GENERAL LEDGER
______________


for the


IBM Personal Computer



Version 1.2

Copyright 1985

by

Datawest Systems Inc.
307 Goldstream Avenue
Victoria, BC V9B 2W4
Voice: (604) 478-1523
BBS: (604) 478-2234




==== General Ledger Users Guide ====


Contents
________



1.0 ... INTRODUCTION
1.1 ... Limited license
1.2 ... Contributions
1.3 ... Not a substitute
1.4 ... Keys and numeric keypad
1.5 ... System requirements/capacity

2.0 ... GETTING STARTED
2.1 ... Creating a control file, '.GL1'
2.2 ... Creating a chart of accounts, '.GL2'
2.3 ... Running the program

3.0 ... TRANSACTIONS
3.1 ... Entering transactions
3.2 ... Editing transactions
3.3 ... Listing transactions

4.0 ... ACCOUNTS
4.1 ... Adding an account
4.1 ... Deleting an account

5.0 ... REPORTS
5.1 ... Balance Sheet
5.2 ... Income Statement
5.3 ... General Ledger

6.0 ... HOUSEKEEPING
6.1 ... End of period
6.2 ... Program exit

7.0 ... ACCOUNTING RECORDS
7.1 ... Maintaining a history
7.2 ... Fixing data files

8.0 ... INTERFACING
8.1 ... Transaction file format

9.0 ... FEEDBACK / REGISTRATION / COMMENTS




==== General Ledger Users Guide ====


1.0 ... INTRODUCTION

This general ledger program is the result of many hours of
of effort by a qualified accountant, K. W. Yerex CGA. This
was done to provide a simple bookkeeping tool for small
business that was easy to use, yet still maintained the
double entry concept and full audit trails.

This dedication to simplicity resulted in these features:-

o full use of numeric keypad without key conflict
o entry duplication with editing to speed input
o limited use of only 2 function keys
o plus and minus keys used as return keys
o debit/credit entries assigned with plus/minus keys
o automatic backup of data files
o out-of-balance conditions require positive user action


1.1 ... Linited License

Because of the importance of good accounting records for
many purposes including income tax, banking, this software
is made available to everyone under the following limited
license.

The user is granted a limited license to reproduce this
software and documentation for distribution to others pro-
vided it is not distributed -
- in connection with any other product,
- for any consideration or 'disk fee',
- in any modified form whatsoever.
These restrictions are for your benefit -- please cooperate.

1.2 ... Contributions

It is intended that this and other accounting software will
be developed and maintained and be made aavailable to all
under the same terms and conditions. The latest versions
will always be available for downloading over the BBS. To
do all this obviously costs $$$$. If you find this software
useful, your contribution will be appreciated. Please send
your cheque or money order ( no cash please ) to:

Datawest Systems Inc.
307 Goldstream Avenue
Victoria, BC, Canada
Postal Code: V9B 2W4

A contribution of $50 Canadian will go a long way to keeping
me alive and able to maintain this software. Thank you.




==== General Ledger Users Guide ====


1.3 ... Not A Substitute

Bookkeeping is a skill that requires a minimum amount of
training. It is recommended that you have some bookkeeping
skills before you attempt to use this program.

This program will not solve all your bookkeeping problems.
It is designed to be a part of a total system which includes
a proper filing system, an adequate system of internal
control, and a periodic verification of account balances to
ensure tha accuracy of the accounting records. If you are
are having trouble with your books now it is not likely that
this program will be of much value to you.

1.4 ... Keys and Numeric Keypad

Throughout the program, the following key conventions are
are used:

[Esc] .. used to backup to a previous input field, to return
to the main menu, or to exit the program.
[BS] .. backspace, used to edit data in an input field.
This is not a key on the numeric keypad,but the key
above the [Return] key.
[TAB] .. advance, used to edit data in an input field.
This key is located above the [Ctrl] key.
[+] .. plus, used as a [Return] key to exit an input field
If the field is a dollar amount field, this key
designates the transaction as a Debit.
[-] .. minus, same as [+], assigns Credit.

Since none of the above keys are on the numeric keypad, data
entry can be speeded up by setting the Num Lock and using
the numeric keypad for data entry.

Only two function keys are used and only in the transaction
transaction entry/edit modes, to select the Journal in use.
[F1] flips through the journal forward, [F2} backward.

1.5 ... System Requirements / Capacity

The minimum system requires DOS 2.x or later, a 132-column
printer, 1 disk drive and 256K. Be sure your printer is on-
line and ready.

The program capacity is 200 accounts and 2400 transactions
per accounting period.




==== General Ledger Users Guide ====


2.0 ... GETTING STARTED

Before your run the program, you must create two files using
any ASCII text editor, such as EDLIN or EDIX. The program
expects these files and will abort without them.

