Contents - Index

Getting Started: Category Maintenance

Initial Set Up
When you first install the program, all of the databases (files) are empty. You should define categories, first. (Categories may also be created as entries are added.)

Fiscal Year
By default, the fiscal follows the calendar year and ends in December. You may change this on the Tools - Set Fiscal Year End Month menu selection.

Buttons
You will notice that the buttons used have shapes that you may not have seen. If you cannot remember what a specific button does, simply hover the mouse cursor over the button and a helpful hint will display.

Here is what the different buttons look like and do:

Add (an income entry, expense entry, etc.)

Delete the indicated entry.

Edit the indicated entry.

Summarize the categories for the income or expense entries.

Apply the automated payment, recurring entry, or Post the Debt Service.

Reverse the sign on the indicated entry.

Adding New Categories
New categories are added by pressing the Add button located above the category list on the Categories page. A window will pop up for you to enter the new category information. Specifically, you need to provide:
  • A unique category name
  • Indicate whether it is an income or expense category
  • Determine the color that you would like the category's detail entries to be
  • Indicate whether or not you would like this category to be included in the overall tally
  • The associated document for this category, if there is one (this document link will be shown on any detail entry's right-click pop-up menu)

    Press the OK button (or press Enter) to save the new category description.

    Categories can be anything that you wish them to be. "Jane`s Pay" or "Mortgage/Rent" are two examples of categories.

    Category information is company-specific. If you are using multiple companies, you must define categories for each company.

    The Corresponding Look-Ups are automatically added for you when you make detail entries.

    Editing Categories
    Categories may be edited from the Categories page. You must first select the category to be edited by clicking on it, and then pressing the Edit button that is located above the category list. 

    You may also double click on a category to edit it.

    Deleting Categories
    Categories may be deleted from the Categories page. You must first select the category to be deleted by clicking on it, and then pressing the Delete button that is located above the category list. 

    Categories may be deleted only if they have not been referenced by any detail entry. (The program will automatically scan all of your entries for you.)

    Look-Ups
    Look-ups are added for each category as they are entered as part of the detail entries. You can delete look-ups by pressing the corresponding look-up Delete button. You may store a website address (and its associated logon id and password) for an existing look-up by double-clicking on the look-up. Once an address has been specified, you may go to the website address from the Records page by right-clicking on the corresponding detail entry and selecting the address from the pop-up list. By default, the category look-up screen will display, allowing you to copy the logon id and password fields for pasting into the website logon fields.

    Look-Ups may also have a document link assigned. This document link will be shown on any detail entry's right-click pop-up menu.

    You may convert a look-up into a category of its own. This feature will turn a look-up into a category (of the same "I/E" type and color as the category it is currently a look-up under) and change all corresponding detail records in the entire database. Use the special right-arrow button (located on the right side of the look-ups list) to perform this function.

    You may also move a look-up from one category to another. Use the special button (the folder with the green arrow) to perform this function.