EXPENSES MANAGER V1.1 (S3A Only)
--------------------------------

Following the success of my Home Accounts program S3ABANK, a number of people 
have suggested that I issue some of the optional modules as standalone programs.  This 
is the fifth of these modules (the others are the Investment Tracker, S3AINVx.ZIP, the 
Financial Planner, S3APLANx.ZIP, the Fuel Consumption monitor S3AFUELx.ZIP and 
the Home Inventory, S3AHOMEx.ZIP, where 'x' is the version number).  This program 
allows you to keep track of your Expense Account, accepting expenses by category, and 
automatically calculated vehicle journeys.

To Install the program, do the following:

1. 	Put S3AEXP1.APP into any \APP\ directory 
2. 	Put S3AEXP1.OVL into an \APP\S3AEXP\ directory
3. 	If you have a Company Vehicle and would like to use the vehicle monitor put the 
optional S3ACAR1.OVL module into the \APP\S3AEXP\ directory as well.
4. 	Install as usual, using <PSION-I>.

Now go into the program, ideally using <PSION-N> to name the file for the first trip, 
although the default name EXPENSE is used if you just press <ENTER>. The 'nag' 
screens can be removed by registering the program, which will also allow you the full 
200 entries/trip.  The unregistered version allows you just five entries, to see the 
capabilities of the program, and a limited number of categories. 

You will then be asked for a title for the trip, the overall allowance for the trip, either 
per-diem or total (leave this at zero if it is not applicable), the vehicle rate (for example, 
25c/mile would go in as 0.25, although again, leave at zero if it is not applicable) and 
the symbol for the Currency in use.  If you are never going to use multiple currencies 
this can also be left blank.  If you have loaded the optional Vehicle Monitor module, you 
will also be asked if you wish to add a monitor page to this trip, and if you say 'yes' you 
will be asked for the Vehicle name and number and whether you wish the program to 
start up in the Expenses screen or the Vehicle Monitor screen.

Working through the MENU commands will show you the capabilities of the program, 
but to get the best out of it, I suggest you go through the following mini-tutorial.  

First thing to do is add a few Categories using <PSION-M>.  I suggest Food, and Car 
Park  as a start.  Now put in some dummy entries, either from the Menu, the 'hot key' 
<PSION-E>, or just by pressing <ENTER>.  I suggest you put in 1 Car Park bill, 
ensuring it is a 'Spend' and the category is 'Car Park', and 2 Food Bills with the category 
set to 'Food'.  Now enter a vehicle journey, again either from the Menu or the 'hot key', 
<PSION-J>.  You will see that the cost is evaluated automatically, depending on the 
Vehicle Rate you entered at the start.  Finally, enter another Food Bill, but set it as a 
refund, to demonstrate money received back from the Company.  Note that this is the 
limit for the unregistered version. If you register you will be allowed 200 entries.  

Now, from the Category menu, select 'Category Filter' or <PSION-C> and select 'Food', 
leaving the Date Filter OFF.  Pressing <ENTER> now gives you a display of only those 
entries associated with that filter.  Now select the filter again and reset it to 'None'.  Note 
that selecting the filter to 'Distance' will show just vehicle journeys.  The additional Date 
filter can be used if, for example,  you wish to see Food bought in just January.

How you subsequently treat the program when you have submitted the claim is up to 
you.  However, I have provided 3 suggested methods:

1.   Start a new file for your next trip, using the Menu, or <PSION-N>.

2.   Draw a line under the final entry, using the Menu, <PSION-L> or just <L>.

3.   Reconcile those entries that have been claimed, using the Menu, <PSION-R>,<R>, 
or just the <Space Bar>.  This is the method I recommend.

For the purposes of the demonstration, reconcile the three food entries.

If we now assume that the claim has been paid, we need to remove the entries, so press 
<PSION-A> to archive them.  Note from the dialog that you actually have various 
options available, but for now use the 'Archive Reconciled Entries' option.  Because this 
is the first time the option has been used, you will be prompted for a file name for the 
Archive.  
This will not occur in subsequent uses of this option.  Now, you will be asked to select 
which Archive to use, although at the moment you only have a choice of one, and 
whether to Append or Overwrite.  Again, this is a personal decision.  Some people are 
happy to run just one Archive file, some people prefer a file for each type of claim.  
Some like to just keep the last set of records, some like to add the new ones onto the old 
ones. For the demo, leave it at Append, and press <ENTER>.

We can now look at the Archive file using the Menu or just <PSION-SHIFT-A> or the 
diamond key.  This simply displays the information with a header giving details of when 
and where the entries originated (and the currency, if that was selected). Note that under 
the 'Special' Menu, you still have the Category Filter option, and that full Search 
facilities are available under the 'Search' Menu (But only if the Filter is turned 'off').  If 
you do run multiple Archive files, then the 'File' menu gives you the appropriate options 
you will need.

Now return to the main screen, either from the Menu, <PSION-SHIFT-E>, the Diamond 
key, or just <Esc>.  Note that in this main screen entries can be updated or deleted by 
using the options in the 'Edit' menu, or <TAB> or <Delete> and that <PSION-P> will 
print out the entries.

If you have more than one Trip or more than one Archive, there are various switching 
methods. In the case of Trips, use <PSION-O> to open an existing trip.  In the Archive, 
use <PSION-S> to switch between archives.  In both screens, the L/R arrows will also 
cycle through trips/archives.

