********************************************************************** * * * Paper Route Ledger - Version 1.3 * * Copyright (c) 1994 by BlueCollar Software * * * * Published exclusively by: * * RMH Computer Services * * PO Box 657 * * Beech Grove IN 46107-0657 * * (317) 782-9903 * * * ********************************************************************** _______ ____|__ | (R) --| | |------------------- | ____|__ | Association of | | |_| Shareware |__| o | Professionals -----| | |--------------------- |___|___| MEMBER RMH Computer Services is a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427 USA, FAX 616-788-2765 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536. WARRANTY -------- Neither BlueCollar Software nor RMH Computer Services make warranty of any kind, express or implied, including without limitation, any warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. Neither BlueCollar Software nor RMH Computer Services shall be liable for any damages, whether direct, indirect, special or consequential arising from a failure of this program to operate in the manner desired by the user. Neither BlueCollar Software nor RMH Computer Services shall be liable for any damage to data or property which may be caused directly or indirectly by use of the program. IN NO EVENT WILL BLUECOLLAR SOFTWARE OR RMH COMPUTER SERVICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY LOST PROFITS, LOST SAVINGS OR OTHER INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF YOUR USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM, OR FOR ANY CLAIM BY ANY OTHER PARTY. TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Quick Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 File Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Customer List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Street Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Delivery Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Business History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Money Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Collections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Tips Received . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Income from Newspaper Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Payments to Newspaper Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Printed Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Customer List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Collection List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Business History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Sort Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Color Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Renumber Delivery Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 User's Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Registration Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Hot Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 F1 - Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 F2 - Help Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 F3 - Appointments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 F4 - Calculator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 F10 - Change Indexing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Ordering Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Product Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Paper Route Ledger - Ver 1.3 Page 1 ====================================================================== ***** Welcome to "Paper Route Ledger" ***** This program was designed to keep track of bookkeeping needs for your newspaper delivery route. Three major things to remember: [INS] The insert key will add a record. [ENTER] The Enter key will edit a record. [DEL] The delete key will delete a record. Other stuff: Press [ESC] to exit any screen or keep pressing [ESC] to exit the program. Press [F1] or [F2] for Help inside the program. I hope you enjoy and use "Paper Route Ledger". And Have Fun! That's important too! QUICK START ----------- First, make all the entries to your 'Customer List'. Use the [F1] key for help in the fields you're not sure about, it will bring up a help screen explaining each entry. Be sure to look at the 'help screen' for "Street Name" and "Delivery Type", there is useful info in them to make your data entries easier. Leave the 'Paid Up To' date field blank when you make your entries, the program will place the dates there later. After you have entered all your customers, go to "Money Management" menu, select 'Collections' and make a 'New List'. The 'Week Ending' date is based on the 'Business History', and since you don't have one yet, the date will show "00/00/00". Type in the "Week Ending" date. The program will make a 'Collection' list for you. Go to the "Print Reports" menu option, select "Collection List" to print out the new list. After you have made your weekly collections, go to the "Money Management" menu, select "Collections" and then select 'Edit the present list'. You will see what is called a 'Browse Screen'. Use the [UP ARROW] and [DOWN ARROW] to select the customers who have paid. Highlight each customer and press [ENTER]. You will see a big arrow "==>" pointing to "Paid?". Press [ENTER] again to open the field for data entry. Paper Route Ledger - Ver 1.3 Page 2 ====================================================================== If they've paid, use the [DOWN ARROW] to select "Yes" (or type Y) and press [ENTER]. If they've paid for one week only, press [ESC] and 'Accept' your entry. If they've paid more than one week, move the big arrow to "Amount Paid" and type in the payment, then to "Paid To" and type in the date, before you press [ESC] and "accept". After you have finished collecting for the week, 'Make a New List'. The date will be "00/00/00" for the last time, this time the program will add a line to you "Business History" file. So this time type in the date, seven days later than the date you entered the first time. (The next time you do this the correct date will appear in the "Week Ending" field.) ================================================= FILE MANAGEMENT ================================================= This option will allow you to maintain all the data necessary for each of your customers. Use the [DOWN ARROW] to make a selection of the file you want to access. Or use the [RIGHT ARROW] or [LEFT ARROW] keys to move across the top of the menu. The [ESC] key is used to "back out" of the screen you are presently using. If pressed here, you will be asked if you want to exit the program. If you select 'Yes', you're back to DOS. 