THE CLERK V.3.0

This is version 3.0 of the business system Clerk. It was developed to
answer the day to day needs of the small business owner.  Modules
include accounts receivable, accounts payable and general ledger.
As a small business owner and Amiga afficianado, I thought it was time
to do something besides complain about the lack of PD business software
for the Amiga.  So I created the Clerk as an answer to my computing needs
and hopefully yours. Now that major parts of the program have been in
general use for several months, I feel it is mostly bug free. I have
stuck with my original goal of keeping it simple to use and straight
forward.

                          Set-Up
First rename the disk you intend to use this program on to "Clerk". Second
create a directory on that disk named "library".Third rename the file
g.bmap to graphics.bmap. Place graphics.bmap, dos.bmap, exec.bmap and source
in the library directory. Place all other files in your root directory.
Clerk has password protection and you may enter the program by typing
"pass" at the password prompt. If you have been using earlier versions of
Clerk, your files will be fully compatabile with this version. You must
however, name your disk "Clerk", place the "source" file in your library
directory and place the "misc." file and the "coa" file in your root
directory.

                          Operation

Hopefully, most of the functions are self-explanatory. The only part that
is tricky (and critical) is setting up your chart of accounts. I have
included the chart of accounts I use and I'd suggest you take a look at
it as a rough guide (or if it suits your needs you may use it for your
business).You will be prompted that there is a limit to the number of
accounts you may use (22) and a maximum number of characters per account(26).
You must also use a set format (account number:account name). The tricky part
to this is that their are two accounts set aside for auotmatic withdrawals,
i.e. negative accounts. These are the 6th and the 10th account numbers.
In my chart of accounts these are 750:Payroll Taxes and 810:Bank Charges.
These are charges that are automatically withdrawn from my checking
account. If you have no need for these then set them up as dummy accounts and
simply don't use them. The 1st account is a deposit account (410:Sales).
Any entry made in the 1st account will show up on your income statement as
income versus an expense item. In setting up the general ledger you will
need to provide an opening balance for your checking account. If you should
ever need to change the balance, you can go back to the Create Chart of
Accounts function and change your balance without having to enter a new
chart of accounts. Regarding the Company Data section, you will need to
enter your company name,address, telephone #. This information will be
used on various printouts. You will also be prompted for your password.
If you wish to continue using "pass" then you still MUST enter this at
the prompt. If you wish to use another word then don't forget it or you'll
never gain entry again. You will also be asked to enter your vendor
account numbers. If you look at any of the bills from your kindly creditors
you'll note that they assign you an account number. Have those handy to
enter in the system so that they can be printed on your check vouchers.
In summary, you should create a chart of accounts (unless you use the
generic version I've provided). Then use the company data menu to enter
your company info, password, and vendor numbers. If you haven't used
the earlier versions of Clerk, you will also need to use the create file
functions for your receivables and payables.

                           Misc. quirks, info, etc.

With a program this size, memory conservation was an important
consideration. To keep memory useage down, I have used dynamic arrays
that expand in relation to file sizes. There is a drawback in that should
you enter a large number of records in one session, the system may crash
(a small crash, no guru) I chose to accept this flaw since no records will
be lost and you need only reboot the system which will then redimension the
arrays to reflect your additional records. The alternative was to place a
strict limit on record numbers. You will also note a orange box in the right
corner with many of the operations. This is a "Click Me" box. To continue
your task, simply click the left mouse once inside the box. You will notice
some functions slow as the number of records increase. Again this was a
trade-off (you can see programming involves a lot of tough deceisions).
One of my complaints with the commerical business programs available was
their practice of deleting old records and only storing a summary. This
of course kept the program zipping right along, but I'd rather keep all
my records on disk then have to search through hard copies to look up a
a check number or old invoice. Speaking of copies, do make hard copies,
and do backup your disks....To quote my production foreman and noted
philosopher, "shit happens".

                             Enjoy and direct your questions ,comments,etc.
to;
Sanford Finley: Plink c/o Goodbar
                Compuserve c/o 71320,252
                Genie c/o F700
or Jonathan Pepper Company
   801 E. Ogden Suite 1099
   Naperville, IL 60566
   (312)-420-7070