reading about the changes listed in the WHATSNEW document. If you have already taken the "test drive", don't forget about the sample data. It can be very helpful when questions arise. There are examples of every type of transaction you are likely to need. THE QUESTION AND ANSWER SECTION MAY GET YOU OUT OF A JAM ALSO. I have discovered that most of the problems users have, are associated with (in order of frequency), failure to read the documentation, unfamiliarity with DOS and computers in general, trying to run HBMS via a DOS shell or menu type program, and damaged or incomplete program files. Printer setup problems seem to generate the most phone calls. Please read the printer documentation carefully. Other documents for the HBMS "package": README.BAT has introductory information and instructions on how to run the INSTALL program. HBSETUP.DOC has information on setting up your printer, color selection, and other configurable aspects of HBMS. It also has provisions to convert HBMS.EXE to a registered version. PRCHECK.DOC has instructions needed for printing checks. TESTDRIV.DOC is a limited "walk-through" description that serves as a quick demo of HBMS and what it's like to use it. WHATSNEW.DOC describes the changes and improvements in this and some previous versions. VENDOR.DOC contains information of interest to Shareware vendors, users groups, and bulletin boards. - 2 - KEYBOARD DESIGNATIONS Throughout the documentation, and in the program you will see references like <F1>. This refers to a key on your keyboard, in this case Function Key 1. A single keystroke is all that is required. You do not need to follow it with the "ENTER" key. There are also references to control keys such as <CTRL-B>. This means hold down the "CTRL" key and hit "B". <KEYPAD> is used to refer to the <UP>, <DN>, <PgUp>, <PgDn>, <HOME>, and <END> keys. In some cases the <LEFT> and <RIGHT> arrow keys are used also. They work exactly as you would expect. Use them to "navigate" through the data. For you "WordStar" fans, the control keys work in addition to the <KEYPAD> keys. The <+> and <-> keys are generally used to step through the months, forward and backward. WARRANTY The Home Budget Management System (HBMS), is supplied AS IS. There is no warranty of any kind, expressed or implied. I shall not be held liable for any damages, whether direct or indirect, from a failure of this program to operate in the manner desired by the user. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS IBM PC, or compatible DOS 2.0 or later 320K RAM (program uses approx. 254K) 1 disk drive Printer recommended, but full screen reports available. Printer should be capable of printing 132 columns, such as a dot matrix or laser printer using a condensed pitch (approx. 17 characters per inch). LIMITATIONS 38 categories 254 accounts (38 per category) 12 reconcilable accounts (checking) 1148 ledger transactions per month. - 3 - PACKING LIST The following files make up the HBMS package: README.BAT batch file displays introductory and installation info ORDERFRM.DOC order form for registration and latest version VENDOR.DOC information for Shareware distributors INSTALL.EXE installs HBMS and optionally prints documentation HBMSPROG.EXE self-extracting compressed file containing: HBSETUP.EXE setup program to configure HBMS. HBMS.EXE main program HBMS.OVR overlay for main program SAMPDATA.EXE self-extracting compressed file containing: CATS.84 sample data file ACCOUNTS.84 sample data file LEDGR-4.84 sample data file HCONFIG.84 sample data file MACROS.84 sample data file TEMPLATE.84 sample data file DUEDATES.84 sample data file HBMSDOCS.EXE self-extracting compressed file containing: ORDERFRM.DOC duplicate form for registration and latest version WHATSNEW.DOC new features and history of v4.31 TESTDRIV.DOC text file with demonstration instructions HBSETUP.DOC documentation for HBSETUP.EXE HBMS.DOC main documentation PRCHECK.DOC documentation file on how to create PRCHECK.HBM. (needed only if you intend to print checks) - 4 - WHAT IS HBMS and WHAT WILL IT DO? HBMS is a means to record your daily transactions and create reports. Have you ever wondered: "Where did all the money go?". If you kept track of your finances you would know where it went, and how to handle it better in the future. Financial record-keeping is a desirable and enlightening habit to get into, but it's usually a dreaded task and a prime target for procrastination. HBMS is designed to help make it as painless as possible. HBMS is fast, easy, and flexible. You may want to use it as a reference on your entire financial position, or just use it as a check register. It's easy to keep accurate and complete records of all your financial transactions. A carefully designed Chart of Accounts and faithful record-keeping, will reward you with a variety of useful and informative reports, either on screen or printed in formatted statements. These reports can help you decide how to better manage your money and the figures will be very welcome when tax time arrives! Along the way, while you are creating this "history" of your finances, HBMS lets you compare budget goals, and reconcile your checkbook or credit card purchases. The ability to print checks was introduced in version 4.0. At present, HBMS will not draw charts or create other graphics, but it does include an export feature to allow other programs to use the data it has recorded. HBMS uses a double entry ledger system. This concept is explained later, and it's easier than it sounds. IF YOU ARE NOT CLEAR ON ANY CONCEPT, SEE HOW IT'S HANDLED IN THE SAMPLE DATA. SAMPLE DATA Supplied with HBMS you should find seven sample data files with an extension of ".84". The "84" extension refers to the year and should be specified as the Year of Account Data when you want to load these sample files. By running HBMS with this sample data you can easily see what the program has to offer. You will be able to see the results of what can be achieved, before you begin your own budget and have to wait for the data to accumulate. The first dozen transactions encompass most of the transactions you will want to enter. The sample data also contains examples of templates and macros (explained later). WARNING: The current open month in the sample data is April. In order to keep the program package size down, the ledger transaction files for the first three months are missing. Since HBMS will not be able to find these ledger files, it will refuse to do some functions associated with these months. However, all the total values for these three months are stored in the ACCOUNTS.84 file. NOTE: Before trying to print any of the sample data, you must run HBSETUP to configure your printer. - 5 - HOW DO I GET STARTED AND USE HBMS? When you are ready to start your own budget, you will need only HBSETUP.EXE, HBMS.EXE, and its overlay HBMS.OVR. These files should be on the same floppy, or in the same directory on your hard drive. It's also very important that you run HBMS from the disk/directory that contains the main program. Please don't try to run HBMS from another directory. Some menu or shell type programs attempt to do this. HBMS expects to find its configuration files (those with an extension of ".HBM") in the "current" directory. It's ok for your data files to be located elsewhere since you can tell HBMS where to look via the "data path" mentioned below. Creating your own Budget System consists of the following basic steps: Step Main Menu Selection -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Install HBMS to your disk as mentioned in the README file. 2. Run HBSETUP to configure your printer and other options. 3. Run HBMS and "Begin a New Year". (INITIALIZE) 4. Name your budget system. (ACCOUNT MAINTENANCE) 5. Build your "Chart of Accounts". (ACCOUNT MAINTENANCE) 6. Enter the "Initial Balances" for your Assets and Liabilities. These are the current balances for your checking, savings, credit cards, loans, etc. (back to INITIALIZE) 7. Assign any Budget goals you would like to strive for and compare later. This is an optional feature. (BUDGET) 8. Record your transactions over the days and months. (This is the tough part). (LEDGER POSTING) 9. At the end of each month you "Close the Month" in preparation for the following month. Transactions can only be posted or edited in the current open month. (CLOSE/OPEN) 10. REAP THE BENEFITS of your hard work with the screen and printed reports. If you've done it right, your complete financial picture will be at your fingertips. (REPORTS) 11. When you reach the end of your fiscal year, use the "Begin New Year" menu selection to set up for the next year. You can optionally use the same Chart of Accounts. (INITIALIZE) - 6 - PART 1 --- BASIC CONCEPTS and CONVENTIONS =========================================== CHART of ACCOUNTS A Chart of Accounts is simply an outline of the way you account for your money. You have to "build" one before anything else will work. In order to create your own personal Chart of Accounts you must first decide what types of financial transactions you want to manage. Usually this will be everything, so you can gain a true financial picture. The basic hierarchy of the Chart of Accounts begins with four "Money Groups": INCOME, EXPENSES, ASSETS, and LIABILITIES. Each Money