				INTRODUCTION
				============
				
	TRANS-ACCT! is a general ledger program that uses dBASE3+ files for its
necessary transactions and chart of accounts. This enables the user to
further process and analyze the generated data, since dBASE files can be 
accessed by every major database application, as well as spreadsheets like 
Microsoft Excel.
	
	 Like most General Ledgers, TRANS-ACCT! offers the following:

	 1) Setup of accounts
	 2) Transaction entry
	 3) Balance sheet
	 4) Income statement (current period or cumulative)
	 5) Detail trial balance for all (or a range of) accounts
	 6) Summary trial balance for all (or a range of) accounts
	 7) Transaction listing (current period)
	 8) Chart of accounts listing
	 9) Closing and starting new period
	
	UNLIKE most General Ledgers, TRANS-ACCT! offers the following:
	
	10) Re-opening previous period if no new transactions are present
	11) Data compatibility with the rest of the world

	There are no special hardware requirements for running TRANS-ACCT! 
It will run on an 8088 (if you still have one), but I recommend a 386DX as 
a minimum . You can use any type of text printer defaulting at 10 cpi.
	
	If your PC is a multimedia setup with several device drivers installed,
you may need to use EMM386.EXE to simulate expanded memory, otherwise TRANS-
ACCT! may not run. The good news is that the program will work fine under 
Windows in Enhanced Mode, and a .pif file is provided for that reason. 


1.      ACCOUNT SETUP
	=============        

	The account numbers DETERMINE the account type. They are laid out
in the following way:

	 100 - 2999      Assets. 

	3000 - 5999     Liabilities.

	       6001     RETAINED EARNINGS, OR THE CAPITAL ACCOUNT.      
			This is the account that gets updated with 
			the current period income at closing.

	6002 - 6999     Other capital accounts. (Stock, dividends, etc)
			These accounts will just carry over unless they
			are updated with transactions. Only 6001 will be
			updated by the program.
			
	7000 - 7999     All revenue accounts - they close into capital

	8000 - 8999     All expense accounts - they close into capital
		
	9000 - 9999     Control accounts, s.a. overhead, variances, etc.
			These accounts DO NOT close into anything, unless
			you make the entries. They do not appear in
			financial statements either.




			SETTING UP THE CHART OF ACCOUNTS

	To set up the chart of accounts, select "Create/Modify" from the main
menu. You will be presented with a full screen database editor. You can 
navigate through the fields using the arrow keys. To edit an account, simply 
press <Enter>. The contents of the record will appear at the bottom of the
screen for editing. 
	
	To add a new account, press <Ins> or <+>. Then enter the number, name
and begining balance in the appropriate boxes. In the TYPE field you don't
have to put anything, unless you are designating the account to be a contra 
to the preceding account (type 2), or a title account (type 1). Otherwise, let
the account type be 0.

	Note: You cannot enter or edit the begining balance of an account if 
the current period is not the very first one. Your begining balances for the 
period are the ending balances for the previous one, and in order for an audit 
trail to be established here, the program does not allow editing under these 
circumstances.

	You cannot enter an account numbered 6001 (the reserved Capital 
Account Number). The program will also prevent from entering an account whose
number is already in use.

	To delete an account, simply put the cursor on that record and press
<Ctrl><Del>. If there are transactions posted to that account in either the
current or past periods, the program will not allow the deletion.



2.      ENTERING TRANSACTIONS
	=====================

	To enter transactions, choose 'ENTER / MODIFY TRANSACTIONS' from the 
main menu. You will be presented with the same type of full screen editor as 
with the chart of accounts.
	To enter a new transaction press (you guessed it!) <Ins> or <+>. 
The program automatically assigns a transaction reference number everytime,
but you can change it. Remember to enter credits as negative amounts. After 
you make an entry, you will see the posting total at the bottom of the 
screen. When the posting total is not 0 -which means you are in the middle
of making an entry- and you press <+> again to enter the next line, two 
nice things happen: 
	
	a)  Your transaction number,date and description are the same as the 
	    ones you just entered. This saves you some typing, which makes the 
	    entry process fast.

	b)  The AMOUNT field has already been filled with the figure
	    necessary to balance the entry. If you disagree, just start
	    typing and the box will clear to accept your entry.

	To delete a transaction line, move the cursor to that line and press 
<Alt><Del>
	To edit an existing transaction, move the cursor to that line and press 
<Enter>

	DO NOT USE the number 9999 in the REF(erence) field. This reference 
number is reserved for closing entries posted by the program.
      





	If you don't remember the account numbers (and there is no reason to)
just press <F2> when the cursor is inside the ACCT field (in edit or entry 
mode). A list box will open with all your accounts (except for title accounts).
Select the account and press <Enter>.

