WELCOME TO RCFUNDS FOR WINDOWS!

Version 1.00        Copyright 1993

On-line Manual

I.  INTRODUCTION

DISCLAIMER

THIS PRODUCT IS LICENSED "AS IS", FRACTURED FEMUR SOFTWARE MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED.  FRACTURED FEMUR SOFTWARE DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE PROGRAM WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS OR THAT THE OPERATION OF THE PROGRAM WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR FREE.  YOU ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SELECTION OF THE PROGRAM TO ACHIEVE YOUR INTENDED RESULTS AND FOR THE RESULTS ACTUALLY OBTAINED.  RCFUNDS WILL NOT PREDICT STOCK/MUTUAL FUND/BOND/MONEY MARKET GAINS OR LOSSES!

WHAT IS RCFUNDS AND WHAT DOES/DOES NOT DO?

RCFUNDS is a free standing database that allows the user to track mutual fund transactions.  The program is very similar to a check book, with one twist:  it allows pertinent mutual fund data to be entered (i.e. NAV/Shares purchased).  RCFUNDS  CANNOT PREDICT THE MARKET!!!!  RCFUNDS DOES NOT PROVIDE INVESTMENT ADVICE!!!!  It is a simple tracking device for use by the private investor.  The program grew out of desire to enable me (a true market neophyte) to track my deposits/withdraws, my accrued interest (not some fancy Wall Street Journal Summary), and trace the path of rising and falling NAV's.  RCFUNDS is not intended for professional investors.  Although RCFUNDS will track unlimited accounts to the value of $9,000,000.00 each, persons with that much money should have a professional tracking their investments!

INSTALLATION

RCFUNDS is distributed as shareware.  It usually travels from user to user in an archived format. (i.e.  RCFW.ZIP, RCFW.ARJ, RCFW.ARC, etc.)  To install RCFUNDS for Windows:

1.  Create a new directory on your hard drive:

C:\>MD RCFW

2.  Expand the archived file to the new directory:

C:\>PKUNZIP RCFW.ZIP C:\RCFW

Extracting:  RCFW.EXE

Extracting:  RCFW.HLP

Extracting:  SOFTC.DLL

Extracting:  BWCC.DLL

Extracting:  ORDER.FRM

3.  Run Windows:

C:\WINDOWS>WIN

4.  Select the Window group to which you wish to add the new file.

5.  Enter the name RCFW.EXE as the executable file.  Make sure to add the directory C:\>RCFW as the start up directory if you have selected the drive and path given in this example.  Otherwise, enter the name of the new directory you have loaded RCFUNDS into as the start up directory.  This step is IMPERATIVE if RCFUNDS is to find its data files.

NOTE:  Two DLL files are included with RCFUNDS:  SOFTC.DLL and BWCC.DLL.  It is possible you have other applications which employ these DLL's.  Only one copy is necessary to run all the Windows applications which require the DLL's.  THEY SHARE!  Search your hard drive for other copies of these DLL's.  Keep only the most recent release copy, and transfer that copy to your WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.  From there, all Windows applications can access the DLL.  In the process you will conserve valuable hard drive space!

That's it!  You should have a FRACTURED FEMUR ICON in a Window's group begging to be double clicked!

III.  TUTORIAL

Go ahead!  Double click your new icon and launch RCFUNDS.  You should see a cyan Windows application appear with the FRACTURED FEMUR LOGO in the center of the Window.

Menu:  File   Reports   Help

Lets try the File menu first.  Mutual fund access is gained from the file menu.  Click on the File Menu and select New.  A dialog box appears prompting for the name of the new mutual fund record you wish to create.  I use the ticker symbol to track my funds.  For example, you wish to create a database for Twentieth Century Ultra Fund - ticker symbol TWCUX.  Type TWCUX at the prompt and press OK (or hit Enter).  You just created a database.