Group is split further into CATEGORIES, and finally into ACCOUNTS. You build your Chart of Accounts by creating these categories and accounts to your personal preferences. Also you will assign each one a CODE name, consisting of up to four letters. I think you will find codes much easier to type and remember than numbers or lengthy names. Whenever you need to access an account in HBMS, you call it up by its CODE name. Although not part of the Chart of Accounts, let me mention TRANSACTIONS. These are the records of purchases, transfers, etc, that you enter into the program. All your transactions are entered into Accounts. The Categories and Money Groups are there for grouping and reporting functions only. After creating your Chart of Accounts it becomes a simple matter of recording your transactions. This is done in the Ledger Posting section, which I like to refer to as the "heart" of HBMS. CHART of ACCOUNTS REQUIREMENT HBMS will refuse to do most of the functions on the Main Menu until the following requirements are met. You must have assigned AT LEAST ONE CATEGORY FOR EACH OF THE FOUR MONEY GROUPS, and there must be AT LEAST ONE ACCOUNT FOR EACH CATEGORY. That's a minimum of four accounts. If you get a warning and can't remember what accounts and categories you have assigned, the <F2> key will bring up a "CODE-HELP" screen, or you can go to the printed reports section and print out the Raw Data Report. Either will show you what has been assigned and how it has been arranged. DOUBLE ENTRY HBMS is a "double entry" ledger system. This means any type of transaction, such as a purchase, transfer, paycheck, etc. will need a minimum of two entries to represent it. That sounds like a lot of work, but HBMS makes it easy! If you stop and think about it, every financial transaction consists of at least two steps. - 7 - Lets take a simple case of writing a check at the drug store to purchase a prescription. The first part of the double entry, would be a decrease of the balance in your checking account. The second part of the double entry would be the increase of your Rx account (or whatever account you would charge the prescription to). If your check covered more than one purchase, then this transaction would consist of more than the minimum of two entries. For example, you might have bought a roll of film also. This would simply be an additional third part of this transaction. The amount that went toward the film would be charged to whatever account you use for this type of expense. The total for both items will of course equal the amount of the check. "Fine" you say, "but how do I represent getting money into my checking account?" When you first start up your budget system, you have to enter your current checking account balance by way of the "Initial Balances" section, located under the Initialize System Menu. From that point on, it's just the normal double entry system. A good example of money coming in might be a payroll check. The first part of this double entry would show an INCREASE in whatever INCOME account you use for paychecks. If you deposited the entire paycheck into your checking account, the second part of this transaction would show your checking account balance going up by the same amount. Paychecks of course, are not usually that simple. They have deductions for taxes, social security, etc. A more realistic transaction of this nature would consist of several parts. It would begin by showing your paycheck (INCOME) account increasing by the gross amount of the paycheck. Then income tax and social security amounts would be disbursed to their respective accounts, and the remainder into checking, spending cash or whatever. Credit card purchases are just as easy. To begin with, your credit card balance would go up. You are increasing a LIABILITY account. The second part of this transaction would show a change in whatever account you use for that purchase, by the same amount. Making a payment toward a LIABILITY is also simple. A good way to treat some liabilities is to have separate accounts for the principal and the interest incurred from that liability. A transaction like this would contain three parts. The first part would show the full amount DECREASING the checking account balance. The second part would show a partial amount charged to and increasing an interest EXPENSE account for this liability. The third part would show the remainder applied to the principal in your liability account. Its balance would decrease. Money transfers work just as you would expect... out of one account and into the other. Remember that every type of transaction consists of at least two parts. If you made several cash purchases in the course of a day, you could combine them under one transaction. The total amount would come out of your spending cash account and then be disbursed to the other respective accounts. Save your receipts, or make a note of them, and you'll find its easy to document every financial transaction you make. By now you should understand the concept of "double entry". See the sample data for more examples. - 8 - FISCAL YEAR Usually, the file extension of all the data files will be the last two digits of the year. However, HBMS can have a fiscal year different from the calendar year. If this is the case, the file extension of all data files (except the LEDGR files) will be different. This extension uses the last two digits of the first year, appended with the last digit of the second year. For example, the ACCOUNTS file for the 88/89 budget year would be "ACCOUNTS.889". IF YOU USE AN ODD FISCAL YEAR, YOU MUST ENTER THIS THREE DIGIT NUMBER WHEN ASKED FOR "Year of Account Data" to load. TEXT DATA ENTRY Throughout the program, when you are prompted to enter data you will see a field in reverse video. Your data, be it a code, name, description, etc, will be limited to the length of this field. In some cases you will be supplied with a default answer. If it's not what you want, just start typing. Unless you use an editing key, the first keystroke will erase whatever was there. The available editing keys for text data entry are listed below, and work just as you would expect: <RIGHT ARROW> <LEFT ARROW> | <HOME> <END> <INSERT> <DELETE> | <TAB> <SHIFT TAB> <BACKSPACE> <ESC> | The <ESC> key needs further mention. It serves a dual purpose. If an entry field contains data, hitting <ESC> will erase it and leave you with a "NULL" (empty) field. If the entry field is empty already (or zero in the case of a number), <ESC> will act just as if you had hit <ENTER> to accept the null value. You will often see a help prompt on line 25 that will say "<ESC> to quit". In most cases, what this really means is that HBMS will respond to a null value by canceling the current mode and returning you to a menu. The <ESC> key is usually all you need to "back out" of anything. NUMERICAL DATA ENTRY Numerical data entry fields look just like text fields, but will accept only numbers. It uses a "calculator" style of input. The editing keys mentioned above do not work except for the <ESC> key. Numerical entries can be cleared by either <BS> (backspace), <ESC>, or by the first digit typed. Beginning with version 4.3 you can choose between two styles of numerical input, which are selectable in the HBSETUP program. The Fixed 2-place method supplies the decimal point for you. If you want to enter $12.34, you simply type "1234". With Floating Point entry, you have to type the decimal point. In my opinion the advantage to Floating Point entry is that you need not type the decimal point if it is not needed. An example would $12. All you need to type is "12" and hit <ENTER>. - 9 - COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS To run the main program, you can simply type "HBMS" and hit <ENTER>. However there are also some optional parameters listed below. You can use either upper or lower case, but use spaces only as delimiters between parameters. NOSOUND Instructs HBMS to silence the sound effects. This parameter is useful only when you are beginning a budget system from scratch. The SOUNDS ON/OFF state is stored when your data files are saved, and will override this parameter. NOEMS Inhibits use of EMS (Expanded Memory Specification) memory. Normally HBMS will load its overlay file into EMS memory (if detected) to speed up the program. If you experience a crash when HBMS loads, or feel there may be a memory conflict will some other EMS program, use this parameter. D followed by the drive\path (directory) specification for your data files. Use of this will let you bypass the opening screen. Y followed by the Year of Account Data. Notice that these last two parameters specify the same two pieces of information asked for on the opening screen. If you specify a data path on the command line, HBMS will zoom right past the opening screen and go straight to the Main Menu. It will try to load data from this directory using the year of your system date. This is the date asked for when your computer boots, or you use the DOS "DATE" command. You will not be prompted to enter an account year, so if you want to load data from a year other than the system date, include the "Y" command line parameter. NOTE: DO NOT leave a space after the "D" or the "Y". examples -> HBMS HBMS dB: HBMS dA:\DATA\ HBMS dC:\BUDGET\DATA\ y87 You might want to create a batch file for this purpose. The following instructions will create a batch file named BUD.BAT that will run HBMS and try to load 1991 data from the "B" drive. COPY CON BUD.BAT (press <ENTER>) HBMS dB: y91 (press <ENTER>) <F6> (hit Function key 6, then press <ENTER>) It's a good idea to make sure the system date and time are correct. HBMS not only uses the system date as a prompt for the year of data to load, but it's also used to date all printouts. - 10 - RECORD NUMBERS Transaction record numbers are displayed on the Ledger Posting screen and in various reports. While they are necessary for the internal workings of HBMS, they can also be helpful if you are trying to reference a particular entry. If you spotted a transaction in a Sorted report that you wanted to look at (or possibly edit), use the record number to help you locate it in the VIEW mode of the Ledger Posting section. FILE NAMES INSTALL.EXE - Installation program, unpacks and copies files, also prints documentation. HBSETUP.EXE - Configuration program which creates: COLORS.HBM Color support file PRCODES.HBM Printer support file HBMS.OVR - Overlay file for HBMS.EXE HBMS.EXE - Main program file, which creates the following Data files: CATS .yr category names ACCOUNTS.yr account names and totals for each month LEDGR-m .yr actual transaction data for each month MACROS .yr optional file containing shortcut keystrokes TEMPLATE.yr optional file containing often used transactions DUEDATES.yr companion file to TEMPLATE.yr HCONFIG .yr contains the name of your budget (yr = year extension of data, m = month) You might want to keep these data files in a separate subdirectory, or on a separate disk. You should be able to fit an entire year of data on one disk, or maybe have individual disks for separate budgets. In any case, when the free space gets low, HBMS will warn you. PRCHECK.HBM - A check printing configuration file created by you. It is only needed if you intend to print checks, and is documented separately in PRCHECK.DOC. SAVING DATA In an effort to speed up the program, HBMS keeps all account values for the whole year and all transactions for the month you are working with, in memory. HBMS is very careful with your data. Whenever you leave any of the sections listed on the Main Menu, it will save all changed data. However, you can still force a save from the "Action Prompt" in the Ledger Posting section. If you are entering a lot of transactions, it's probably a good idea to save data occasionally to prevent possible loss. A power outage or (should I dare mention) a program crash could negate any data entered since the last save. - 11 - OUTPUT ERROR TRAPPING HBMS will sense Output problems such as a paper out condition, printer offline, full disk, drive door open, etc. However, some computers seem to take forever before they time out and signal an error condition. If things seem to stop for no reason, please wait at least a minute before you give up or try to reset the computer. When HBMS saves data it rewrites the respective data file completely. If a problem is encountered, HBMS will display a warning message and give you a chance to correct the situation. If it's a full disk, you can substitute another disk with more room as an emergency measure. If you have to resort to this, I suggest you immediately quit the program and inspect your data disks. If there are any duplicate files, make sure you retain only the ones with the latest date and time stamp. There is a notice in the Close/Open Month explanation about what to do if things go wrong. ">" and "*" INFORMATION CHARACTERS These information characters show up in many of the reports, both on screen and in print. Depending on where you see it, the ">" sign could mean the check has been cleared or the account is flagged for reconciliation. The "*" sign means the specified budget has been exceeded. <F1> KEY The function key <F1> simply pops up a window that reminds you what the other function keys do. In the future I hope to have context sensitive help screens available. <F2> CODE-HELP The <F2> key pops up a Chart of Accounts display. You will often need to supply a code for the account/category you are interested in. If you can't remember the code you assigned to it, hit <F2> to browse through your Chart of Accounts on screen. You will see the four Money Groups along the top. The flashing Money Group will have its associated Categories displayed on the left side of the screen. The Accounts assigned to the highlighted Category will be displayed on the right side of the screen. The <LEFT>/<RIGHT> arrows select different Money Groups, and the <UP>/<DN> arrows move between different Categories. If you summoned CODE-HELP from a Category field, striking <ENTER> will insert the highlighted Category code into your entry field for you. If you asked for help from an Account code field, the <ENTER> key will highlight the first account in the highlighted category. Then, you can move the highlight with the <UP>/<DN> arrows. From that point, <ENTER> will insert the highlighted account code into the entry field for you. <ESC> backs up one level at a time and will not insert any data. Beginning with version 4.3, the other <KEYPAD> keys (explained before) work in addition to the <UP> and <DN> arrows. - 12 - <F3> POP-UP CALCULATOR New for version 4.3 is a pop-up calculator. It can be summoned from almost any where in the program by the <F3> key. NUMLOCK will be set to ON so you can use the keypad for number entry, and will be returned to its former state upon exit. For the most part, it works just like any ordinary hand-held calculator, so I won't go into great detail about how to perform calculations. However you will notice there are three windows on this calculator instead of just one. The Entry window displays the value you are entering, the Total window displays the result of calculations, and the Memory window displays what is currently in memory. I think all calculators should be this way! The keys which perform the various operations are shown on screen (<BS> stands for BackSpace). Calculations can be chained together, with the operation in progress shown to the left of the Entry window. Working with the memory takes two keystrokes. Hit the "M" key first and then select the desired function. Be aware that memory values are retained, even if you exit the calculator. This way you can store a figure and expect it to be there the next time you access the calculator. Clear the memory with the <MC> function. The <F> key toggles the Total window display between a floating point format and a fixed 2-place decimal format suitable for money figures. It can be toggled whenever, and as often as you like. If you have HBMS set up for fixed decimal point in the main part of the program (configured in HBSETUP), toggling to floating point will also let you place the decimal point any where you like in the Entry window. There is room for 11 places of information in the Total window, but sometimes you may get a result that is either too large or has too many places to the right of the decimal point. An example of such a number is "123.4567890123". This number spans 14 places (15 if it was negative). In fixed mode, this number would be rounded and displayed as "123.46", but in floating point mode the calculator will display it as "1.2345E+06". This "floating point notation" is not really as intimidating as it may seem at first. The "E+06" means multiply 1.2345 by 10 to the 6th power, or more simply, move the decimal point 6 places to the RIGHT. If it was "E-06" it would mean multiply 1.2345 by 10 to the negative 6th power, or move the decimal point 6 places to the LEFT. If you are in a numerical entry field when you call the calculator, there are two additional features. HBMS will grab the number (if present), and place it in the Entry window just in case you wanted to use it in your calculations. If that's not what you want, either the first digit typed or the <BS> key will clear it. When finished with the calculator, you have the option of inserting the "Total" value back into the numerical field from which you called the calculator. This is accomplished by using <CTRL-T>. Otherwise, use the <ESC> key. - 13 - <F4> MACROS A macro is a way of assigning several keystrokes to just one key. In HBMS, macros are assigned to the function keys <F5> through <F10>, and <SHIFT-F5> through <SHIFT-F10>. The <F4> key brings up the Macro Editing screen. Here is where you "build" your macros. It also serves as a handy reference screen in case you forget what you have created. Skillful use of Macros can save you a lot of typing. For instance, if you find yourself typing "First National Bank" often, why not assign this phrase to a macro. The steps to assigning the above macro to the <F6> key are as follows: 1. Call up macro Editing Screen with <F4>. 2. Hit <F6> to allow editing of macro. 