TCB emulates spreadsheet check book programs. By using TCB, you don't need to own Microsoft Excel. Further, because it is a TCB program, it can be modified to do anything you want.
It doesn't online processing or retrieve bank statements. But it can easily be modified to do so. It can be modified to do automatic payments or remind you to pay a bill. It could be set up to print checks. But this is just a "simple checkbook.
Requirements
This is a standalone program. Data is contained in a standard SQL compatible database. The database contains 2 tables, one for entries and another for "meta" data. Meta data is general information used by the program such as bank name, account number, bank balance, and balance forward.
Download: tcbcheckbk.zip It's free. Drop me a line if you use it. All commentary can be useful.
The Checkbook Program Window
The program checkbook program window has several elements. It conists of the window with several control buttons and three distinct sections.
At the very top-right of the program window is a tiny square button. It is a prototyping button that serves as a panic button to exit the program.Below it is a line of 4 buttons.
At the very top-right of the program window is a tiny square button. It is a prototyping button that serves as a panic button to exit the program. Below it is a line of 4 buttons. \n The blue button displays this document. The green button minimizes the program. The orange button toggles the program window on top other windows or not The red button exits the program.
To the right of those buttons is a Menu button that lets the user select an application to run. It is an example of how to define and use popup menus. On the far left under the data and time display is an IDE button. It lets the user either bring up the program in a text editor or exit and rerun the program. Below that button is button that runs the TCB memory calculator. Below that is a button that executes the check book meta data edit program.
Near the bottom of the program window is a legend showing the use of function keys in this program and a copyright notice.
The First Section
The first section has a bank title and account number in the top middle of the window. This information is changed via the meta data editor. There is a data and time display in the upper right corner of the window. Under the bank title is a set of account information. They include bank starting balance current balance, the number and amount of outstanding checks. There is also a Composition Windows with several buttons above it. This window lets the user run adhoc queries against the database, save and load text files, or run batches of TCB commands and functions.
The Second Section
The second section is a scrollable data grid containing all book entries. Selecting an entry and right-clicking it causes the third section, a record edit window, to appear.
The Third Section
The third section is displayed in a pop-up window when you right-click a record in a grid. The data grid displays all records in a table. Most of the window is a data area consisting of boxes representing columns in the table. The user can bring a record into the data edit area by selecting the record desired in the data grid and right-clicking with the mouse. Above the data grid are table browse and edit buttons.
To add new records, simply type over or delete data from the entry boxes and press the Add Data Control button. If you want to change data in a record, just type in what you want and press the Update Data Control button. To delete a record, press the Data Control Delete button. Use the arrow Data Control buttons to scroll through the calendar records.
The box to the right of the data control buttons is a SQL query box. The Where box responds to two datas. The first is to simply enter a rsid number and right or double-clicking the search box. This puts the record with that number in the entry boxes. The other search method is to enter a SQL where clause and right or double-clicking.
A where clause has the format:
where [dataitem] [=|!=| >| <| like] 'data'
Typical SQL where example:
where lnam like 'data'
Calendar Where Box example, note no where word:
subject like '%dance%'
Means return the first record with the word dance contained in the "subject" column.
Finish
There is room for roughly 2000 entries. That's the equivalent of 50 packs of standard checks.
You reconcile it much like you would an ordinary checkbook¸ except it does all the math for you. When you get your bank statement¸ enter the balance according to the statement in meta data item 'bankbal'. Next mark the 'Recon' (stat column) for each un-posted item with the posted designator, in this case the letter 'x'. The posted designator can be changed by altering the pertinent SQL query in the program and pertinent records in the database.
More on reconciling your checkbook...
If you've never reconciled a checkbook before then these notes may be useful to you. In short¸ a checkbook is "reconciled" when outstanding checks are subtracted from the bank balance and the result is compared to your checkbook balance. If that result is zero then all items are accurate and accounted for and the checking account is "reconciled".
Reconciling your account is simple...
First¸ enter your account balance according to your bank statement in the bankbal data item in the meta data file.
Second¸ go through your bank statement line by line and enter the posted designator in the 'Recon' (stat column) for = each item accounted for in your bank statement.
Hopefully everything balances and cell H4 is 0.00. h4 is new item to shw in program call it reconval = bankbal + balance - outstanding.
bankbal=mem8 bankbalance=mem7 outstand = mem5
reconval = compute=mem8 + mem7 - mem5
If it is not¸ go through deposits¸ credits¸ check amounts and withdrawls looking for the error.
While reconciling your checkbook on a regular (monthly) basis is a wonderful thing¸ this Simple Checkbook will operate just fine if you never reconcile it. You'll just have to hope that you haven't made a mistake or forgotten to enter a check.
No matter what I do my account won't reconcile! Ahh¸ an age old problem. Find the error¸ or as a last resort¸ make an adjustment entry... | x | 1/24/03 | Adjustment | | 0.62 | 1¸234.56 | Just keep in mind¸ when it comes to balancing your checkbook¸ little mysterys are not good.
Can I enter a voided check? Yes. Enter it as you would a normal check except leave both the debit and credit column empty.
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