The usual <CTRL-MENU> option is available to cycle through Status Windows.  Note 
that the 'Distance' column is not available if the Status Window is selected 'On'.

If you specified a currency symbol during the initial setup of a trip, you will be able to 
use the 'Currencies' option under the 'Special' menu to specify a second currency.  
Simply enter the label and the rate relative to the original currency.  For example, if 
your main currency is English Pounds and you add US$ then the rate figure should be 
about 1.5.  Now, whenever you input an entry, you will have the option of using the 
secondary currency, and the figure will be automatically converted to the main trip 
currency.

Now, select 'Set Preferences' from the Menu or <PSION-Q>.  This allows the following:

	Default Entries.

If you find you are entering the same details on a regular basis, you can set it up as a 
Default Entry.  Select the option, and then the 'New Entry' option.  Note that this menu 
also allows you to subsequently update or delete the entry.  Now fill in the details, giving 
it a recognisable name.  This entry can now be recalled by using the menu, or by using 
<PSION-G> instead of <PSION-E> or, most easily, by using Shift-Enter.  After 
selecting the entry, the default values are filled in for you.  If you want to set up a default 
journey, simply select the 'New Journey' option from the original menu instead.

	Default Archive File

If you use multiple archive files, the program will default to displaying the last used file.  
Using this selection you can change that so it always defaults to the same file, or asks 
you which one you want, every time.

	Printer Setup

Use this option to specify Page length, and whether you have a parallel or serial printer 
or you wish to output to a text file.  At the moment the PSIWIN print routine is not 
supported.  I am working on that.

	Toggle Total/Balance

By default, the total column shows the overall spend.  Use this option if you would 
rather it displayed the amount of your allowance remaining.

	Toggle Total Sign.

Having used the program myself, I could not decide whether I wanted the Total column 
to be negative or positive.  Simple solution was to make it configurable for either one.

	Date Format

As various different date formats are used throughout the world, I have allowed for 
various options.  If I've missed one, let me know.

	Decimal Places

This allows configuration of the number of decimal places to display.

	Step on Reconcile.

If you are reconciling a number of entries it is often useful to automatically step the 
cursor to the next entry after reconciling an entry.  This option will allow that to happen 
automatically.

Under the 'Special' menu option, the final 2 menu items allow you to toggle between 
large and small fonts for each screen, and to open up a word processor memopad, 
similar to that implemented in the Agenda, to keep text records. Personally I use it to 
record trip times for the subsequent claims.

There is also a 'Backup' and 'Restore' options under the 'File' menu.  This simply makes 
a 'mirror' copy of your data somewhere else on the disc, to restore if something goes 
adrift with the original data.

Note that the per-diem allowance is worked out by multiplying the number of days 
between the first and last dates in the entries by the per-diem figure.  This works for my 
system where an overnight stop 'triggers' a day's allowance.  If anyone does it 
differently, please let me know.

OPTIONAL VEHICLE MONITOR

Although the main screen can cope with occasional use of your own car at the 
Company's expenses, a number of people pointed out that it did not really help if you 
had a Company vehicle and you needed to keep track of ALL of the mileage covered.  
This, then is the purpose of the Vehicle Monitor screen.  You enter every journey 
undertaken, with start and end values for the odometer, and you can allocate each trip to 
a category.  There are 2 built-in categories, for Business and Personal, but you can add 
additional specific Business categories if you so wish.   I think it's use is fairly self-
explanatory, as it uses the same principles as the main program, but to show it, try the 
following tutorial:

1.  Create a new trip and say 'Yes' to the Vehicle Monitor.
2.  Enter the Name and Number of the vehicle and specify whether you want
    Expenses or the Vehicle screen to be the primary screen.

There are 2 built-in Categories called 'Business' and 'Personal'.  However, you
have the option of adding extra categories, although these will all be treated
as 'Business' for the purpose of display calculations.  

3.  Enter a couple of new categories - Client names for example.
4.  Now press <ENTER> to start the log.
5.  Enter all the details, with a description and using one of the categories.
6.  Now enter a few more, using the 'Personal' category as well.  Note that the
'Odometer Start' figure defaults to the previous 'Odometer Finish' figure, as it
assumes you have to account for ALL the use of the vehicle.

You should now see how the module will work, with the distance totals permanently
displayed at the bottom, and by using the filter, you can see how various mileages
are charged against different Categories.

I should point out that I see this not as a standalone function, but an add-on to 
a trip file.  Normal expenses, Hotel, Food etc are still entered in the main
screen, while you simultaneously keep track of the vehicle in the secondary screen.
I do, however, see a linkage that might be needed to 'feed through' the journey
entered in the Vehicle screen, to the main screen.  I will work on that once some
'real' users have had a chance to comment and put it in V1.2.

If you find the program useful and wish to register it, please see the file 
REGISTER.TXT  for up-to-date instructions on how to register.  Apart from giving you 
a 'warm' feeling, allowing you 200 entries/trip, and getting rid of the 'nag' screens, 
registering will give you access to full support and notification (only by E-Mail I'm 
afraid) of regular, free, 
updates.   If anyone has any useful suggestions for improvements, I will always try and 
include them in the next version.

If you want to contact me, use the addresses in REGISTER.TXT, or I am always 
available on Compuserve 100023,543 or E-Mail on alanrichey@msn.com

Also, I now have a WWW Home Page at  
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/alanrichey   I will always have news of the 
program, any bugs found, any enhancements planned, and the latest BETA test version 
for downloading, so please pay a visit.

Cheers

Al Richey
