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@9@The Main Screen@0@                                             
                                                                  
Like the original MEGA-Check, MEGA-Check 2's                      
main screen is divided into three main                            
sections.  The @4@Information Panel, Entry                        
Panel@0@ and @1@Model Panel@0@.                                   
                                                                  
@1@The Information Panel@0@                                       
                                                                  
This panel is at the top of the screen, just                      
below the menu bar.  It is made up of three                       
sections, each with a header and four lines of                    
information.                                                      
                                                                  
The left third of the Information Panel is                        
known as the @1@Size Information@0@ section.                      
It tells how many records exist in each of the                    
three main MEGA-Check 2 tables (Transaction                       
table, Associate table and Account table).                        
The bottom line shows the amount of free                          
memory in the system.  If this gets below                         
100,000 you should monitor it carefully.                          
Although care has been taken to keep your                         
system from crashing if you run out of memory,                    
doing so is usually unpredictable and hard to                     
trap effectively.  If you experience "Error 8"                    
errors try removing some of your AUTO programs                    
or accessories that you don't need when                           
running MEGA-Check 2.                                             
                                                                  
The middle third of the Information Panel is                      
called the @1@Balances@0@ section.  It allows                     
you to monitor the balances of your four most                     
important accounts.  The balances are updated                     
constantly, as you enter records.  MEGA-Check                     
2 can help you monitor account balances by                        
setting the @1@Warn@0@ button on the                              
@2@Add/Change Account@0@ panel.  This will8.hlp                  
cause MEGA-Check 2 to inform you when the                         
balance of an account has exceeded a specified                    
minimum or maximum.  For more information on                      
setting this up, see the section entitled                         
@2@Maintaining your Accounts, The Account@0@2.hlp                
@2@Selector@0@.2.hlp                                             
                                                                  
To set which accounts appear in the Balances                      
section, right click on one of the four                           
buttons.  A window will pop up containing a                       
list of your current accounts.  Select the                        
account you wish and its name appears in the                      
button along with its balance.  To change the                     
account, just right click on it again.                            
                                                                  
The right third of the Information Panel is                       
called the @1@System@0@ section.  This section                    
displays various status information about your                    
current file and what MEGA-Check 2 is doing at                    
any given time.                                                   
                                                                  
The first line of this section tells the name                     
of the file currently being worked on, as well                    
as its @4@save status@0@ (either "saved" or                       
"changed").  This will let you know if you                        
have made any changes to the file since you                       
loaded, though MEGA-Check 2 will always warn                      
you if you try to perform any action that will                    
cause you to lose changes.                                        
                                                                  
The second line of the System section tells                       
what transaction number you are currently                         
viewing on the Entry Panel, or, if no                             
transaction is currently displayed, the last                      
transaction that was displayed.                                   
                                                                  
The third line tells what the last action you                     
performed was.  This can be useful if you have                    
a lot to do in one session and need to get up                     
for a moment.  When you come back, simply look                    
at this line and you can see the last panel                       
you were in, which should help you remember                       
where you left off.                                               
                                                                  
The last line of the System section is called                     
the @1@Process@0@ line, and tells the process                     
that MEGA-Check 2 is currently performing.  If                    
the system seems to be locked up, it could be                     
that MEGA-Check 2 is simply performing a                          
function that takes several seconds.  Besides                     
the mouse pointer having changed to a "bee",                      
the Process line will inform you what is being                    
done at that particular moment.  If MEGA-Check                    
2 is waiting on you to do something it will                       
read "Waiting."                                                   
                                                                  
@1@The Entry Panel@0@                                             
                                                                  
The Entry Panel is where all transactions will                    
be entered into MEGA-Check 2.  Every                              
transaction you enter has fields that are                         
required.  These are the @1@Date@0@ and at                        
least two ledger lines (two accounts and at                       
least one ledger amount on the first line).                       
Optionally, you can also include any of the                       
other fields to describe more about the                           
transaction.  @1@Classification@0@, as its                        
name implies, "classifies" the transaction                        
into one or more categories by typing the                         
letter codes applicable to those categories.                      
You can view what categories are available by                     
right-clicking while the cursor is on this                        
field.                                                            
                                                                  
@1@Cleared@0@, of course, tells if this                           
transaction has cleared the bank.                                 
Transactions that don't involve checks can                        
still clear the bank (like deposits or                            
withdrawals).  @1@Memo@0@ lets you enter up to                    
eight lines of description about this                             
transaction.  To access the remaining seven                       
lines @4@expand@0@ the field by pressing                          
@1@Control+E.  Check #@0@ is the check #, but                     
will only be saved with the transaction if an                     
amount is entered in the @1@Amount@0@ field.                      
                                                                  
Although @1@To@0@ will mostly be associated                       
with checks, it can be included on                                
transactions that don't involve a check to                        
indicate a customer name or something (this is                    
why we call them Associates, they could be                        
payees @8@or@0@ customers).  Like the                             
@1@Memo@0@ field this is an expandable field                      
where you can enter address information.  But                     
if the name typed in this field exists in your                    
Associate Table, it will use the address                          
information already stored there @9@unless@0@                     
you override it by expanding the field and                        
typing a new address in there.  MEGA-Check 2                      
will compare the @1@Address 1@0@ field with                       
the Address 1 stored in the Associate Table                       
for that associate.  If they are different,                       
MEGA-Check 2 will use the overridden address                      
information you typed on the @1@Associate                         
Information@0@ panel, otherwise, it will use                      
the address stored in the table.                                  
                                                                  
@1@The Model Panel@0@                                             
                                                                  
This is the is at the bottom third of the Main                    
Screen.  It is described in detail in the                         
section entitled @4@Models@0@.                                    
                                                                  
@9@Related topics@0@:                                             
                                                                  
  @2@Information stored in the Transaction Table@0@trantbl.hlp   
  @2@Information stored in the Associate Table@0@assctbl.hlp     
  @2@Information stored in the Account Table@0@accttbl.hlp       
  @2@Editing Transactions@0@edittran.hlp                         
  @2@Maintaining your Associates, The Associate Selector@0@16.hlp
  @2@Maintaining your Accounts, The Account Table@0@2.hlp        
  @2@Modelsmodels.hlp                                            
                                                                  
