;EditorPrfx:3628; ; si8 sl8 sr74 jl ta 8,12,24,32 Chapter 14 Cash Trader Analyser Cash Trader Analyser is an optional extra module which provides investigation, analysis and reporting facilities to complement the existing features of Cash Trader. Specifically, within CT Analyser, the documents already entered within Cash Trader may be selectively extracted, sorted by date or by Analysis Heading, and various reports and listings may be obtained. Any set of documents extracted in this way may be retained for further more detailed inspection, or may be released. Cash Trader Analyser does not in any way affect the data on the main system files - it merely offers a very flexible reporting capability. Typical examples of the use to which CT Analyser may be put include: Bank reconciliation Isolation of motor expenses (all or for a particular vehicle/person) Obtaining details of credit transactions with a specified Supplier or Customer. Finding the number of any wanted document Confirmation of number and value of payments/receipts from a particular analysis head within a given period. The main Cash Trader system produces reports (both printed and on-screen) that are in general "up to the minute". That is, the figures represented include all documents so far entered. The Analyser module by contrast offers "as at" reporting, so that a report may be produced as at a particular date. It may be the case that some of the capabilities of CT Analyser are of interest to your Accountant, since much of the work in auditing accounts (and therefore the bill) can be lightened by this module. Cash Trader Analyser is unique among the Cash Trader modules in that it will not operate on a standard QL. A memory expansion of at least 128K is required. At the end of this chapter, there are some comments that will help you install CT Analyser if you bought it separately from the main Cash Trader system. * Work space for CT Analyser Looked at simply, CT Analyser has the capability to do three things - extract documents from its current file, sort the extracted file, and report on the extracted file. Each time an extraction is done, a new and progressively smaller set of working files is created. The "latest" extraction file is regarded by the Analyser as its current file. These working files may be created on any device available on the QL system. The extraction files are each assigned a name, so that you may call up an extract at some later time. For example, one extract may be called "petrolMay87", another might be "bankJanJun" and so on. You can assign whatever names are most meaningful to you. The Cash Trader system is run on QLs of widely differing shapes and sizes - some users are on disc, others not, some disc users have two discs, others have only one, and a considerable range of RAM (memory) sizes occurs. CT Analyser will operate properly whatever the system configuration, BUT the operation of the program (from the user point of view) will be more or less smooth depending on which device is used for storing the extract files. CT Analyser operates most smoothly when no changes of media are required. This situation can be accomplished by creating the extract files on the 'system device' - the one that normally contains the Cash Trader programs - or, best of all if memory permits, on a RAM disc. When CT Analyser is selected from the Main Menu, the first question asked by the module is the identity of the work device: " Analyser will use (system device) as a work device Would you like it to use another (e.g. RAM) Press Y or N " "system device" in the message will be your configured system device - e.g. flp1_, fdk1_, win1_ etc. - If you respond "Yes" (enter "Y"), the follow-up question is the name of the work device: " Enter the name of the Extract device [cursor] [You may not nominate (data device)] " The typical response will be RAM1_. There is no need for there to be an existing ram disc; if you are already working in RAM you might well select e.g. ram2_, flp1_, etc. - If you respond "No" (enter "N"), the follow-up comment will direct you to exchange volumes (discs or tapes) so that work space is available to CT Analyser: " Take out the Program (volume) from (system device) Place your current DATA (volume) in (data device) " In either case, the program will prompt and wait for the ENTER key to be pressed to confirm that the required action has been taken. Depending on your choice of work device, during the remainder of the CT Analyser operations there may from time to time be prompts to switch discs or cartridges into or out of the work device. In order to retain a reasonably coherent account of the Analyser routine, no further reference to volume-switching will be made. * Operation of CT Analyser The menu screen of CT Analyser has three main 'windows'. One window - the Status Panel - displays identification of the current extract file. Another - the Help Panel - offers extra information, and the third window displays the menu options, in the standard Cash Trader fashion. The menu options are: Sort Extracted File Make Extraction File Print Extracted File Respecify Input File Exit to Main Menu The Status panel will in the first instance display the message "No extraction file present". This indicates that your "current" file is the main system data