LSD Docs/LSD Docs.iso/FILEZ/lsd32.dms/lsd32.adf/HomeAccounts2.doc.pp/HomeAccounts2.doc

Text File | 1990-09-07 | 224KB | 7,578 lines

 _________________________________________________________________________
/#########################################################################\
|#####...####..######..######......####...####..#####..##......##......###|
|####.....###..######..########..#####.....###...####..##..######..#######|
|###..###..##..######..########..####..###..##....###..##..######..#######|
|###..###..##..######..########..####..###..##..#...#..##..######......###|
|###.......##..######..########..####.......##..##.....##..######..#######|
|###..###..##..######..########..####..###..##..###....##..######..#######|
|###..###..##...#####...#######..####..###..##..####...##..######..#######|
|###..###..##......##......##......##..###..##..#####..##......##......###|
|#########################################################################|
|####################################################################{RB}#|
|=========================================================================|
|                                      |
|                   ----> PRESENTS <----                  |
|                                      |
|            HOME ACCOUNTS 2 - THE COMPLETE MANUAL          |
|                                      |
|          SCANNED, TYPED AND EDITED BY : RAZOR BLADE              |
|                 SUPPLIED BY : BIG STU AND MICK.              |
|                                      |
|-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-|
|         CALL THE ALLIANCE WORLD HQ -> THE PLACE TO BE             |
|       UNKNOWN PLEASURES --> [phone] --> SYSOP: BARBARIAN    |
|_________________________________________________________________________|



NOTE : THIS ONE'S ALMOST COBWEBWARE NOW SO I WASNT GONNA RELEASE THE
       DOCS BUT I SPOKE TO A FEW GUYS WHO ARE USING THE PROGRAM WHO
       SAID THAT THE DOCS WOULD BE WELL USEFUL SO HERE YOU GO .....:)




Chapter 1- Introduction
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  1.1 Welcome to Home Accounts 2         13
  1.2 Machine Requirements            14
  1.3 Conventions Used in This Book             15
  1.4 Terminology Used in This Book        16


Chapter 2 - Setting up Home Accounts 2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  2.1 What You Should Already Know        19
  2.2 Preparing to Use Home Accounts 2          20
  2.3 Installing Home Accounts2            21
  2.3.1 Floppy Disk Users            21
  2.3.2 Hard Disk Users                21
  2.4 To Start Home Accounts2            22


Chapter 3 - Quickstart                25
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 4 - Tutorial
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  4.1 What's on The Screen            29
  4.2 Creating a New File            30
  4.3 Asking For Help                33
  4.4 Setting up Accounts            35
  4.5 Setting up Income And Expenditure Types   39
  4.6 Setting up Regular Transactions        42
  4.7 Saving Information            46
  4.8 Setting up Budgets            46
  4.9 The Calculator                50
  4.10 The Interest Calculator            51
  4.11 Entering Transactions            52
  4.12 Setting Transaction Window Display Headers 58
  4.13 Finding Transactions                      59
  4.14 Finding And Replacing Transactions    60
  4.15 Reconciling Transactions            61
  4.16 Setting Transaction Defaults        63
  4.17 Function Keys                65
  4.18 Setting up Investments            66
  4.19 Multiple Windows                66
  4.20 Arranging Windows            67
  4.21 Workbench icons                68
  4.22 Setting up Your Printer            69
  4.23 Reports                    71
  4.24 Setting Preferences            75


Chapter 5 - Looking After Your Finances
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  5.1 The Secret to Good Housekeeping        79
  5.1.1 Plan Your Budget,
    Budget Your Spending            79
  5.1.2 Budget Checklist            80
  5.2 Getting Credit                81
  5.3 Credit Guide                82
  5.4 Tips For Better Borrowing            84
  5.5 Cancelling a Loan                85
  5.6 General Tips                86
   5.6.1 Loan Insurance                86
   5.6.2 Annual Percentage Rate            86
   5.6.3 What if You Are Turned
         Down For Credit            86
  5.7 Debt-a Survival Guide            87
    5.7.1 If You Get Into Too Much Debt         87
    5.7.2 Six Step Emergency Plan               87
    5.7.3 Borrowing Again to Get Out of Debt    88
    5.7.4 Coping With Debt            89
    5.7.5 Loan Sharks                89
   5.8 Using Home Accounts2            90
   5.9 Once Upon a Time...            94

Chapter 6 - General
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    6.1 The Desktop                101
     6.1.1 Menu Bar                101
     6.1.2 Icons                102
     6.1.3 Trashcan                104
    6.2 The Requesters                106
     6.2.1 Text Entry Boxes            107
     6.2.2 Radio Buttons            107
     6.2.3 Check Boxes                107
     6.2.4 Cycle Buttons            107
     6.2.5 List Boxes                108
     6.2.6 Alert Boxes                108
    6.3 Editing Windows                109
    6.4 The Notepad                110
    6.5 The File Selector            111


Chapter 7 - Menu Commands
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  7.1 Project menu                115
   7.1.1 About Home Accounts2            115
   7.1.2 New                    115
   7.1.3 Open                    115
   7.1.4 Save                    116
   7.1.5 Save as                117
   7.1.6 Delete                    118
   7.1.7 Open Comparatives            119
   7.1.8 Clear Comparatives            120
   7.1.9 Quit                    120
  7.2 Edit Menu                    121
   7.2.1 Add                    121
   7.2.2 Amend                    121
   7.2.3 Delete                    121
   7.2.4 Sort                    122
   7.2.5 Find                    122
   7.2.6 Find Again                124
   7.2.7 Find And Replace            124
  7.3 Setup Menu                125
   7.3.1 Add Account                125
   7.3.2 Amend Account                127
   7.3.3 Delete Account                127
   7.3.4 Transaction Types            127
   7.3.5 Transaction Markers            128
   7.3.6 Regular Transactions            128
   7.3.7 Budget                    130
   7.3.8 Investments                132
   7.3.9 VAT Code                133
   7.3.10 Window Headers            134
   7.3.11 Function Keys                135
   7.3.12 Password                135
  7.4 Trans Menu                136
   7.4.1 Set Defaults                136
   7.4.2 Add or Amend                137
   7.4.3 Reconcile                139
   7.4.4 Auto Balance                139
   7.4.5 Auto Balance Again            140
  7.5 Options Menu                141
   7.5.1 Preferences                141
   7.5.1.1 General Preferences            141
   7.5.1.2 Icon Preferences            142
   7.5.1.3 Printer Preferences            142
   7.5.1.4 Colour Preferences            143
   7.5.2 Arrange Windows            143
   7.5.3 Clean up Desktop            143
   7.5.4 Empty Trashcan                143
  7.6 Report Menu                144
   7.6.1 Types                    147
   7.6.2 Markers                147
   7.6.3 Budget                    147
   7.6.4 Regular Transactions            147
   7.6.5 VAT Codes                147
   7.6.6 Account Summary            147
   7.6.7 Account Statement            147
   7.6.8 Income And Expenditure                 150
   7.6.9 Budget Progress            151
   7.6.10 VAT                    152
   7.6.11 Portfolio                153
   7.6.12 Net Worth                153
  7.7 System Menu                154
   7.7.1 Help                    154
   7.7.2 Calculator                154
   7.7.3 Interest Calculator            155
   7.7.4 Set Date Time                156
   7.7.5 Playtime                157
   7.7.6 Workbench Open                157
   7.7.7 Open a New Shell            157