3. Type "First National Bank" (without quotes), and strike <ENTER>. That's it! After you leave the Macro Editing screen with the <ESC> key, HBMS will save the changes to a file called MACROS.yr. The "yr" will be the same extension assigned to your other data files because the macros can be dependent upon your Chart of Accounts. From this point on when you "play the Macro" (hit the <F6> key), HBMS will type the macro for you. I'm sure you can find many places to use this kind of feature, but HBMS macros can be even more powerful. In the above example, you can let the macro supply an <ENTER> keystroke for you also, but <ENTER> signals that you are finished editing. To allow for this, you can embed codes that the Macro editor will translate to the desired function. For example, "First National Bank^M" would type the macro AND provide the <ENTER> keystroke. Most of these codes consist of the caret "^" symbol (above the 6 key), followed by a letter. The codes are listed below: ^M = <ENTER> ^S = <LEFT> Arrow ^[ = <ESC> (ESCape) ^D = <RIGHT> Arrow ^H = <BS> (backspace) ^E = <UP> Arrow ^Y = <DEL> (delete) ^X = <DN> Arrow ^A = <HOME> ^F = <END> ^W = Wait for your entry | = Separator \\ = Comments can follow this code MORE POWER.... Macros can be strung together to perform several entries in sequence! HBMS expects to get its information in one of two different ways. In some instances a single keystroke is all that's expected. Other times you enter data via a field displayed in inverse video. Here you are expected to type something and hit <ENTER> when finished. In regard to macros, either of these methods constitute a separate call for information, and MUST BE SEPARATED BY THE SEPARATOR CHARACTER "|". - 14 - For example, in the Ledger Posting screen you might want to create a macro that supplies a "D" for DECREASE, enters a code for your checking account "CK", and stops when it gets to the check number field. Since there are two separate entry prompts, the macro would look like this: "D|CK^M" Since this a rather unrecognizable set of characters, you could add a comment so that when you pull up the Macro Editor screen, it would be obvious what this macro does, and even where it should be called from. The comment characters "\\" must immediately follow the macro itself. Don't leave a space, unless you want a space in the macro. Spaces after the "\\" are ok. Example: "D|CK^M\\ Decrease checking (called from Action Prompt)" You could even go one step further and incorporate a wait code "^W" into your macro. Suppose you often write a check for CASH. You can create a macro that starts at the Action prompt and runs right up to where you enter the amount of the check. "D|CK^M|^W|^W|Cash^M\\ Write check to CASH" The first ^W waits for you to enter the check number. The second ^W waits for you to enter the date. Then the macro resumes and enters "cash" followed by the necessary <ENTER> keystroke. PLEASE BE CAREFUL! This macro contains five different steps (notice the separators). Once it is called it will continue until all five steps are completed. If you were to call it at the wrong place, it will begin to run, stop twice, and finish up even though you may not want it to. This could be confusing at the very least. Macros can save you time and keystrokes, but they can get you into trouble if you make a mistake. You wouldn't want a macro to enter a "Y" (for a yes answer) when you really wanted an "N". NOTE: To alert you that a macro is in progress, a high pitched tone will sound for each step. If the macro contains a "wait" code, you will hear a "Ding Dong" tone. This is to alert you that data entry is expected, and the macro will resume afterwards. These tones can be silenced along with the other sound effects, if you specify NOSOUND on the command line or turn off sound in the Account Maintenance Menu. TIP: One macro you will surely want to make is one to handle the tilde character "~". See the TIPS and SHORTCUTS in Ledger Posting. This macro is included in the sample data. - 15 - PART 2 - DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF MAIN MENU ITEMS ====================================================================== ************* INITIALIZE NEW YEAR ************** BEGIN NEW YEAR Normally you reach "Begin New Year" from the Initialize System Menu. However, when starting a budget system for the first time, or at any time when HBMS cannot find a valid ACCOUNTS file in the directory you have specified, you will be given the option to begin a new year from "scratch". If accepted, HBMS will bypass the Main Menu and go directly to the Begin New Year section. You will be asked for year of data, first fiscal month, and beginning month information. If you already have an existing budget system in operation and are ready to start a new year, YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RE-USE YOUR EXISTING CHART OF ACCOUNTS. If you choose to do this, start HBMS with your existing year data files just like normal. If the year in your system date has changed, you will have to specify the previous year in order to load the old data. Go to the Initialize System Menu, select Begin New Year, and answer Yes to "Reuse old Chart of Accounts?". When reusing your old Chart of Accounts you will be given the option to transfer Asset and Liability balances to the new year. This will keep you from having to enter Initial Balances again. If you answer Yes, be aware that the balances passed forward come from the current open month in the old year. You also have the option to pass Budget data forward as well. You can choose to use all the old budget figures, or take the old Month to Date (MTD) totals and use them for your budget figures in the new year. Of course you can always go back and edit the budget figures once you get the new year going. The "First Fiscal Month?" question is provided in case you need a "fiscal year" that is different from the calendar year. Please be careful with this and don't get the first fiscal month and beginning month confused. Unless you are starting a budget system in the middle of your fiscal year, the beginning month of data will be the same as the first fiscal month. The "Data Path?" question prompts you with the same information you entered on the opening screen. You may want your new year data files to be in a different disk/directory. This is where you specify it. The "Month that you begin your data entry?" should usually equal the first month of your fiscal year. The exception is when you are just starting to use HBMS. If your fiscal year is the same as the calendar year (January through December) and it is now August, you will probably not want to go back and enter data for the previous months. In this case you would enter "8" to begin recording data in August. When you have finished entering the above data, HBMS will create and initialize the new data files. If you are reusing an old Chart of Accounts, HBMS will also initialize any HCONFIG, MACRO, or TEMPLATE files you may have been using. - 16 - INITIAL BALANCES When you begin a new budget system, you should tell HBMS what the balances are in your asset and liability accounts at that point in time. After your budget system is operational, you are finished with the Initial Balances section unless you need to make a correction. Even if you add an asset or liability account (such as a new checking account or credit card) in a later month, its initial balance will start at zero and be initialized through normal transactions. ************ ACCOUNT/CATEGORY MAINTENANCE ************* ADD, DELETE, or CHANGE One of the strong points of HBMS is how it lets YOU control the Chart of Accounts. Create it to YOUR satisfaction. You can keep it brief with just a few accounts, or let it be like an "outline" of your financial transactions, very detailed with multiple accounts under many categories. You might want to keep special accounts just for tax related items. I like to keep separate principal and interest accounts on liabilities. By doing this I have an accurate running balance on how much I owe. Great care should be taken in creating your Chart of Accounts. I cannot stress this point enough. With a little thought, you should be able to come up with a personalized Chart of Accounts that will require minimal "grooming" as you go along. A well defined Chart of Accounts will allow HBMS to report accurate Net Worth values. If you are still a little "fuzzy" on how it should be done, print the Chart of Accounts from the sample data. It will give you some ideas. Some users have used the sample data as a starting point for their own Chart of Accounts. If you want to do this, just load the sample data, and follow the instructions mentioned above in Begin New Year. Since HBMS lets you "reuse" an older chart of accounts, it may be simpler to just edit the codes and names to personal taste. In HBMS, values are stored in the Accounts. The Categories are there only to group the Accounts for more informative reports. NOTE: Categories must be created first, so that Accounts will have somewhere to be assigned. Accounts may be added, changed, or deleted at any time during the budget year. While using the program, accounts and categories are referenced by a "code" which you also assign. These codes can consist of up to four characters. Try to keep them short and easy to remember. The codes are not case sensitive, but if you enter them in lower case, HBMS will convert them to upper case. When you add or change an asset or liability account, you will be asked if you want it to be "reconcilable". Answer "Yes" only if you want to be able to reconcile your checking or credit