file. With this message on display, some of the menu options are not available. If your current file is other than the main system file, the Status panel will display the name you have assigned to the extract set, the number of documents in the set, and whether the set has been sorted, and if so how. The Help panel describes the function of each Option and thus changes as you scroll through the Options. * Menu Option - Make Extraction File If your current file is the main system file, the menu options "Sort Extracted File" and "Print Extracted File" are not available to you (the system file is not an 'extracted' file). If you want to work on an extract file created previously, then you should choose the option "Respecify Input File". Otherwise, choose the option "Make Extraction File" to build an extract. An extract file can be built from either the main system file, or from a previously created extract file. On selecting the option, the following prompt appears: " Do you wish to extract by date Y or N " - If you respond "Yes" (enter "Y"), you are required to indicate the Starting and Finishing dates of the date range you want. Today's date is displayed on the left of the screen as the Start Date. The prompt: " Is this correct Y or N " invites you to accept or reject the offered date. If you reject the displayed date, the cursor is positioned over the year. You change the year with the arrow keys; when happy press ENTER and you are moved on to the month where you repeat as for year; and similarly for day. You are given a further opportunity to reject or accept the (changed) date; once accepted (by pressing ENTER) you repeat the sequence with the Finish Date. After adjusting both Start and Finish dates, a confirmation prompt is displayed. If everything is correct, enter "Y" to proceed with the main activity - specifying the extract you want. * Extraction Choice A new panel appears on-screen, as below: EXTRACTION CRITERIA | TOTAL DOCUMENTS --------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Extraction File [cursor ]|System File (nnnn) Doc. Type ............................. |EXTRACTED DISC (nnnn) Analysis Group ........................ |Date Sorted (no)(yes) or (anl) Analysis Head ......................... |Start Date ......) Reference ............................. |End Date ........)  Payment Type .......................... | DOCUMENT NUMBERS  VAT Rate .............................. |Starting Doc. (1) Comment ............................... |Finishing Doc. (nnnn) --------------------------------------------------------------------- There are three main sections within the display, headed Extraction Criteria, Total Documents and Document Numbers. The Total Documents section tells about the current extract file. Where above you see the words "System File" is displayed the name of the current extract file - if you are using one, or failing that will display the words "System File" if the current file is not an extract file. The number shown is the number of documents on the named file. The words "EXTRACTED DISC" may, for you, read "EXTRACTED TAPE" or whatever, and at this stage the number displayed is zero. This will later show how many documents have been extracted. Against the words "Date sorted" will occur one of three text items - "NO", "YES" or "ANL". This text indicates whether and how the current file has been sorted. "NO" means that it is not sorted - i.e. documents occur in document number order. "YES" means that the documents in the file have been sorted into ascending date order. "ANL" means that the documents in the file have been sorted into Analysis Heading order, and within each Analysis Head, into Date order. Underneath the "Date Sorted" line are two lines that display the Start Date and Finish Date of the date range that was optionally specified earlier. If no date range was specified, these items are left blank. The Document Numbers section displays the total number of documents physically present on the file. This is the true range of document numbers only if the current file is displayed as "System File". In a moment, we will see that you may specify a document number range as part of your selection criteria for establishing a new extract file. Logically, it is unlikely that you would specify BOTH a date range AND a document number range, but you may if you choose. The Extraction Criteria section forms a "dialogue panel". Within this panel, you may pick and choose the various fields and field values that you wish to be part of the condition that determines whether a document is included in the extract set or not. We will now look at each of these fields in detail. * Extraction Criteria As is normal in Cash Trader, you are required to work with a black 'cursor' that moves around under your direction. Typically, when you press the ENTER key, the value on display in the current field is accepted as your choice, and the cursor will move on to the next field in sequence. Conversely, if you press ESC, the cursor will exit the current field and return to the previous field. * Name of Extract File This field is where the cursor first appears. You should type in a name for the extraction file you are about to create. You are probably well advised to choose a meaningful name - something that will remind you of