Appendices
~~~~~~~~~~
Appendix A--Memory And Home Accounts2        161
     What is Memory?                161
     How Home Accounts2 Uses Memory        162
Appendix B--Keyboard Shortcuts            163
Appendix C--File Format                165
     ASCII Text Format                165
     IFF Format                    165
     Home Accounts Format            165
Appendix D--Troubleshooting            166
The Glossary                    171
Index                        193
Terms And Conditions of Sale            200
Product Support And Registration        202



Chapter 1
Introduction
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This chapter gives details about Home Accounts2 and this
book.

 Welcome to Home Accounts2.
 Machine requirements.
 Conventions used in this book.
 Terminology used in this book

If you read nothing else, at least study Chapter 3,
"Quickstart".

Welcome to Home Accounts2 for the Amiga.

Home Accounts2 will be enhanced and upgraded each year.
Therefore, it is important to return your registration card at
the back of this book so that we can keep you informed as
upgrades become available. Additionally, we would like to
hear from any users with specific comments or ideas for
future upgrades.

Your Home Accounts2 package should consist of:

   This Home Accounts2 book.
   Product registration card (contained at the rear of this
   book).
   One program disk.

Home accounts two will provide you with :

 * 3D desktop look and feel.
 *  HIPTM (Human Interface Protocol), a graphical environment
    which integrates the desktop and automates the way you
    work. Predictable, consistent, you will find HIP both
    friendly and intuitive.
  * Multiple windows (window positions and sizes are
    automatically remembered).
  * Icons for major functions (optional).
  * Background cocktail colour themes.
  * Comprehensive reporting and graphics.
  * Capacity limited only by the memory of your Amiga.
  * Extensive budgeting facilities.
  * Optional password.
  * Optional VAT facility.
  * On-line help.
  * Calculator, with interest and loan repayment
    computation.

The best just got better.

                PAGE 13

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.2 Machine Requirements
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Commodore Amiga
    A500
    A1000
    A2000
    A3000

 Workbench 1.2,1.3 or 2.0.

 1MB RAM.

 Printer (optional).

 Mono or colour TV/monitor.

The capacity of Home Accounts2 is limited only by the
amount of memory available in your Amiga.

                PAGE 14

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.3 Conventions used in this book
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Square-bulleted lists provide information

Italics generally indicates words or characters you enter.
For example, "enter Petrol in the reference box". They are
also used to indicate program or drawer names. For
example, "use the Set map program in your utilities
drawer."

Pointer refers to the arrow ( ~) which you move with the
mouse when choosing from menus, or when you click
icons on the desktop.

Combination key presses are expressed, for example as
Right Amiga-Q. This means hold down the Right Amiga
key and press the Q key. Then release both keys.

Any text consisting of more than one word, that appears
on the screen when using Home Accounts2, is enclosed
by quotation marks (for example "Set up" menu or "Start
a new year?").

                PAGE 15

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.4 Terminology used in this book
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Account refers to your own sources of money. For
example, a bank account, a credit or charge card, a store
card, an investment or building society account.

Budget refers to the amount you estimate you will be
spending. For example, a budget for a summer holiday.

Manual transaction refers to a money transaction which
occurs once. For example, writing a cheque to buy some
food, buying a radio using a credit card.

Notepad refers to the facility in Home Accounts2 to save
a few lines of text. For example, you can set up a Notepad
for your bank account--this may contain the bank's
address and the name of the local manager.

Reconciled refers to any money transaction which you
know has been processed. For example, if you paid for
something by credit card, the transaction is considered
Reconciled when the money has been transferred out of
your account. (Normally you would only know this
when you receive your statement and the transaction
appears on it). By differentiating between Reconciled and
Unreconciled transactions, Home Accounts2 can provide
you with both up-to-date account balances, and actual
balances to match the statements you receive. Compare
Unreconciled.

Regular transaction refers to a money transaction which
occurs regularly. For example, a standing order to pay off
a loan, a monthly mortgage payment.

Type refers to the groups into which you allocate your
income and expenditure. For example, you probably
want to analyse your spending over different headings,
such as Food, Petrol, Housekeeping.

Unreconciled refers to any money transaction for which
you have not received confirmation that it has been
processed. For example, you may have written a cheque
for something, but it has not yet gone through to your
bank account. Compare Reconciled.

Afull glossary appears at the rear of this book.

                PAGE 16

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 2

Settlng Up Home Accounts2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"No man but a blockhead ever wrote,
except for money"

SAMUEL JOHNSON

This chapter will show you how to set up Home Accounts2
on floppy disk and hard disk Amiga systems.

   What you should already know.
   Preparing to use Home Accounts2.
   Installing Home Accounts2 for the first time.
   Starting Home Accounts2.


2.1 What you should already know
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To set up Home Accounts2 on your Amiga, you need an
understanding of basic Amiga concepts. Before you begin,
you should know how to:

 Use icons on Workbench desktop.

 Use the mouse to point, drag, click and double-click.

 Start and quit from applications using Workbench.

 Format and copy disks.

 Select menus, pull down menus and choose menu
 commands.

 Scroll in windows, resize and reposition, and close
 windows.

If you are not familiar with any of these terms or processes,
see your Amiga owner's guide.


                PAGE 19

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.2 Preparing to use Home Accounts 2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Make a backup copy of your master disk.

It is important to work with a copy of your Home Accounts2
disk rather than the original. If the copy is damaged or lost,
you can go back to the original and make another copy.

Before copying the master disk, slide up the small tab in the
upper-left corner on the back of the disk so that it is in the
uppermost position (the tab will no longer be visible from the
front side of the disk). This locks information on the disk,
preventing accidental deletion of files and documents.

Now copy the disk. Your Amiga manual gives instructions on
copying disks.

Put the original disk away in a safe place.

Now check on the Home Accounts2 disk for a READ.ME file. If
it exists, it will contain important additional information.


                PAGE 20

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.3 Installing Home Accounts 2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You have been provided with a single program disk, you will
also need a separate disk to store your information. This is
referred to as a "data disk".

2.3.1 Floopy Disk
------------------
This procedure assumes you are using the back-up copy of
your program disk (as explained earlier).

Switch on your Amiga and insert your copy of your Home
Accounts2 disk into the internal disk drive. Double-click the
disk icon and then double-click the HomeAccounts2 drawer.
Double-click the HomeAcc2 icon to start Home Accounts2.

2.3.2 Hard Disk
---------------
Switch on your Amiga and load Workbench as normal.

Double-click your hard disk icon to open its window.

Insert your copy of HomeAccoMnts2 into the disk drive and
double-click the disk icon to open the window.

Drag the HomeAccounts2 drawer until the pointer is directly
over your hard disk window. Release the mouse button. The
files will now be copied onto the hard disk.

To start Home Accounts2, open the HomeAccounts2 drawer
and double-click the icon titled HomeAcc2.

                PAGE 21

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.4 To Start Home Accounts 2


The very first time you start Home Accounts2, you will be
prompted to enter:

  Your name.

  The name of your organisation. (If this is not applicable,
  enter your name again.)

  Your license number (this appears at the back of this
  book, next to the registration card).

  Click OK.

Once you have personalised the program, your name will
appear every time you start Home Accounts2, confirming that
you are a registered licensed user. If you do not personalise
Home Accounts2 correctly, you will be returned to the
Workbench.

                PAGE 22

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 3 Quickstart
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"There is no art which one government sooner
learns of another than that of draining money
from the pockets of the people"

ADAM SMITH

This chapter gives brief instructions for installing and using
Home Accounts2. It assumes a good knowledge of the Amiga
computer and general familiarity with home finance
programs.

If, like many users, you only read the operating instructions
in an emergency, at least follow these instructions:

1 - Fill in your registration card and send it to Digita (only
    registered users can receive upgrades and hot-line product
    support).

2 - Refer to Appendix B, "Keyboard Shortcuts".

3 - Check on the Home Accounts2 disk for a READ.ME file. If it
    exists, it will contain important additional information.

4 - When you start Home Accounts2 for the first time, you will
    be asked to personalise the program and when prompted,
    enter your name, the name of your organisation and your
    license number. Your license number is located at the rear of
    the book, next to the registration card.

5 - If you already use Home Accounts, you'll find it quite
    painless to start using Home Accounts2. If, however, you
    have any problems, press Help. This provides a simple
    memory jogger.

6 - Use the index in the book to look up any specific features
    which are not obvious to you.


                PAGE 25

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 4 Tutorial
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Money is like a sixth sense without which you
cannot make a complete use of the other five"

W SOMERSET MAUGHAM

In the chapter you'll learn all about Home Accounts2. It
should take you a couple of hours.

4.1 The tutorial
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This tutorial assumes you have:

 Successfully installed Home Accounts2.

 Studied the READ.ME file (if it exists).

 Personalised your copy of Home Accounts2.

 A blank formatted disk titled Mydata.

 Started Home Accounts2.

Important:
Follow this tutorial closely and do not try to modify the
application until you finish. This tutorial purposely illustrates a
wide variety of the features of Home Accounts2.

The requester requests the current date and time. The text box
titled "Current date" should be highlighted; if it isn't, click
inside it with the Left Mouse key.

For the tutorial to work correctly you should set the date to
1st April, 1991. To do this enter 01041991. As you enter the
first number notice that the mouse pointer disappears and the
text box changes to / / and indicates you are now in
edit mode.

                PAGE 29

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

When in edit mode, note:

KEY            DOES
----------------------    ---------------------------------
Left Arrow        Move cursor left
Right Arrow              ""    ""   right
Up Arrow        Move to Previous text box
Down Arrow or        Move to next text box
Tab or the Return key
Shift-Left Arrow    Move to start of text box
Shift-Right Arrow       Move to end of text box
Right Amiga-X         Clear text box
Right Amiga-Q        Restore text box settings
Control-Right Amiga-Q    Restore box to contents before
            editing.
Backspace        Delete character to the left
Delete            Delete current character
F1            Edit contents of text box
F2            Toggle between insert and overtype
Enter            Move to next text box and can be used
            to select the defualt button to exit
            a requester

If you wish to edit an entry simply click in the appropriate
box to highlight it and then press F1.

Now press the Return key, this completes the entry for the
"Current date" and moves the cursor into the "Current time"

Enter the current time in 24 hour style, hrs:mins:secs (for
example, 201500) and press the Return key.

Click OK, the requester disappears leaving the blank desktop
and menu bar.

However, the requester will not disappear if you typed an
invalid date or time.


4.2 Creating a new file
------------------------
Move the mouse pointer onto the menu bar and choose New
from the Project menu by clicking the Left Mouse key on the
New command.

                PAGE 30

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------


To the left of each month are radio buttons (April should be
selected since you set the date to 1st April, 1991).

From this requester you can set the start date for your
financial year. Select March (the year is already set to 1991).

This is used whenever you create a new file, or open or save
existing files.

                PAGE 31

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


Click the drawer text box and enter MYDATA: and press the
Return key.

When prompted insert the disk titled MYDATA. If the system
continues to ask for volume MYDATA then this indicates the
disk has not been renamed correctly. Rename the disk and try
again.

Click the "File name" text box and enter MYFILE and press
the Return key. Click OK.

The form shown on the screen is an alert box and is used to
ask simple questions or give warnings where only a button
click response is necessary (requesters are used where more
information, such as a date, is required).

It provides the option to load an existing configuration from
another Home Accounts2 file. You would normally use this to
load a configuration from a previous year's file.

Notice that the No box is surrounded by a black line. This
indicates that it is the default choice, and therefore may also
be selected by pressing the Enter key.

Press the Enter key or click No.


                PAGE 32

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Home Accounts2 now asks you to confirm that you wish to
create a new file, which starts in March 1991. Click OK.

You will notice that the requesters always appear close to the
current position of the mouse pointer. This is a feature of the
HIP interface and reduces unnecessary mouse movement.


These are the standard icons which appear on the desktop:

Printer, Help, Calculator, Types, Markers, Regular, Budget,
Investment and Trashcan.

4.3 Asking for Help
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At any time you want information about a command or option,
you can ask Home Accounts2 for help. If you are using a
single disk drive system, an alert box may appear asking you
to insert your Home Accounts2 disk into the disk drive.

Hold down the Alt key and press the Help key. Notice the
pointer changes to a question mark (?).


                PAGE 33

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Choose a command from the menu, for example "Add
account" from the "Set up" menu. Information appears in a
box, which you can scroll through like a normal list box.

To the right of the list box are several buttons. The Next and
Prev buttons will display the next, or previous topic of Help,
and the Topics button will display the topics list.

Click the Topics button, this lists all the topics for which Help
is available. Click any topic with which you need help. Click
Exit to return to the desktop.

You can also ask Home Accounts2 for help by double-clicking
the Help icon on the desktop or pressing the Help key.


                PAGE 34

----------------------------------------------------------------------------


4.4 Setting Up Accounts
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the "Set up" menu choose "Add account".

This is used to set up bank accounts, credit card accounts and
so on.

The Name box should be highlighted, enter Natwest Current
Account and press the Return key. Enter 77777 in the Number
box and press the Return key.

Remember, when in edit mode you can use the following
keys:

                PAGE 35

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

KEY            DOES
----------------------    ---------------------------------
Left Arrow        Move cursor left
Right Arrow              ""    ""   right
Up Arrow        Move to Previous text box
Down Arrow or        Move to next text box
Tab or the Return key
Shift-Left Arrow    Move to start of text box
Shift-Right Arrow       Move to end of text box
Right Amiga-X         Clear text box
Right Amiga-Q        Restore text box settings
Control-Right Amiga-Q    Restore box to contents before
            editing.
Backspace        Delete character to the left
Delete            Delete current character
F1            Edit contents of text box
F2            Toggle between insert and overtype
Enter            Move to next text box and can be used
            to select the defualt button to exit
            a requester

If you wish to edit an entry simply click in the appropriate
box to highlight it and then press F1.

The box titled Code allows you to enter a 2 character
reference code that is used in other areas of the program, such
as budgeting or standing orders. Enter NC (Natwest Current)
and press the Return key.

Enter 425.98 in the "Opening balance" box and press the
Return key.

The "Warning limit min" allows a minimum Account balance
to be set, if the balance drops below this amount, a warning
will be given. Enter -500 and press the Return key.

The "Warning limit max" allows a maximum Account
balance to be set, if the balance exceeds this amount, a
warning will be given. Enter 1500 and press the Return key.

                PAGE 36

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


The minimum and maximum warning limits are currently
not active, so switch them on by clicking in the check boxes to
the right. A tick indicates that the warning is active.

The Type button is a cycle button and may be changed by
clicking on the circular arrow. As the name suggests, a cycle
button is used to step through a list until the desired item is
found.

This is currently set to Cash. The Account you have set up is a
cheque Account, therefore click the box to select Cheque.

The "Icon title" box lets you set the title for the desktop icon,
enter NATWEST and press the Return key.

The "Cheque number" box is used to enter the starting
cheque number and will automatically increment by one each
time you press F8. Enter 765534 and press return.

Click the Add button, this adds the Account to your file and
displays a second empty requester. Now enter another
Account with the following information:

Name  : Halifax savings
Number: 111111
Code  : HS
Opening Balance: 2500
Warning Limit Min: 500
Warning Limit Max: 0
Type: Savings
Icon Title: HALIFAX
Cheque Number: 0

Set the "Warning limit min" check box (a tick appears) and
click Add.

                PAGE 37

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now enter another Account:

Name: Access card
Number: 5224 2222 3333 4444
Code: AC
Opening Balance: 0
Warning Limit Min: -500
Warning limit Max: 0
Type: Credit Card
Icon Title: ACCESS
Cheque Number: 0

Set the "Warning limit min" check box (a tick appears). Press
F10 and the Notepad will appear.

This is a simple Notepad that allows up to 8 lines of
additional information to be added. In the Notepad enter the
following:

  Applied for increased credit limit press the return key
  to 750, letter sent 24/03/1991 press the return key

                PAGE 38

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Notepad is a good example of one requester overlaying
another. Sometimes, you may wish to move the requester to
view information in another requester behind. You do this by
clicking the mouse in the centre of the bar at the top of the
requester (in this case titled Notepad). Keep the Left Mouse
key depressed and move the mouse pointer. When the mouse
key is released, the requester will reappear in the new
position.

Click OK (or press Enter) to quit the Notepad. Then click Add
and when a new requester appears, click Quit.

The desktop should now contain three additional icons
(Accounts) Natwest, Halifax and Access.


4.5 Setting up Income and Expenditure Types.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the "Set up" menu choose the "Transaction types"
command.

A Type (called Tran) already exists. This is used to transfer
amounts between Accounts and you will learn later about
this feature. Before entering transactions, you need to set up
income and expenditure Types.

Types consist of four character abbreviations and a reference,
and are used to describe different categories of income and
expenditure when entering transactions.

                PAGE 39


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

To add a Type, choose add from the Edit menu

Enter SAL and press the return key. In the reference box
enter SALARY and press the RETURN key. Click Add.

Now add the following types and references in the same way.

TYPE        REFERENCE
--------------- ----------------------------
HK        House keeping
CL        Clothes
PTRL        Petrol
MISC        Miscellaneous
TAX        Local tax
CARI        Car insurance
CARE        Car expenses
CARL        Car loan
ENT        Entertainment
CASH        Cash withdraw;
HOBB        Hobbies and interests
HOLI        Holidays
CDS        Compact discs
COMP
BCHG        Bank charges
INT        Interest
GIFT        Gifts


                PAGE 40

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Click Quit.

The types should now appear in the window.

There is no Reference for Comp. To add the Reference, click
Comp (to highlight it), then choose the Amend command
from the Edit menu. Comp is displayed in a requester ready
for amendment. (A quicker way to make an amendment is to
double-click the Type.)

Press the Return key to move down to the Reference box and
enter Computer accessories. Press the Return key and click OK.

Types are automatically displayed in alphabetical order. You
can change the order by choosing the Sort command from the
Edit menu.

                PAGE 41

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Header cycle button lets you set the heading for sorting.
The second cycle button sets the order, either ascending or
descending. Click Cancel, and close the Types window by
clicking the window closer in the top left corner of the
window.

Choose "Regular transactions" from the "Set up" menu.


                PAGE 42

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Regular transactions", are transactions that occur on a
regular basis, such as, for example, a standing order, direct
debit, loan repayment, mortgage repayment.

To add a "Regular transaction" choose Add from the Edit

Imagine you have a monthly standing order for a car loan,
starting on 5th January, 1991 for 12 months, for an amount of
œ51.37, which is debited monthly from the Account Natwest.
To set this up enter the following:

Start date: 05/01/1991
End date: 05/01/1992
Type: CARL (this is the Type you set up earlier)
Reconciled: * (this option will be explained later)
Frequency: 1 (this is the number of times the transaction
           occurs, in months, weeks or days, depending on the
           setting of the adjacent cycle button)

Set the adjacent frequency cycle button to Months.

                PAGE 43

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The From and To boxes should contain the code for the
Account the transaction is being debited From or credited To.
When you set up the Account "Natwest current" you used
the "Account code" NC. Since this loan is debited from
"Natwest current", use the From box.

From: NC (Leave the To box blank)
Reference: Loan for Mini

The Debit and Credit boxes are used to enter the amount to be
debited or credited, in this instance the Account is being
debited, so use the Debit box.

Debit: 51.37

The Marker box is like a bookmark and lets you set your own
lookup point. (See Chapter 7.3.5, "Transaction markers" for
detailed information.)

Leave the Marker box blank and click Add.

Set up the following regular transaction. It represents your
salary, which is paid every two weeks into your "Natwest
current" Account by direct transfer.

Start Date: 01/03/1991
End Date: 01/03/2000
Type: SAL
Reconciled: *
Frequency: 2
Set the frequency cycle button to Weeks.
To: NC
Reference: Salary
Credit: 312.91

Now click Add. This example illustrates a transaction which
is credited to an Account, whereas previously, you debited
from an Account.

Now set up this standing order which transfers œ60.00 to
"Halifax savings" from "Natwest current" on 15th day of
each month. It starts on 15th March, 1991 and lasts for two
years.


                PAGE 44

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Start Date: 15/03/1991
End Date; 15/02/1993
Type: TRAN
Reconciled: *
Frequency: 1
Leave the frequency cycle button to the default, Months.
From: NC
To: HS
Debit: 60.00

Click Add.

The Type titled Tran is used exclusively for transferring funds
between Accounts. When using Tran, you need to tell Home
Accounts2 which Account you are posting from, and which
Account you are posting to. Home Accounts2 only recognises
the first three characters, that is TRA. The fourth character is
discretional. This gives you the opportunity if you wish to
13budget against several Types of TRAN transactions (for
example, TRAl, TRA2). If you leave the Reference box blank,
Home Accounts2 automatically enters the details of the
transaction.

Click Quit.

The "Regular transactions" window will now be updated
with the new transactions:


                PAGE 45

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Close the window by clicking on the close box.

Like Types, there is a desktop icon, titled Regular which you
can double-click to re-open the window.


4.7 Saving Information
----------------------
When you created this file, you named it Myfile. As you enter
information into Home Accounts2, the information will
remain in the computer's memory. Therefore, it is wise to
regularly save this information onto your data disk.
Remember to do this at regular intervals (about every 30
minutes is ideal).

To do this choose "Save" from the Project menu.

Home Accounts2 has an auto-save facility, whereby you set
the time interval between automatic saving. (See Chapter
7.5.1, Preferences for detailed information.)

4.8 Setting up Budgets
----------------------
Choose the Budget command from the "Set up" menu.

With Home Accounts2 you can set up budgets for each Type.

To enter budget figures choose Add from the Edit menu.


                PAGE 46

--------------------------------------------------------------------------


To set up a budget of £60.00 a month for petrol, paid by
Access credit card, enter the following:

Type: PTRL (this is the Type you set up earlier)
Code: AC (this is the "Access card" Account you set up
      earlier)

For each of the months, enter 60.00.

The cycle button allows you to budget either income or
expenditure Types. Leave this set to Expendi~ure.

Click Add. Now set up another budget of œ30.00 a month for
clothes:

Type: CL
Code: NC

Rather than entering the same figure for each month, you can
just enter one figure and then let Home Accounts2 copy it
into every month for you. To do this, enter 30.00 and press the
Return key. Now highlight the first month by clicking it and
then click Replicate. 30.00 should now appear in each month.

Leave the cycle button to the default, Expenditure, and click
Add.

You can budget on multiple Accounts by typing :k:~: in the
Code box.

                PAGE 47

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now you need to budget for personal cash withdrawals, say
£80.00 a month. If you forget the Types you set up, press F9.
This provides a simple reminder of the Types and their
descriptions (you can also press F9 to remind you of the
Codes).

From the list you can see that the Type you need is titled
Cash.

Click Cash. The Type requesters disappear returning you to
the "Add budget item" requester.

In the Code box enter **

Enter 80.00 in the first month and press the Return key. Now
higlllight tlle first month and click Replicate. Leave the cycle
button to the default, Expenditure, and click Add.

Now enter the following budgets, leaving the cycle button to
the default, using the replication facility where possible.
Remember to click Add after each budget.

                PAGE 48

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Type Code Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb

HK   NC   50  50  50  50  50  50  50  50  50  50  50  50
TAX  NC    0  20  20  20  20  20  20  20  20  20  20   0
HOBB NC   30  30  30  30  30  30  30  30  30  30  30  30
COMP NC   12  12  12  12  12  20  20  20  20  12  12  12
CARE **   50  50  50  50  50  50  50  50  50  50  50  50
HOLI NC    0   0   0   0   0 200   0   0   0   0   0   0
CDS  NC   12  12  12  12  12  12  12  12  12  12   0   0
GIFT NC   20  20  20  20  20  20  20  20  20  80  20  20
ENT  NC   20  20  20  20  20  20  20  20  20  20  20  20

Click Quit; the budget window will reappear with all the new
budget figures you have entered.

If you have made any mistakes, double-click the appropriate
budget to display the "Amend budget item" requester, from
which you can make any corrections.

Close the budget window. As before, there is a desktop icon
representing Budget .


                PAGE 49

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the System menu you will notice the Calculator
command. On the right side of the command appears the
keyboard shortcut, <AMIGA>C. This means that you can choose
Calculator without using the mouse by holding down the
Right Amiga key and pressing C. Many of the menu
commands may be chosen this way.

Choose Calculator from the System menu, or press Right
AMIGA c

Click the the buttons 1 2 3 * 7 + 100 =

The top box is the calculator display. The box below shows
the history of the last 5 calculations. It's just like a printing
electronic calculator.

You can also enter numbers using the keyboard. Try typing
56 * 24-17 and then press the Return key (or Enter).

Click C to clear the display. Now click AC to clear the history
window.

                PAGE 50

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

4.10 The Interest Calculator
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With the Calculator still displayed, click the I button.

This is a simple loan calculator and provides estimates of loan
costs. Because credit card companies, finance companies and
banks use a multitude of ways to calculate interest, such as
daily interest, monthly, compound and so on, it may not be
precisely accurate.

"Opening balance" is for entering the starting balance for the
transaction, Periods is the time period measurement (either
years, months or weeks), "Interest rate %" is the interest rate
% per period and the Payment is the payment per period.

For example, if you had a credit card balance of -600 (that ist
you owe £600), and you can afford to pay off the debt at £40 a
month. The interest rate is 1.76% a month. You want to
estimate the outstanding balance after five months.

Enter the following:

"Opening balance": -600.00
Periods: 5
"Interest rate %": 1.7600
Payment: 40.00


                PAGE 51

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now click Calc, the calculated balance will be -443.88. This
represents the outstanding balance after five months. Click
Exit and then Quit to return to the desktop.

Double-click the Natwest icon on the desktop.

The entries are postings of the "Regular transactions" you set
up earlier. The transactions have been automatically back-
dated to 1st March, 1991. Notice the opening balance is
displayed in the window title.

Choose Add from the Edit menu.

                PAGE 52

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


This requester is used to enter the day-to-day transactions
which go through your bank Account. In this example, the
transaction relates to a pair of trousers costing £24.87 that you
purchased using your Natwest Current Account. When
entering transactions, enter the date of the transaction, as
opposed to the current or system date.

Enter the following:

Date: 01/03/1991
Type: CL
Reconciled: Leave this box blank.

The Reconciled box tells Home Accounts2 whether or not a
transaction has been reconciled with a bank statement. It may
be used in a number of different ways which will be covered
later in this tutorial.

Reference: New jeans

The "Chq number" box is used if the transaction was paid by
cheque. You can enter this manually, or press F8 to
automatically insert the next consecutive number.

"Chq number": Press the F8 key.

This will insert the cheque number you set up earlier when
you created the Account "Natwest current" (765534).
Debit: 24.87


                PAGE 53

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leave the Credit box empty (you use the Debit box to pay out
money, or the Credit box to pay in money to your Account).

Leave the M box empty (this is for setting your own reference
marker). (See Chapter 7.3.5, "Transaction markers" for
detailed information.)

Click Add, and then enter these transactions:

Date        Type  Reconciled  Reference    Chq No.  Debit  Credit M
----------  ----- ----------  ------------ -------- -----  ------ -
03/03/1991  CASH             Cash Machine         20.00
05/03/1991  CARE          New Battery   765535  23.67
06/03/1991  GIFT          John Birthday 765536  12.94
08/03/1991    HK          Housekeeping  765537  50.00
12/03/1991   CDS          Compact Discs 765538  10.99
13/03/1991  CASH              Cash Machine          20.00
15/03/1991  HOBB          Fishing Rod   765539  22.91
18/03/1991  CASH          Cash Machine          20.00
27/03/1991  CASH          Cash Machine          20.00

Click Quit; the new transactions appear in the window.


                PAGE 54

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amending a transaction is simple. First, click the transaction
with the reference "Fishing rod" to highlight it. Then either
choose Amend from the Edit menu or click the Amend
button. (You can also amend a transaction by double-
clicking.)

From the requester select the Debit box, and change the
amount to 26.91 and click OK.

Choose the Add command and enter this transaction:

Date: 20/03/1991
Type: BOOK
Reconciled:
Reference: Great Expectations
"Chq number":
Debit: 8.95
Credit:
M:

Click Add. An alert box appears to tell you that the Type
Book has not been set up. Click OK. You can set up the new
Type from this window.

Press F9.

Click Add and then enter BOOK and Literature books for the
Reference.


                PAGE 55

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Click Add and then click Quit. The Types will appear with
Book added to the list. Now click the Type Book. The new
Type will appear in the "Add manual transaction" requester.
Now click Add.

The F9 key shortcut is available in a numbers of areas of the
program (such as "Regular transactions" and Budget
requesters). (See Chapter 7.3.6, "Regular transactions" for
detailed information.)

Imagine this scenario...

You visit a store and purchase some motor oil and a bottle of
wine (a birthday gift). You pay by cheque.

You have purchased two items with one payment, therefore
the transaction needs to be split over two Types, namely
CARE (Car Expenses) and GIFT (Gifts).

Home Accounts2 has a special Type called SPLT, which
allows you to do this. Using this example, enter:

Date: 21/03/1991
Type: SPLT

As you can see more than one Type may be entered, so you
can spread one transaction over a maximum of 20 Types.

                PAGE 56

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


With the the top Type box highlighted enter:


Type    Reference   Amount
------  ----------  ----------
CARE    Oil         7.95
GIFT    Wine        6.25

The "Total entered" should be 14.20. Leave the Debit radio
button selected. Click OK. As the "Add manual transactions"
requester reappears notice that the figure 14.20 has been
inserted into the Debit box.

Leave the Reconciled box empty.

Reference: Hamilton Store
"Chq number": 765540

Click Add, then click Quit and close the window.

Double-click the Access icon and add these transactions:

Date       Type  Reconciled  Refererence  Chq Number  Debit  Credit  M
---------- ----- ----------- ------------ ----------- ------ ------- -
03/03/1991 PTRL     *        Petrol                   12.96
11/03/1991 PTRL     *        Petrol              14.77
17/03/1991 PTRL     *        Petrol               8.93
24/03/1991 PTRL     *        Petrol              17.41


Click Quit. The transactions appear in the "Access card"
window. They are displayed in red (only on colour systems),
this indicates that the balance for this Account is below zero.

Click the window scroll bar to display the right side of the
screen. Notice the balance is negative, with a total balance of -
54.07.

Scroll the window to the left back to its original position and
add this transaction:

Date       Type  Reconciled  Refererence  Chq Number  Debit  Credit  M
---------- ----- ----------- ------------ ----------- ------ ------- -
03/03/1991 CARI       *       Insurance               500.00

Click Add.

When you originally set up the "Access account" you set the
"Minimum balance" to 500, therefore the alert tells you the
Account has dropped below that balance. Click OK, then click
Quit.

Now delete the previous transaction. Click the transaction (to
highlight it) and then choose Delete from the Edit menu. You
will be asked to confirm the deletion, click Proceed.

                PAGE 57

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

4.12 Setting Transaction Window Display Headers.
------------------------------------------------

When displaying the Access Account, the "Chq number"
column is irrelevant. With Home Accounts2 you can
customise the display to your preference.

To remove the "Chq number" column choose "Window
headers" from the "Set up" menu.

The check boxes allow you to switch the headers (and their
contents) on or off.

Switch the headers "Chq Number" and M off by clicking the
check boxes (the ticks should disappear). Click OK; the
window reappears in the new style.

You can customise every window if you wish and Home
Accounts2 will automatically remember the header settings
for each Account. However, the information contained in
each heading will be retained, although it is not displayed.

Choose Sort from the Edit menu. Like Types, you can set the
box with which you wish to sort, and the sort order. This is
the same for Types, Markers, "Regular transactions", Budget,
Investments and "VAT codes".

Click Cancel.

                PAGE 58

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Previously, when you set up the Access Account, you used
the Notepad facility. The Notepad is also available for Types,
Markers, "Regular transactions", Budget, Investments and
"VAT codes".

Click the first transaction and choose Amend from the Edit
menu. With the "Amend manual transaction" requester
displayed, press F10. The Notepad allows you to make notes
for this transaction.

Click Cancel, and then click Cancel again to leave the
requester

Close the window and choose the "Add or amend" command
from the Trans menu. Click "Natwest current account". As
you can see, this operates the same way as double-clicking the
desktop Natwest icon.


4.13 Finding Transactions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the Edit menu choose the Find command.


                PAGE 59

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the Reference box enter Cash Machine and press the Return
key.

Set the Reference check box to on (this tells Home Accounts2
you wish to search only the Reference part of your
transactions). Click OK.

Home Accounts2 will now search through all transactions in
"Natwest current account" which have the word Cash
Machine in their Reference box.

The first transaction found is highlighted. To search for the
next transaction choose "Find again" from the Edit menu.
Repeat this procedure until the screen flashes, indicating
there are no more entries.

Choose the Find command and from the "Find manual
transactions" requester, experiment with different search
combinations. This command is particularly useful, especially
when you have been using Home Accounts2 for several
months and you wish to search through hundreds of
transactions.


4.14 Finding and Replacing Transactions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Choose "Find and replace" from the Edit menu. A box similar
to the Find requester will appear. On the right side of the
title bar (find) is displayed, indicating that this is where you
enter your search criteria.

Notice that Home Accounts2 has remembered your last
search criteria (when using the Find command).

Click OK. Another similar box appears. In the title bar
(replace) is displayed, indicating that this is where you enter
the information you want to replace.

In the Reference box enter Cashpoint machine and set the
corresponding check box on.

The three radio buttons at the bottom of the requester
perform these operations:


                PAGE 60

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

BUTTON             DOES
------------------ ---------------------------------------------