'No' leaves you where you are. ------------- CUSTOMER LIST ------------- This option will allow you to keep a list of all your customers. Delivery # ---------- Begin with the number '1' when you start adding to this list. The next customer will be '2', then '3', etc. This is the field that will be used to determine the delivery "order" when you deliver your papers. (It can come in very handy when you ask a substitute to take over the route for a few days.) Paper Route Ledger - Ver 1.3 Page 3 ====================================================================== **** IMPORTANT **** After you have made up your list and want to add a new customer, search through the "Browse Screen" to decide where you want the new customer to be placed. Remember the "Number", press the [INS] key to add a new record. Type in the "Number" you remembered. Then add the rest of the information. This record will be placed after the previous customer with the same number. So you'll now have two customers with the same "Number". That's not a problem, but if you want to re-sort your customers, select "Re-Sort Numbers". It will reassign all your customers a new "Number", in the order you chose. You can also rearrange your route's delivery in this way. Street Number ------------- Type in the street number. Street Name ----------- Type in the street name. A database will be maintained to list all the street names on your route, so you won't need to type this field in every time. The first time you enter a street name, the screen will say "Not on file, add it?". Answer 'Yes' to add it to your list. Then check the spelling. If it's OK, press [ENTER]. After you have added a street name to the list, you can press [ENTER] in the BLANK field to bring up a list of street names available. Use the [ARROW] keys to locate the street you want, highlight it and press [ENTER]. The street will be inserted into the field for that customer. This way, you don't have to type it in each time, and the spelling will always be the same. Apartment Number ---------------- Enter the apartment number, if applicable. Customer's Name --------------- Enter the name of this customer. Delivery Type ------------- Enter the type of delivery. A database for this field will be maintained to keep track of the available delivery types; that is, 'All Week', 'Sunday Only', 'Sunday Excluded', 'Weekends Only', etc. You can put in any combination of days that you want, and you will be able to maintain this database. Paper Route Ledger - Ver 1.3 Page 4 ====================================================================== If you type in something that is not already listed, you will see a pop-up that says "Not on file Add it?". Select "Yes" and add it to your list. A window will appear. Check the spelling of your entry, and press [ENTER]. Then, if this is the first time you made this entry, type in the charge for this 'Delivery Type'. If you have already established a database of Delivery Types for this field, you can simply press [ENTER] in the blank field to bring up the list. Then, you can simply select the type of delivery you wish for that entry, and press [ENTER]. The data will be automatically entered into the record you are adding. Cost ---- This is the delivery cost for the type of delivery. It will be added automatically for you, depending on the type of delivery you specified. If it is correct, just press [ENTER]. Payment Method -------------- Select the method in which this customer pays. If you choose "Subscription", the customer will not appear on you collection list. Your collection list will only print "Collect" entries. Paid To ------- This field will show if the customer is paid ahead. It will be updated each time you make make an entry in the "Collections" database. You may also edit this field in this screen, however it is not necessary to do this. The program will do it for you automatically. If the customer pays by subscription, this field will always remain blank, and you will not be able to edit it. Comments -------- Enter comments pertaining to this customer. That is, wants paper in mailbox, collect Saturday only, etc. - anything that you might need to remember, or anything that you might need to tell your substitute. Paper Route Ledger - Ver 1.3 Page 5 ====================================================================== ------------ STREET NAMES ------------ This menu option will allow you to add new Street Names to the database, or to edit the existing ones. See the explanation above for details of this field. ------------- DELIVERY TYPE ------------- This menu option will allow you to add new Delivery types and costs to the database, or to edit the existing ones. See the explanation above for details of this field. ---------------- BUSINESS HISTORY ---------------- You will not be able to modify this file. It will be maintained automatically from the other databases. It will show the complete history of your paper route business. You can print this all out