"BankPlus" by Pete Sipple Written for the Psion Siena (January 1997) BankPlus is a shortish procedure which allows the user to create up to eight accounts, which can be either BANK or CREDIT CARD accounts. It will automatically pay standing orders, arrange inter-account transfers, and lets you print a statement to screen or printer. It allows the user to verify bank statements, and comes with a basic password facility, to prevent casual prying. The Siena version is still under development. Any feedback welcomed! Installation of BankPlus ======================== This version of BankPlus will run on a Siena only (Versions are available for the Series 3a/3c, and the Series 3) To Install: 1. Create a directory called \APP\ 2. Copy BANKS.OPA , BANKS.PRG and BANKS.HLP into the \APP\ directory. 3. From the system screen, select 'Install' from the 'Apps' menu, and move to BankPlus using the cursor keys. Files included with this release ================================ BANKS.OPA - Application file BANKS.PRG - The program file BANKS.HLP - The help file (optional) BankPlus will create a datafile for each account specified. They will be placed in a directory called \BNK\ on whichever drive has been specified in the Settings menu. A small file called BANK.SET will be created in \OPD\ . Do not delete this file - it contains data vital to the operation of BankPlus. ============================================================ BASIC OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS: ============================= When you first run the program, you will be presented with a menu called SPECIAL, from which you can specify a password if required, but more importantly, to setup each bank account. Select 'Setup Accounts', and you will be asked for a name for up to eight accounts. Type in a name, ie CURRENT, ACCESS, etc. Once the entries are completed, press [enter] to proceed to the next screen and select the type of account - either a BANK or CREDIT CARD account. Once you've set up your accounts, you get the main system menu, which is the business end of the program. Press the [Menu] key to access the menu if it isn't displayed. Menu Options ============ The 'Account' Menu Card presents a list of the accounts that you have set up - Select an account to use. Find - Search the selected account for an individual item - press [enter] to scroll New Item- To Enter a new item Transfer - Transfer funds between accounts Std Orders - Setup or edit standing orders View - View a list of transactions/balances in date order (Bank statement) Check - To match BankPlus data with your bank statement Balances - Today's balance on all accounts (press menu for other commands) Categories - For an overview of category spend Tidy - Tidy entries older than specified date (entries are deleted) Print - Print a list of transactions/balances in date order (Bank statement) Export - Export as comma delimited (for spreadsheets) Currency Converter - Set currency conversion defaults, plus a conversion calculator Information - Bank Account number, sort code, phone number and notes Setup Accounts - Change / setup bank account information Settings - To set basic defaults International - Setup currency details and number formats. Category names - Up to 15 categories are allowed. Enter names here. Password - change password (a blank field will disable password facility) Explanation of "Clearing" & "Stmt" ================================== By default, new entries are marked as "uncleared", which means that they haven't appeared on your monthly statement from your bank. The Balance shown on the main menu screen shows "Balance" (which includes all transactions, cleared or not, as of today's date) The 'Cleared' total shows the amount shown on your latest bank statement. To adjust "cleared", use the "check" option from the statement menu. Press [C] to confirm that an item is cleared, ie. has appeared on your statement. Note that items with a transaction date greater than today's date will not affect the current balance, until that date is reached. Standing Orders =============== There is no limit to the amount of standing orders that can be setup. When BankPlus is run, it automatically pays any standing orders that are due in the current month, or next month. Standing orders can be set to all months, or to specific months, to accomodate non specific standing orders. Printing via PsiWin =================== Psion have not released a way of accessing the "Psion Print" command from OPL at this time, which means that it is not possible to print from BankPlus to a printer via PsiWin. The official workaround is to use the RPRINT.EXE file supplied on Disk One of the PsiWin set of disks. This is a DOS executable program. Explanation of Credit Card accounts =================================== Some users have expressed confusion over how "credit card" account types work. Here is a summary of how they should be used. Definition - If you have a credit card account, it should be set up as such under the Setup Accounts option. Bank makes a 'Credit card' card works in an opposite way to a "Bank' account, in that debits are added to the balance, rather than deduced. This is why the balance on the statement issued by your credit card company shows a positive balance and payments are deduced from the outstanding balance. This means that when you enter a transaction into Bank, you will enter it as a "debit", whereas payments are "credits" Balances - If an account is correctly set as a 'Credit card' account, the fact that your 'credit card' balance is money that you owe, is reflected in the Balances total. If you were to owe $100 to Visa/Mastercard, the "Balances" option would show a "debit" and reduce your total balance accordingly. Transfers - If you wish to make an inter account transfer to show that you have made a payment to your credit card company, you would select "Transfer", and set the "From Account" to be the bank account, and the "To Account" to be the credit card account. The "Transfer amount" should not be a negative amount. Categories ========== This option is for users who wish to keep a record of transcation types, for example, cash, cheque, payment, petrol, etc. transactions. The names of the transaction types are entered (max of 15) in the 'Category names' screen, and the Category function is enabled in the Settings menu. When new items are entered, you have the option to select that category. Reports / Find / View can then search or list by category. ========================================================================= Bank (Series 3) & BankPlus (Series 3a/3c) =============== Bank is still available for Series 3 users, but only has provision for five accounts, as well as a few other minor limitations. BankPlus for the 3a/3c is a full-screen version of the program. Bank and Bankplus are available as Shareware. The registration fee of 8 UK pounds covers BANK and BANKPLUS. ========================================================================== Registering BankPlus ==================== BankPlus is Shareware, and if you find this program useful, you are asked to register it. The current price is 8.00 UK pounds. Cheques, made payable, to P.Sipple should be sent to the following address: Pete Sipple Flat 4, 17 Devereux Road Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS1 1DR England To register outside the UK, any of the following are acceptable: 1. Send a cheque drawn on a UK bank for 8ukp, made payable to "Pete Sipple" 2. Compuserve users can register online using SWREG - see below 3. Send a cheque drawn from your local bank, but payable in sterling, to "Pete Sipple" 4. Make payment by credit card (see below) 5. Contact a friend in the UK and ask them to forward payment in ukp. If requested, you will be sent the most current version of BankPlus by email. Please remember to include your email address (if appropriate), current version number, and desired compression format (ie. ZIP, ARC). Files sent by email will be UUencoded if sent over Internet. If you cannot accept UUencoded email, or have no email account, a disk of the latest version can be posted out to you, but please add 1.00ukp for disk cost plus postage. CompuServe ========== Users of CompuServe can register using the Compuserve SWREG service. Type SWREG at the GO prompt, and quote 13069 as the registration ID. A charge of $15 will be applied to your CIS account, and you will receive your registration number by email. If requested, you can have upgrades sent to your account, providing that you accept that any mail charges levied by CompuServe for file transfer. The author can be contacted via Compuserve at 100333,3266 Credit Card =========== Payment can be made by Access or Visa. Please add a £0.50 handling charge. For security reasons it is advised that credit card details are sent via post rather than in email. Please quote card name, number and expiry date. Please make sure that the amount (£8.50) is quoted in sterling. As well as supporting the Shareware concept, registration brings additional benefits: 1. The latest versions of BankPlus will be emailed to you as soon as they are available, if requested. 2. You will be sent a registration number to remove the startup "nag" screen. 3. Wherever possible, your suggestions will be considered for future releases. ========================================================================= Latest Version: =============== The latest version of BankPlus can be obtained by any of the following methods: 1. Downloaded direct from the BankPlus homepage http://members.aol.com.petesipple/bankplus.htm 2. By email. Mail psipple@cix.compulink.co.uk for details 3. From the Palmtop A forum on Compuserve 4. From the Psion conference on CiX 5. From other shareware sources, inc the main FTP sites and 3lib 6. By sending a disk and stamped addressed envelope to the author ========================================================================= Finally: ======== Thanks to William Nightingale and Martin Packer for their help with designing the BankPlus icon. A big thanks also to many beta testers - Without your help, the program wouldn't be what it is today! Comments, queries and bug reports are welcomed. I can be reached by email at: psipple@cix.compulink.co.uk or 100333.3266 (CompuServe) (please remember to state the version number that you are using!) * PLEASE NOTE THAT TELEPHONE SUPPORT IS NOT AVAILABLE * Disclaimers, etc ================ Although this procedure appears stable, I cannot accept any liability for loss, or damage, as a result of using this procedure. The procedures included with releases of BankPlus remain copyright of Pete Sipple. You may freely distribute the files to other users, but please make sure that ALL files including this documentation are kept together. Distribution of reverse-translated source code is not permitted. Written by: Pete Sipple 12th Feb 1997