the logical content of the file. A file name of 'creditnotes' will be more helpful than 'aaa' or 'qwer', but that is up to you. Having typed the name you want, press ENTER. * Doc. Type This is a "multiple choice" field. As in the Entries Option, you are offered a choice for Doc. Type, namely, PAID, RECEIVED, BOUGHT CR, SOLD CR, ADJUSTMENT. In addition you are offered "NO". If you accept "NO", you are telling CT Analyser that you require NO limitation as to Doc. Type. Select whichever displayed value is appropriate and accept with ENTER. * Analysis Group Another multiple-choice field. In the expected way, all Groups may be scrolled to and any one accepted with ENTER. If you do not wish to limit your extraction to a single Group, you will scroll to NO. * Analysis Head If you chose NO for Analysis Group, this item defaults to NO and the cursor passes to the next field. Otherwise, the same conventions obtain, namely, scroll with left/right arrow keys, press ENTER when on the selected Head or choose "NO". * Reference This is a free-form field. You may enter whatever value you wish, or you may leave the field blank. If the field is left blank, it will register as "NO" - namely not involved in the extraction. If you do specify a value, then that value will be sought in the Reference field of every Document. The matching will occur such that a document is deemed to qualify if the specified value is found anywhere/anyhow. For example, if the value were "AND" a match would be found with a Reference field that contained one of: "HANDLING CHARGE" "BOWERS AND BRIGGS" "AND 407W" * Payment Type Payment Type is another multiple-choice field, this time offering selection from Unspec. CASH, CHEQUE, TRANSFER etc etc and NO. * VAT rate VAT Rate is another multiple-choice field, this time offering selection from EXMT, STND, DISC, NONE etc etc and NO. * Comment This is a free-form field. You may enter whatever value you wish, or you may leave the field blank. If the field is left blank, it will register as "NO" - namely not involved in the extraction. If you do specify a value, then that value will be sought in each Item Comment field of every Document. The matching will occur such that a document is deemed to qualify if the specified value is found anywhere/anyhow. For example, if the value were "AND" a match would be found with Item Comment fields that contained "HANDLING CHARGE" "BOWERS AND BRIGGS" "AND 407W" * Document Numbers After the Comment field has been entered, the cursor moves over to the Document Numbers block. This section allows you to confine your extraction to a block of numbers within the documents on the Data file being analysed. The default for Starting Doc. is the first document on the current file, and for Finishing Doc. the last numbered document on file. Either enter the start / end number you require or press ENTER to accept the defaults offered. You will not be allowed to enter invalid numbers. * End of Specification After the extraction criteria have been specified, CT Analyser provides the opportunity for review before going on with the process of extracting the records you have specified. If all is well, press "Y" to the following. If you press "N", you will be returned to the dialogue panel to repeat the specification process " Is this correct Y or N " CT Analyser is now ready to extract the documents as requested. To do this, it needs access to space on the work device. The program asks permission to format (wipe clear) the work device originally assigned. If you agree and the work device is a RAM disc, Analyser will also ask for a format size to be specified. The screen is cleared and a message is displayed telling you the document number of the document currently being examined. When all of the documents on the current file have been scanned and extracted as required, there is a small pause while summary information is written to the work device. After this, the program returns to the main menu. =================================================================== * Examples of Selection Across the Field. If you decide to examine, say, all cash payments for the whole period you will accept PAID for Doc. Type and Cash for Payment Type, entering NO (or blank) in all other fields and accepting the defaults of first and last numbered document from the file. If on the other hand you wish to make a more specific enquiry you might enter all Bank direct debits received (or paid) within a particular analysis head between specified dates and within a specified range (bu numbers) of documents. Remember if you accept "NO" you widen the range for your enquiry; if you select something other than "NO" you restrict the number of documents to be used to make up the Extraction File. =================================================================== * Menu Option - Sort Extracted File There is only one reason for wanting to sort the documents within an extracted file and that is that you plan to go on to do a detail listing you require in a particular order. If you intend only to produce summary reports, then there is no need to sort the data. If you select the Sort option from the Analyser menu, the screen is cleared and you are asked to confirm that a Sort is required. The message displays the number of documents to sort and prompts: " Continue Y or N " If you press "N" you are returned to the CT Analyser menu. If your extraction criteria for the current file did NOT specify a value for Analysis Heading, you have a choice of one of two types of sort sequence: " Sort by Date (D) OR Sort by Analysis AND Date (A) Enter D or A " If you have already selected an analysis head the second choice will not be available since it is clearly redundant (sorting by date alone will produce the desired effect). If you have not selected an analysis head, and you select "A", the documents selected by you will be sorted, first into the various analysis heads, and then by date within those analysis heads. On completion of the sort, CT Analyser returns to the Analyser menu. The Status panel will be refreshed to display the new sort sequence. * Menu Option - Print Extracted File When you select the "Print" option from the Analyser menu, the program immediately presents you with a sub-menu. The list of options available will be familiar from the main Reporting module of Cash Trader: Review Documents Profit & Loss Account Balance Sheet Trial Balance Exit to Analyser menu The report layout for each of these reports is very similar to the equivalent main system reports. There are minor differences in that the page headings of the printed reports each indicate that the report has been based on an extract file - to avoid any possible confusion. Additionally, after the report has been printed, an extra page is printed that contains details of the extraction criteria so that the report content may be properly interpreted. The extra page will look as below: "The above Report was produced from the EXTRACTED information on the (volume) called (Extracted file name) Number of documents on (source file name)...... nnnn Number of documents on EXTRACTED file ......... nnnn Starting from Document number ................. nnnn Finishing at Document number ................. nnnn Starting from Date ....................... dd mmm yy or "Any" Finishing at Date ....................... dd mmm yy or "Any" Type ................. "Any" or specified value Group ................ "Any" or specified value Analysis ............. "Any" or specified value Reference ............ "Any" or specified value Bank Type ............ "Any" or specified value VAT .................. "Any" or specified value Comment .............. "Any" or specified value " In the particular case of Review Documents, there is an extra element of dialogue if the extract file has been sorted. The program will ask if the documents are to be listed in the sorted order or in document number order. Of the four reports offered, only Review Documents provides the run-time option of being to screen or to printer. All of the others will automatically be directed to the configured print device (which may be whatever you have chosen in Configure). * Menu Option - Respecify Input File This option allows the current file to be changed. If the current file is the system file, the only option provided is to specify the device and name of a previously prepared extract file. If the current file is an extract file, you may elect to specify the system file OR another extract file as the new current file. Once the new file has been specified, CT Analyser pauses for a moment to load summary information from the new file, and then returns to the Analyser menu. * Upgrading an existing Cash Trader Cash Trader Analyser in the form provided by PDQL is compatible only with Cash Trader version 2.0 and later, also provided by PDQL. For users with Cash Trader earlier than version 2.3, adding CT Analyser to your system also requires the replacement of two other system modules, namely the Configuration module and the system Main Menu manager. Users of Cash Trader version 2.3 or later need only add the new module to their system volume (disc or tape). So, for users of version 2.0 to 2.2, the upgrade files supplied are as follows: Replacement files: ct_start ct_config ct_xtras boot ct_boot_config New file(s): ct_analyser For users of version 2.3 and later, the only additional file required is ct_analyser. * How to install CT Analyser If using Cash Trader on disc, copy ct_analyser to the system disc and overwrite the existing boot, ct_xtras, ct_start and ct_config with the supplied files of the same name. If using Cash Trader on cartridge, copy ct_analyser to the GROUP 3 cartridge; overwrite boot, ct_xtras and ct_start on the GROUP 1 cartridge and ct_boot_config, ct_xtras and ct_config on the GROUP 3 cartridge. Having done that, your system control file "ct_sys" needs to be updated to reflect the addition of the new module. This is done using the Configure module. Start the program in the usual way (e.g. LRUN dvc_ct_boot_config). At the foot of the Configuration variables you will see the heading "Analyser" and it will display the value "N" - meaning that Analyser is not configured. Elect to change the parameters, move the cursor down to the "Analyser" heading and change the value to "Y", and that's it. Configure will update the program as necessary to be consistent with your own Analysis structure. When you next start Cash Trader, you will see that the Main Menu now has a new option displayed in the Options panel, allowing you to enter CT Analyser from the main system.