from the "Reports Menu". ================================================= MONEY MANAGEMENT ================================================= This option will track collections, the payments to the office, tips, etc. ----------- COLLECTIONS ----------- Select this option to make a new collection list or to edit an existing one. Paid ---- If this customer has paid for the week, select "Yes" and press [ENTER]. Paper Route Ledger - Ver 1.3 Page 6 ====================================================================== Paid To ------- This field will keep track of when the next collection is due. The date you see will be one week ahead. If this is correct, then you don't need to enter anything here. But if the customer has paid ahead, move the arrow to this field and press [ENTER]. Type in the date they are paid up to. You can use the [F3] key to bring up a calendar to help you out. The date you enter here will be sent to the "Customer" database, and be used to create your next collection list. If they are paid ahead, they will not be on the Collections list until a payment is again due. Amount Paid ----------- Enter the amount the customer paid. Comments -------- Enter comments pertaining to this customer. That is, wants paper in mailbox, collect Saturday only, etc. ---------------------------------------------------- TIPS RECEIVED, INCOME FROM OFFICE, PAYMENT TO OFFICE ---------------------------------------------------- These three menu options all work in the same manner. None will accept entry until your "Business History" file has been initiated. (The "Business History" file will be initiated the second time you 'Make a New List' in the "Collections" option. You can add and delete records, but you can't edit an existing record. If you make a mistake, just [DEL] the record and use the [INS] key to add a new one. *** IMPORTANT *** You must have finished collecting for the week, and made a new 'collection' list. This will enable you to keep your income and payments in order. If you haven't made the new list, you will be not be able to make a new one here. You must exit this procedure, go to "Collections" and generate a new 'list'. Paper Route Ledger - Ver 1.3 Page 7 ====================================================================== Week Ending ----------- Press [ENTER] in the blank date field. This will bring up a browse screen with all the dates in the 'History' file. You will be placed at the top of this list. That should be the date you want to select. It is the date for the current week. Press [ENTER], the date will automatically be inserted in the "Week Ending" date field. If you want to change or add to another "Week Ending" date in the History database, use the [DOWN ARROW] to get to it. Tips Received, Income from Office, or Payment to Office ------------------------------------------------------- Enter the tip you received, the amount of income you received from the office, or the amount of payment you made to the office for this week. ================================================= PRINTED REPORTS ================================================= This option will allow you to print out any of the pre-defined reports in your program. ------------- CUSTOMER LIST ------------- View or print a Customer List. --------------- COLLECTION LIST --------------- View or print a collection list. ---------------- BUSINESS HISTORY ---------------- View or print your business history. Paper Route Ledger - Ver 1.3 Page 8 ====================================================================== Starting Date ------------- Enter the starting date of the range you want to look at. For example, if you wanted to know how much you spend in 1993, you would enter 01/01/93 in the Starting Date, and 12/31/93 in the Ending Date. The report would then calculate everything between those two dates. Ending Date ----------- Enter the ending date of the range you want to look at. For example, if you wanted to know how much you spend in 1993, you would enter 01/01/93 in the Starting Date, and 12/31/93 in the Ending Date. The report would then calculate everything between those two dates. ================================================= UTILITIES ================================================= ---------- SORT FILES ---------- This menu option packs and re-indexes all files in the system. It is recommended that you perform this action occasionally, as it will help the program to access your databases faster. --------------- COLOR SELECTION --------------- If you are using a color or composite monitor, this utility will let you change the color settings for the screens. You can also specify whether you want windows to explode and implode. Press [ENTER] on this selection and a screen with various color combinations will appear. Selecting different colors for your program is simple. First, move the edit arrow next to the area you want to re-set the colors for (GRAPHICS, DATA FIELDS, ENHANCED, or SCREEN TEXT), then press [ENTER]. Using the arrow keys to select a color combination, move the edit arrow to the left of the color you want to select, then press [ENTER] again. A sample of the color combination will appear in the field for which it has been chosen. Paper Route Ledger - Ver 1.3 Page 9 ====================================================================== Graphics -------- Graphics characters include menu boxes and screen borders. Data Fields ----------- Data fields are the regions of data input (reverses video region). For example, a data field has a field length of 10, 10 spaces of the color selected here will appear on the screen. It is in these 10 spaces that you will make your entries. Enhanced -------- This changes the colors of the SELECTED menu choices and other highlight bar options. Screen Text ----------- All text displayed on the screen will use