"Replace once"     Find first transaction and replace it.
"Confirm replace"  Find all transactions, but confirm each
                   replace.
"Replace all"      Replace all transactions.

Click "Confirm replace" and then click OK.

Click Yes to confirm the replacement and the word Cash
Machine will be replaced with Cashpoint Machine and the same
alert box will reappear to confirm each replacement. Click Yes
at each alert. The screen will flash to indicate that no more
transactions can be found.


4.15 Reconciling Transactions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Notice that some of the transactions have not been included
in the running balance figure. This is because these
transactions are not reconciled, and therefore are not included
in the total balance. Unreconciled transactions appear without
an asterisk (*) in the left column.

There are ways to customise reconciliation to suit your
personal preference and this is explained a little later in this
tutorial.

In principle, you should reconcile each transaction as it
appears on your bank or credit card statement. You then have
a method of monitoring which transactions have cleared and
those which are still outstanding. Therefore, you know the
true balance of your Account.

To reconcile an individual transaction (when it appears on
your statement), highlight the transaction and then use the
Amend command (Edit menu), and enter * in the Reconciled
box. A quicker method is to press and hold the Alt key and
click the transaction you wish to reconcile.

Try this with the transaction Fishing Rod . Notice an asterisk
(*) appears to indicate the transaction is now reconciled and
the balance is updated to reflect the value. Repeat the process,
as this is a toggle command, the transaction will revert to
being unreconciled.

                PAGE 61

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Choose Reconcile from the Trans menu.

This command is used to search transactions between date
ranges and then globally reconcile or unreconcile. You also
have the option to confirm each transaction for reconciliation
if you wish (particularly useful for bank statements).
Enter the following:

Start Date: 01/03/1991
End Date: 05/03/1991

The Reconcile radio button should be selected and the check
box to "Confirm each one" set on.

Click OK and, as prompted, click Yes to confirm each
reconciliation.

You can also ask Home Accounts2 to calculate which
transactions should be reconciled. Your own bank statements,
will contain the following information:

  The date of first transaction ("Start date").
  The date of last transaction ("End date").

  The Account balance ("Target balance").

  The number of transactions ("Number of transactions").


                PAGE 62

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Choose "Auto balance" from the Trans menu and enter:

Start Date: 01/03/1991
End Date: 15/03/1991
Target balance: 322.04
Number of Transactions: 10

Click OK. Notice that some of the transactions are now
reconciled. Home Accounts2 has evaluated all of the
transactions you entered, between the two dates, and
established a combination of 10 transactions that total the
"Target balance" figure.

Occasionally, a reconciliation may be wrong, particularly if
you have several transactions of the same amount. In this
case, you use the "Auto balance again" command (Trans
menu) and Home Accounts2 will attempt to reconcile again,
using a different combination (unless there are no more
combinations possible).

If the "Auto balance" fails, this is probably because you made
a mistake when you entered transactions. (See Section 4.6,
"Setting up Regular Transactions" and Section 4.11, "Entering
Transactions").


4.16 Setting Transaction Defaults
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Choose "set defaults" from the Trans menu.


                PAGE 63

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

With a program like Home Accounts 2 you spend much of your time
entering transactions. To make this process as efficient as
possible, Home Accounts 2 offers many defaults, which you can
personalise to your requirements.

With the Type, Reconciled, Amount and M (Marker) boxes
you have three options :

  No default.

  Your own Default.

  Default to the entry of the previous transaction "last entered"

For example, to set the default type to HK, enter HK in the
text box and leave the adjecent check box ("last entered") off.
To set the default type to the previous entry, switch the
"Last entered" check box on.

The Date and Reference boxes have associated cycle buttons and
check boxes. With these you have four options :

  No default

  Your own default

  Default to entry of previous transaction

OR

  Default to "system date" (Date box)

  DEfault to type reference (Reference box)

The "system date" is the date you set when you first start home
account 2. The type reference is the reference you enter for each type.
For example, ealier when you set up the type CL, you entered the
reference for clothes.

Click Cancel.

                PAGE 64

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

4.17 Function Keys
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the "Set up" menu choose "Function keys".


This is another time-saving facility. You can program up to 20
common words or phrases. Ten for the key combination
Control-Function key and ten for Alt-Function key. You
cannot program a direct Function keypress (for example, F3),
as these contain Home Accounts2's keyboard shortcuts.

For example, the reference Cash Machine may be used
regularly, and you can program this word into a Function key
so that whenever you wish to enter Cash Machine you just
press the appropriate Function key combination.

In the Control box enter Cash Machine and in the Alt box enter
House keeping.

Control-F1 is now set to Cash Machine and Alt-F1 to House
keeping.

To change the Function key (currently set to F1), click the
Function key icon and overtype in the appropriate text box.
Now click OK.

                PAGE 65

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Click the Add button (or choose Add from the Edit menu),
and in the "Add manual transaction" requester move down
to the Reference box using the Down Arrow, or press the
Return key.

With the Reference box highlighted, press Control-F1. Home
Accounts2 will automatically enter Cash Machine into the box.
Press the Return key and highlight the Reference box again.
Now press Alt-F1, the word House keeping appears.

Press the Return key, click Quit and then close the window to
return to the desktop.


4.18 Setting up Investements.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Choose Investments from the "Set up" menu.

This is a simple way to keep track of investments, such as
Company shares, unit Trusts and so on.

Choose Add from the Edit menu and enter the following:

Reference         Quantity     Unit Price
----------------------- ------------    ------------------
Acme PLC                100        2.37
Banana plantation       300        8.27
FiscomFLC               500            1.97

Click Quit; the window will display the list of the investments
and their current value. This figure will be included when
calculating a "Net worth" report.



4.19 Multiple Windows
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Choose "Transaction types" command from the "Set up"
menu and choose Budget from the "Set up" menu.

Resize and move the Budget window downwards by
dragging its title bar. The Types and Investment windows
behind should now be visible. Home Accounts2 lets you have
many windows open simultaneously.

                PAGE 66

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


Choose the Add command from the Edit menu, and, as you
would expect, since the Budget window is the front-most
window, the "Add budget item" requester appears. Now
click Quit.

Click the front-to-back gadget in the Types window to bring it
to the front and choose Add again from the Edit menu. Now
the "Add types" requester appears. Click Quit.

The menu commands always operate on the active window.



4.20 Arranging Windows
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Occasionally, if you open multiple windows, the desktop can
become muddled. Home Accounts2 has a command which
lets you decide the window arrangement.

Choose "Arrange windows" from the Options menu.

Select "Tiled vertically", and then click OK. The windows
will now appear one above the other. Try experimenting with
the "Arrange windows" command.

                PAGE 67

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Close each window using the window closer.

Home Accounts2 remembers the dimensions of each window,
so when you re-open a window it will appear the same size as
when you closed it.


4.21 Workbench Icons
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With Home Accounts2 you have the option to display icons
on the desktop for menu commands and Accounts. The
default icons are:

Printer, Help, Calculator, Types, Markers, Regular, Budget,
Investment and Trashcan.

As you set up Accounts, further icons appear to represent
them:

Bank, Savings, Credit Card and Cash.

Another icon, Tax, appears if you are tax or VAT registered.

You double-click the icon to select the Account or command.

Experiment by dragging a few of the icons around the screen,
but take care not to drag icons over the Trashcan or Printer
icons.

Now choose "Clean up desktop" from the Options menu.
This command neatly rearranges the icons.

                PAGE 68

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

4.22 Setting up your Printer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Before you can experiment with the reporting options, you
need to set up your printer.

Choose Preferences from the Options menu.

These are the preset options for Home Accounts2. At the
moment you are using the default settings, but you can
change these to suit your preference. For example, you can
change the desktop colours, hide the desktop icons, switch on
autosave and so on.

Click Printer and then click Edit.


                PAGE 69

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


Home Accounts2 uses the printer preferences as you have set
up in your Amiga System Preferences.

"Spooler buffer size": This lets you set aside memory for
background printing. By default, this is set to zero. If you
have IMB or more of RAM, set this to about 20 (Kb).
Background printing, as the name suggests, lets you use
Home Accounts2 and print, simultaneously.

"Page length": Set this to the number of lines per page for the
paper you are using, 11" paper is 66 lines, 12" paper is 72
lines, A4 paper is 70 lines.

"Top margin": Set this to the number of lines to feed at the
top of each page before printing.

"Bottom margin": Set this to the number of lines to skip over
at the bottom of each page.

"Page width": Set this to the width of your paper (characters),
in 10 Pitch you would use 80, or 132 for a wide carriage
printer.

"Left margin": Set this to the number of characters space for
the left margin.

"Cut sheet": Pauses printing at the end of each page.

"Print quality": Select required print quality (draft or NLQ).

Click OK.

                PAGE 70

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


Now click Use on the "Set preferences" requester.

From the Reports menu choose Types.

Whenever you choose a command from the Reports menu,
you have the option to view the report on the screen, print it
or save the report as a file on disk. With this tutorial, set the
radio button to Screen or Printer. Click OK.

A list of the Types (for income and expenditure) you set up
earlier will appear. Experiment with the Budget and "Regular
transactions" reports. The only reports not selectable (they are
ghosted) are Markers, "VAT codes", VAT. This is because you
have not entered any information relating to these
commands.

Choose "Account summary" from the Report menu. This
reports lists the Accounts and provides two balances:

"Reconciled balance": The current balance of the Account.

"Unreconciled balance": The Account balance with all
transactions reconciled.


                PAGE 71


------------------------------------------------------------------------

Choose "Account statement" from the Reports menu.

This requester provides more facilities for searching and
displaying transactions.

You can search for transactions based on information entered
into one or all of the boxes. The first two boxes "Start date"
and "End date" let you set a date range to search within. The
Reference box allows a full or part of a reference to be
entered.

The first cycle button has three options: "Include reconciled
and unreconciled transactions", "Include reconciled
transactions only" or "Include unreconciled transactions
only"

The second cycle button has three options: "Include debits
and credits", "Include debits only" or "Include credits only".

The Style cycle button has three display options: "List", "Line
graph" or "Scatter graph".

Click the Types button.


                PAGE 72

----------------------------------------------------------------------------


You can use this list box to select the Type on which you wish
to search. Click on individual Types to highlight them or click
"Select all". "Reset all" will deselect all Types. If the "All
types" check box is selected, then all Types will be included
in the search, regardless of the selection in the list box.

The same selection principle applies to the Accounts and
Markers (the Markers button should be ghosted since no
Markers have been set up).

Experiment with the various search options.

From the reports menu choose "Income and expenditure".

The requester is similar to the "Account statement".
Experiment with the various options. You will find this
particularly useful to calculate totals for income and
expenditure.

From the Reports menu choose "Budget progress".

With this report you can compare your budgeted and actual
expenditure. At the end of each report, a forecast Account
balance appears.


                PAGE 73

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

From the Reports menu choose Portfolio. This report gives a
summary of all investments and their current value.

From the Reports menu choose "Net worth".

Click the Assets button. You can enter up to 20 assets and
their value. Enter the following:

Reference        Amount
-----------     -------
House           120000
Boat              10000

Click OK and then click Liabilities. Enter:

Reference        Amount
-----------     --------
Outstanding loan   75200
Car Loan              850

Click OK. On the "Net worth report" requester click OK.

This report provides a list of all assets (investments and
positive Account balances), and all liabilities (loans and
negative Account balances).

Assets and Liabilities will be automatically saved with your
file.


                PAGE 74

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Preferences are provided to let you personalise Home
Accounts~.

Choose Preferences from the Options menu.

Preferences are grouped like this:

General: For file options, screen saver, dates, VAT, playtime
and so on.

Icons: To show or hide desktop icons and change their titles.

Printer: To set the page settings (you covered this earlier).

Colours: To select your preferred cocktail colour palette.

Select the preference you wish to change and then click Edit.

When you have completed the changes, click OK to return to
the "Set preferences" requester. On the right the buttons are:

Use: For this session only.

Save: Save preference changes on disk permanently.

Open: Open a previously saved preference file.

Cancel: Disregard any preference changes and return to the
desktop.

                PAGE 75

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

There are six demonstration files supplied on your program
disk which will illustrate how Home Accounts2 may be
configured. They include:

DEMO.HA2 - The tutorial file you have just run through.

SINGLE.HA2 - Single person, living with family at home.

MARRIED.HA2 - Married couple, with own home.

BUSINESS.HA2 - Self employed, small business person.

STUDENT. HA2 - Student living in rented accommodation.

TEENAGER.HA2 - Teenager, living with parents.



                PAGE 76

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 5 Looking After Your Finances
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"One of the mysteries of human conduct is why
adult men and women . . . are ready to sign
documents which they do not read . . . binding them
to pay for articles which they do not want, with
money which they have not got"

SIR GERALD HURST


This chapter provides basic guidelines for good financial
housekeeping, handling debt and ideas on how to set up and
use Home Accounts2.

 The secret to good housekeeping.

 Getting credit.

 Credit guide.

 Tips for better borrowing.

 Cancelling a loan.

 General tips.

 Debt--a survival guide.

 Using Home Accounts2.

 Once upon a time . . .


5.1 The secret to good housekeeping
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The best way to ensure that you live within your means is to
work out your personal budget.

Use Home Accounts2 to budget and monitor all your
spending. The money coming in and a budget planner of all
your expenditure. Home Accounts2 will work out how much
you have left over at the end of each month or week.
Remember that you will probably want to spend some of the
money 'left over' on other things.

If you borrow or get a loan, you will have to pay for it from
this available money. If you borrow money, the repayment
may mean you cannot afford something else.

Remember, if you get behind with repayments on a loan,
you'll find it hard to borrow again. Not just to buy things, but
for something as important as a mortgage.

Most people get into debt because things change. Suddenly
there's not as much money coming in and they can't repay
their loans. For example, you may have to find extra cash if
the interest rates go up.

Study this simple checklist...


                PAGE 79

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Complete this form with your monthly fig~ures. You can then
calculate your monthly surplus income.

YOUR INCOME                                      AMOUNT
========================================================================
Wages- your pay
Wag~es-overtime
Wages-your partner's pay
Social Security Benefits
Maintenance Payment
Retirement Pension
Other Pension
Any Other Income (for example, from a lodger)
     Total Net Monthly Income (A)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
YOUR HOME
~~~~~~~~~                                         AMOUNT
Mortgage/Rent
Community Charge
Water Rates
Insurance
     Sub Total Monthly Outgoings (B)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
YOUR BILLS                                         AMOUNT
~~~~~~~~~~
Gas/Oil
Electricity
Credit Card
Telephone
Rental Agreements (for example, TV, video)
Other (for example, hire purchase)
     Sub Total Monthly Out~oings (C)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
PERSONAL EXPENSES                                   AMOUNT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Food and Clothing
Travel/Holidays
Savings
TV Licence
Car Tax/lnsurance/Maintenance
Life Insurance
Entertainment (for example, cinema, videos)
Others (for example, cigarettes, pocket money)
     Sub Total Monthly Outgoings (D)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
     (B+C+D) Total Monthly Outgoings (E)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY                                             AMOUNT
NET MONTHLY INCOME (A)
TOTAL MONTHLY OUTGOINGS (E)
(A-E) SURPLUS MONTHLY INCOME
===========================================================================


                PAGE 80


5.2 Getting Credit
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When you ask for credit, you will probably have to fill in a
form about yourself, your income and your outgoings.
Answer honestly. You are doing yourself no favours, and
breaking the law, if you make out that you're better off than
you really are. You'll be the loser if you take on more credit
than you can manage.

If you are on a tight budget, make sure your loan is a fixed
interest loan, so that you will know exactly how much you
will have to repay each month.

Shop around for credit terms, like you shop around for the
goods. Check there isn't a catch. You may be able to buy more
cheaply elsewhere. And take your time--you can't back out
of an agreement signed in a shop.

Look out for the APR. As a general guide, the lower the APR,
the less the deal will cost you. If someone is offering interest
free credit, the repayments must not add up to more than the
cash.

Use Home Accounts2 to add up all your regular outgoings.
Allow for extras like presents, holidays and emergencies,
such as a car or washing machine repairs.

If you act as a guarantor for somebody else's loan, you will
have to pay all they owe if they stop paying. Don't be a
guarantor unless you can afford the risk. If you agree to be
one make sure that you see all the papers.

                PAGE 81

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

5.3 Credit Guide
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HP
--
You pay a deposit and monthly or weekly payments. The
goods belong to you when you make the last payment.


Credit Sale
-----------
Like HP but you own the goods at once. Credit deals are
tricky. Don't just accept what the sales staff say. Ask for a
written quotation (you must be given one if you ask). Then
read it at home. It will tell you all you need to know and
make it easier to compare deals.


Credit Cards
------------
The credit card company sends a monthly account for what
you've bought. You can pay it off or make a minimum
repayment and pay interest. It can be an expensive way of
borrowing.

Company credit cards: Beware, you may be liable for the debt
if the company is unable to pay the bill.

Charge Cards
------------
You use it like a credit card but you must pay the bill in full
each month.


Store Cards
-----------
Like credit cards, but for use in a particular store or group of
stores. It can be an expensive form of credit.


Bank Loans
----------
If you have a bank account, an overdraft can be a quick, easy,
but not necessarily a cheap loan. You have to pay bank
charges and there may be other costs. Beware of hidden
charges, such as arrangement fees. Banks can also offer
personal and other loans. The costs of borrowing will vary
from bank to bank, so shop around.


Building Society Loans
----------------------
If you are buying your home, you might be able to raise cash
by increasing your mortgage. If you're not happy with the
interest charges, see if it's worth switching your mortgage
somewhere else. This can be expensive though. Some
societies offer unsecured loans.


                PAGE 82

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finance Company Loans
---------------------
Shops, car dealer and gas and electricity boards may offer to
arrange a finance company loan if you're buying a big item.
Shop around first to see if you can get a better deal.


Mail Order Catalogs
-------------------
Saves time and travelling. You usually get at least 20 weeks
interest free credit. You may have to pay interest if you want
to pay over a longer period for more costly items.


Pawnbroking
-----------
You leave an article such as a piece of jewellery in
return for a loan. You get the item back when
you've repaid the loan plus interest over an
agreed period. If you don't repay the money,
the article will be sold. It can be an expensive way to borrow.


Small Moneylenders
------------------
Can be expensive way to borrow because of the cost of collecting the
repayments from your home each week. However, it should be
cheaper if you pay at the lender's office.


Credit Unions
-------------
Money co-ops run by people in the same church, club, street
or with something else in common. Members save regularly
and can get cheap loans.

                PAGE 83

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

5.4 Tips for better borrowing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DONT !
^^^^^^

 Over-commit your budget before you take out a loan,
 work out a monthly budget to be sure you are not over-
 stretching your income.

 Anticipate a future increase in income.

 Be pressured to take finance by a salesman.

 Offer security without knowing what happens if you
 cannot repay.

 Take credit on impulse.


DONT SIGN ANYTHING UNLESS YOU KNOW:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 What the repayments are and how many you must make.

 The total amount you must repay, including fees.

 What may happen if you cannot afford the repayments.



DO !
^^^^

 Budget your spending: Know how much you need to
 spend each month and work out how much you will
 have left.

 Remember that if interest rates go up, your repayments
 may increase.

 Shop around for the best deal.

 Make sure the lending institution is reliable and has a
 good reputation.

 Consider taking out finance insurance.

 Read the fine-print if you don't understand it, say so.

 Keep all documentation relating to your borrowing, you
 may need it.

 Check your statements to monitor your spending.

 Tell your finance company if your circumstances change.

 Find out whether the agreement can be cancelled.

Ask yourself - can you afford it?


                PAGE 84

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


5.5 Cancelling a Loan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


You can cancel some agreements and not others. It is vital to
check the credit form. If you can cancel there should be a box
titled "Your Right To Cancel" which tells you what to do.

You can't cancel if you signed in the trader's shop, office or
other business premises such as an exhibition stand. You can
cancel if you met the trader to discuss the deal and you
signed at home.

REMEMBER
^^^^^^^^

Unless you can see the cancellation box on the agreement,
don't believe anyone who says you've got time to think
the deal over.

Beware of phone calls. You can't cancel a deal arranged
on the phone, even if you signed at home.

If you cancel a loan tying you to buy, for example, double
glazing, you don't have to have the double glazing.

You can still cancel after the goods have arrived.

If you've paid a deposit, you'll get it back.

Hire purchase: You cannot end an HP agreement unless
you're up to date with your payments. You will have to pay
at least half of the total amount that you owe. You cannot sell
HP goods until the agreement has been paid off.

Credit cards: If you use a British credit card to purchase
something over £100, you have extra rights if something goes
wrong. If you lose your card, tell the card company at once by
phone and then in writing. This will limit your liability to £50
if someone else is using your card.


Settling a loan Facility
------------------------
If you want to settle early, ask the loan company how much it
will cost. This will depend on what you owe, the interest rate
and how long the agreement is meant to last. You'll probably
have to pay some of the interest you would have paid if the
agreement ran its full length.


                PAGE 85

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

5.6 GENERAL TIPS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5.6.1 Load Insurance
--------------------
This offers protection to cover your monthly repayment in the
event of illness, accident, involuntary unemployment or even
death. If you want this kind of insurance, you might get it
cheaper elsewhere. Some policies don't cover self-employed,
part-time workers or certain age groups (for example,
pensioner).


5.6.2 Annual Percentage Rate
----------------------------
APR stands for Annual Percentage Rate of charge. All lenders
must work it out in the same way so you can make a fair
comparison. APR doesn't just cover the interest rate, but also
all the charges associated with the loan.

5.6.3 What to do if you are Turned Down for Credit
---------------------------------------------------
Traders don't have to give you credit or tell you why. They
may have checked your details with a Credit Reference
Agency. These firms collect financial information about
people and businesses. Agencies don't say whether you
should have credit, or not. That decision is taken by the
trader.

Ask the trader in writing which agency was consulted, but act
quickly. Ask the agency for a copy of the information they
have about you. If there are any mistakes, you can have them
put right.

Many traders have a credit scoring system. They give you
points depending on the answers you give to their questions.
You'll get credit if you score enough points. You may pass
with one firm but not another.

                PAGE 86

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

5.7 Debt - A Survival Guide
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't stop paying. Even if you have a major complaint about
the goods, don't stop your payments. See the trader at once.


5.7.1 If you get into too much Debt
-----------------------------------
Contact your creditors. Don't ignore their letters or demands.
Provided you tell them what's happening, you should find
them quite reasonable. Consider their point-of-view.
If they hear nothing, you become a statistic, a bad debt.
Their legal department takes over.

However, if you keep them informed and illustrate that
you recognise that there is a problem and that you are trying
to sort it out, you should find them accommodating. You
should be treated like a person, not a legal statistic. By co-
operating with your creditors, you may be able to even pause
or re-schedule your repayments


5.7.2 Six step Emergency Plan
-----------------------------
Work out your income. This is how much money you
have coming in each month. Include your take-home pay,
any social security payments and money from other
sources.

Work out your outgoings. Calculate the cost of your
essentials each month. Include your rent or mortgage,
gas, electricity, food and so on. Don't forget occasional
payments like shoe repairs or haircuts. List luxury items
like video rentals or cigarettes. Also note your present
instalment payments on any hire purchase or credit
arrangements.

Compare your income total with the money you have left
over to offer creditors.

                PAGE 87

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


Still more going out that coming in ????

 If you spend more than your income, try to cut down.
 You'll have to make sacrifices.

 Is there anything you can sell to pay your debts (do not sell
 anything on which you still owe money). You coukd contact a
 creditor with a view to returning any items being bought on
 hire-purchase.


Can you increase your income ????

 Are you receiving all the income you are entitled to ?? Are you
 paying too much tax? Can you claim Social Security benefits ??
 Can you get an extra part-time job for a while ???


Find out how much you owe. List all arrears payments, loans and credit
commitments. Seomdebts can cause more trouble than others. Deal with
them first. The priorities are:

 1. Rent/Mortgage arrears.
 2. Community Charge.
 3. Fuel Debts (IE - Gas, Electricity)
 4. Hire Purchase.


Talk with your creditors. Send them your budget checklist showing them
your income and outgoings. Explain what offer you can make to pay off
the debt, but don't make an offer you cant afford.


A small but regular payment is better than no payment at all, or one
that you cannot keep up. If the first person in a company you speak to
is unhelpful, be persistant and go higher up. Don't give up.



5.7.3 Borrowing Again to get out of Debt
----------------------------------------

You may be tempted by newspaper advertisements offering loans
to payoff existing debts. Rates of interest for this type of
borrowing can be high. Don't do this unless you are sure that
you can keep up the repayments. In most cases you have to offer
your house as security. If you fail to pay you could lose the
roof over your head!!!

                PAGE 88

------------------------------------------------------------------------

5.7.4 Coping with Debt
----------------------

Never ignore demands for payment. It only means worse
trouble.

Tell the lender as soon as you know you are in difficulties
and try to work something out.

If you're in serious debt now, consult your consumer
adviser.


5.7.5 Loan Sharks
-----------------

Beware of loan sharks. The cost will be sky-high and if
you can't repay they'll turn nasty.

Some will use 'press gangs' to threaten you and your family.

Some will try to take your benefit book. This is illegal.

Some will force you to have a second loan to repay the first.
Your money problem will become a nightmare.

                PAGE 89

----------------------------------------------------------------------------


5.8 USING HOME ACCOUNTS 2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This section is designed to guide you through setting up your
own file and to give some pointers as to how Home
Accounts2 can help with specific areas of maintaining your
finances.


Starting Your Financial Year
----------------------------
Before setting up your file you will need the following
information:

The start month and year.

A list of headings for your income and expenditure
(Types). For example, salary, food, car expenses.

Details of your standing orders and direct debits
("Regular transactions").

Details of all the accounts you want to monitor
(Accounts). For example, bank accounts, credit cards,
savings.

Details of any investments, such as unit trusts or shares.

Once you have assembled this information you are ready to
set up your file.

Important: Whenever you load Home Accounts2, be sure to set the
       current date correctly.

Before using Home Accounts2, you will need to have
prepared a blank formatted disk.

Give the file a meaningful name, and try to include the year
in the filename so it can be easily located in the future. For
example, Myfile91.

If you are tax (VAT) registered, use the Preferences command
(Option menu), and from "General Preferences" select the
"VAT registered" check box. Then set up code and rates for
tax (VAT).

                PAGE 90

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once you have created your file, set up the following:

Income and Expenditure Types. ("Transaction types"
command, "Set up" menu )

Accounts. ("Add account" command, "Set up" menu.)

"Regular transactions". ("Regular transactions"
command, "Set up" menu.)

Now set up your budget.



Make a list of the headings on which you regularly spend
money (for example, motoring expenses, clothing, holidays).
Remember to include any "Regular transactions" (for
example, mortgage, loan repayments); Then make a sensible
estimate of the monthly expenditure of each heading.

Now enter this information into Home Accounts2 using the
Budget command ("Set up" menu).

Before going any further, save your file using the Save
command (Project menu).


Before entering any transactions, go through the preferences
and customise them for your needs. (Preferences-General
command, Options menu.)


Now open each Account window (by double-clicking the
Account icon) and configure the window headers for each
Account. ("Window headers" command, "Set up" menu.)


Set up the transaction defaults to the most suitable for your
requirements. For example, if you are entering transactions
on a daily basis, set the Date to "System date". ("Set defaults"
command, Trans menu.)


                PAGE 91

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


General Guidelines
------------------
Produce reports, such as the Statement and "Budget
progress" regularly, so any financial problems are
illustrated early.

Use the "Interest calculator" to estimate the interest due
on credit card bills, loans and so on. This will help you
plan your finances.

During the financial year you may wish to adjust your
budget. Use the "Budget progress report" as a guide--it
illustrates the difference between your original budget
and your actual expenditure to date.

Experiment with what-if calculations on your budget
figures. For example, if you are considering a hire
purchase, BEFORE you sign the agreement, enter the
figures into your budget and see how do the repayments
will effect your monthly disposable income.

When you receive a statement for an account (for
example, a current account bank statement), use one of
the methods provided with Home Accounts2 to reconcile
the transactions and check that the statement is correct
(banks can make mistakes!)

It's also a good idea to produce a statement of "Unreconciled
transactions" to make sure that a transaction is not taking an
unreasonable time to clear (and to remind yourself of any
payments you have made, but which have yet to clear).

If your statement includes a charge or interest payment, you
will need to account for this by entering the amount as a
separate "Manual transaction".

Always monitor the "Account summary" and "Budget
progress" reports--these provide actual and predicted
balances. It should provide a timely warning if you are
getting into too much debt.

Use the "Income and expenditure" report regularly--this
will illustrate the total you are spending and receiving by
Type. It provides a quick method of seeing if, for
example, you are paying to high bank charges.

If you are tax (VAT) registered, produce a VAT report at
the end of each VAT period--this should provide the
totals to complete your VAT Return.


                PAGE 92

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

What to do at the end of the year
---------------------------------

When you wish to start entering transactions for a new
financial year, create a new file for the year using a new blank
formatted disk. (New command, Project menu.)

You will be asked if you wish to load an existing
configuration from another file. Click Yes and select the
previous year's file from the requester.

When the new file has been created, it will include all the
previous year's information, except "Manual transactions".

You will need to reconcile the remaining transactions in the
old file as your Account statements arrive. Adjust the opening
balance of the Accounts in the new year accordingly.

It is a good idea to keep a copy of the old file so that you can
use Home Accounts2's year-to-year comparative facility
("Open comparatives", Project menu).

                PAGE 93

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


5.9 Once upon a Time....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is a reply to a fictional debt collector's final demand from
a farmer in Melbourne.

Dear sir,

Your heated letter arrived this morning in an open
envelope with a penny stamp on it. My son and I would
have gained much pleasure from it, had it not arrived to
us during a melancholy reflection of what had gone
before.

You say you thought the account could have been
settled long ago and could not understand why not.
Well here is the reason...

In 1954 I bought a saw mill on credit, in 1955 I bought a
team of horses, two ponies, a timber wagon, a double
barrelled shotgun and two razor back pigs, all on credit.

In 1956 the mill was burnt to the ground. One of my
ponies ran off, and I loaned the other to a thoughtless
colleague who emigrated. I then joined the ranks of the
unemployed.

In 1959 my wife ran off with a sheep shearer and left
twins as a souvenir. I employed a housekeeper and later
married her to keep my expenses down. I wanted to
avoid having any other children (to save money) so I
went to see my doctor. He advised me to use some
protection.

That night I took my shotgun to bed with me, but in all
the excitement I fell off the wardrobe and accidentally
fired the gun out of the window. The result, I ruptured
myself and shot the best bull I have ever owned.

In 1960 I took to drink. I carried on drinking until all I had
was a pocket watch and a weak bladder. After a year I
once again took heart and bought on credit a manure
spreader, reaper, binder and a car. The floods came
and washed the lot away. I was not insured.

                PAGE 94

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once again I was religated to the unemployment
office. Fortunately, I met a kind young man who
introduced me to a particularly potent white powder.
For a few weeks a travelled around in this amazing
spaceship and met the occupants. But things took a
turn for the worst ,as when I was refuelling one day with
the crew, I sneezed and blew the white powder straight
out the window. Unfortunately, the crew didn't see the
funny side and now say I owe them £2,000, and if I don't
pay up. they're going to take me to see Jacques
Cousteau.

You can imagine my surprise on reading your letter and
that you will cause me trouble if I do not pay up. If you
can think of any trouble that I have missed out on I
would very much like to know about it.

Yours for more credit,

Captain 'Lucky' Happifield

The persons and events in this letter are fictitious. Any
similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or events, past,
present or future, is coincidental.


                PAGE 95

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 6 General
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"A bank is a place that will lend you money if
you can prove that you don't need it"

BOB HOPE

This chapter gives a detailed explanation of the on-screen
items.

  The desktop and menus.
  The requesters.
  Editing windows.
  The Notepad.
  The file selector.


6.1.1 The Menu Bar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Menu Bar is shown at the top of the screen when the
Right Mouse key is depressed.

To choose a menu, move the arrow pointer over the
appropriate menu (Project menu, for example). The full menu
list will pop down.


                PAGE 101

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

With the full menu list displayed, move the pointer
downwards over the command required. Each command will
be highlighted as the pointer moves down the list. Release the
Right Mouse key to choose the required command.


6.1.2 Icons
~~~~~~~~~~~