	In the DESCR(iption) field you can enter anything to help explain the
entry. If you just want to put in the name of another account and you know that
account's number, just enter '*' immediately followed by the account number.
The program will fill in the information, saving you some typing.

	The program ensures that each record entry (be it transaction or 
account) is written to the disk IMMEDIATELY. Should a power failure occur when
running TRANS-ACCT!, the data loss would be minimal (or none).
	
			
			POSTING TRANSACTIONS TO THE LEDGER
	
	The program "knows" at any time whether the chart of accounts is fully
updated or not, and will do an update before generating certain reports. 
Closing entries are posted by the program.
 
				    
				    REPORTS

       Unlike some other major accounting program for DOS (it starts with "P";
guess the name), all the reports generated by the program are assembled into a
text file ("report.txt") which is displayed on the screen first. You can print
the report after you examine it and thus reduce paper waste. Furthermore, 
the maximum report size that can be displayed on the screen is approximately
44 Kbytes (about 9 pages of text), which is much more than "P..." can handle.

	

3.      BALANCE SHEET
	=============

	That's a no-brainer. Just follow the computer's instructions. In the
event that the balance sheet is not balanced, make sure that your entries
total 0, and that there are no balances in any 9000 level accounts (you may 
want to print a summary trial balance of those). 
      

4.      INCOME STATEMENT
	================

	If you have closed previously, the program will ask you whether you want
a current period income statement or a cumulative one.


5.      DETAIL TRIAL BALANCE PRINTOUT
	=============================

	This function will prompt you for the range of accounts to look up    
(default is ALL). You can look up a single account by entering the number 
in both boxes. Next, you will select between a current period or a cumulative 
search. The result will be a list of all the selected accounts' opening and
closing balances in the selected period(s) along with a list of all entries 
posted to the account during the period(s).
		    







6.      SUMMARY TRIAL BALANCE
	=====================

	This function will prompt you with the range of accounts to look up. 
The default in #s 100 to 9999 (in other words, all accounts). You can select
a specific range of accounts.You will get a begining, ending balance and a 
transaction net figure for each account. Summary trial balance only works in
the current period. 


7.      TRANSACTION LISTING
	===================

	This function will produce a printout of all transactions in the 
current period. The transaction lines will be grouped as complete entries. 
This will make it real easy to examine a specific entry in the printout. A
posting total will be printed at the bottom of the list. Make sure it is zero!


8.      CHART OF ACCOUNT LISTING
	========================           

	As the name implies, this function will list all your accounts by 
number, name, and type.


			    
9.      STARTING A NEW PERIOD
	=====================

	The program will post closing entries and append your current period
transactions to the stack of old transactions. Your chart of accounts will 
be updated with regards to begining balances.


10.     RE-OPENING THE BOOKS
	====================
	
	This function will restore you old chart of accounts and will allow
editing of the previous period transactions, provided that there are no
transactions in the current period. Although you will be able to see ALL of 
your previous transactions, you will only be allowed to Edit, Delete or Add
Transactions in the LAST PERIOD.


11.     DATA COMPATIBILITY                                
	==================

	TRANS-ACCT! uses dBASE files (dBASE III+ format) that can be easily
accessed by FoxPro, Access and other major databases. They can also be opened
by Microsoft Excel as worksheets. You can take your chart of accounts and 
produce a nice looking spreadsheet with all kinds of charts, without any data 
entry!


				










				EPILOGUE
				========

	

	TRANS-ACCT! was designed as a tool for solving problems, both for
school and work. It can be used as a learning tool, or as a subsidiary ledger. 
	
	If you are a student, using this program will save you tedious 
additions and subtractions, even if you are trying to produce financials on a 
spreadsheet. You will also limit the risk of making unbalanced entries, 
especially if you are trying to work a problem manually.

	Version 2.1 is not the final version; there is more good stuff on the
way, such as:   
	
	- Ability to handle multiple ledgers 
	- Percentages in balance sheet and income statements
	- Possibly a checking account utility.
	
	If you have questions or comments please e-mail me at one of the
following addresses:                    

				PETER ANTYPAS
			  R64AC95@RICS2.CBA.UH.EDU        
			     
				     or
			
			       CJPA@TENET.EDU


	Remember that the author will accept no responsibility for data loss
although the program has been tested thoroughly and is believed to be free of
major problems. And don't forget: Even "P..." has bugs!        
	
	You are welcome to distribute this program as shareware, but you are
expected to register if you become a user. Don't worry, the program will 
remind you every time it runs and in several ways!

	Thank you for your interest in TRANS-ACCT!