this color combination. Exploding Windows ----------------- This is a YES/NO option. It is used to determine whether or not your application will have windows that explode onto the screen or sneak into view. ----------------------- RENUMBER DELIVERY ORDER ----------------------- If you have deleted "Delivery Numbers", or have more than one of the same "Delivery Numbers" because of adding ne customers, this option will renumber them. ------------- USER'S MANUAL ------------- This option will allow you to view the manual on the screen or print it out. When printing the manual, it is best to use tractor feed paper. Paper Route Ledger - Ver 1.3 Page 10 ====================================================================== ----------------- REGISTRATION FORM ----------------- This option will allow you to view the registration form or print it out. ================================================= HOT KEYS ================================================= There are various "Hot Keys" available, which are active throughout the program. Pressing any of these Hot Keys will activate the feature, and it will "pop up" over the current screen. --------- F1 - HELP --------- Pressing [F1] will bring up a Help window corresponding to the field that you are currently in. ---------------- F2 - HELP TOPICS ---------------- Pressing [F2] will bring up a scrollable listing of all the various Help Topics. You can scroll through the list using the Up and Down Arrow keys, and then press [ENTER] on the selected topic for detailed Help. ----------------- F3 - APPOINTMENTS ----------------- This is a multi-user calendar with an appointment tracker. You can point and shoot at any date and add, edit, and delete appointments for that date. You may also print and delete appointments for any range of dates. More advanced featured allow you to add periodically recurring appointments, and to view days and weeks at a glance to determine when you have free time to schedule an appointment. When you first enter the calendar, the current month will be displayed along with the first two weeks of the following month. The current day will blink, and holidays will be in red (on color monitors). If there are any appointments for the current day, the first seven will be displayed in a window at the bottom of the screen. Other days that have appointments will be displayed in reverse video on the calendar. Paper Route Ledger - Ver 1.3 Page 11 ====================================================================== ACTIVE KEYS ACTION -------------------------------------------------------------- [Left Arrow] Go backward one day [Right Arrow] Go forward one day [Up Arrow] Go backward one week [Down Arrow] Go forward one week [PgUp] Go back one month [PgDown] Go forward one month [HOME] Jump to first day of month [END] Jump to last day of month [ENTER] Add/Edit/View appointments [P] Print appointments [D] Delete appointments [T] Daily time block [W] Weekly time blocks [C] Jump to current date (system) [S] Search for text in either description or notes of an appointment. [ESC] Exit calendar Adding/Editing/Viewing Appointments ----------------------------------- Use the navigation keys to move to the desired date, the press [ENTER]. A browse window will appear near the bottom of the screen showing the time and description for all appointments. If there are no appointments for that date, you will automatically be placed in the Add mode. The following options are available at this point: [A] Add new appointments [E] Edit highlighted appointment [D] Delete highlighted appointment [M] Move highlighted appointment [R] Recurring appointment [N] edit Notes for highlighted appointment [ESC] Exit calendar To add a new appointment press [A]. Enter the user ID (This is who the appointment is for, not who it is with), along with the starting and ending time and a brief description of the appointment. *** NOTE *** The TIME is a twenty-four hour clock. 3:00 PM would be 15:00, 9:00 AM would be 09:00 (You have to add the preceding '0' before 9:00. The ending time cannot be earlier than the starting time. In addition, if you try to enter an appointment that creates a time conflict with an already existing appointment, you will get an error message to that effect. Press [CTRL]-[W] to save the new appointment or [ESC] to exit without saving. Paper Route Ledger - Ver 1.3 Page 12 ====================================================================== To edit a highlighted appointment, press [E]. Make your changes, but the same rules apply from the Add mode. Press [CTRL]-[W] to save the new appointment or [ESC] to exit without saving. To delete a highlighted appointment, press [D]. You will be asked to confirm your request, respond by pressing [Y]es or [N]o. You may move appointments from one day to another by pressing [M]. A window will appear and ask you for the new date for this appointment. To add a recurring date, press [R]. Follow the same steps as when adding a single appointment. After you press [CTRL]-[W], you will be given the following options: i Every day of the week (Mon, Tues, etc.) ii Every other day of week iii Every...day of the month (1st, etc.) iv Every day v Every...day-of-week (e.g. 3rd Monday, etc.) vi Every weekday Highlight the desired option and press [ENTER]. To add or edit notes for the highlighted appointment, press [N]. A window will open below the appointment window, into which you may type away to your heart's content. Press [CTRL]-[W] to save your edits, or [ESC] to exit without saving. Appointments that have notes attached to them will have a checkmark displayed to the right of the description. To exit back to the calendar, press [ESC]. Printing Appointments --------------------- To print an appointment, press [P]. You then have the option of printing for the current week, or for a