When you create a new file with Home Accounts2, these
icons appear on the desktop.

TITLE        DOES
-------------   -------------------------------------
Printer        Print command
Help        Help command
Calculator    Calculator command
Types        "Transaction types" command
Markers        "Transaction marker" command
REgular        "Regular transactions" command
Budget        Budget command
Investment    Investments command


These icons provide an alternative way to choose the menu
commands.

                PAGE 102

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

As you create your own Accounts, for items like your bank
Account, for example, these icons will appear (the Tax icon
appears if you set your preferences to tax registered):

Tax        Tax, or VAT command
Cheque        Cheque Account
Savings        Savings Account
Credit Card    Credit card Account
Cash        Cash Account

An icon will appear for each Account you set up, the title of
which you decide when you create the Account.

You can arrange all of these icons to your preference. To do
this, highlight each icon and then drag it. Alternatively,
choose "Clean up desktop" (Options menu) and the icons will
be arranged automatically.

You can hide or rename the icons by choosing
Icons-Preferences command from the Options menu.


                PAGE 103

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


6.1.3 The Trashcan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Trashcan icon appears at the lower left of the screen.

The Trashcan works in a similar way as the Trashcan on the
Workbench.

You can set Home Accounts2's Trashcan to remember its
contents (General-Preference command, Options menu).
Then, if you need to retrieve anything, you simply double-
click the Trashcan and drag the item out of the Trashcan
window (if the item is a transaction, it will be replaced
automatically into the Account from which it was originally
removed). If the Trashcan contains information, it will look
like this:

                PAGE 104

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The contents of the Trashcan will not be saved with your file
and will be emptied if you choose the New command, or
open another file.

To empty the Trashcan, choose "Empty Trashcan" from the
Options menu.

You can hide or rename the Trashcan icon by choosing
Icons-Preferences command from the Options menu.
Figure 6--7 Requester


                PAGE 105

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

6.2 THE REQUESTERS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With requesters, you will notice that they appear next to the
mouse pointer. This is Digita's HIP working to save you
unnecessary movement with the mouse.

To move a requester click the white bar at the top and drag
the box to the new location.


6.2.1 Text Entry Boxes
-----------------------
These are boxes into which information can be typed. Delete
and Backspace can be used as normal along with the left and
right arrow keys.

If the box is highlighted, whatever you enter will replace the
contents. If you wish to edit the contents of a highlighted
box, press Fl.

                PAGE 106

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Editing:

KEY            DOES
----------------------    ---------------------------------
Left Arrow        Move cursor left
Right Arrow              ""    ""   right
Up Arrow        Move to Previous text box
Down Arrow or        Move to next text box
Tab or the Return key
Shift-Left Arrow    Move to start of text box
Shift-Right Arrow       Move to end of text box
Right Amiga-X         Clear text box
Right Amiga-Q        Restore text box settings
Control-Right Amiga-Q    Restore box to contents before
            editing.
Backspace        Delete character to the left
Delete            Delete current character
F1            Edit contents of text box
F2            Toggle between insert and overtype
Enter            Move to next text box and can be used
            to select the defualt button to exit
            a requester



6.2.2 Radio Buttons
--------------------
These are groups of buttons where only one may be selected.
Selecting another radio button will deselect the previous one,
similar to the buttons on some radios, hence their name. They
are used for presenting a variety of options, only one of which
may be selected. For example, the Preferences requester
(Options menu).

When clicking radio buttons it is unnecessary to position the
pointer precisely over the button. You will notice that clicking
the title is just as effective.


6.2.3 Check Boxes
-----------------
These are small, square boxes which can be turned on or off
by clicking, their status being shown by a check (tick) mark
within the box. For example, the General-Preferences dialog
box (Options menu).


6.2.4 Cycle Buttons
-------------------
These are buttons which show their currently selected format
and, when clicked, cycle through a sequence of format
options. For example, the Header and Order boxes in the Sort
requester (Sort command, Edit menu).

                PAGE 107

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

6.2.5 List Boxes
----------------
These are large boxes which present a list from which a
selection is made by clicking on one item. If the list contains
more items than can be shown, you can scroll through the list
using the scroll bars and scroll arrows on the right of the list
box. For example, the Help requester (System menu).

In some list boxes, you can select an item and perform a
command at the same time by double-clicking the item. For
example, if you double-click a file from the list box in the
"Open file" requester, Home Accounts2 will open the file.

Some list boxes, mostly those which appear in the report
options, let you make several selections. For example, using
the "Account Statement" command, you can configure the
report to print from several Accounts by selecting each
Account from the list box.

Requesters may have other buttons which can be clicked to
perform certain operations. One of these buttons will have a
double border, which is the default. The default button can be
selected either by clicking or pressing Enter. The Cancel
button will always close the requester and will disregard any
information entered.


6.2.6 Alert Boxes
-----------------
Alert boxes appear to display warnings, errors or simple
questions which require a simple response. For example,
"Warning file already exists do you want to overwrite?"

                PAGE 108

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


6.3 Editing Windows
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


In many parts of Home Accounts2, a window appears which
lists the current transactions or entries


These windows all operate in the same way.

ACTION            DOES
----------------------  ------------------------------------------
Single click        Highlight Entry
Double-click        Edit Entry
Shift-Double-click    Add Entry
Down Arrow        Scroll Down
Up Arrow        Scroll Up
Shift-Down Arrow    Scroll Down a Page
Shift-Up Arrow        Scroll Up a Page
                  Toggles entry reconciled
Alt-single-click  or unreconciled
                  (Account windows only)

To move a window, click the bar at the top and drag the
window to the new location.

When you close a window, Home Accounts2 remembers the
size and position. If you re-open the window, it appears the
same size and in the same location as when you closed it.

                PAGE 109

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

6.4 The NotePad
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Notepad facility is provided so that you can enter extra
information. For example, you may wish to add a few notes
about your bank Account (the manager's name, phone
number and so on).

Notepads are available by pressing F10, whenever you Add
or Amend:

Accounts
"Transaction types"
Markers
"Regular transactions"
Budget
Investments
"VAT codes"

The Notepad requester appears.

Up to eight lines of information may be typed for each
Notepad. One Notepad is provided per item.

You can call up the Notepad by pressing F10. To print a
Notepad, select "Show Notepad" in the appropriate report
configuration requester.

                PAGE 110

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

6.5 The File Selector
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The large list box shows all files and drawers (subdirectories,
labelled (Drawer)), in the currently selected drawer. The
lower list box shows all currently available disks, volumes
and assigned devices. Below this are three boxes, Filter,
Drawer and Filename. To the right are three buttons: OK,
Cancel and Parent.

To select a file click the filename in the large listbox, this will
update the Filename text box. Clicking a Drawer in the large
list box will show the contents of that drawer and the Drawer
text box will be updated to show the disk and drawer names
separated by a colon (:). Further drawers may be accessed in
the same way and will be separated by a slash (/) when
added to the Drawer text box. To move back to the previous
drawer level click the Parent button.

Another way to select the drawer or filename is to type the
drawer and filename directly into the appropriate boxes.

The Filter box allows you to set a filter to show specific files in
the large list box (this follows the standard Amiga file pattern
conventions).

In the Filename text entry box you enter the name of the file
you wish to open. However, you can insert a filename
automatically by clicking the name you require in the list box.

If you double-click a filename in the list box, Home
Accounts2 will automatically open the file.


                PAGE 111

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 7 Menu Commands
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The universal regard for money is the one
hopeful fact in our civilisation, the one sound
spot in our social conscience. Money is the most
important thing in the world. It represents
health, strength, honour, generosity and beauty
as conspicuously and undeniably as the want of
it represents illness, weakness, disgrace,
meanness and ugliness."

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW


This chapter gives a detailed explanation of each menu
command, in logical order from left (Project-About) to right
(System-Open a New Shell).

  Project menu.

  Edit menu.

  "Set up" menu.

  Trans menu.

  Options menu.

  Reports menu.

  System menu.


7.1 The Project Menu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Choose About command (Project menu).
Shows the creator, copyright, the version number of Home
Accounts2 and the amount of free memory available.


7.1.2 New...
------------
Choose New command (Project menu), or press
Right Amiga-N. Creates a new file. You set the start month
and year and then the filename.

Home Accounts2 organises all your information in date
order, month by month. You cannot add transactions with
dates outside the range you set. Therefore, it is very
important to set the correct month and year dates. It is
impossible to change them later.

Whenever you start Home Accounts2, you will be requested
to enter the current date (unless you have a built-in clock).

When you create a new file, you can load an existing
configuration from another file. This loads the Account titles,
the Types and the Preferences, but no figures or transactions.

When you reach the end of your financial year, Home
Accounts2 will ask you whether you wish to start a new
financial year. This provides the option to carry-forward data
from a previous year automatically and create a new year.

7.1.3 Open...
-------------
Choose Open command (Project menu), or press Right
Amiga~. Shows a requester to open an existing file.

                PAGE 115

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The large list box shows all files and drawers (subdirectories,
labelled (Drawer)), in the currently selected drawer. The
lower list box shows all currently available disks, volumes
and assigned devices. Below this are three boxes, Filter,
Drawer and Filename. To the right are three buttons: OK,
Cancel and Parent.

To select a file click the filename in the large listbox, this will
update the Filename text box. Clicking a Drawer in the large
list box will show the contents of that drawer and the Drawer
text box will be updated to show the disk and drawer names
separated by a colon (:). Further drawers may be accessed in
the same way and will be separated by a slash (/) when
added to the Drawer text box. To move back to the previous
drawer level click the Parent button.

Another way to select the drawer or filename is to type the
drawer and filename directly into the appropriate boxes.

The Filter box allows you to set a filter to show specific files in
the large list box (this follows the standard Amiga file pattern
conventions).

In the Filename text entry box you enter the name of the file
you wish to open. However, you can insert a filename
automatically by clicking the name you require in the list box.

If you double-click a filename in the list box, Home
Accounts2 will automatically open the file.

When you open a file, Home Accounts2 will check if any
"Regular transactions" are due and process them if necessary.
If, as a result, an Account exceeds the minimum or maximum
balance warnings you set, a warning will appear.


7.1.4 Open...
--------------
Choose Save command (Project menu), or press Right
Amiga-S. Saves the current file, under the same path,
replacing the previous version.

Files are saved with the extension .HA2 If you have selected
the "Backup files" option (General-Preferences command),
the existing file on disk will be renamed with the extension
.BAK, and the current file will be saved with the extension
.HA2.



                PAGE 116

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

7.1.5 Save As ....
-------------------
Choose "Save as" command (Project menu), or press
Right Amiga-V.

Shows a requester to save an existing file.

The large list box shows all files and drawers (subdirectories,
labelled (Drawer)), in the currently selected drawer. The
lower list box shows all currently available disks, volumes
and assigned devices. Below this are three boxes, Filter,
Drawer and Filename. To the right are three buttons: OK,
Cancel and Parent.

To select a file click the filename in the large listbox, this will
update the Filename text box. Clicking a Drawer in the large
list box will show the contents of that drawer and the Drawer
text box will be updated to show the disk and drawer names
separated by a colon (:). Further drawers may be accessed in
the same way and will be separated by a slash (/) when
added to the Drawer text box. To move back to the previous
drawer level click the Parent button.

Another way to select the drawer or filename is to type the
drawer and filename directly into the appropriate boxes.

The Filter box allows you to set a filter to show specific files in
the large list box (this follows the standard Amiga file pattern
conventions).


                PAGE 117

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the Filename text entry box you enter the name of the file
you wish to save. However, you can insert a filename
automatically by clicking the name you require in the list box.

If you double-click a filename in the list box, Home
Accounts2 will automatically save the current file.

If the file already exists, a warning will appear.


7.1.6 Delete ...
----------------
Choose Delete command (Project menu).

Shows "Delete file" requester.

The large list box shows all files and drawers (subdirectories,
labelled (Drawer)), in the currently selected drawer. The
lower list box shows all currently available disks, volumes
and assigned devices. Below this are three boxes, Filter,
Drawer and Filename. To the right are three buttons: OK,
Cancel and Parent.

To select a file click the filename in the large listbox, this will
update the Filename text box. Clicking a Drawer in the large
list box will show the contents of that drawer and the Drawer
text box will be updated to show the disk and drawer names
separated by a colon (:). Further drawers may be accessed in
the same way and will be separated by a slash (/) when
added to the Drawer text box. To move back to the previous
drawer level click the Parent button.

                PAGE 118

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another way to select the drawer or filename is to type the
drawer and filename directly into the appropriate boxes.

The Filter box allows you to set a filter to show specific files in
the large list box (this follows the standard Amiga file pattern
conventions).

In the Filename text entry box you enter the name of the file
you wish to delete. However, you can insert a filename
automatically by clicking the name you require in the list box.

If you double-click a filename in the list box, Home
Accounts2 will automatically delete the file.

You will be requested to confirm any file you selected to
delete.


7.1.7 Open Comparitives
-----------------------

Choose "Opencomparatives" (Projectmenu).

Shows a requester to open comparatives from an existing
file.

Comparatives are the monthly totals of Income and
Expenditure Types, which are loaded from an existing file.
The comparative figures will be displayed alongside actual
figures in the "Budget progress" report and included in
various budget graphs. Comparatives are ideal for comparing
current Income and Expenditure figures with a previous year.

The large list box shows all files and drawers (subdirectories,
labelled (Drawer)), in the currently selected drawer. The
lower list box shows all currently available disks, volumes
and assigned devices. Below this are three boxes, Filter,
Drawer and Filename. To the right are three buttons: OK,
Cancel and Parent.

To select a file click the filename in the large listbox, this will
update the Filename text box. Clicking a Drawer in the large
list box will show the contents of that drawer and the Drawer
text box will be updated to show the disk and drawer names
separated by a colon ( ) Further drawers may be accessed in
the same way and will be separated by a slash (/) when
added to the Drawer text box. To move back to the previous
drawer level click the Parent button.

Another way to select the drawer or filename is to type the
drawer and filename directly into the appropriate boxes.


                PAGE 119

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Filter box allows you to set a filter to show specific files in
the large list box (this follows the standard Amiga file pattern
conventions).

In the Filename text entry box you enter the name of the file
from which you wish to loan comparatives. However, you
can insert a filename automatically by clicking the name you
require in the list box.

If you double-click a filename in the list box, Home
Accounts2 will automatically open the file.

You can load figures from an existing file for inclusion in the
"Budget progress" report or the graphs. It is particularly
useful for comparing one year's expenditure with a previous
year.


7.1.8 Clear Comparitives
------------------------
Choose "Clear comparatives" (Project menu).
This command will be dimmed unless you have used the
"Open comparatives" command. "Clear comparatives"
command will remove the comparative figures you
previously opened.

7.1.9 Quit
----------
Choose Quit command (Project menu), or press Right
Amiga-O. Closes open file and quits Home Accounts2,
returning to the Workbench.

                PAGE 120

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



7.2 Edit Menu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You use the Edit menu to process transactions and items.

7.2.1 Add...
------------
Choose Add command (Edit menu), or press Right Amiga-A

Adds a transaction or item to the current window.



7.2.2 Amend ...
---------------
Choose Amend command (Edit menu), or press Right
Amiga-M.

Highlight the transaction or item you wish to amend and
choose Amend.

Alternatively, double-click the transaction or item.


7.2.3 Delete
------------
Choose Delete command (Edit menu), or press Right
Amiga-D.

Highlight the transaction or item you wish to delete and
choose Delete.

You can also delete by pressing the Delete key or by dragging
the transaction or item to the Trashcan.

Deleted transactions and items can be recovered from the
Trashcan (by dragging them into the appropriate window).
However, if "Automatically empty Trashcan" is selected
(GeneralPreferences, Options menu), they will be
permanently removed.