Select a filename not exceeding 8 characters. For simplicity
use a short form of the Company name. All data files used
by the program will use this filename plus the following
extentions:

.GL1 program control file ( see 2.1 below )
.GL2 chart of accounts / balance forwards ( see 2.2 )
.GL3 transaction data file, created by the program

The program makes backups of .GL2 and .GL3, assigning a '~'
to the file name, in the same manner as EDIX.

2.1 ... Creating a Control File

Create a control file called "filename.GL1" using your text
editor. The file contains one line, the full name of the
company. Do not use any commas in the name.

2.2 ... Creating a Chart of Accounts

Using your text editor, create a file, "filename.GL2" using
one line per account. The accounts must be in account number
order and in the following format.

NUMBER , POSITION , TYPE , NAME , OPENING BALANCE

NUMBER is the general ledger account number, in the range 1-
9999.

POSITION is the column number where the account name is to
be printed on the Balance Sheet and Income Statement. This
is useful for centering headings, etc. POSITION is ignored
for postable accounts ( see TYPE ).

TYPE refers to the type of account. Generally there are two
account types; postable and header. Header accounts are used
to format the financial statements and control the totals.
Postable accounts are are accounts to which data is entered.
Balance Sheet Postable accounts are assigned a TYPE 0, while
Income Statement Postable accounts use TYPE 10. TYPES 1-5
are Balance Sheet Header accounts and 11-15 are Income State-
ment Headers. Use the following guide to assign the Header
types.




==== General Ledger Users Guide ====



ASSETS..................1 Major Heading
Current Assets............2 First Section Heading
Fixed Assets................3 Subsequent Sections
Intangible Assets...........3

LIABILITIES.............4 Major Heading
Current Liabilities.......2 First Section Heading
Other Liabilities...........3 Subsequent Sections

EQUITY..................5 Major Heading
Capital...................2 First Section Heading
Other Equity Sections.......3 Subsequent Sections

SALES...................11 Major Heading
COST OF SALES.............12 First Section Heading
EXPENSES....................13
SUBTOTAL......................14
OTHER INCOME/EXPENSES...........15

Use DOS's 'type' command to view the SAMPLEGL.GL2 file for
examples.

NAME is the account name, limited to 24 characters in length
no commas.

OPENING BALANCE is the opening balance of the account. Enter
the amount without a decimal, but including cents. Assign
a preceeding minus sign for credit amounts. For example,
$123.50 Cr would be entered

-12350

Make sure that the accounts are in balance!

2.3 ... Running The Program

Ensure that the date and time are correctly set, type 'GLV11'
and press return. In a few moments the copyright notice will
be displayed. Press any key to continue. The next screen
will prompt you for

Company: ________

Enter the short company name selected for a filename. Use the
[BS] and [TAB] keys to position the cursor to make corrections.
Press [Return] or [+] or [-]. [Esc] here will send you back
back to DOS. The program will load the .GL1 and .GL2 files
and check that the accounts are in balance. In a moment the
following prompt will appear

Period Ending: ______




==== General Ledger Users Guide ====


Enter a date corresponding to the end of the current accounting
period, mormally a month end date. Use the format 'MMDDYY such
as 033185 for March 31, 1985. Note that the date is all numeric
so that it can be easily input from the numeric keypad.

In a moment, the MAIN MENU will appear.


3.0 ... TRANSACTIONS

Select menu option 1.

To return to the main menu, press [Ecs] at the first input
field.

Transactions can usually be catagorized as to their source
document. Cheques, deposits, payroll are examples. Use the
[F1] or [F2] keys to select the document type (journal) to
be entered. This can be done at any time while the cursor
is on a data input line.

Enter an account number from the chart of accounts,press [+]
or [-] or [Return] to advance to the next input field. The
account number is verified and its name is displayed.

Enter the date of the transaction in the format 'MMDDYY'.
To backup to re-enter the account number, press [Esc].

Next, enter a reference from the source document such as a
cheque number or an invoice number. This is the cross-
referencing system between the printed reports and the
original source document.

Next is a 24 character field for describing the transaction.
Common descriptions include a payee, the name of a payor.

Enter the dollar amount, including cents. There is no need
enter a decimal point. Two decimals are assumed. Use [+] if
the amount is debit, [-] if the amount is credit.

Once the line of data has been input, corrections can only be
made using main menu function 2. Before that, you can back-
up through the fields using the [Esc] key.

A running total is kept of all transactions to ensure the
books are kept in balance.

Hit [Esc] on a new line to return to the main menu.

The previous line of data may be duplicated simply by pressing
return at the start of any input field. Account Number and
amount cannot be duplicated. Duplicating and editing speed
data input.To edit a field, use the arrow keys, [BS] and [TAB]
to position the cursor and type in the new value. Note that
everything to the left of the cursor is truncated. Advance the
cursor to the right-most valid character and press [Return].




==== General Ledger Users Guide ====


3.2 ... Editing Transactions

Select 2 from the main menu.