card accounts. Reconcilable accounts are also the only ones that will prompt you for a check number in the ledger posting section. - 17 - The restrictions that apply are as follows: * THERE MUST BE AT LEAST ONE CATEGORY FOR EACH MONEY GROUP. * THERE MUST BE AT LEAST ONE ACCOUNT FOR EVERY CATEGORY. * The maximum number of categories is 38. * The maximum number of accounts is 254, and no more than 38 accounts per category. * A maximum of 12 reconcilable accounts. * Accounts may be moved to different categories as long as they don't cross Money Group boundaries. (EXAMPLE: an account under an income category may not be moved to an expense category) * Account names or codes may be changed, but this may lead to confusion if printed reports under the first part of the year, differ from those after the change is made. None of the other data contained in these accounts will be changed. * Category codes and names may be changed but the confusion factor mentioned above still applies. * Accounts may be deleted only if they have had no action during the year (this includes initial balances). * Categories may be deleted if they do not have any accounts assigned to them. This constraint may be avoided by moving all accounts from under the category to be deleted, to other categories first. * If you cancel the reconciliation ability of an account, you should first go back and unmark any transactions that have been reconciled to avoid confusion. However, this is not a requirement. RESEQUENCE ACCOUNTS OR CATEGORIES The order in which accounts and categories appear in your Chart of Accounts can be different from the order in which they were entered. After creating or editing your Chart of Accounts, you may change their order of appearance by selecting "Resequence Accounts". The current order will be displayed and you will be allowed to change them around to suit your taste. If you want to resequence Accounts, you have to specify their "parent" category. Likewise, if you want to resequence Categories you will have to specify the Money Group. - 18 - NAMING YOUR SYSTEM You should specify a name for your budget system. This name (up to 30 characters long) appears in the header of your printouts. It also appears on the Main Menu along with the data file location. If you keep more than one budget system, by necessity you have to separate them into separate directories because of duplicate data file names. The name assignment will help you keep them under control. Don't confuse this "system" name with the Registered User Name which is embedded into HBMS.EXE. SOUND EFFECTS The beeps and chirps will be noticed most in the Ledger Posting section. They can be helpful when one person is dictating data from notes, to another who is doing the typing. In this way the person doing the dictating can listen for the chirps and will know when the next bit of information is needed. He need not watch the screen. These sound effects may be annoying to some, and can be turned OFF or ON from the Account/Category Maintenance Menu. This ON/OFF state will be stored in the ACCOUNTS file, and will not have to be reset when the program is started again. By request, there is also a command line parameter "NOSOUND", that will inhibit sound effects on startup. However, if you load a budget system that has the sounds stored as "ON", it will override this parameter. ************ BUDGET ASSIGNMENT ************* HBMS lets you assign a budget figure for each month. By using this feature you may set goals for your projected income and expenses. While it may sound unusual, you may even set budget amounts for assets and liabilities. You might want to set goals for your savings, or budget how soon you plan to pay off a debt. Of course it wouldn't make sense to budget for your checking account, as its balance varies with no set pattern. After selecting an account to budget for, the values for each particular month will be shown along with a grand total for the year. If you want to make changes, answer "N" to the prompt, and you will be allowed to enter figures for each month. If all your months will have the same budget value, you can select "M" (for multiple entry), enter the amount, and HBMS will insert them automatically. If you decide you don't want to budget for an account, just enter a zero value for each month. If all months have a zero budget value, your reports will show a "n/a" in place of a budget figure. Please note that budget figures can be updated at any time, but you will only be allowed to change values for the months which have not been closed. You can overcome this restriction by "re-opening" months. When you exit the Budget Assignment section you will automatically be presented with a summary of your budget status. - 19 - *********** LEDGER POSTING ************ The "Ledger Posting" section is the part of the program where you enter transactions. It's the heart of HBMS, and where you will spend the most time. As mentioned before, HBMS is a double entry ledger system, meaning that at least two entries will be needed to represent a completed transaction. Before attempting to go any further, you should have read about Double Entry in PART 1 of this documentation. There are some other terms HBMS uses that you need to become familiar with. They are capitalized in the text below. For any type of transaction, be it a check, cash, credit, or transfer, you will have to decide what account it will be drawn from. Most of the time you will be working with a checking account or a cash account. I will be referring to this as the SOURCE account. Once you have determined which SOURCE will be used, you must decide how its balance will be affected. Will it be INCREASED or DECREASED? When you access the Ledger Posting section you will see what looks like a blank check at the top of the screen. A letter will be flashing at the ACTION prompt. At this point, for a normal transaction entry, you will enter either an "I" or a "D" character. The "I" or "D" tells HBMS whether you want to INCREASE or DECREASE the SOURCE account. Once you have decided on the "Action" and provided the code for the SOURCE account, you will be prompted for: the check number (if the account has been flagged for reconciliation), the date, a description of this SOURCE account, and it's amount. Now for the other half of this double entry transaction. If you were writing a check, you would need to specify what item(s) this check was written for. List these purchases in the lower half of the screen, where they will be disbursed into their respective accounts. I will refer to these as TARGET accounts. You need not worry whether these "TARGET" account balances will increase or decrease. HBMS will make that decision for you. In fact, THERE IS NO PLACE IN THE LEDGER POSTING SECTION WHERE YOU WILL HAVE TO PROVIDE A NEGATIVE SIGN. Once you have specified whether your SOURCE account is Increasing or Decreasing, HBMS takes care of the rest and makes sure your double entry transaction balances. If you print a "Transaction Report" from the Sample Data you will see examples of how to do almost any type of transaction needed. For now, I'll step through a simple transaction of writing a check to the Drug store. Step 1. At the ACTION prompt select "D" to DECREASE checking. Step 2. Enter the code for your checking account. At this point HBMS will show you the current balance for that account. (This is the SOURCE ACCOUNT) - 20 - Step 3. Enter the check number. This field is optional and it will be skipped if the SOURCE account has not been flagged as being reconcilable. Step 4. Enter the date. (system date supplied on first access) Step 5. Enter to whom the check was written. This field is also optional. (You might not want to describe a multiple spending cash transaction.) Step 6. This step is where some of the flexibility of HBMS shines. In the case of a checking transaction you would want to enter the full amount of the check. Later, as you disburse the money to the TARGET accounts, HBMS will prompt you with the remaining balance of the check as you go along. In the case of a spending cash transaction you might want to leave the SOURCE amount blank. As you enter the separate amounts in the TARGET accounts, HBMS will keep a running total for you. Step 7. Now you will begin to disburse this money to the TARGET accounts. If all the money is intended to go to one account, enter the full amount. Otherwise, enter the partial value. Step 8. Enter the code for the TARGET account selected. (<F2> summons help.) Step 9. Enter a description for the TARGET transaction. This field is also optional, but it helps to describe each item for future reference. (see Tips & Shortcuts) Step 10. Now you have fulfilled the minimum of two entries for a transaction. If the value you entered in step 7 accounts for all the money in the SOURCE account you will be finished. Otherwise you will be able to keep adding entries to be drawn from the SOURCE. A "null" (empty or zero) entry at the TARGET amount tells HBMS you are finished. When finished you will be asked if everything is ok. If the source account has been marked as reconcilable, there will be an additional choice to accept and print the check. If you made a mistake, answer "N" and you will be allowed to go back and make corrections. See