Return to the File menu and this time select summary.  A new dialog box appears with the name of the new fund you just created.  Along with the name is a series of zeros and an equal sign.  The zeros reflect dollar and share values.  The equals sign represents that the NAV has remained equal since the last update of the NAV.  Since you have only entered one selling price (0.00) upon creating a new file, the trend is set to equal.  Across the bottom of the dialog box are a series of buttons (ADD   NAV   DELETE   CANCEL).  Add will pull the create new fund sequence again, adding a new database to the program.  NAV will update the current selling price.  Press NAV now.  A new dialog appears with the current selling price highlighted.  Type 12.43 into the dialog box and press OK.  You return to the Summary Dialog with 12.43 added to the NAV field and a "+" sign as the trend.  Indicating the selling price has increased since last entered.  The other values remain zero since you have not entered any purchases.  Delete button deletes the ENTIRE DATABASE.  Be sure before you erase an entire register!  For now press Cancel to exit the Summary Dialog box.

Return to the File menu and select Open.  An Open File dialog should appear.  If you have correctly entered the start up directory, and have been following this tutorial, you should have a single file (!twcux.dbf) listed.  Double click on the file's name.  You have now been moved to the Transaction register.  Take a look around, this is a very busy screen!  Across  the bottom are a series of buttons.  Above the buttons are some figures displayed.  At present, all figure are set to zero except the CURRENT NAV which should have the 12.43 figure entered in the last step.  Press ADD.  A new Transaction Dialog appears with today's date as a default.  Use the TAB key to move from field to field.  Enter the prompted data at each field.  RCFUNDS will attempt to help you enter NAV and SHARES, but be sure the data entered corresponds to what your fund statement says!  After you are sure all the data is correct:  press OK.  You return to the Transaction dialog and a new transaction has been entered to the main list.  At the bottom new totals have been calculated, including how much money you have made (or lost) in the fund.  It probably says 0.00 growth now because you just entered a single transaction.  To get the feel, now press EDIT NAV.  Once again you see the familiar NEW NAV dialog with the last NAV highlighted in the Window.  This time enter 16.75.  You return to the transaction dialog, but this time the bottom registers demonstrate a dollar growth in the fund.

AN ASIDE:

I chose to show the GROWTH in dollars rather than gain.  Most stock software for mutual funds will calculate a gain.  The NAV purchases are averaged, that average is compared to the current NAV and a percentage gain is calculated.  Although the gain method indirectly shows whether you have made money or lost, it does not directly show HOW MUCH MONEY you made or lost.  I felt the program's prime audience would be novice investors.  As a novice investor, I am most concerned with the amount of money I make, not market trending.  Hence the program shows dollar growth rather than NAV gain.

Back to the tutorial:

Press NAV TRACE.  A small dialog appears with a single list.  In that list is a "tracing" of all the NAV's you have entered since the current selected fund was begun.  The tracing will track all NAV's entered not only purchases.  In this fashion, a general impression of fund performance may be reflected upon.

The Edit button edits the highlighted transaction and the Delete button deletes the highlighted transaction from the database.

Press Cancel to exit the transaction dialog.

You just performed 98% of what the program can do!  What is left:  Reports!

Click the Reports Menu.  You are given the option of Overview or Registry.  Overview will dump a report similar to the Summary Dialog box to the default printer.  All currently tracked funds with their current NAV's and values will be printed in a table format.  Registry will allow you to open a specific mutual fund database and dump a report table similar to the Transaction Dialog box to the default printer.  It is that simple!

IV.  Where do I reach the author??

Well, my name is:

 	ROSS CONTINO

407 Deerfield Drive

Hanover, PA  17331

I can also be reached via:

Compuserve:  ID NUMBER 73327,1271

GEnie:              Address         R.CONTINO

I also monitor both RIME and FidoNet on a regular basis.

Feel free to contact me!  I am always interested in users' ideas and comments.  This is my first attempt at programming Microsoft Windows.  To the best of my knowledge, the program is bug free.  However, such an attitude is foolish.  If you have problems please let me know.  I am a guy with one computer in his attic!  The program works flawlessly on my system, but I do not have the resources for beta testing and working with different machines.  You are my testers and supporters.  If you have problems let me know.

Please support shareware!  It is the only solution to expensive software products.  If you find this program useful, PLEASE send $25.00 (US) to:

Ross Contino

407 Deerfield Drive

Hanover, PA  17331

Comments:

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Where did you find RCFW version 1.0?

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Note:  the current version RCFUNDS for Windows 1.0 is the fully functional release.  If a later version is available at the time of registration, you will be contacted!