To return to the main menu, press [Esc].

Once a transaction has been entered, it may be edited using
this function.

Enter the key number of the transaction you wish to edit,then
follow the instructions for Entering Transactions.

3.3 ... Listing Transactions

Select 3 from the main menu

Ensure that the printer is online and ready!

A listing of all data in the transaction file is printed.
Printing may be aborted using the [Esc] key.

It is a good idea to make a listing of all transactions at
sitting, just in case!!

4.0 ... ACCOUNTS

New accounts may be added or old accounts may be deleted from
the chart of accounts as long as the account does not have a
balance.

4.1 ... Add an Account

Enter the account number,print position,type and account name
following the rules above under 2.2. The account is not
physically added to the file until you exit the program using
main menu function 9.

4.2 ... Delete an Account

Enter the account number of the account to be deleted. If the
account has a balance, the account cannot be deleted.

The account is displayed, and deletion must be confirmed.

5.0 ... REPORTS

Any of the three reports may be produced at any time. Simply
select main menu function 6, 7, or 8. Printing may be aborted
using the [Esc] key.




==== General Ledger Users Guide ====


5.1 ... Balance Sheet

A two page report,the Balance Sheet is printed with Assets on
one page and liabilities / equity on the other. Year-To-Date
income or loss is shown.

5.2 ... Income Statement

A current period/year-to-date P&L with percentages is printed.
The 100% figure is the sum of all accounts numbered 1000-1999.

Income/loss is determined separately for the current period
and year-to-date.

5.3 ... General Ledger

Each postable account is printed together with any current
period transactions which affect the account.

6.0 ... HOUSEKEEPING

At the end of a current accounting period, the balances
are updated and the current transaction file is purged.

Always exit the program using the main menu function 0.

6.1 ... End of Period

To update the account balance forward balances and clear the
current transaction file, select this function. Ensure that
all reports have been printed for the current period.

Befor you panic,the current transaction file is not destroyed.
it is renamed `~filename.GL3'. If you wish to keep a history
copy this file to another disk,renameing it to a more descrip-
tive file name, such as `MAY1985.GL'.

Subsequent end of period functions will destroy any GL3 file
that has been created by a previous end of period - `~` file.

6.2 ... Program Exit

ALWAYS EXIT THE PROGRAM USING THIS FUNCTION.

If any accounts were added / deleted or an end of period
function selected, the chart of accounts will be modified.
Any such modification will cause a new .GL2 file to be
created ONLY on proper exit from the program. The old .GL2
file is assigned the `~' to denote a backup.




==== General Ledger Users Guide ====


7.0 ... ACCOUNTING RECORDS

This program only retains the transactions from the
current period and one previous period. Sometimes it is
beneficial to retain all transactions on disk. This can be
accomplished by following the instructions below under 7.1.

For whatever reason, the data files may get stotally screwed
up. Refer to section 7.2 below for emergency procedures.

7.1 ... Maintaining a History

All transaction files created by the program use the same
file name, the name you selected plus the extention `.GL3'.
At each period end ( function 9 ), the latest transaction
file is renamed with a preceding tilde `~'.

To maintain an account history, copy the `~filename.GL3'
to another disk, renaming it to `MMMYYYY.GL3'.

7.2 ... Fixing Data Files

All data files created can be read by any good ASCII text
editor. To make massive changes to data files, it may be
easier to use EDLIN or EDIX. Be sure to maintain the file
formats, section 8.1 below.

8.0 ... INTERFACING

All files created are ASCII files. As long as the data
format is maintained, other programs may be used to generate
data to be used by this program. To that end, the format of
the data file is given below. The files GL1 and GL2 were
described above and are not repeated here.

8.1 ... Transaction File Format

A logical record length of 56 characters is fielded as follows

1- 4 - GL Account Number, left justified
5, 6 - Journal type. Upper case only. CR, CP, DE, CK, AR,
AP, PR, JE, OT are acceptable.
7-12 - date, mmddyy
13-18 - reference, left justified
19-42 - description, left justified
43-52 - amount, left justified,no decimal, including cents
53,54 - carriage return, line feed to permit text editor
to read the data file.





==== General Ledger Users Guide ====


9.0 ... FEEDBACK / REGISTRATION / COMMENTS

Although there is no requirement to register the program, I
would be interested in how far this program travels. Even if
you cannot contribute to its existence, please complete and
mail the attacted registration form.

Your comments and suggestions will be taken into account in
subsequent versions.




REGISTRATION FORM
=================



Name: _______________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

Zip Code: _______________________ Phone: __________________


Enclosed is my contribution of $__________ to assist you in
maintaining and updating this software.

Comments/Suggestions: ______________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

=============================================================

Mail to: Datawest Systems Inc.,
307 Goldstream Avenue,
Victoria, B.C., Canada
V9B 2W4