the explanation on Editing. The entire transaction can also be aborted at any time by entering a null value for a code prompt. NOTE: If you answer no to the "Above OK?" prompt, the automatic prompting for the remaining balance will not be in effect. This was done so as not to change any TARGET amounts that may have been correctly entered. There are circumstances where you can have HBMS insert the remaining balance by using the <CTRL-B> key. The requirements are: you must be in "Edit" mode, you must have entered a non zero value in the SOURCE amount, and of course the cursor must be at a TARGET amount. - 21 - ACTION PROMPT There are many other choices you can make at the Action Prompt. A PROMPT LINE WILL BE DISPLAYED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN TO REMIND YOU WHAT IS AVAILABLE. You can go to the Reports section, Account/Category Maintenance, View the Ledger, bring up a Template, or Jump to DOS. Just press the highlighted letter of the desired function. <ESC> will abort everything and take you back to the Main Menu. Need to check a balance, or add an account? You can do it from here without going back through the Main Menu. Under most conditions HBMS will remember any data you had entered, but had aborted prematurely. When you get back, just keep hitting <ENTER> and HBMS will recall it. All of these functions are described in detail later in this document, but I do need to mention the "Save" action. HBMS will always save your data to disk whenever you return to the Main Menu, but you still have the ability to save data from the Action prompt. If you have been entering a lot of transactions, it might be wise to save this data occasionally. VIEW LEDGER If you enter a "V" in response to the Action prompt you can view any transactions already recorded for the entire year. This can be very handy when you don't remember if you have entered something. First, you will be prompted for a beginning month to view. The initial transaction screen for that month will be displayed just as you had entered it. From this point you can "scroll" through the screens at will by using the <KEYPAD> keys. The <UP> and <DN> arrows move one transaction screen at a time. The <PgUp> and <PgDn> keys jump 50 records at a time. The <+> and <-> keys change months. <ESC> returns you to the Ledger Posting screen. If you need to make a change, bring the intended Ledger screen into view and enter an "E" to access the Edit Mode. EDIT MODE If you make a mistake in your data entry, you can correct it by getting into EDIT MODE. This can be done in several ways. Most often it is done by answering "N" to the "Above OK?" prompt. Exceeding the limit of an assigned source value will generate a warning and put you in edit mode also. Edit mode allows you to go back and change any of your entries. You can step through them one at a time, in a similar fashion to the way they were first entered. However there are some other valuable features available only in Edit mode. They are explained later in the TIPS AND SHORTCUTS section. ANY TIME YOU ARE IN EDIT MODE THERE WILL BE A FLASHING REMINDER NEAR THE TOP OF THE SCREEN. - 22 - Edit mode is also available when VIEWing previously entered transactions. There is one restriction on editing from the VIEW mode. Editing is allowed in the current open month only. If you need to make a change in an earlier month, you will have to reopen each month until you get back to the one in question. See the CLOSE/OPEN MONTH Menu. While editing from a screen in VIEW mode, you also have the ability to wipe out the entire screenful of transactions. If this is what you want, enter a "K" (for Kill all) at the Action prompt. You will be given a chance to abort before accepting this command. Remember if you try to edit individual entries first and then decide to "Kill All", the entire ORIGINAL transaction will be wiped out, including the attempted individual changes. <ESC> at the Action prompt will abort all changes and return you to the View Mode. Again, be sure and read the TIPS AND SHORTCUTS on Editing. TEMPLATES If you have repetitive types of transactions that you enter at least once a month, why not store a sample of this transaction screen to disk where you could call it up with just a couple of keystrokes! Monthly bills and paychecks are good candidates for this type of feature. In order to take advantage of this, create an often used transaction screen, just as you would normally. When you reach the "Above OK?" prompt, enter a "T" for Template. The Template Assignment screen will pop up and ask you to assign a number, and enter a descriptive title for this transaction. You will also be asked for a due date, but I will explain that later. Just hit <ENTER> for now. Your template will be stored in a file named TEMPLATE.yr. The file extension will match that of your data files. Now, whenever you need to make this type of entry again, you can call it up from the Action prompt by hitting "T". The same template screen (now titled Template Selection) will appear and you will be able to select any of up to 30 templates you may have built. Your selection will be displayed on the Ledger Posting screen, ready for you to accept it. If it needs editing, just answer no to the "Above Ok" prompt. You can also assign a "due date" to any of the templates you have built. If you would like to be reminded that you need to pay a bill, or make some other type of transaction, just assign the dates that apply. There is room for up to 24 different dates. In other words you could instruct HBMS to remind you that a template needs to be entered, up to 24 separate times in a year (even more if you go back and edit it). These dates should be entered in a four digit format. September 4th would be entered as "0904". November 23rd would be "1123". They should also be in calendar sequence, starting with the earliest reminder. The reason for this is when you select a template to be inserted in the Ledger screen that has a due date assigned to it, that date will be deleted and the next one in sequence will take it's place. - 23 - If you don't want this reminder feature, then leave the first date field blank. The first dates assigned (if any) will be displayed on the template selection screen next to the title. They will be considered as part of the template and carried into the Ledger Posting screen. If any of them fall earlier than the current system date, they will blink. Also, on your first entry into the Ledger Posting section, HBMS will check the template file dates and warn you if any of them have come due. The actual dates are stored in a file named DUEDATES.yr, and like the TEMPLATE file, they reside in your data directory. You can edit these dates, or the title if necessary. Just access the Template Selection screen from the Action prompt, enter the desired template number, and hit the UP arrow instead of <ENTER>. If you enter a null value for the title, the entire template will be deleted. Otherwise the dates can be edited as desired. BE AWARE that assigning and storing a transaction screen to a template, does NOT enter it as a completed transaction. You have to call it back up from the Action prompt, and answer yes to the Above Ok prompt in order to save it. PRINTING CHECKS A check printing instruction file is needed to allow HBMS to print checks. The documentation on how to create this file is contained in the PRCHECK.DOC file. The check printing feature can be triggered by a "P" response either in the View mode, or at the "Above OK" prompt in the Posting mode. If the SOURCE account has been marked as reconcilable, and HBMS is able to find the PRCHECK.HBM file, check printing will take place. Be aware that a "P" response to the "Above OK" prompt will also accept the transaction as being correct. - 24 - TIPS and SHORTCUTS a) EDITING: If you make a mistake and would like to correct it before you reach the "Above OK" prompt, you can use the <UP> arrow. It will step the cursor up a line at a time. NOTE that once you use the <UP> arrow, the editing mode will be in effect. Once you are in the editing mode, the <DN> arrow will step you down a line at a time also. (If you are not in editing mode the <DN> arrow acts just like the <ENTER> key.) These <UP> and <DN> arrows can save you a lot of time if you have to go back and correct something on a whole screenful of data. The cursor will always stop at either the Action prompt, or an amount field. If you are at the SOURCE amount, remember that you have two options. If you enter an amount, HBMS will use it to monitor Target amounts, and provide you with a remaining balance if requested with the <CTRL-B> key. If you leave the SOURCE amount blank, there will be no checks made on the TARGET amounts, and a running balance will be displayed. Another editing feature is the ability to "delete" a whole TARGET transaction line. The <CTRL-Y> key does this job. The entire TARGET line will be deleted, and any remaining Targets below will move up. THIS FEATURE IS ESPECIALLY USEFUL WHEN EDITING TEMPLATES. b) HBMS will remember the last check number for every checking account. If you make any entry other than a number (such as "jrnl" for a journal entry), it will not increment the check number. If you change a check number, it will start incrementing