                PAGE 121

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

7.2.4 Sort..
------------
Choose sort command (Edit menu) or press Right Amiga T

The Sort requester appears. From the cycle buttons, select the
Header on which you wish to sort, and then the Order
(ascending or descending) on the top edit window and re-sort
the items.


7.2.5 Find ..
-------------
Choose Find command (Edit menu), or press Right Amiga-F.
Home Accounts2 provides comprehensive searching facilities.


                PAGE 122

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


A requester displays the boxes available on which you can
search.

You enter in the text entry boxes what you wish to search for
and then click the appropriate check boxes to switch them on.
Home Accounts2 does not discriminate between upper and
lower case when searching.

In this way, you can search on more than one box at a time.
For example, you wish to find a transaction of Type HK
which occurred on 31/03/1991.

In the Type box you enter HK and in the Date box you enter
31/03/1991. You then click the Type and Date check boxes and
then click OK.

But imagine you wanted to search for a transaction and all
you remembered is that the Reference contained a name, Mr
Smith. But you can't remember how the name was spelt. Was
it Smyth or Smith?

With Home Accounts2 you can use 'wildcards'. These are
special letters which you use when you can't remember
exactly what you want to find. They work like this:

LETTER   MEANS
?        Matches any character
*        Matches zero or more occurrences of the
         preceding character
+        Matches one or more occurrences of the
         preceding character

In the case of Mr Smith, you would enter Mr Sm?th. This
means Home Accounts2 will find every word Mr Sm th. Here
are a few more examples:

PATTERN        FINDS
-------------   --------------------------------
fund        fund, funds, refund, refunds
mil*ward    millward, milward, milllward
a?c              abc, afc, azc

If you wish to find one of the wildcard letters (that is ?, *, +),
you can do this by preceding the letter with a backslash (\).
For example, to search for Smith? you would enter Smith\?.

When you have set your search criteria, click OK. The first
transaction to match the search criteria will be highlighted. If
no transactions can be found the screen will flash.

                PAGE 123

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

7.2.6 Find Again..
------------------
Choose "Find again" command (Edit menu), or press
Right Amiga~.

This will find the next transaction to meet the search criteria
you set using the Find command.



7.2.7 Find and Replace
----------------------
Choose "Find and replace" command (Edit menu), or press
Right Amiga-R.

Use this command to search for transactions in which you
wish to replace some of the information. For example, you
may have typed several transactions with the Reference
Business expense and wish to replace this text with Business
expenses for company A.

It works in the same way as the Find command. A requester
appears and you enter your search criteria.

However, when you click OK, another requester appears for
you to enter your replacement criteria.

Additionally, there are three radio buttons at the bottom of
the requester which operate as follows:

BUTTON              DOES
------------------- -------------------------------------
"Replace once"      Finds and replaces one entry
"Confirm replace"   Finds and you confirm each entry
"Replace all"       Finds and replaces all entries.

When using "Confirm replace", each transaction will be
highlighted and an alert will appear with the options:

BUTTON               DOES
-------------------- --------------------------------------
Yes                 Replace item
No                      Do not replace, continue finding
Cancel               Abandon "Find and replace" command