range of dates. If you print for a week, you will be asked for a specific user ID (or "ALL" if you print for all users). If you print for a range of dates, you will be prompted to enter the starting and ending dates. If there are no appointments in that range, you will be informed. Otherwise, you will be asked if you want to include the Notes. Deleting Appointments --------------------- To delete all appointments for a range of dates, press [D]. You will be asked to enter the starting and ending dates. The number of effected appointments will be displayed, and you will be asked to confirm your request. Press [Y]es, if you want to delete them, or [N]o, if you chicken out. Paper Route Ledger - Ver 1.3 Page 13 ====================================================================== Time Blocks--Daily ------------------ As previously mentioned, when you are in the calendar and appointments exist for the current date, they will be displayed in a window near the bottom of the screen. However, let's say your in a hurry and need to know what times are available during the day. Press [T]. A graph showing available and used time blocks will be displayed. The graph starts at 06:00 and ends at 22:00. Each block represents a fifteen minute interval. There will be one row for each person who has an appointment on this date. Time Blocks--Weekly ------------------- Weekly time blocks are similar to daily time blocks, but not as detailed. When you press [W], you will be presented with a daily breakdown of appointments for the current week. In this display, each daily graph begins at 06:00 and ends at 17:00, and each block represents an interval of one hour. --------------- F4 - CALCULATOR --------------- This HotKey will pop up a calculator. ACTIVE KEYS ACTION ------------------------------------------------------------ [+] Addition [-] Subtraction [*] Multiplication [/] Division [^] Exponentiation [%] Percentage [C] Clear current total [E] Clear current entry [D] Change number of decimals displayed [R] Round to specific number of decimals [P] Print (adding machine mode) [M] Memory operations (see "Memory Functions") [=] Process operation [Enter] Process operation [Backspace] Erase last digit entered [Esc] Exit Calculator Paper Route Ledger - Ver 1.3 Page 14 ====================================================================== Memory Functions ---------------- To access the Memory Functions, press [M]. ACTIVE KEYS: ACTION: ----------------------------------------------------- [R] Recall number stored in memory [C] Clear memory (reset to zero) [+] Add current number to memory [-] Subtract current number from memory [*] Multiply memory by current number [/] Divide memory by current number Print--Adding Machine Mode -------------------------- By pressing [P] for print, the calculator emulates an adding machine. This will be noted by a small 'P' next to the numbers window. Each calculation will be sent to the printer (if it is on- line). After all, if you've invested several thousands of dollars in PC hardware and software, why spend more for a ten-digit adding machine? Press [P] again to toggle adding machine mode off. --------------------- F10 - CHANGE INDEXING --------------------- In any browse screen you may choose a different way to index that particular file by pressing [F10]. Use the arrow keys to select the desired index and press [ENTER]. The browse screen will sort the files the way you tell it to. ================================================= ORDERING INFORMATION ================================================= To register your copy of Paper Route Ledger, you can mail a check or money order directly to us. Simply print a copy of the registration for, which is supplied in the file REGISTER.TXT. This form may be printed from within the program by selecting the "Registration Form" option from the UTILITIES pull-down menu. Alternately, you can print it directly from the DOS command line by issuing the following command: COPY REGISTER.TXT PRN Then, just fill it out and mail it any your payment to the address shown on the form. Paper Route Ledger - Ver 1.3 Page 15 ====================================================================== CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS: --------------------- You can also register your copy of Paper Route Ledger using your credit card (VISA/MasterCard only) by calling 317-782-9903. ================================================= PRODUCT SUPPORT ================================================= Registered users are entitled to full product support via mail or telephone for a period of not less than 90 days. Support may also be obtained via Compuserve email, and other electronic services. If technical problems in the software are discovered within 90 days of registration, RMH Computer Services will, at their option, either provide a workable solution to the problem or a refund of the registration cost. After the initial 90 days, RMH Computer Services is only obligated to make reasonable effort to supply a revised copy of the software. Support for unregistered users will be available in regards to product installation and basic program operation. Support via mail is available at RMH Computer Services, PO Box 657, Beech Grove IN 46107-0657 USA. Telephone support is available at 317-782-9903 between the hours of 08:00am - 06:00pm EST. Email support is also available via our BBS at 317-784-2147 24hrs/day (*). You may also direct email to Richard Holler via Compuserve [73567,1547], INTERNET:73567.1547@compuserve.com, FidoNet NetMail 1:231/290, and RIME private/routed email ->5056. (*) When logging on to the BBS, using the name RMH COMPUTER, and a password of SERVICES will take you directly to the RMH Computer Services support/distribution area, and will bypass all of the 1st time caller questionnaires.