from the new number. c) If you enter the tilde <~> character only in a TARGET description field, HBMS will copy the SOURCE description entered in step 9. See the paycheck transactions in the sample data for an example. THIS IS A PRIME CANDIDATE FOR A MACRO! d) The <+> and <-> keys can be used at the Action prompt in place of "I" and "D" for Increase and Decrease. e) NOTE: I find it helpful to save my receipts from each day and jot down any other transactions. At the end of each week I commit these transactions to HBMS via the Ledger Posting section. You may want to do this on a daily basis. In either case, you will then have a printed record of all your transactions available. - 25 - ********** RECONCILE STATEMENTS ************ When your bank statement comes in, use this section of HBMS to reconcile your checkbook or credit card statement. You do this by "MARKING" each check that has cleared the bank and appears on your statement. The reconciliation feature only works on accounts that have been flagged as such in the Account Maintenance section. Keeping track of Liability accounts is also possible. MARK/UNMARK When first entering this section, you will be prompted with the earliest month that contains uncleared transactions, but you can enter any month that falls within the beginning month and the current open month. All transactions for that month will be displayed and the lines for the first and last transaction of the month will be highlighted. The <UP>/<DN> arrow keys move the cursor to the transaction you need to mark. If there are more transactions than can be seen at one time, the screen will scroll. To mark a transaction as being cleared, use the <ENTER> key. A ">" symbol will appear and signify a cleared (or MARKed) transaction. The <ENTER> key functions as a toggle and will turn the ">" mark on or off. By popular request, when you mark/unmark a transaction, the cursor will step down to the next line. The <PgUp>, <PgDn>, <HOME>, and <END> keys work just as you would expect them to move you through the data. When you are ready to switch months, use the <+> or <-> keys to step the month forward or back. <ESC> saves the changes and returns you to the Reconciliation Menu. HBMS examines each month you access to see if all transactions have been cleared. However if you unmark a transaction in a month that previously had all transactions cleared, and then mark it back again, HBMS will think this month is the last one that was completely cleared. This month and all the remaining months may be reconciled correctly, but this condition will be resolved when you ask for a Summary Report, mentioned below. SUMMARY REPORT This section is where you check to see if your records and the bank statement agree. Make sure you have entered (via the Ledger Posting Section), and cleared (via MARK/UNMARK feature), any bank charges, interests, or other miscellaneous entries that appear only on your bank statement. You will be prompted for the ending balance on your statement. If you have not browsed through all the uncleared transactions before asking for a Summary Report, HBMS will quickly tally them up. Everything you need to verify your statement will be displayed. If you receive a discrepancy warning, the information presented should help you figure out if it was a data entry error, a failure to make an entry, or even a bank error. - 26 - Please be aware that although HBMS does pass Categories, Accounts, and balances forward to a new year, it does NOT share data between the years. There may be occasions when the bank statement will span two years. Take for example, the case of a fiscal year that ends in December. Your January check statement will probably have cancelled checks in both December and January. If you are MARKing checks in December from this January bank statement, don't expect HBMS to be able to give you an accurate Summary Report. When the December Summary Report asks for the ending statement balance, this balance will most likely include checks that have cleared in January, and a discrepancy will be reported. You can however, keep track of things if you allow for these cleared January transactions. You may also have to deal with a similar problem if you are trying to reconcile your January statement, and there are checks written in December which have not cleared the bank. The discrepancy should equal the total of the uncleared transactions in the previous year. SHOW UNCLEARED TRANSACTIONS This feature will display the uncleared transactions in the order they were entered. There is no scrolling capability here as there was in the MARK/UNMARK section, only a screen pause. ************ CLOSE/OPEN MONTH ************ This section does just what you would expect. At the end of each month you should select the "Close Current Month" routine. HBMS will read the entire ledger for the current month, update totals, and declare the following month open. Remember that ledger posting and editing can only be done in the current open month. If you have to go back to a previous month to make additions or changes, use the Reopen feature. ******************************************************************* * If for any reason you feel that the figures for your data * * are wrong or missing, try reopening each month until you get * * back to a valid month. Then close each month until you get * * back to where you started. HBMS calculates all its values * * from the data you enter in the Ledger Posting section. When * * you close a month, HBMS reads this data from the ledger files * * and recalculates its totals on a monthly basis. * ******************************************************************* ************ CHANGE BUDGET YEAR/PATH ************ If you have several years of data or more than one budget system, you can change to them without quitting the program. When you select "Y" from the Main Menu, the opening screen will reappear and you will be able to change the year and data path. - 27 - ************** SCREEN REPORTS ************** In this section you have access to almost all data that HBMS has to offer. Upon entering, you will be prompted for the latest month you want to look at. Next, enter the code of the first account you want to view. After a short delay for HBMS to calculate some totals, you will be presented with the "MONTHly" view of data. Look at the prompt on the bottom line of the screen, and you will notice that you can select among three other formats which include: a PERCENTAGE VALUE report, an ANNUAL VIEW, and a SORTED LEDGER. You also have the opportunity to change accounts. By just striking <ENTER> you can keep the format you are in and select another account. In the SORTED view, the transactions will be sorted by date first, then check number or record number (depending on the type of account). In the PERCENTAGE view you will not only be presented with percent values for the selected account, you will also see the values for its associated category. Monthly values, and year to date values will be displayed. These percentages use MONTH and YTD (Year-to-Date) totals when compared with INCOME and EXPENSES. They use TOTAL BALANCES when compared with ASSETS and LIABILITIES. The following table shows how the values are divided to arrive at a percent figure. They are listed in the same relative locations that you will see on screen. The dashed line represents a division symbol. The resulting quotient is multiplied by 100. Month Actual Ytd Actual | -------------- ------------ | Month Category Ytd Category | | | Month Actual Ytd Actual | Month Category Ytd Category ------------ ---------- | -------------- ------------ Month INCOME Ytd INCOME | Month INCOME Ytd INCOME | | Month Actual Ytd Actual | Month Category Ytd Category ------------- ----------- | -------------- ------------ Month EXPENSE Ytd EXPENSE | Month EXPENSE Ytd EXPENSE | | Month Actual Ytd Actual | Month Category Ytd Category ------------ ------------ | -------------- ------------ Total ASSETS Total ASSETS | Total ASSETS Total ASSETS | Month Actual Ytd Actual | Month Category Ytd Category ------------ ---------- | -------------- ------------ Total LIAB. Total LIAB. | Total LIAB. Total LIAB. - 28- ************* PRINTED REPORTS ************** Let me mention that any printed report can be directed to a file, instead of the printer. When you reach the "Printer Ready?" prompt, answer "F" instead of "Y". You will be asked to supply a valid DOS filename to store the data. This "disk" printout will be stripped of all printer commands. SORTED LEDGER REPORT Prints the transactions with their values and balances, for all accounts that had activity for the selected month. They will be sorted by account and appear in order of the Chart of Accounts. Entries in individual accounts will be sorted by date, then check number if applicable. SORTED LEDGER BY ACCOUNT Prints the sorted data for a selected account, for up to a whole year. TRANSACTION REPORT Prints a copy of your ledger transactions just as you entered them. You might want to print out the transactions after every ledger posting session. If so, HBMS will remember the last record printed for the month and prompt you for the next unprinted record number. I usually have posting sessions about 4 to 5 times a month, but wait till the end of the month to print out a Transaction Report. If I need to see a transaction that has not been printed yet, I use the "VIEW" feature in the Ledger Posting section. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Prints the Income and Expense Report, and a Balance Sheet Report. The Income and Expense Report prints all the monthly oriented data including averages, budget figures, budget left, etc. Similar to the Monthly Totals screen report, any actual dollar amounts that have exceeded your budget projections will be flagged with an asterisk "*". The Balance Sheet gives you an opportunity to print out just the Asset and Liability information. ANNUAL ACTUALS Prints the monthly totals up to and including the current month. All figures are in whole dollars because of space limitations. ANNUAL BUDGET Prints monthly budget figures for the entire year. - 29 - CHART OF ACCOUNTS Prints a list of accounts grouped in their respective categories according to the sequence you have selected. INITIAL BALANCES Prints a report similar to the Balance sheet but contains the beginning balances for your assets and liabilities. These figures do not show up on any other report. RAW DATA REPORT Although this report is intended for the author's use only, it is provided in case you get into trouble while working with your Chart of Accounts. From this report you can determine if you have violated the minimum Chart of Accounts requirement. If you have failed to create any categories under a money group, it will report it as "**** NOT YET DEFINED ****". If you have failed to create any accounts under a particular category, it will report it as being "EMPTY". THIS REPORT SHOULD BE PRINTED AND SAVED after creating or changing your Chart of Accounts. Once you have your Chart of Accounts up and running, you should have no need to reference this printout. However, in an emergency, such as a damaged or corrupted file, the information on this report could possibly be used to recreate a new Chart of Accounts (Check with author for details). ************ FILE EXPORT *************** File exporting writes your data to an ASCII file in a "Standard Data Format". Any text (in this case the account name) is surrounded by quotes, and each field is separated by a comma. Most graphics and spreadsheet programs will accept this format. The two available reports are very similar to the printed versions of the ANNUAL ACTUALS and the BUDGET REPORT. Each line will start with the account name. Following it will be zero values for any months between the first fiscal month and your beginning month, if they were different. Next will be the Month To Date values for each of the months up to the current month. Lastly there will be zero values for any remaining months in the year. This means all 12 months will be represented, but the months that are not applicable will contain zero values. Also, if you have a fiscal year different from the calendar year, the first value written will be from your first fiscal month, and progress from there (just as it is on the printed version). If you ask for a combination report, the MTD value will be written first, followed by its budget value. If you view this text file, you will notice MTD values contain a decimal point, while the budget values do not. - 30 - You can also specify that the category name and/or a blank line is inserted in the report. When asked for a file name, you can use any legal DOS name. Be sure to include a path if necessary. Entering a "null" file name aborts the export. *********** JUMP TO DOS **************** If there is enough memory available, you can jump into a DOS "shell". From this shell you can do anything you would normally do from the DOS prompt, such as asking for a directory, copying a file, or running another program. When finished, type "EXIT" to return to HBMS. If you changed drives or directories while in DOS, HBMS will change back to the original directory, upon return. NOTE: You can jump to DOS from the Main Menu or from the Action prompt in the Ledger Posting section. ============ QUESTIONS & ANSWERS =============== I HAVE STARTED MY BUDGET AND MY FISCAL YEAR BEGINS IN APRIL 1992, BUT WHEN I ENTER "92", IT SAYS IT CAN'T FIND MY DATA? Look at the extension on your data files. If should be a combination of the first and second year "923". This is the number you have to enter. See the instructions on "FISCAL YEAR". WHAT IS A "NULL"? A null value is simply "nothing" (or zero in the case of a number). If you hit <ENTER> when you have an empty entry field HBMS will usually quit and back out of what you were doing. HOW DO I VOID A CHECK THAT I MADE A MISTAKE ON AND TORE UP? HBMS does not accept zero values for amounts. If you enter a zero, it thinks you want to quit (see "null value" above). Instead put anything for the SOURCE amount (maybe just a penny) and describe the fact that it was a voided check. For the TARGET part of the transaction, put the SAME amount and specify the same checking account. This transaction will cancel itself out as far as money is concerned, but you will still have a record of it. - 31 - HOW DO I VOID A CHECK THAT I WROTE FOR A DEPOSIT LAST MONTH? There are two ways you can approach this problem. The best way is to make another entry which puts the same amount back into your checking account. Specify the same TARGET accounts that you did on the original check. Another way is to go back and "kill" the entire transaction, like it was never entered. See the documentation on EDITing the ledger. MY CHECKBOOK DOESN'T BALANCE AT THE END OF THE YEAR! HBMS does not yet share data between years. For further instructions, read the notes under SUMMARY REPORT in the RECONCILE STATEMENTS description. HOW DO I HANDLE INTEREST EARNED, OR INTEREST CHARGED? ASSET accounts that earn interest, should have a separate INCOME account. You can have one interest account for all your interest bearing assets or have individual ones. The same applies for LIABILITIES, but the interest account would be an EXPENSE in this case. If your interest and principal are not shown in separate amounts on your statement, get an amortized breakdown. MY CREDIT CARD STATEMENT CAME IN AND I HAVE MORE THAN 14 PURCHASES? I get asked this question often. It usually means that you are not recording your credit card purchases as they occur. When you buy something on a credit card, enter it just as if you had purchased it with cash. Just INCrease the credit card account and disburse the purchase to its proper account. When your statement comes in, you will know just how much it will be, minus a possible interest fee. I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP A SEPARATE BUDGET FOR SOMEONE ELSE TOO, HOW DO I GO ABOUT IT? The names for data files in HBMS are year dependent, so data files for a second budget system would have identical names. This means they must either be kept on separate disks or directories. That's why you have to specify a "data path" when you load HBMS. The data path and the name of your budget system is displayed on the Main Menu to help you keep track of them. I CAN SEE MY DATA WHEN I VIEW IN THE LEDGER POSTING SECTION, BUT THE REPORTS SHOW THE WRONG TOTALS? HBMS has a safety feature in case files have been moved or something else goes wrong. Read the notice in the CLOSE/OPEN MONTH description. - 32 - MY PRINTER GETS THE PAGE LENGTHS WRONG? If your printer is not on the included list and it form feeds at the wrong time, it is most likely due to an erroneous 1/8th inch line feed command. Consult your printer manual for the correct one and edit it on the PRINTER COMMAND screen in HBSETUP. If you still can't get it right, delete both line feed commands. HBMS will default to 1/6th inch line feed and adjust page length accordingly. THE LINES ON MY PRINTOUTS WRAP AROUND TO THE NEXT LINE? Your printer is not getting into small pitch (17 characters per inch). Unless you have a wide carriage printer, you must get the CONDENSED ON command right. TO USERS OF HBMS WITH VERSIONS OLDER THAN 3.0 If you have accumulated data under a version of HBMS older than v3.0, you will have to run the program HCONVERT.EXE to update it to the current file format. The check reconciliation feature required that I change the format. In doing so I also incorporated the STARTUP.HBM file into the ACCOUNTS file. P L E A S E ... use COPIES of your older data. The conversion program will replace them in the process. If something goes wrong you can start over. Make sure you have HCONVERT.EXE, and your data files on the same disk or in the same subdirectory. The data files consist of STARTUP.HBM, CATS.yr, ACCOUNTS.yr, and all the LEDGR-m.yr files. In the above description "yr" refers to the file extension, which also corresponds to the year of your data. The "m" refers to the month. Run HCONVERT and follow the instructions. Do NOT run HCONVERT more than once on the same data files. If you run into trouble, start over with another entire copy of your original data files. Once you have run your data through the conversion program you can delete the STARTUP.HBM file. HCONVERT.EXE is supplied only to registered users. See the ShareWare registration procedures near the beginning of this document. BRENTSON WORRELL 6404 Mornay Dr. Tampa, FL 33615-3426 (813) 886-2282 {end of HBMS.DOC} - 33 -