                PAGE 124

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

7.3 SETUP
~~~~~~~~~

Choose "Add account" command ("Set up" menu).
Creates a new Account. Accounts are used for items such as
your bank Account, building society Account, savings, credit

Name: The name of the Account (for example, Natwest
Current Account).

Number: The Account number (for example, 6894732).

Code: Your own two letter reference (for example, NC for
      Natwest Current). This reference will be used throughout
      Home Accounts2.

"Opening balance" The account's opening balance.

"Warning limit min": A warning for the minimum Account
             balance.

"Warning limit max": A warning for the maximum Account
                     balance.

You can set a maximum and minimum figure and then Home
Accounts2 will tell you whenever the balance goes outside
these thresholds. This is particularly useful to warn you of
bank charges or if you exceed your credit card limit. You
enter the maximum and minimum figures and switch on the
facility by clicking the check boxes. The warnings allow for all
manual transactions and regular transactions.

                PAGE 125

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Warnings can operate on Reconciled or Unreconciled
balances. (See Section 7.5.1.1, "General Preferences".)

Type: This is a cycle button from which you select the type of
Account. This can be Cash, Cheque, "Credit card" or Savings.
For clarity, each Type has a different style of icon:

"Icon title": This is the title for the icon on the desktop.

"Cheque number": If appropriate, enter your current cheque
number from your cheque book. When you add a transaction
to this Account, if you press F8 when editing the cheque
number box, Home Accounts2 will add the cheque number.
When adding transactions, the number automatically
increases by one each time you press F8.

To activate the Notepad press F10. You can enter up to eight
lines of information pertaining to the Account.

The number of Accounts you can set up is only limited by the
memory of your Amiga. However, there is a maximum limit
of 40 icons on the desktop. (See Appendix A, "Memory And
Home Accounts2", for further information.)

                PAGE 126

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

7.3.2 Amend Account
-------------------
Choose "Amend account" command ("Set up" menu), or
Shift-double-click the desktop icon.

If you have set up more than one Account, a list box appears.
Click the Account you wish to amend. Press F10 if you wish
to amend the Notepad pertaining to the Account.


7.3.3 Delete Account
---------------------
Choose "Delete account" command ("Set up" menu), or drag
the icon to the Trashcan.

If you have set up more than one Account, a list box appears.
Click the Account you wish to delete and a query box will ask
you to confirm the deletion.

7.3.4 Transaction Types
------------------------
Choose "Transaction types" command ("Set up" menu), or
double-click the Types icon.

A window opens in which you can add, amend, delete and
sort Types using the commands from the Edit menu.

When you add a Type, you enter the abbreviation and a
description. These are abbreviations, which may be up to four
characters, used by Home Accounts2 to describe different
groups of income or expenditure. They are always displayed
in upper case. Here are a few typical examples:

TYPE         DESCRIPTION
--------------    ------------------------------------
HK        House keeping
SAL        Salary
MORT        Mortgage
PTRL        Petrol
BCHG        Bank charges
CASH        Cash withdrawals
INTR        Interest
MISC        Miscellaneous

Types are used in various areas of Home Accounts2,
including "Regular transactions", "Manual transactions" and
Budget.

The number of Types you can set up is only limited by the
memory of your Amiga.

If you are registered for VAT (tax), and have set this option
using the Preferences command (Options menu), you will be
prompted to enter a "VAT code" (see "VAT code" command).
If you press F9 a requester appears which displays the VAT
rates).

Press F10 to activate the Notepad.

                PAGE 127

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


7.3.5 Transaction Markers
--------------------------
Choose "Transaction markers" command ("Set up" menu), or
double-click the Markers icon.

"Transaction markers" are like book marks. You set a one
character code and a description. Then, when you add
transactions you can enter the marker so that each transaction
has an additional reference.

For example, you could use one marker for your transactions
relating to buying petrol, and another for your partner. Then,
using commands from the Reports menu, you can print
separate reports on petrol expenditure for you and your
partner.

Press F10 to activate the Notepad facility.


7.3.6 Regular Transactions
--------------------------
Choose "Regular transactions" command ("Set up" menu), or
double-click the Regular icon.

A window appears listing the existing "Regular transactions".

"Regular transactions" are transactions that appear regularly,
like a Standing Order, a Direct Debit or mortgage repayment.

When you choose Add or Amend, the following requester
appears.


                PAGE 128

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Start date": The starting date of the transaction. Home
Accounts2 will automatically post any transactions due
between the "Start date" and the current system date.

"End date": The expiry date of the transaction.

Type: The income or expenditure Type you set up.

Reconciled: Transaction reconciled. The box should contain
an asterisk (*) if the transaction is considered reconciled.

A transaction becomes reconciled when you have
confirmation that the transaction has been completed (for
example, when a cheque payment appears on your bank
statement). If a transaction is not reconciled, you should leave
this box blank.

By identifying the difference between reconciled and
unreconciled transactions, Home Accounts2 gives you both
methods. You have an accurate Account balance (reflecting
every transaction), and an actual Account balance (reflecting
only transactions which have been completed). (See Section
7.4.3, "Reconcile...", for further information.)

Frequency: The frequency is in two parts, in the cycle button
you select the units (either days, weeks or months), and in the
text entry box you enter the number of units. For example, if
you wanted to set a payment once a quarter, you would set
the cycle button to Months, and enter 3 in the Frequency text
entry box.

From: The "Account code" from where the transaction is
debited.

To: The "Account code" to where the transaction is credited.

If you forget the "Account codes" you set up, press F9 for a
simple memory jogger. A requester will appear listing the
available "Account codes". Simply click your selection from
the list box and the "Account codes" will be automatically
entered. If the "Account code" you require is not displayed
(and therefore does not exist), you can add another Account
by clicking Add.

Reference: Your own reference for the transaction.

Debit: The amount to be debited, or

Credit: The amount to be credited.

Marker: The marker code.

VAT: The VAT code.


                PAGE 129

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Press F10 to activate the Notepad facility.

"Regular transactions" are handled automatically. Every time
you start Home Accounts2, it is essential to enter the correct
date, as this date will be compared with the previous date
(when you previously saved the file), and then any "Regular
transactions" falling between the dates will be posted.

If you amend a "Regular transaction", the previous postings
will be unaffected.

The number of "Regular transactions" you can set up is only
limited by the memory of your Amiga.

There are a couple of important points to remember when
entering "Regular transactions":

  They are instantly back-dated to the "Start date" as soon
  as you finish entering the transaction.

   They cannot be back-dated beyond the start of your
   financial year.


7.3.7 Budget
------------

Choose Budget command ("Set up" menu), or double-click
the Budget icon.

A window appears listing the existing Budget.

You can set up a budget for each income and expenditure
Account entered. By setting a monthly budget, you can
compare your actual expenditure.

When you choose Add or Amend, the following requester
appears.


                PAGE 130

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Type: The income or expenditure Type you wish to budget.

"Account code": The income Account you wish to budget
(enter ** for all Accounts).

Each month of the financial year you set is displayed. Enter
the value of your budget amount into the boxes.

Expenditure/Income cycle button: Set as appropriate.

Replicate: Click this button to copy the highlighted value to
the remaining months.

Calculate: This operates the budget calculator.


The Budget Calculator
---------------------
This provides a simple method to allow for fluctuations, such
as inflation, for example.

"Start month" cycle button: The starting month for budgeting.

"End month" cycle button: The expiry date of the budgeting.

"Start value": The figure to start budgeting.

"Inc/Dec": The monthly value to increase or decrease the
previous month's figure. If you select the % check box, the
value will be assumed a percentage.

"Divide over months": This divides the "Start value" by
number of months.

"Add values': Adds "Inc/Dec value" to "Start value".


                PAGE 131

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Subtract value": Subtracts "Inc/Dec value" from the "Start
value".

Click OK to calculate the monthly budget figures.

If you forget the "Account codes" you set up, press F9 for a
simple memory jogger. A requester will appear listing the
available "Account codes". Simply click your selection from
the list box and the "Account code" will be automatically
entered. If the "Account code" you require is not displayed
(and therefore does not exist), you can add another Account
by clicking Add.

Press F10 to activate the Notepad facility.

The number of Budgets you can set up is only limited by the
memory of your Amiga.



7.3.8 Investements
-------------------
Choose Investments command ("Set up" menu) or double
click the Investment icon.

A window appears listing the existing Investments.

If you own Company Shares or any other form of investment,
you enter the details using this command. Home Accounts2
will calculate their total value and this figure will be included
in the "Net worth" report.

When you choose Add or Amend, the following requester


                PAGE 132

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


Reference: The description of investment.

Quantity: The number of units (the number of company
shares for example).

"Unit price": The current unit value.

Press F10 to activate the Notepad facility.

The number of Investments you can set up is only limited by
the memory of your Amiga.



7.3.9 VAT Code
--------------
Choose "VAT Code" command ("Set up" menu), or double
click the Tax icon.

This command is for business users who are registered for
VAT (tax). It allows you to define the VAT (tax) element
when you enter transactions.

"VAT code": A single character reference code.
Reference: A reference for the VAT code.
"VAT %": The current VAT percentage.

If Function Key F10 is pressed the Notepad will be activated.

                PAGE 133

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

7.3.10 Window Headers
---------------------

Choose "Window headers" command ("Set up" menu).
You can only use this command with "manual transactions".

From the requester, you can select to show or hide the various
transaction headings. This means that you can remove any
surplus columns and reduce the display width to fit the
window. Home Accounts2 will store the entire transaction
information you enter, regardless of which headings are
displayed.

The heading settings are independent for each Account and
stored automatically with your file.

                PAGE 134

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

7.3.11 Function Keys..
----------------------
Choose "Function keys" command ("Set up" menu).

You can program up to 20 common words or phrases. Ten for
the key combination Control-Function key and ten for
Alt-Function key. You cannot program a direct Function
keypress (for example, F3), as these contain Home Accounts2
keyboard shortcuts.

To set the Function key, click the key required (Fl to F10). The
current value for the key will be displayed in the boxes
Control and Alternate. These boxes represent the two keys
used in combination with the Function keys.

Once defined, the Function keys work with the boxes of any
requester.

Function key settings are automatically saved with your file.


7.3.12 Password....
-------------------
Choose Password command ("Set up" menu).

You can set a password which will be requested each time the
file is opened.

To change a password, enter the existing password and then
you will be given the option to change it.

IMPORTANT:
Make a note of your password. Digita may be able to recover
your file, but there will be a handling charge.


                PAGE 135

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

7.4 Trans Menu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Choose "Set defaults" command (Trans menu).

Most of the information you enter into Home Accounts2 will
be "Manual transactions". To make this process as fast and
simple as possible a number of defaults are provided.

Date: Either enter a date in the box, or select "System date" or
"Last entered". If you use the cycle button, switch on the
check box.

Type: Either enter a Type in the box, or select "Last entered"
by switching on the check box.

Reconciled: Either enter * in the box, or select "Last entered"
by switching on the check box.

Reference: Either enter a reference in the box, or select "Type
reference" or "Last entered". If you use the cycle button,
switch on the check box.

Amount: Either enter a figure in the box, or select "Last
entered" by switching on the check box. The figure is
assumed to be credit, unless you switch on the Debit check
box.

Marker: Either enter a marker in the box, or select "Last
entered" by switching on the check box.


                PAGE 136


---------------------------------------------------------------------------

"VAT code": Either enter a VAT code in the box, or select
"Type VAT code" or "Last entered". If you use the cycle
button, switch on the check box.

With Home Accounts2, VAT options only appear if you have
switched on the VAT facility (Preferences command, Options
menu).


7.4.2 Add or Amend....
----------------------
Choose "Add or amend" command (Trans menu), or double
click the appropriate Account icon.

You use this command to enter "Manual transactions".

If you have set up more than one Account, a list box appears.
Click the Account for which you wish to enter transactions.

The Account window appears, showing the current
transaction details together with a running balance. If a
transaction you entered is not included in the balance, this is
probably because it has not been reconciled (by entering an
asterisk in the reconciled box). If you prefer to display all of
the transactions, regardless of reconciliation, there is an
option in General-Preference (Options menu).

You can modify the columns to your preference using the
"Window headers" command ("Set up" menu).

When you choose Add or Amend, the following requester
appears.


                PAGE 137

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Transactions will be displayed in colour on colour systems, if
the balance for the Account is below zero. (If you are using
the "Distinctly Digita" cocktail palette and a colour system,
these transactions will be coloured red.)

Date: The date of the transaction.

Type: The income/expenditure Type.

There are two reserved types:

TRAN for transferring between Accounts. If selected, a list
box appears and you can click the Account to which you wish
to transfer the amount. Home Accounts2 only recognises the
first 3 characters, that is TRA. The fourth character is
discretional This gives you the opportunity to Budget against
several Types of TRAN transactions (for example, TRAN,
TRA2).

SPLT for splitting a transaction across up to 20 different
Types. If selected, a requester appears and you can enter the
allocations.

Reconciled: The Reconciled box tells Home Accounts2
whether or not a transaction has been reconciled with a
statement. You enter an asterisk (:~ ) if the transaction is
reconciled.

Reference: Your own reference.

"Chq number": The "Chq number" box is used if the
transaction was paid by cheque. You can enter this manually,
or press F8 to automatically insert the next consecutive
number.

Debit: Enter amount.

Credit: Enter amount.

You use the Debit box to pay out money, or the Credit box to
pay in money to your Account.

M: Your Marker code.

VAT: Your VAT code, if applicable.

When editing either the Type, Marker or "VAT code" boxes,
if you press F9, a list box reminder appears. Click on the item
in the list box to make your selection. If, however, the item
does not appear in the list box, click Add to set up the item.

Press F10 to activate the Notepad facility

                PAGE 138

------------------------------------------------------------------------------


7.4.3 Reconcile
---------------
Choose Reconcile command (Trans menu).

Once you have opened an Account window (double-click an
Account icon), you use this command to identify Reconciled
or Unreconciled "Manual transactions".

"Start date": Enter the starting date of period.

"End date": Enter the end date of period.

Set the radio button to Reconcile or Unreconcile.

"Confirm each one": If this check box is selected, Home
Accounts2 will ask you to confirm each reconciliation or
unreconciliation.


7.4.4 Auto Balance
------------------
Choose "Auto balance" command (Trans menu).

Once you have opened an Account window (double-click an
Account icon), you use this command to determine which
transactions should be reconciled.

                PAGE 139

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


For Home Accounts2 to work correctly, you will need to
make a note of the following information on your bank (or
other) statement:

  The date of the first transaction.

  The date of the last transaction.

  The closing balance.

  The number of transactions.

Now enter this information like this:

"Start Date": The first transaction date.

"End date": The last transaction date.

"Target balance": The closing balance.

"Number of transactions": The number of transactions.

If you have a large number of transactions, this command
may take several minutes. If you wish to interrupt and cancel
the command, press the Esc key.


7.4.5 Auto Balances Again ....
------------------------------
Choose "Auto balance again" command (Trans menu).

If the previous "Auto balance" calculation was incorrect, you
can use this command to try again. Home Accounts2 may not
get the auto balance correct first time if there is more than one
way of reconciling your transactions.

However, Home Accounts2 will tell you when there are no
more combinations for auto balancing.

                PAGE 140

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

7.5 THE OPTIONS MENU
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Choose Preferences command (Options menu), or press
Right Amiga-#.

This shows a requester to set up various preference settings
for use with Home Accounts2.

Once changed, you select Use, to use preferences for this
session only, Save, to save preferences permanently on your
Home Accounts2 disk, Open, to open another preference file,
or Cancel, which disregards any changes you have just made
and returns to the desktop.

Click the radio button corresponding to the preferences you
wish to change and then click Edit.


7.5.1 General Preferences
-------------------------

"Confirm deletes": If selected, an alert appears requiring
confirmation of each delete operation.

"Automatically empty Trashcan": If selected, entries will be
automatically deleted once they are placed in the Trashcan.

Autosave: If selected, Home Accounts2 will automatically
save the current file (with the extension .TMP) after a given
period of time which you enter in the box (minutes). If you do
not require this facility, enter 0 .

"Screen saver": If selected, Home Accounts2's screen saver
will automatically operate after a given period of time which
you enter in the box (minutes). If you do not require this
facility, enter 0 .

The built-in screen saver can protect your monitor. When
information remains static on screen for long periods, this can
cause the monitor to "burn-out" in certain areas. It works by
dividing the desktop into small squares, and then continually
moves each square around the screen (if you do not have
enough memory for the screen saver to work, Home
Accounts2 will just blank the screen).

The screen saver will start from the time you stop typing (or
use the mouse) plus the time delay you set. The screen is
restored as soon as you press a key or move the mouse, and
you will be returned to the desktop, just as you previously
left it.

"Desktop clock": If selected, a digital clock is displayed in the
top right corner of the screen.

                PAGE 141

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Backup files": If selected, when you save a file, the previous
version on disk is renamed with the suffix .bak. This keeps a
backup of the last revision just in case the new file is
corrupted. However, this uses about twice the disk space
(since you will be storing two copies of each file).

Click Next to show the second requester (click Prev to return
to the first requester).

Resolution: Select either Medium or High resolution screen
modes. To use high resolution effectively you will need a
flicker fixer.

Colours: The number of colours you will need (4, 8 or 16).

"VAT registered": If selected, the VAT (tax) commands in
Home Accounts2 will be available and where appropriate,
VAT boxes will appear in the requesters.

"Date format": Set your preferred date style.

"Include unreconciled transactions in balance": If selected,
any unreconciled transactions will be included in the Account
window balances.

"Show account warnings on unreconciled balance": If
selected, all Account balance warnings will appear for
Accounts with unreconciled balances.

"Default drawer": The default drawer for the file selector
when opening or saving files.


7.5.1.2 Icon Preferences
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can change the titles for the desktop icons and set which
icons you wish to be displayed in the desktop.

"Snap to grid": If selected, Home Accounts2 will
automatically align the icons to the nearest character
boundary.


7.5.1.3 Printer Preferences
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Spooler buffer size": A print spooler is provided which lets
you continue using the Home Accounts2 during printing.
However, the efficiency of the spooler depends on the size of
the spooler buffer. The spooler size is defined in Kilobytes (if
set to O the spooler is switched off).

"Page length": The number of lines per page, normally set to
66 for 11 inch paper, or 72 for 12 inch paper, or 70 lines for
A4.

                PAGE 142

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Top margin": The number of lines to skip at the top of each
page. Usually set to four.

"Bottom margin": The number of lines to skip at the bottom
of each page. Usually set to four.

"Page width": The width of each page in 10 Pitch, normally
80, or 132 for a wide carriage printer.

"Left margin": The left margin in characters.

"Cut sheet": Pauses printing at the end of each page.

"Print quality": Select the required print quality (draft or
NLQ).



7.5.1.4 Colours Preferences
---------------------------

This shows a requester to set the screen colours. The list box
shows the cocktail colour schemes which are available. To
change the colour scheme, click the title you require.

The colours will revert to the default, Distinctly Digita, on re-
opening Home Accounts2. However, if you wish to
permanently save your own colours, you can do this by
clicking Save on the "Set preferences" requester.

When an Account falls below zero, the transactions are
displayed in the fourth colour (the available colours are
displayed below the list box). Using the Distinctly Digita
palette, the fourth colour is red, and so negative balances are
displayed in red. If you change the palette, the fourth colour
will change accordingly.


7.5.2 Arrange Windows
---------------------
Choose "Arrange windows" command (Options menu).
This command lets you decide how the windows are
arranged.

Stacked: Overlaid, which works like the Workbench desktop.

"Tiled vertically": Windows stacked one above the other.

"Tiled horizontally": Windows displayed side by side.


7.5.3 Cleanup Desktop
----------------------
Choose "Clean up desktop" command (Options menu).
This command rearranges the desktop icons in a neat order.
The Trashcan will be positioned in the bottom left of the
desktop.


7.5.4 Empty Trashcan
--------------------
Choose "Empty Trashcan" command (Options menu).
This command clears any items in the Trashcan.

                PAGE 143

----------------------------------------------------------------------------


7.6 REPORT MENU
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before printing, it is always a good idea to save your file.
Then check your printer for the following:

  That it is properly connected to your Amiga.

  That paper is loaded.

  That it is plugged in and turned on.

  That it is "on-line".

Home Accounts2 uses the printer driver and settings as
configured in your Amiga System Preferences.

With Home Accounts2, you can print graphs and save them
as IFF format.

To interrupt a report whilst printing, or being displayed on
the screen, press the Esc key.

When you choose a command from the Report menu, there
are several options common to each command:

  Screen radio button: Displays the report on the screen.

  Printer radio button: Prints the report.

  File radio button: Saves a graph on disk in IFF format, or
  ASCII format for a list report. The file selector requester
  appears for you to enter the path and filename.

  Config button: This lets you change the configuration for
  the report header, footer and body.


Configure Header and Footer
---------------------------
Headers are printed at the top of each page after the top
margin, and footers are printed at the bottom of each page
before the bottom margin.

This requester appears, which is the same for configuring the
header or footer:

                PAGE 144

--------------------------------------------------------------------------


Text: This is where you enter the text for the header (up to 132
characters if you are using a wide carriage printer). You can
also use these special codes:

CODE        DOES
--------------- --------------------------------------------------
-PAGENUM    Page number
-DATE        System date
-TIME        System time
-ACCNAME    Name of the report Account
-ACCNUMBER    Account number of the report
-ACCCODE    Account code of the report
-ACCOPENBAL    Opening balance of the report Account
-STARTDATE    Start date, if defined in the search criteria
-ENDDATE    End date, if defined in the search criteria

The last two codes are used when you are producing a report
based upon a date range.

Codes and text may be mixed in headers and footers.

You can then set the justification, pitch and style for the Text
line using the boxes below.

If you wish to add more than one Text line, click Insert. If you
enter multiple lines, you use the buttons at the bottom of the
requester:

                PAGE 145

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Previous: Go to previous Text line.

Next: Go to next Text line.

Delete: Delete the line which appears in the Text box.

Insert: Insert another Text line before the current line in the
        Text box.

The justification, pitch and style settings are independent for
each Text line.

You can add any number of header and footer lines, provided
you leave sufficient space for the report body.


Configure Report Body
---------------------
This requester appears, which is used to configure the body
of the report.

The list box displays the column headings, which you can
select, or deselect by clicking the headings.

To include the Notepad facility, click the check box below the
list box.

You can then set the justification, pitch and style for the
report body using the boxes to the right of the list box.

Some reports will naturally extend beyond the width of your
printer. However, using these configuration options, you can
customise every report to best suit your printer.

                PAGE 146

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

7.6.1 Types..
-------------
Choose Types command (Reports menu).

Produces a list of all income and expenditure Types.


7.6.2 Markers
-------------
Choose Markers command (Reports menu).

Produces a list of all transaction Markers.



7.6.3 Budget.
-------------
Choose Budget command (Reports menu).

Produces a list of all monthly budget entries.



7.6.4 Regular Transactions
--------------------------
Choose "Regular transactions" command (Reports menu).

Produces a list of all "Regular transactions".



7.6.5 VAT Codes
----------------
Choose "VAT Codes" command (Reports menu).

Produces a list of all "VAT codes".



7.6.6 Account Summary
---------------------
Choose "Account summary" command (Reports menu).
This produces a list of all Accounts, including, "Account
name", "Account number", "Number of transactions
entered", "Reconciled balance" (the current balance) and
"Unreconciled balance" (balance when all entries have been
reconciled).


7.6.7 Account Statement
-----------------------
Choose "Account statement" command (Reports menu).


                PAGE 147

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

This requester provides enormous flexibility. You can elect to
see your information as figures or graphs, even produce your
own statement to mirror a bank or credit card statement.

First, you enter your search criteria for the report:

"Start date": The starting date of the date range you are
searching.

"End date":The end date of the date range you are searching.

Reference: Only entries matching the contents of this box will
be included.

You can use 'wildcards'. These are special letters which you
use when you can't remember exactly what you want to find.
They work like this:

LETTER    MEANS
------  --------------------------------------------------------
?    Matches any character
*    Matches zero or more occurrences of the
    preceding character
+    Matches one or more occurrences of the
    preceding character

In the case of Mr Smith, you would enter Mr Sm?th. This
means Home Accounts2 will find every word Mr Sm th. Here
are a few more examples:

PATTERN        FINDS
----------    ---------------------------------------------
fund            fund, funds, refund, refunds
mil*ward        millward, milward, milllward
a?c             abc, afc, azc

If you wish to find one of the wildcard letters (that is ?, *, +),
you can do this by preceding the letter with a backslash (\).
For example, to search for Smith? you would enter Smith\?.

First cycle button: Select all transactions, reconciled
transactions, or unreconciled transactions.

Second cycle button: Select debits, credits or both.

Style cycle button: Select report style, either list, line graph or
scatter graph.

If you click one of the buttons at the bottom of the requester
(titled Types, Accounts, Markers, "VAT codes"), a requester
appears which lets you select which items to include in the
search. Each requester works in the same way.

                PAGE 148

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Individual Types appear in the list box. Click the Type to
select or deselect. The selected Types will be included in the
report

"Select all" button selects all Types.

"Reset all" button deselects all Types.

To include all Types, regardless of selection, switch on the
"All types" check box.

On the Markers and "VAT codes" requester, an additional
check box "Include blank entries" appears. This lets you
include or exclude transactions with no Marker or "VAT
code".

                PAGE 149

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

7.6.8 Income and Expenditure
----------------------------

Choose "Income and expenditure" command (Reports menu).

First, you enter your search criteria for the report:
"Start date": The starting date of the date range you are
searching.

"End date":The end date of the date range you are searching.

Reference: Only entries matching the contents of this box will
be included.

You can use 'wildcards'. (See Chapter 7.6.7, "Account
statement" for detailed information.)

First cycle button: Select all transactions, reconciled
transactions or unreconciled transactions.

Second cycle button: Select debits, credits or both.

Style cycle button: Select report style, either list, line graph,
scatter graph, pie chart, bar graph, 3D bar graph, stacked bar
graph, stacked 3D bar graph and overlaid bar graph.

If you click one of the buttons at the bottom of the requester
(titled Types, Accounts, Markers, "VAT codes"), a requester
appears which lets you select which items to include in the
search. (See Chapter 7.6.7, "Account statement" for detailed
information.)


                PAGE 150

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

7.6.9 Budget Progress
---------------------

Choose "Budget progress" command (Reports menu). This
shows your progress comparing your budget with your
income or expenditure.

First, you enter your search criteria for the report:

"Start date": The starting date of the date range you are
              searching.

"End date":The end date of the date range you are searching.

Reference: Only entries matching the contents of this box will
           be included.

You can use 'wildcards'. (See Chapter 7.6.7, "Account
statement" for detailed information.)

First cycle button: Select all transactions, reconciled
transactions or unreconciled transactions.

Second cycle button: Select debits, credits or both.

Style cycle button: Select report style, either list, line graph,
scatter graph, pie chart, bar graph, 3D bar graph, stacked bar
graph, stacked 3D bar graph and overlaid bar graph.

If you click one of the buttons at the bottom of the requester
(titled Types, Accounts, Markers, "VAT codes"), a requester
appears which lets you select which items to include in the
search. (See Chapter 7.6.7, "Account statement" for detailed
information.)

                PAGE 151

--------------------------------------------------------------------------


At the end of the report an estimated Account balance is
shown for each of the Accounts.

To include comparative figures (from another file) in the
"Budget progress" graphs, choose the "Open comparatives"
command. Then from the "budget progress" configuration
option (edit report body), select Comparatives from the list
box.


7.6.10 VAT
----------
Choose VAT command (Reports menu).

This produces a list of all "Manual transactions" in date order
showing their VAT element and calculating the total VAT

First, you enter your search criteria for the report:
"Start date": The starting date of the date range you are
searching.
"End date":The end date of the date range you are searching.
Reference: Only entries matching the contents of this box will
be included.
You can use 'wildcards'. (See Chapter 7.6.7, "Account
statement" for detailed information.)

                PAGE 152

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First cycle button: Select all transactions, reconciled
transactions or unreconciled transactions.

Second cycle button: Select debits, credits or both.

If you click one of the buttons at the bottom of the requester
(titled Types, Accounts, Markers, "VAT codes"), a requester
appears which lets you select which items to include in the
search. (See Chapter 7.6.7, "Account statement" for detailed
information.)



7.6.11 PORTFOLIO
----------------
Choose Portfolio command (Reports menu).

Produces a list of investments and their current value.

Choose "Net worth" command (Reports menu).

On the requester you will notice two new buttons, titled
Assets and Liabilities. If you click one of the buttons, a
requester appears.

Each requester lets you enter up to 20 assets and 20 liabilities.
The values are then included in the "Net worth" report.

The "Net worth" report includes Assets, Liabilities,
Investments and Account balances.

                PAGE 153

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

7.7 SYSTEM MENU
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


7.7.1 Help
----------

Press the Help key.

Choose Help command (System menu).

Click Help icon on the desktop.

For "interactive" help, press Alt-Help, the pointer will
change into a question mark, and then choose the menu
with which you need help (press the Esc key to cancel).


Shows the list of topics in Help.

Click the topic heading with which you need help.

Click Topic to return to the topic headings.

Click Prev to show the previous page of Help.

Click Next to show the next page of Help.

Single disk drive users: If you choose Help, you may be
prompted to insert your Home Accounts2 program disk into
the disk drive.

                PAGE 154

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

7.7.2 Calculator
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Choose Calculator command (System menu), or press
