14 CHAPTER 2 STANDARD MESSAGES AND REMINDERS This and the following chapters contain a detailed discussion of CPA-LEDGER and how to use the system. This chapter is devoted to standard messages and reminders that will appear on the computer screen anytime you use most any CPA-LEDGER option. Also, page 18 tells you what happens if you try to use the DAILY menu without first using Options 1 & 2 of the SETUP menu. We tried to leave nothing to chance when we were designing CPA-LEDGER. We did not assume that you would remember to turn on your printer, when to adjust the paper in your printer, or what to do if you make a mistake in input. So, we decided to give you a message or a reminder, whichever one is required, when it is needed. We also decided that it would be a good idea to devote this entire chapter to standard messages and reminders - so you may easily find them in the event you need to refresh your memory at a later time. PRINTER REMINDER. Most of CPA-LEDGER's options require a printer. If a printer is needed, the following appears on your screen immediately after you make a selection from either the SETUP or DAILY menus: ADJUST THE PAPER IN YOUR PRINTER SO THAT THE PAPER IS AT TOP-OF-PAGE. THE PAPER WILL BE AT TOP-OF-PAGE WHEN THE PRINTER WILL PRINT ON THE VERY FIRST LINE AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE. PRESS ANY KEY WHEN YOU ARE READY TO CONTINUE. Assume that you DO adjust the paper, but you FORGET to turn on the printer. In that event, the following message will appear: CHECK YOUR PRINTER. IT IS EITHER NOT TURNED ON OR IT IS OUT OF PAPER. PRESS ANY KEY WHEN YOU ARE READY TO CONTINUE. After you press a key, CPA-LEDGER continues where it left off. 15 ERRORS IN INPUT. If you make an error in input (for example, alphabetic and numeric data in lieu of completely numeric data), CPA-LEDGER will either: . Display a separate message telling you that you made a mistake and ask you for the corrected information, or . Not display a separate message (one will be already on the screen), but refuse to accept your input. So, if CPA-LEDGER refuses to proceed, it is because your input is incorrect. Please keep this in mind regarding errors in input. We very carefully tried to check for as many errors as possible. By "errors", we are referring to input such as month "13", day "32", and "12CDE.56" for a dollar value. We are NOT referring to input such as month "11" that should be "12", day "31" that should be "13", or dollars "1000.00" that should be "10.00". So, be very careful in giving your input to CPA-LEDGER. Take your time, be patient, and be very sure that your input is ABSOLUTELY correct. 16 TODAY'S DATE. Several of CPA-LEDGER's options (for both the SETUP and the DAILY menus) show the "RUN DATE" on the printout. CPA-LEDGER asks you to enter "TODAY'S DATE", like this: ENTER TODAY'S DATE. (USE FORMAT MMDDYY. I.E., JUNE 10, 1985=061085.) _____ It might be good to explain the "MMDDYY" format because CPA-LEDGER uses it consistently. MMDDYY means that you are to use two numbers for EACH COMPONENT of a date - two numbers in a specific order. . The first component (MM) is for the month. January is "01". February is "02", and so on, up to December which is "12". . The second component (DD) is for the day. Day one is "01". Day two is "02", and so on up to the end of the month, which will be either "28", "29", "30", or "31". . The third component (YY) is for the year. 1985 is "85". 1986 is "86", and so on. Be careful in entering your dates. CPA-LEDGER checks for obvious errors (such as month 13, day 32, year 00). However, "hidden" errors will not be detected. Here is an example of a "hidden" date error that will be accepted. . Assume that you want to enter June 2, 1985 in its MMDDYY format. . You SHOULD enter 060285. . You DO enter 020685, in error. CPA-LEDGER will accept your input as meaning February 6, l985 - not the correct date June 2, 1985. So, be careful in entering your dates. 17 CPA-LEDGER BRIEFINGS. Next comes a briefing on the input that CPA-LEDGER requires and on the data processing that is about to begin. Some CPA-LEDGER options automatically brief you. Others give you an option of bypassing the briefing. (If you use a program frequently, you probably will have read the briefing many times and would like to bypass it.) Here is the question that you will be asked: WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE A BRIEFING ON HOW TO USE THIS COMPUTER PROGRAM DISPLAYED ON THE COMPUTER SCREEN? ANSWER WITH `Y' FOR `YES' OR `N' FOR `NO'. _ If you answer `Y', CPA-LEDGER will brief you. Otherwise the briefing is bypassed. We suggest that you read the briefing each time you use a CPA-LEDGER option, at least until you become thoroughly familiar with the system. 18 IF YOU DO NOT USE SETUP MENU OPTIONS 1 AND 2. If you do not use SETUP menu Options 1 & 2, CPA-LEDGER will not allow you to use any of the options of the DAILY menu and will display a message telling you to return to the SETUP menu for using Options 1 & 2. SUMMARY. This chapter presented the standard messages and reminders that are designed to help you use the system. To avoid repetition, they will not be repeated in the chapters to come. Just remember that they do appear. There are other messages that you will see as you use CPA-LEDGER, but they are not standard in the sense that they appear in all, or almost all, of the SETUP and DAILY options. Rather, they are specialized. They relate to the specific data processing tasks that you have directed. These specialized messages will be discussed in the chapters that follow.