Right Amiga C.

To make a calculation either enter directly from the keyboard
or click the individual buttons with the mouse. This operates
like a pocket calculator.

The large box displays the history of your calculations, just
like a printing pocket calculator.

Press the Esc key or click C to cancel an entry.

Click AC to clear all calculations.

Click I to open the "Interest calculator".



7.7.3 Interest Calculator
-------------------------
Choose "Interest calculator" command (System menu), or
press Right Amiga-I.

This is a simple loan calculator and provides estimates of loan
costs. Because credit card companies, finance companies and
banks use a multitude of ways to calculate interest, such as
daily interest, monthly, compound and so on, it may not be
precisely accurate.


                PAGE 155

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The boxes operate as follows:

"Opening balance", enter starting balance for transaction

Periods, the time period unit (either years, months or weeks)

"Interest rate %", for each period unit (for example, a
monthly rate of 2%)

Payment, per period unit (for example, 40.00 per month)

If you owe money, the "Opening balance" should be entered
as a negative figure.



7.7.4 Set Date Time ...
-----------------------

Choose "Set date time" command (System menu).

This command lets you set the date and time for Home
Accounts2.

IMPORTANT
---------
Beware of changing dates with an open file. If the wrong date
is set and then saved with the file, when you r~open the file,
Home Accounts2 will re-post any "Regular transactions" which
appear to be overdue.


                PAGE 156

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

7.7.5 Playtime
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Choose Playtime to relax with the simple puzzle from
Home Accounts2.

CLICK            DOES
--------------------    -------------------------
Left Mouse key        Moves Squares
Close gadget        Quit Puzzle


7.7.6 Workbench Open
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Choose "Workbench open" command (System menu).

Toggles the Workbench screen on or off (indicated by a check
mark). Switching the Workbench off will provide at least 32K
extra memory for Home Accounts2 to use.

To close Workbench there must be no open windows, for
example other programs, Shell (CLI) windows (the
Workbench disk drawer windows are not affected).

If you want to close the Workbench on opening Home
Accounts, turn Workbench off with this command, and then
save Preferences from the Preferences command (Options
menu).


7.7.7 Open a New Shell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Choose "Open a New Shell" command (System menu).

This will send the Home Accounts2 windows behind
Workbench and open a new Shell (or CLI), ready for direct
DOS commands. This is useful for formatting a new data
disk, deleting files on a disk, and so on.

To quit the Shell (CLI) enter Endcli and click the screen front
to back gadgets to bring the Home Accounts2 screen to the
front.

(For further information on Shells (CLI) see your Amiga
owners guide.)

                PAGE 157


-------------------------------------------------------------------------

            Appendices
            ==========

The Appendices give a detailed explanation of specific
subjects:

  Memory and Home Accounts2.

  Keyboard shortcuts.

  File formats.

  Troubleshooting.


APPENDIX A - MEMORY AND HOME ACCOUNTS 2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Memory is used by Home Accounts2 for storing the program,
its information and the files created with it.

The following explanations should help you understand
where memory is used, how much memory various
commands might need and what to do if the computer runs
out of memory.

Memory, sometimes referred to as RAM (Random Access
Memory) can be thought of in terms of a large box of a certain
volume. The more that is put into the box, the less space there
is free. When commands are removed from the box, more
space is made. Thus, the more programs and information that
are stored in a computer's memory, the less space is available
for storing information. Freeing up information, or quitting a
program, will free more space for use by other programs.

The amount of memory is measured in bytes. The larger the
number the more memory is available. A Kilobyte is 1024
bytes. A Megabyte is 1024 Kilobytes. A Kilobyte is often
referred to as a "K" and Megabytes are sometimes called a
"Meg."

Home Accounts2 requires 1 MB (Megabyte) of memory. To
maximise on the available memory, do not load other
programs. Run Home Accounts2 from the boot disk. The
print spooler buffer should be kept to the default. If
necessary, the spooler can be switched off.

If the program does run out of memory, you will be given the
opportunity of saving your information before the program
quits.

                PAGE 161

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

How Home Account 2 uses memory
------------------------------

To check how much free memory is available, use the "About
Home Accounts2" command (Desk menu).

The amount of memory used by each item is:

ITEM                   MEMORY REQUIRED (in bytes)
---------------------  --------------------------------
Type            64
Marker            58
"VAT code"        62
Account            172
Budget            82
"Regular transaction"    82
"Manual transaction"    74
"Split transaction"    38
Investment        64

Every Notepad will occupy one byte for each character you
enter, plus a further 8 bytes added to the total.

Remember, items (such as report header and footer lines) will
occupy additional memory.

Generally, 1MB of memory provides plenty of space for a
typical full year of transactions.

Sometimes, you may experience a inexplicable problem with
low memory. if this happens, Home Accounts2 will prompt
you to save your file.

Inexplicable low memory can be due to fragmentation. To
overcome this, save your file, quit Home Accounts2, and then
re-load. Full memory should be restored.


                PAGE 162

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


            Appendix B - Keyboard Shortcuts
            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MENU COMMANDS

KEY            DOES
-------------------     ---------------------------------------
Right Amiga-N        Create a new file
Right Amiga-O        Open an existing file
Right Amiga-S        Save the open file
Right Amiga-V        "Save as" the open file
Right Amiga-Q        Quit Home Accounts
Right Amiga-A        Add transactions
Right Amiga-M        Amend Transactions
Right Amiga-D        Delete Transactions
Right Amiga-T        Sort Transactions
Right Amiga-F        Find Transactions
Right Amiga-G        Find the next transaction
Right Amiga-R        Find and replace Transactions
Right Amiga-#        Preferences
Right Amiga-C        Calculator
Right Amiga-I        Interest Calculator

EDITING REQUESTERS

KEY            DOES
--------------------    ----------------------------------------------

KEY            DOES
----------------------    ---------------------------------
Left Arrow        Move cursor left
Right Arrow              ""    ""   right
Up Arrow        Move to Previous text box
Down Arrow or        Move to next text box
Tab or the Return key
Shift-Left Arrow    Move to start of text box
Shift-Right Arrow       Move to end of text box
Right Amiga-X         Clear text box
Right Amiga-Q        Restore text box settings
Control-Right Amiga-Q    Restore box to contents before
            editing.
Backspace        Delete character to the left
Delete            Delete current character
F1            Edit contents of text box
F2            Toggle between insert and overtype
Enter            Move to next text box and can be used
            to select the defualt button to exit
            a requester

                                PAGE 163

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

MOVING IN WINDOWS

KEY                     DOES
----------------------  ------------------------------------------
Down Arrow              Scroll down one Window
Up Arrow                Scroll up one Window
Shift-Down Arrow        Scroll down a page
Shift-Up Arrow          Scroll up a page



SPECIAL KEYS

When appropriate, "hot key" presses are provided.

KEY                     DOES
----------------------- --------------------------------------------
F10                     Add Notepad.
F9                      Displays list box of defaults
F8                      Inserts next Cheque number.
Esc                     Aborts printing or screening of a report



                                PAGE 164

----------------------------------------------------------------------------




             APPENDIX C - FILE FORMATS
            =========================


Home Accounts2 can create standard text and graphics files
when using commands from the Reports menu. Select File
from the requester.

Set the report Style toggle box to List. Text files are created in
standard ASCII file format with a carriage return and line
feed at the end of each line.

Set the report Style toggle box to Graph. Graphic files are
created in IFF format, which is supported by many ART and
DTP packages.

If you have upgraded from Digita's original Home Accounts,
a program is provided to convert your old files to the new
Home Accounts2 file format.

To do this:

Load Workbench as normal.

Insert the Home Accounts2 disk and double-click the icon.
Double click the HomeAccounts2 drawer and then double click
the program HACONV.

A file selector appears. Enter the filename of your old Home
Accounts file and click OK.

Now enter a new filename for the converted file and click OK.

From the requester, set the starting month and the year of the
old file. Click OK.

Important:
----------
Be sure to enter the correct starting month and year of your old
Home Accounts file. This is essential for the conversion to work
correctly.

When the conversion is complete you will be given the
opportunity to convert another file or return to the desktop.

                PAGE 165

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

            APPENDIX D - TROUBLESHOOTING
            ============================


Q  After Home Accounts2 prompts for Name,
   Organization and License Number, it quits and I am
   returned to the desktop.

A Home Accounts2 needs to be personalised before you
  can use it. You need to type your Name, Organization
  and License Number. Thereafter, this information is shown
  every time you use the program, confirming that you are the
  licensed user of Home Accounts2.


Q How can I transfer money between 2 Accounts.

A Use the Type TRAN-


Q When entering transactions, the running balance is not
  updated.

A To be included in the running balance, the transaction
  should be Reconciled. If you require all transactions to
  be included in the running balance, then switch on "Include
  unreconciled transactions in balance" in the General-
  Preferences command, Options menu.


Q My "Regular transactions" have not been posted.

A This means that at some point, the correct date has not
  been set. Find out the date that the first "Regular
  transaction" should have gone through, and then set the
  system date to the day before. Open your file and then
  immediately save it. Now set the system date to the current
  date and re-open your file. All entries should now be posted
  up-to-date.

                PAGE 166

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


Q The same "Regular transaction" has been posted twice.

A At some point the incorrect system date has been
  entered. Simply delete one of the duplicate entries.



Q As I type the screen flashes.

A The keys you are pressing are invalid. For example,
  trying to enter letters in a date box.



Q As I print, unusual characters appear.

A The incorrect printer driver has been installed.



Q I can't print any graphs.

A Check that you have installed the correct printer driver.


Q When configuring reports the different pitches and
  print modes do not work.

A The incorrect printer driver has been installed.


Q Some reports overflow a line.

A Try configuring the report and adjusting the pitch, also
  check the margins and page width are correct in the
  printer preferences.

                PAGE 167


----------------------------------------------------------------------------


Q When in a requester, how do I edit a box without
  having to retype it's contents.

A Select the box and press Fl.


Q How do I print the Notepad.

A To print a Notepad, select "Show Notepad" in the
  appropriate report configuration requester.

Q Home Accounts2 keeps running out of memory.

A Make sure the print spooler is set to O and try removing
  any resident programs. If there is still not enough
  memory, either start a new file or obtain a memory upgrade
  from your local Amiga supplier.


                PAGE 168

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                              THE GLOSSARY
                  ============

APR
---
see Annual Percentage Rate of Change


ACCOUNT
-------
In Home Accounts2, this refers to your own sources of
money. For example, a bank account, a credit card or charge
card, a store card, an investment or building society account.


ACRONYM
-------
A word formed from the initial letter or letters of the main
parts of a compound term, such as ROM (from read-only
memory or HIP from Human Interface Protocol).


ACTIVE WINDOW
-------------The frontmost window on Workbench; the window where
the next action will take place. An active window's title bar is
highlighted.


ALERT
-----
A warning or report of an error in the form of an alert box, a
sound from the computer's speaker, a screen flash or any
combination. See also alert box.

ALERT BOX
---------
A box that appears on the screen to give a warning or to
report an error message. Its appearance is usually
accompanied by a sound warning such as a beep.

ALT KEY
-------
A modifier key that gives a different meaning or action to
another key you press or to mouse actions you perform.

AMIGA KEYS
----------
Two modifier keys which give a different meaning or action
to another key you press or to mouse actions you perform.
These keys are situated left and right of the space bar and
marked with a A symbol. Each key has separate meanings or
actions.

AMIGADOS
--------
Amiga Disk Operating System. It normally consists of
Kickstart and Workbench.


ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE OF CHARGE
--------------------------------
This rate reflects the true cost of borrowing, taking into
account all charges made, the frequency of repayments and
the effective interest rate. The APR calculation is laid down in
the Consumer Credit Act and all lenders must, in most cases,
indicate the APR on a credit agreement. Generally speaking,
the lower the APR, the lower the cost of borrowing money.


ANSI
----
Acronym for American National Standards Institute, which
sets standards for many technical fields and provides the
most common standard for computer terminals.


APPLICATION
-----------
Computer program, such as Home Accounts2, so called
because you apply the computer to the task in hand.

                PAGE 171

----------------------------------------------------------------------------


ARROW KEYS
----------
The four directional keys in the lower-right corner of the
keyboard. You can use the arrow keys to move around in an
application.


ASCII
-----
Acronym for American Standard Code for Information
Interchange (pronounced "ASK-ee") A standard that assigns
a unique binary number to each text character and control
character. ASCII code is used for representing text inside a
computer and for transmitting text between computers or
between a computer and a peripheral device.


AUTO-REPEAT FEATURE
-------------------
A feature of keys on computer keyboards; when a key is
pressed down and held, the computer will automatically
repeat that key's character until the key is released.


BACKSLASH(\)
------------
The "backward slash" character; often used as an escape
character.

BACKSPACE
---------
To move to the left in a line of text, erasing the character or
selection; thus synonymous with delete.

BACKSPACE KEY
-------------
A key that backspaces over and erases the previously typed
character or the current selection.

BACKUP
------
(n.) A copy of a disk or of a file on a disk. It's a good idea to
make backups of all your important disks and to use the
copies for everyday work, keeping the originals in a safe
place. (Some program or startup disks cannot be copied.)

BACK UP
-------
(v.) To make a spare copy of a disk or of a file on a disk.
Backing up your files and disks ensures that you won't lose
information if the original is lost or damaged.

BOOT
----
Another way to say start up. A computer boots by loading a
program into memory from an external storage medium such
as a disk. Starting up is often accomplished by first loading a
small program, which then reads a larger program into
memory. The program is said to "pull itself up by its own
bootstraps"--hence the term bootstrapping or booting.

BUG
---
An error in a program that causes it not to work as intended
The expression reportedly comes from the early days of
computing when an itinerant moth shorted a connection and
caused a breakdown in a room-sized computer.


BUDGET
------
In Home Accounts2, this refers to the amount you estimate
you will be spending. For example, a budget for a summer
holiday.


                PAGE 172

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


busy icon
---------
The Amiga changes the pointer into a bubble when it is busy
processing information.

button
------
A pushbutton-like image in requesters where you click to
designate, confirm, or cancel an action. Compare mouse
button.

byte
----
A unit of information consisting of a fixed number of bits. On
Amiga systems, one byte consists of a series of eight bits and
can take any value between 0 and 255. The value can
represent an instruction, number, character, or logical state.
See also kilobyte, megabyte.


cancel button
-------------
A button that appears in a requester. Clicking it cancels the
command.

Caps Lock key
-------------
A key that, when engaged, causes subsequently typed letters
to appear in uppercase; its effect is like that of the Shift key
except that it doesn't affect numbers and other nonletter
symbols.

Carriage return
---------------
A nonprinting ASCII character (decimal 13, hexadecimal $0D)
that ordinarily causes a printer or display device to place the
next character on the left margin; that is, to end a line of text
and start a new one. It's used to end paragraphs. A carriage
return, however, does not move the print head or cursor
down to the next line; the line feed (LF) character does that.
Even though you can't see carriage returns, you can delete
them the same way you delete other characters.

Case sensitive
--------------
Able to distinguish between uppercase characters and
lowercase characters.

Character
---------
Any symbol that has a widely understood meaning and thus
can convey information. Some characters--such as letters,
numbers, and punctuation--can be displayed on the monitor
screen and printed on a printer. See also control character.


Character key
-------------
(1) Any of the keys on a computer keyboard--such as letters,
numbers, symbols, and punctuation marks--used to generate
text or to format text; any key except Caps Lock, Amiga,
Control, Alt, Esc, and Shift. Character keys repeat when you
press and hold them down.

Check box
---------
A small box associated with an option in a requester. When
you click the check box, you may change the option or affect
related options.


                PAGE 173

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Choose
------
To pick a command by dragging through a menu. You often
choose a command after you've selected something for the
program to act on; for example, selecting a disk and choosing
the Open command from the Project menu.

CLI
---
Acronym for Command Line Interface, a program contained
in Workbench which allows users to enter commands directly
using the keyboard, by-passing the desktop. Compare Shell.

Click
-----
(v.) To position the pointer on something, and then press and
quickly release the mouse button. (n.) The act of clicking.

Close box
---------
The small white box on the left side of the title bar of an active
window. Clicking it closes the window.

Context Sensitive
-----------------
Able to perceive the situation in which an event occurs. For
example, Home Accounts2's help system can present help
information specific to the particular task you're performing,
rather than a general list of commands; such help is context
sensitive.

Control Character
-----------------
A nonprinting character that controls or modifies the way
information is printed or displayed. Control characters have
ASCII values and can be typed from a keyboard by holding
down the Control key while pressing some other key.

Control Code
------------
One or more nonprinting characters--included in a text file--
whose function is to change the way a printer prints the text.
For example, a program may use certain control codes to turn
boldface printing on and off. See also control character.

Control Key
-----------
A specific key on Amiga keyboards that produces control
characters when used in combination with other keys.


CR
--
See carriage return.

Crash
-----
To cease to operate unexpectedly, possibly destroying
information in the process. Compare hang.

Credit Reference Agencies
--------------------------
These are independent organisations which collect publicly
available data and financial information from subscribing
credit institutions. The information they provide to the credit
industry reflects the details supplied to them and is not
subject to any interpretation opinion. Under the Consumer
Credit Act you have rights to access to data held about you by
Credit Reference Agencies.


                PAGE 174

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cursor
------
(1) A symbol displayed on the screen marking where the
user's next action will take effect or where the next character
typed from the keyboard will appear. (2) A mark on the
screen that indicates your position on the command line or
inside a file. The cursor is usually a small box or an
underscore, and it usually blinks. (3) The term used in
technical manuals for the pointer on the screen.


Data
----
Information, especially information used or operated on by a
program. The smallest unit of information a computer can
understand is a bit.


Data Format
-----------
The form in which data is stored, manipulated, or transferred.


Default
-------
A value, action, or setting that a computer system assumes,
unless the user gives an explicit instruction to the contrary.
Default values prevent a program from stalling or crashing if
no value is supplied by the user.


Del
---
See delete character.


Delete
------
To remove something, such as a character or word from a file,
or a file from a disk. Keys such as the Backspace key can
remove one character at a time by moving to the left. Delete
key can remove one character at a time by moving to the
right. The Cut command removes selected text and places it
on the Clipboard; the Erase command removes selected text
without placing it on the Clipboard. (The Undo command can
reverse the action of Erase and of the Backspace or Delete key
if it is used immediately.)

Deselect
--------
A command to a device such as a printer to place it into a
condition in which it will not receive data. A deselect
command has an effect opposite to that of a select command.

Desktop
-------
Your working environment on the computer--the menu bar
and the gray area on the screen. You can have a number of
windows on the desktop (Workbench) at the same time.

Desktop Environment
-------------------
A set of program features that make user interactions with an
application resemble the way people work on a desk top.
Commands appear as options in pull-down menus, and
material being worked on appears in areas of the screen
called windows. The user selects commands or other material
by using the mouse to move a pointer around on the screen or
by using keyboard equivalents.

                PAGE 175

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Digit
-----
(1) One of the characters 0 through 9, used to express
numbers in decimal form. (2) One of the characters used to
express numbers in some other form, such as 0 and 1 in
binary or 0 through 9 and A through F in hexadecimal.

Directory
---------
(1) A pictorial, alphabetical, or chronological list of the
contents of a draw or a disk. (2) A file that contains a list of all
the names and locations of other files stored on a disk. These
other files may themselves be directories (called
subdirectories). A directory is sometimes called a catalogue.

Directory Requester
-------------------
A type of requester you use to work in the hierarchical file
system from within an application. Such requesters appear
whenever you choose the Open or Save As commands from
within an application.

Directory File
--------------
(1) A file that contains the names and locations of other files.
Related files should be grouped together into a single
directory file.

Directory Window
----------------
The window that shows you the contents of a disk or draw.

Disabled
--------
Describes a menu item or menu that cannot be chosen; the
menu item or menu title appears dimmed. A disabled item in
a dialog or alert box has no effect when clicked.

Disk
----
A flat, circular, magnetic surface, serving as a medium for
storing information. See also hard disk.

Disk capacity
-------------
The maximum amount of data a disk can hold, usually
measured in kilobytes (K) or megabytes (MB). For instance,
Amiga 3.5-inch disks have a disk capacity of 880K.

Disk directory
--------------
An index of a disk's contents. It holds the names and
locations of every file on its disk.

Disk drive
----------
The device that holds a disk, retrieves information from it,
and saves information to it.

Disk space
----------
The amount of space available on a disk for storing or
processing a file or an application.

Double click
------------
(n.) Two clicks in quick succession, interpreted as a single
command. The action of a double click is different from that
of a single click. For example, clicking an icon selects the icon;
double-clicking an icon opens it.

(v.) To position the pointer where you want an action to take
place, and then press and release the mouse button twice in
quick succession without moving the mouse.

                PAGE 176

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Drag
----
To position the pointer on something, press and hold the left
mouse button, move the mouse, and release the mouse
button. When you release the mouse button, you either
confirm a selection or move an object to a new location.

Drag region
-----------
Drag Bar. A region in a window frame; usually the title bar.
Dragging inside this region moves the window to a new
location and makes it the active window.


Drawer
------
A holder of files, applications and even other drawers on the
desktop. Drawers act as subdirectories, allowing you to
organise information logically.

Drive number
------------
A number used to identify a disk drive. The internal floppy
disk drive is number DF0, the internal hard disk drive is
number DH0, and any additional drives will have larger
numbers.

ENer key
--------
A key that confirms an entry or sometimes a command.

Error code
----------
A number or other symbol representing a type of error.

Error message
-------------
A message displayed or printed to tell you of an error or
problem in the execution of a program or in your
communication with the system. An error message is often
accompanied by a beep.

Escape character
----------------
ASCII character $1B (ESC). Pressing either the Esc key or
Control-[ generates an escape character.


Escape code
-----------
A sequence of characters that begins with an escape character
and constitutes a complete command. Escape codes are used
to control the video firmware and to send certain commands
to a printer. Usually synonymous with escape sequence.

Escape key
----------
A key that generates the escape character. In many
applications, pressing Esc allows you to return to a previous
menu or to stop a procedure. The Esc key can be used with
other keys to generate escape codes.

Fatal Error
-----------
An error serious enough that the computer must halt
execution.

File
----
(1) Any named, ordered collection of information stored on a
disk. Application programs and operating systems on disks
are examples of files. You make a file when you create text or
graphics, give the material a name, and save it to disk.


                PAGE 177

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



Filename
--------
The name that identifies a file. The maximum character length
of a filename and the rules for naming a file vary under
different operating systems. Compare pathname.  ~'


Firmware
--------
Programs stored permanently in read-only memory (ROM).
Such programs are built into the computer at the factory.
They can be executed at any time but cannot be modified or
erased from main memory. Compare hardware, software.


Format
------
(n.) (1) The form in which information is organised or
presented. (2) The general shape and appearance of a
printer's output, including page size, character width and
spacing, line spacing, and so on. (v.) To divide a disk into
tracks and sectors where information can be stored. Blank
disks must be formatted before you can save information on
them for the first time; synonymous with initialise.


Function Key
------------
Special keys, usually identified as F1, F2 and so on. Many
applications use these for special functions.

Gadget
------
An Intuition managed object such as a button, icon or sliding
knob. The title bar on most Intuition windows doubles a drag
gadget.

Garbage
-------
A string of meaningless characters that bears no resemblance
to your file. It's an indication that your computer and
peripheral device are using different transmission rates or
data formats.

GUI
---
Pronounced "Goo-ey"; abbreviation for Graphical User
Interface. Applications which allow the computer to be
controlled by manipulating graphical images rather than
typing commands.

HAM
---
Acronym for Hold And Modify. Special screen mode used by
the Amiga to display 4096 colours at once, using only a
fraction of the amount of memory required by normal
methods.

Hang
----
To cease operation because either an expected condition is not
satisfied or an infinite loop is occurring. Compare crash.

Hard Copy
---------
Information printed on paper, as opposed to being stored on
disk.

Hard Disk
---------
A disk made of metal and sealed into a drive or cartridge. A
hard disk can store very large amounts of information
compared to 3.5-inch or 5.25-inch disks.


                PAGE 178

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hard disk drive
---------------
A device that holds a hard disk, retrieves information from it,
and saves information to it. Hard disks made for
microprocessors are permanently sealed into the~drives.

Hardware
--------
Those parts of the computer that you can see and touch. The
computer and the machines that attach to it the disk drive,
printer, and other peripheral devices. Compare software.

Hardware reset
--------------
The act of resetting the printer to its default settings by
turning the printer off and back on. A hardware reset clears
any data in the print buffer.

High-resolution graphics
------------------------
The display of graphics on a screen as a sixteen-colour,
640 columns wide and 512 (400 NTSC) rows high.

Human Interface Protocol (HIP)
------------------------------
A set of software protocol guidelines designed by Digita
International to enhance the desktop concept. See also
desktop.

Icon
----
An image that graphically represents an object, a concept, or a
message. Icons on the outside of the computer can be used to
show you where to plug cables, such as the disk drive icon on
the back panel that marks the disk drive connector. Screen
icons in mouse-based applications represent disks, files,
application programs, or other things you can select and
open.

IFF
---
Abbreviation for Interchange File Format. A standard file
format covering graphics and animation, sound and music,
even formatted text.

Initialise
----------
(1) To set to an initial state or value in preparation for some
computation. (2) To prepare a blank disk to receive
information by organising its surface into tracks and sectors;
same as format.

Initialised disk
----------------
A disk that has been organised into tracks and sectors by the
computer and is therefore ready to store information.

Installation
------------
The process of adding or changing information of a disk.
interface

                PAGE 179

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interface
---------
(n.) (1) The point at which independent systems or diverse
groups interact. The devices, rules, or conventions by which
one component of a system communicates with another. Also,
the point of communication between a person and a
computer. (2) The equipment that accepts electrical signals
from one part of a computer system and renders them into a
form that can be used by another part. (3) Hardware or
software that links the computer to a device. (v.) To convert
signals from one form to another and pass them between two
pieces of equipment.

Intuition
---------
The core of the Amiga's WIMP system.

Item
----
In dialog and alert boxes, a control, icon, picture, or piece of
text, each displayed inside its own display rectangle. See also
menu item.

Item List
---------
A list of information about all the items in a dialog or alert
box.

Kbyte
-----
See kilobyte.

Keyboard
--------
The set of keys, similar to a typewriter keyboard, used for
entering information into the computer. See also numeric
keypad.

Keyboard Equivalent
-------------------
The combination of the right Amiga key and another key,
used to invoke a menu item from the keyboard. Also called a
Amiga-key equivalent.

Keyboard Equivalent Key
-----------------------
A key you press in conjunction with the right Amiga key
to issue a menu command.

Keyboard Shortcut
------------------
A keystroke that you can use instead of a mouse action to
perform a task. For example, in Home Accounts2 pressing the
right Amiga and the O keys at the same time is the same as
choosing the Open command from the Project menu.

Key Caps
--------
A desk accessory that shows you the optional character set
available for a given font family.

Key code
--------
An integer representing a key on the keyboard or keypad,
without reference to the character that the key stands for.

Kickstart
---------
The Amiga's Operating System (OS), usually contained in a
ROM (or on disk).

kilobit (Kbit)
--------------
A unit of measurement, 1024 bits, commonly used in
specifying the capacity of memory integrated circuits. Not to
be confused with kilobyte.

                PAGE 180

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kilobyte (K)
------------
A unit of measurement consisting of 1024 (210) bytes. Thus,
64K memory equals 65,536 bytes. The abbreviation K can also
stand for the number 1024, in which case Kbyte is used for
kilobyte. See also megabyte.

load
----
To transfer information from a peripheral storage medium
(such as a disk) into main memory for use; for example, to
transfer a program into memory for execution.

Lo-Res
------
The lowest-resolution graphics mode on the Amiga
computer, consisting of 32 colours, 256 (NTSC 200) rows high
by 320 columns wide.

low resolution graphics
-----------------------
The display of graphics on a display screen as a 32-colour
array of blocks, 320 columns wide and 256 (NTSC 200) rows
high.

low resolution mode
-------------------
See low-resolution graphics.

main menu
---------
The top level of options in a program having several levels of
options. Making a choice from a main menu takes you to
another menu.

Manual transaction
------------------
In Home Accounts2, this refers to a money transaction which
occurs once. For example, writing a cheque to buy some food,
buying a radio using a credit card.

Margin
------
Blank area surrounding printed matter on a page.

Medium Resolution Graphics
--------------------------
The display of graphics on a screen sixteen-colours,
640 columns wide and 256 (NTSC 200) rows high.

Medium Resolution Mode
-----------------------
A graphics mode that can display information using a
rectangular array of 256 (NTSC 200) horizontal by 640 vertical
dots.

Megabit
-------
A unit of measurement equal to 1,048,576 (216) bits, or 1024
kilobits, commonly used in specifying the capacity of memory
ICs. Not to be confused with megabyte.

Megabyte (MB)
-------------
A unit of measurement equal to 1024 kilobytes, or 1,048,576
bytes. See also kilobyte.

memory
------
A hardware component of a computer system that can store
information for later retrieval.

Menu
----
A list of choices presented by a program, from which you can
select an action. In the desktop interface, menus appear when
you click the right mouse button. Dragging through the menu
and releasing the mouse button while a command is
highlighted chooses that command.

                PAGE 182

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Menu bar
--------
The horizontal strip at the top of the screen that contains
menu titles. Displayed by pressing the Right Mouse key.

Menu Item
---------
A choice in a menu, usually a command to the current
application. See also item.

Monochrome Monitor
------------------
A monitor capable of displaying in only one colour; a black-
and-white, amber-and-black, or green-and-black monitor.

Mouse
-----
A small device you move around on a flat surface next to
your computer. The mouse controls a pointer on the screen
whose movements correspond to those of the mouse. You use
the pointer to select operations, to move data, and to draw
with in graphics programs.

Mouse based Application
-----------------------
An application that accepts input from a mouse, as
compared with a keyboard-based application.

Mouse Buttons
-------------
The buttons on the top of the mouse. In general, pressing the
left mouse button initiates some action on whatever is under
the pointer, and releasing the button confirms the action.
Pressing the right mouse button displays the menu on the
title bar. Compare button.

Multitasking
------------
A process that allows a computer to perform two or more
tasks during a given period of time; it is accomplished by
alternating the actions of the computer between tasks. The
method by which operating systems, such as Workbench,
allow the user to open and run several applications at the
same time.

NotePad
-------
A desk utility that allows you to enter and edit small amounts
of text while working on another file.

NTSC
----
(1) Abbreviation for National Television Standards
Committee, which defined the standard format used for
transmitting broadcast video signals in the United States. (2)
The standard video format defined by the NTSC, also called
composite because it combines all the video information,
including colour, into a single signal.

Numeric Keyboard
----------------
A calculator-style keypad, either built-in or peripheral, that
you can use to type numbers. The layout of numbers on the
keypad makes it easier and faster to use than the regular
keyboard. Some application programs designate the keys of a
numeric keypad as special function keys. See also keyboard.

on-line help
------------
Assistance you can get from an application program while it's
running; for example, Home Accounts2's disk-based Help
system.

                PAGE 182

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Open
----
To make available. You open files in order to work with them.
A file may not be read from or written to until it is open. In
the desktop interface, opening an icon causes a window with
the contents of that icon to come into view. You may then
perform further actions in the window when it's active.

Open File
---------
A file with an access path. Open files can be read from and
written to.

Operating System
----------------
(1) A program that organi~es the actions of the parts of the
computer and its peripheral devices. (2) Low-level software
that controls a computer by performing such basic tasks such
as input/output, memory management, and interrupt
handling. See also disk operating system.

Option
------
Something chosen or available as a choice; for instance, one of
several check box or radio button options.

Output
------
(n.) Information transferred from a computer to some external
destination, such as the display screen, a disk drive, a printer,
or a modem. (v.) To transfer information in such a way.

Override
--------
To modify or cancel an instruction by issuing another one.
For example, you might override a DIP switch setting on a
printer with an escape sequence.

overscan
--------
Special screen mode used by the Amiga where the picture has
no visible borders, filling the entire monitor screen display.

Page
----
(1) The text and/or graphics that fits on a sheet of paper when
printed, depending on the page format. (2) A screenful of
information on a video display. In the Amiga family of
computers, a page consists of 24 lines of 40 or 80 characters
each. (3) (usually Page) An area of main memory containing
text or graphic information being displayed on the screen. (4)
A segment of main memory 256 bytes long and beginning at
an address that is an even multiple of 256. Memory blocks
whose starting addresses are an even multiple of 256 are said
to be page-aligned.

PAL/SECAM
---------
TV system in use in the UK and Europe. Gives 256 or 512
lines on a full screen. 312 or 625 lines in overscan mode.

Palette
-------
The full set of colours available for an individual screen pixel.
The Amiga has 4096 colours, shades and intensities from
which to choose.

Parent
------
For a given file or directory, the directory immediately above
it in the tree.

                PAGE 183

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Partition
---------
(n) A portion of a memory device--such as a hard disk or
tape--that is treated like a device itself. For example, if you
select the 50% partition scheme provided by Amiga HD SC
Setup, your Amiga volume, will take up about half your hard
disk. (v) To create partitions.

Password
--------
(1) A secret word that gives you, but no one else, access to
your data or to messages sent to you through an information
service.

Pathname
--------
The complete name of a file beginning with the name of the
disk (also called the volume name), the name of the
subdirectory it's in (if it's in one), and the name of the file.
The pathname begins with a slash, and the parts of the
pathname are separated by slashes. It's called a pathname
because it describes the route to the file. Compare filename.

Peripheral
----------
(adj.) At or outside the boundaries of the computer itself,
either physically (as a peripheral device) or logically (as a
peripheral card). (n.) Short for peripheral device.

Pointer
-------
(1) A small shape on the screen that follows the movement of
the mouse or shows where your next action will take place.
The pointer can be an arrow, an I-beam, a crossbar, or a
stopwatch.

Prefix
------
(1) The first part of a pathname--the name of the disk and, if
you like, the name of a subdirectory. Applications that ask
you to type a pathname usually let you set a prefix so you
don't have to type the complete pathname every time you
want to work with a file on a particular disk or in a particular
subdirectory. Once the prefix is set, all you do is type the rest
of the pathname. (2) A designation for a place that an
application can store files. Many applications require the
prefix to be the same as the pathname. Some applications
allow you to set the prefix from within the application.

Press
-----
(1 ) To position the pointer on something on the screen and
then hold down the mouse button without moving the
mouse. (2) To push a key down and then release it; you hold a
key down only if you want to repeat a character or if you are
using a modifier key with another key.

Printer
-------
A device that produces a paper copy of the text or graphics
you create using your computer.

Printer command
---------------
One or more characters sent to the printer to control some
function, such as turning boldface printing on or off, or to
cause some action, such as a line feed.

                PAGE 184

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Printer Driver
--------------
A program that controls the exchange of information between
a printer and the computer. You must have a separate printer
driver for each type of printer that you want to use.


Program
-------
(n.) (1) A set of instructions describing actions for a computer
to perform to accomplish some task, conforming to the rules
and conventions of a particular programming language. (2) A
file containing coded instructions to the computer. A
compiled program is a file first created in source code and
then transformed by the compiler into object code. A shell
program is a text file that does not need to be compiled,
because it is interpreted by the shell. (v.) To write a program.

Program Disk
------------
A disk that contains a self-starting application program.

Project Menu
------------
A menu in mouse-based applications that lists commands
that affect whole file--commands like Save, Print, and Quit.

Prompt
------
A message on the screen that tells you of some need for
response or action. A prompt is usually in the form of a
symbol, a message, a requester, or a menu of choices.

Prompt line
-----------
A specific area on the display reserved for a prompt.

Pull-down menu
--------------
A menu that is hidden until you press the right mouse button
and move the pointer to its title.

QWERTY Keyboard
---------------
The standard layout of keys on a typewriter keyboard; named
for the first six letters on the top row of letter keys.

RAM
---
See random-access memory.

random access memory (RAM)
---------------------------
The part of the computer's memory that stores information
temporarily while you're working on it. A computer with
512K RAM has 512 kilobytes of memory available to the user.
Information in RAM can be referred to in an arbitrary or
random order, hence the term random-access. (As an analogy,
a book is a random-access storage device in that it can be
opened and read at any point.) RAM can contain both
application programs and your own information. Information
in RAM is temporary, gone forever if you switch the power
off without saving it on a disk or other storage medium. An
exception is the battery RAM, which stores settings such as
the time and which is powered by a battery. (Technically, the
read-only memory (ROM) is also random access, and what's
called RAM should correctly be termed read-write memory.)
Compare read-only memory.

                PAGE 185

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read
----
To transfer information into the computer's memory from a
source outside the computer (such as a disk drive or modem)
or into the computer's processor from a source external to the
processor (such as the keyboard or main memory).

Read me Document
----------------
A plain text document that is included on application and
system software disks and provides you with late-breaking
information about the product.

Read Only memory (ROM)
----------------------
Memory whose contents can be read but not changed; used
for storing firmware. Information is placed into read-only
memory once, during manufacture. It remains there
permanently, even when the computer's power is turned off.
Compare random-access memory.

Reconciled
----------
In Home Accounts2, this refers to any money transaction
which you know has been processed. For example, if you
paid for something by credit card, the transaction is
considered Reconciled when the money has been transferred
out of your account. (Normally you would only know this
when you receive your statement and the transaction appears
on it.) By differentiating between Reconciled and
Unreconciled transactions, Home Accounts2 can provide you
with both up-to-date account balances, and actual balances to
match the statements you receive. Compare Unreconciled.

Regular Transaction
-------------------
In Home Accounts2, this refers to a money transaction which
occurs regularly. For example, standing order to pay off a
loan, a monthly mortgage payment.

Requester
---------
(1) A box that contains a message requesting more
information from you. Sometimes the message warns you
that you're asking your computer to do something it can't do
or that you're about to destroy some of your information. In
these cases, the message is often accompanied by a beep. (2) A
box that an Amiga application displays to request
information or to report that it is waiting for a process to
complete.

Reset
-----
To restore all the default settings for a device with one action
or command.

Resolution
----------
The degree of clarity of your display. A monitor has better
resolution than a television set used as a monitor. Resolution
is usually specified in dots per inch (dpi). The higher the
value, the finer the detail of the image.

                PAGE 187

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Return key
----------
A key that causes the cursor or insertion point to move to the
beginning of the next line. It's also used in some cases to
confirm a command.

Right Amiga key
---------------
A modifier key that gives a different meaning or action to
another key you press or to mouse actions you perform.

ROM
---
See read-only memory.


Root
----
(1) Short for root directory. (2) Short for root user; the user
with unlimited system privileges. Also called the superuser.


Root directory
--------------
The directory at the base of a file catalogue. Written as a slash
( / ), it is the first element in every absolute pathname.

Routine
-------
A part of a program that accomplishes some task subordinate
to the overall task of the program.

Run
---
(1) To execute a program. When a program runs, the
computer performs the instructions. (2) To load a program
into main memory from a peripheral storage medium, such as
a disk, and execute it.

Save
----
To store information by transferring it from main memory to
a disk. Work not saved disappears when you switch off the
computer or when the power is interrupted.

Screen
------
The part of the monitor where information is displayed. Like
a movie screen, it's the place where things are projected. Also
called the display screen.

Scroll Arrow
------------
An arrow at either end of a scroll bar. Clicking a scroll arrow
moves a document or directory one line. Pressing a scroll
arrow moves a document continuously.

Scroll Bar
----------
A rectangular bar that may be along the right or bottom of a
window. Clicking or dragging in the scroll bar causes your
view of the document to change.

Scroll Box
----------
The white box in a scroll bar. The position of the scroll box in
the scroll bar indicates the position of what's in the window
relative to the entire document.

Select
------
(v.) To designate where the next action will take place. To
select using a mouse, you click an icon or drag across
information. In some applications, you can select items in
menus by typing a letter or number at a prompt, by using a
combination keypress, or by using arrow keys. (n.) A
command to a device such as a printer to place it into a
condition to receive data.

                PAGE 187

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Selection
---------
(1) The information or items that will be affected by the next
command. The selection is usually highlighted. (2) A series of
characters, or a character position, at which the next editing
operation will occur. Selected characters in the active window
are inversely highlighted. Also called selection range.

Shell
-----
A program contained in Workbench which allows users to
enter commands directly using the keyboard, by-passing the
desktop. On the Amiga this is called the CLI.

Shift-Click
-----------
A technique that allows you to extend or shorten a selection
by positioning the pointer at the end of what you want to
select and holding down the Shift key while clicking the
mouse button.

Shift Key
---------
A key that, when pressed, causes the subsequent letter you
type to appear in uppercase or the top symbol on a two-
character key to be produced. The Shift key can also modify
mouse actions. See Shift-click.

Size box
--------
A box in the lower-right corner of some windows. Dragging
the size box resizes the window.

Small Computer System Interface
-------------------------------
A specification of mechanical, electrical, and functional
standards for connecting peripheral devices such as certain
kinds of hard disks, printers, and optical disks to small
computers.

Software
--------
A collective term for programs, the instructions that tell the
computer what to do. Software is usually stored on disks.
Compare hardware.

Space bar
---------
The long, unlabelled bar along the bottom of the keyboard that
you press to generate a space character.

Start up
--------
To get the system running. Starting up is the process of first
reading an operating-system program from the disk and then
running an application program. Synonymous with boot.

Startup disk
------------
A disk with all the necessary program files--such as the
Workbench for the Amiga--to set the computer into
operation. Sometimes called a boot disk.

subdirectory
------------
A directory within a directory; a file (other than the volume
directory or root directory) that contains the names and
locations of other files. Equivalent to drawer in some systems
and applications.

syntax
------
The rules governing the structure of statements or
instructions in a language.

                PAGE 188

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Syntax error message
--------------------
A message you get when the computer can't understand a
command. The cause could be anything from mistyping a
word to using a nonexistent command.

system
------
A coordinated collection of interrelated and interacting parts
organised to perform some function or achieve some
purpose--for example, a computer system comprising a
processor, keyboard, monitor, and disk drive.


Text box
--------
A small box associated with an option in a requester. When
you click in the box, you may edit the value.

Text file
---------
A file that contains information stored in the form of readable
characters encoded using the ASCII format. On the Amiga,
they are known as Text Only documents.

Title Bar
---------
The horizontal bar at the top of a window that shows the
name of the window's contents. You can move the window
by dragging the title bar.

Toggle Option
-------------
A setting that may be turned on or off.

Total Amount Payable
--------------------
This is an amount expressed on a Consumer Credit
Agreement Form. It is made up of the total charge for credit
plus the amount of the loan itself.

Total Charge for Credit
-----------------------
This is an amount expressed on a Consumer Credit
Agreement Form. It shows the total charges to must pay
under that agreement and consists of the interest payable,
together with all fees..

Trashcan
--------
An icon on the desktop that you use to discard files, drawers,
and applications.

Type
----
In Home Accounts2. this refers to the groups into which you
allocate your income and expenditure. For example, you
probably want to analyse your spending over different
headings, such as Food, Petrol, Housekeeping.

Unreconciled
------------
Unreconciled In Home Accounts2, this refers to any money transaction for
which you have not received confirmation that it has been
processed. For example, you may have written a cheque for
something, but it has not yet gone through to your bank
account. Compare Reconciled.

User Interface
--------------
user interface The rules and conventions by which a computer system
communicates with the person operating it.

                PAGE 189

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Version
-------
A number indicating the release edition of a particular piece
of software. Version numbers for most software are available
through the Project-About option.

Virus
-----
A program which is stored in the boot section of a disk and
affects your computer system This can vary from harmless
screen effects to a system crash.

wildcard characters
-------------------
A character that may be used as shorthand to represent a
sequence of characters in a pathname. A common wildcard
characters is the asterisk (~).

WIMP
----
Acronym for Windows, Icons, Mice (or Menus) and Pointers
(or Pull-downs). The specific characteristics of a GUI and
many modern application interfaces.

window
------
(1) The area that displays information on a desktop; you view
a file through a window. You can open or close a window,
move it around on the desktop, and sometimes change its
size, scroll through it, and edit its contents. (2) The portion of
a collection of information (such as a file, picture, or
worksheet) that is visible in a viewport on the display screen.
Each window is internally represented in a window record.

Workbench
---------
The Amiga's desktop where applications can be opened and
files and disks copied.

Write
-----
To transfer information from the computer to a destination
external to the computer (such as a disk drive, printer, or
modem) or from the computer's processor to a destination
external to the processor (such as main memory).

                PAGE 190

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

                INDEX
                ~~~~~
                ~~~~~


About Home Accounts2 command             115
Account
  adding                     35,125
  amending                     127
  balance                     61,139
  code                         35,125
  deleting                     127
  icons                     102
  statement report                 71,147
  summary report                 147
  Type                         39,147
  warning limits                 35,125
Active window                     66,109
Add command
  Account                     35,125
  Budget                    46,130
  Investment                     66,132
  Manual transaction                 52,121
  Marker                     128
  Notepad                     39, 110
  Regular transaction                 42,128
  Type                         39,127
  VAT                         133
Alert boxes                     32,108
Amend command
  Account                     127
  Budget                     130
  Investment                     132
  Manual transaction                 121
  Marker                     128
  Notepad                     110
  Regular transaction                 128
  Type                         127
  VAT                         133
Amiga Printer Preferences             70
Arrange windows command             66,143
Arrow keys                     107,163
ASCII text format                 165
Assets                         153
Auto balance again command             63,140
Auto balance command                 63,139
Autosave--see "General preferences"

backup--see "General preferences"
Bank Account icon                 103
Bottom margin--see "Printer preferences"
Budget
  adding                     46, 130
  amending                     130
  calculator                     131
  checklist                     80
  deleting                     130
  icon                         102
  progress report                 151

Calculator
  Budget                     131
  icon                         102
  interest                     51, 155
  normal                     50, 155
Cash Account icon                 103
Changing
  colour                     143
  date                         29, 156
  display                     142
  password                     135
  preferences                     75, 141
  printers                     70
Check boxes                     107
Clean up desktop command             143
Clear comparatives command             120
CLI                         157
Clock--see "General preferences"
Close file---see saving
Colour
  display cocktail palettes             143
  graphics                     144
  preferences                     75, 143
  printing--see "Printer preferences"
Command
  check boxes                     107
  choosing from menus                 101
  keyboard shortcuts                 163
  radio buttons                 107
  text entry boxes                 106
  toggle boxes                     107
Comparatives
  clear                        120
  open                         119
Configure report
  body                         146
  footer                     144
  header                     144
Confirm deletes--see "General preferences"
Conventions used in this book             15
Copyright ii
Creating a new file                 30,115
Credit card Account icon             102
Current
  date                         29, 156
  time                         29, 156
Cycle buttons                     107

Date
  changing                     156
  format--see "General preferences"
  Default preferences                 75,141
Delete
  Account                     127
  Budget                     121, 130
  confirm--see "General preferences"
  Manual transaction                 121
  Regular transaction                 121,128
  text                         107
  Type                         121, 127
  VAT                         121, 133
Deluxe Paint, graphics file format, saving     144
Desktop
  clock see "General preferences"
  icons                     70, 102
  menu bar                     101
  scroll arrows                 109
  scroll bars                     109
  Trashcan                     104
Direction keys--see arrow keys
Directory                     176
Disk
  installing Home Accounts2             21
Distinctly Digita, colour palette         143
Drawers                     177

Editing
  Account                    127
  boxes                     106, 163
  Budget                     121, 130
  Investment                     121, 132
  Manual transaction                 121
  Marker                     121, 128
  Notepad                     110, 121
  Regular transaction                 121,128
  Type                         121, 127
  VAT                         121, 133
  windows                     66, 110
Edit boxes                     29,106,163
Edit menu
  add                        121
  amend                     121
  delete                     121
  find                         122
  find again                     124
  find and replace                 124
  sort                         122
Empty trashcan
  automatic--see "General preferences"
  manual                     105
Entering transactions                 52
Erasing
  Account                     127
  Budget                     121, 130
  confirm--see "General preferences"
  Investment                     121, 132
  Manual transaction                 121
  Marker                     121, 128
  Regular transaction                 121,128
  Type                         121, 127
  VAT                         121, 133

File
  autosave see "General preferences"
  naming                     30, 116
  open                         30, 115
  open comparatives                 119
  print                     69, 144
  save                         46, 116
  save as                     46,117
  selector                     31, 111
  start year                     30,115
File formats
  ASCII                     165
  IFF                         165
  Home Accounts                 165
  Home Accounts2 (normal)             116
Find
  find                         59, 122
  find again                     59,124
  find and replace                 60,124
Footer, configuring                 144
Function keys                     65,135

General preferences
  automatically empty
  autosave                     141
  backup files                     142
  colours                     142
  confirm deletes                 141
  date format                     142
  default drawer                 142
  desktop clock                 141
  resolution                     142
  screen saver                     141
  VAT registered                 142
Graphics
  creating                     72, 144
  exporting                     144
  palette                     143
  printing                     144

Header, configuring                 144
Help
  command                     33, 154
  icon                         33, 102
  key                         33, 154
  on-line                     33, 154
High-resolution mode                 142,179
Highlight                     29, 106
Home Accounts format, loading             165
Home Accounts2
  disk, personalising                 22
  files, opening and saving             46,115
  installing                     21
  starting                     22
  Hot-line support                 202
Human Interface Protocol (HIP)             179

Icon preferences
  change title                     142
  show/hide                     142
  snap to grid                     142
Icons
  bank Account                     102
  Budget                     102
  calculator                     50, 102
  cash Account                     103
  credit card Account                 103
  help                         33, 102
  Marker                     102
  printer                     102
  Regular transaction                 102
  savings Account                 103
  tax (VAT)                     103
  Trashcan                     104
  Types                     102
lFF graphics, saving                 165
Income and expenditure report             150
Installing Home Accounts2             21
Interest calculator                 51,155
Investments                     66, 132

Keyboard
  choosing menu commands             101
  combinations                     163
  hot keys                     163
  shortcuts                     163

Learning Home Accounts2             13
Leaving Home Accounts2                 120
Left margin--see "Printer preferences"
Liabilities                     153
License number                     22,203
List boxes                     108
Load
  comparatives                     119
  files                     115
  Home Accounts files                 165


Machine requirements                 14
Manual transaction
  general                     52
  icon                         102
  report                     144
Markers
  general                     128
  icon                         102
  report                     147
Medium-resolution mode                 142,179

Memory
  and Home Accounts2                 161
  how Home Accounts2 uses             162
  what is memory?                 161
Menu
  bar                         101
  commands                     101
  keyboard shortcuts                 163
  Menu commands                 101
  Mouse                     101
  Multiple windows                 66,109
  Multitasking                     182

Naming files                     30,117
Net worth report                 153
New command                     30,115
Notepad                     39, 110

On-line help                     33,154
Open
  comparatives                     119
  files                     115
  Home Accounts files                 165
  Workbench                     157
Open a New Shell command             157
Options menu
  arrange windows                 67,143
  clean up desktop                 143
  empty trashcan                 104,143
  preferences                     75, 141

Page--see "Printer preferences"
Palette                     143
Paper type
  continuous                     143
  cut sheet                     143
Password                     135
Playtime command                 157
Portfolio report                 153
Preferences
  changing                     75, 141
  colour--see "Colour preference~"
  general see "General preferences"
  icon--see "Icon preferences"
  printer--see "Printer preferences"
Preparing to use Home Accounts2         20
Printer
  icon                         102
  preferences
  spooler--see "Printer preferences"
Printer preferences
  Amiga preferences                 70
  bottom margin                 142
  colour                     142
  left margin                     143
  page length                     142
  page width                     143
  paper type                     143
  report body                     146
  report footer                 144
  report header                 144
  spooler buffer size                 142
  top margin                     143
Product registration card             203
Product support                 202
Project menu
  about                     115
  clear comparatives                 120
  delete                     118
  new                         30, 115
  open                         115
  open comparatives                 119
  quit                         120
  save                         46, 116
  saveas                     117

Quickstart                     25
Quitting Home Accounts2                120

Radio buttons                     107
Random-access memory (RAM)             161
READ.ME file                     20
Reconcile command                 61,139
Reconciled transaction                 61,139
Registration card                 218
Regular transactions
  general                     42, 128
  icon                         102
  report                     147
Report menu
  Account statement report             147
  Account summary report             147
  Budget report                 147
  Budget progress report             151
  income and expenditure report         150
  Markers report                 147
  net worth report                 153
  portfolio report                 153
  Regular transactions report             147
  Types report                     147
  VAT codes report                 147
  VAT report                     152
Reports
  body                         146
  footer                     144
  header                     144
Requesters
  check box                     107
  editing                     107
  list box                     108
  radio button                     107
  text box                     106
  toggle button                 107

Saving
  ASCII files                     165
  autosave--see "General preferences"
  backups--see "General preferences"
  default                     165
  format                     165
  Home Accounts2 (normal)             46,117
  IFF                         165
Save as command                 46,117
Save command                     46,116
Savings Account icon                 103
Screen display
  icons                     68, 102
  menu bar                     101
  scroll arrows                 109
  scroll bars                     109
  Trashcan                     104
Screen mode
  colours                     143
  high-resolution                 142
  medium-resolution                 142
Screen saver                     141
Scroll
  arrow                     109
  bar                         109
  box                         108
Searching--see Find
Set date time command                 29,156
Set defaults command                 63,136
Set up
  Accounts                     35, 125
  Budgets                     46, 130
  Home Accounts2                 91
  income and expenditure Types             39,127
  investments                     66, 132
  menu                        125
  preferences                     75, 141
  printer                     69, 142
  Regular transactions                 42,128
  transaction defaults                 136
  transaction window display headers         58,134
Set up menu
  add Account                     35,125
  amend Account                 127
  Budget                     46, 130
  delete Account                 127
  function keys                 65,135
  investments                     66, 132
  password                     135
  Regular transactions                 42,128
  transaction Markers                 128
  transaction Types                 39,127
  VAT code                     133
  window headers                 58,134
Shell                         157
Sort
  Budget                     122
  command                     122
  Investment                     122
  Manual transaction                 122
  Marker                     122
  Regular transaction                 122
  Type                         122
Splitting transactions                 138
Spooler size--see "Printer preferences"
Starting
  financial year                 30,115
  Home Accounts2                 22
System menu
  calculator                     50, 155
  help                         33, 154
  interest calculator                 51,155
  open a new shell                 157
  playtime                     157
  set date time                 29,156
  Workbench open                 157


Tax
  code                        90, 133
  general                     90
  icon                         103
  report                     152
  switching on--see "General preferences"
Terminology used in this book             16
Terms and conditions of sale             200
Time, changing                     29,156
To start Home Accounts2             22
Top margin--see "Printer preferences"
Trans menu
  add or amend                     52,137
  auto balance again                 61,140
  auto balance                     61,139
  reconcile                     61, 139
  set defaults                     63,136
Transaction
  adding                     52, 121
  amending                     121
  defaults                     63, 136
  deleting                     121
  icons                     102
  Markers                     128
  Manual                     52, 121
  reconciling                     61, 136
  Regular                     42, 128
  reports                     71, 144
  sort                         121
  splitting                     138
  Type                         39, 128
Trashcan
  automatically empty--see  "General preferences"
  full                         105
  icon                         104
  recovering contents                 104
Troubleshooting                 166
Tutorial                     29
Types
  general                     39,127, 138
  icon                         102
  report                     147

Unreconciled transaction             61,139
Using Home Accounts2                 90

VAT--see tax
Version number                     115


Wildcard character                 123
Window
  arranging                     66, 143
  scrolling                     164
  setting headers                 58,134
Workbench Open command                 157



            -=- THE END -=-





-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
GREETS TO THE WORLDS BEST DOC TYPERS AND FIXERS (IN NO SPECIFIC ORDER) -
PAZZA AND  SIDEWINDER/LSD,  SCOOTER/SKID ROW,  MR.SCARFACE/EVERYONE!,
BRYNN ROGERS OF -THG-  AMD RYGAR (IT'S HISTORY OK MATE ??).
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

   NOW CALL THE ALLIANCE HQ: UNKNOWN PLEASURES : [phone].

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

OR TRY ONE OF THESE OTHER KEWL BOARDS THAT OBVIOUSLY GOT THIS FILE BEFORE
YOU DID !!! .............................................................