Copyright: Spender Pro, version 3.0
Citation: Please register Spender Pro


Help Summary

General section Program introduction Create a new database Open an existing database Update (import expenses) Create a security copy of your database	Operations section Expenses data entry module Income data entry module Expenses search module Monthly cumulative follow-up Manual monthly-planning Automatic monthly-planning
Specific section Add or erase a category Add or erase a payment mode Rename a category or a payment mode Display a search result	Help section Wizard Registration About Spender Pro
Copyright © 1997-1999 Vision Innovation enr.


Program introduction

The fastest way to learn about Spender Pro is to use the wizard. The wizard is an educational software in eight simple and fast steps. In ten minutes, you will have an overview of the Spender Pro possibilities. If you want more details or if you have problems with few modules, you can consult the online help or send your questions to spenderpro@rayonline.com. You don’t need to be member to benefit from technical support.

With this new version of Spender Pro, you can now open more then one window at the same time.  To change windows, use the toolbar or the menus.

Now, you have an options window from which you can ;

•	add or erase a category

•	choose the date format in the whole program

•	choose the opening window when you open Spender Pro

At the bottom of the screen, there are permanent statistics which inform you on the state of your income and your monthly / yearly expenses.


Create a new database

Explanations :

You must create a new database to record your data.  A database is a file which will contain your income, your expenses, your monthly-planning and all other useful information. Your database will open automatically with each start of Spender Pro.

How to use it?

•	In the file menu, choose : create a new database.

•	Choose a name and a path for your new database.


Open an existing database

Explanations :

You can save your data in several databases. That becomes useful when you want to separate your data from that of another person.

How to use it?

•	In the file menu, choose : open an existing database.

•	Choose the database you want to open. Your database will open automatically with each start of Spender Pro.


Update (import expenses)

Explanations :

This option is useful only when your data is contained into two databases. It copy the expenses from a source database towards your currently opened database. IMPORTANT : Doubles are erased.

How to use it?

•	In file menu, choose : update (import expenses).

•	Determine the source database.


Create a security copy of your database

Explanations :

Regularly use the security copy fonction to prevent you from a possible loss of data.  Drive A:\ is the only possible destination for your security copy.  If you want to save your database in another destination, use your file manager.

How to use it?

•	In the file menu, choose : create a security copy of your database.

•	Insert a disk in drive A:\  and press enter.


Expenses data entry module

Explanations:

This module is used to record your expenses. An expense includes seven entries : the category, the store, the city, the description, the purchase date, the payment mode and the amount. You must fill out these fields before backing up your expense (store name, city name and description are optional). When you save an expense, an exceeded or warning message will be displayed if you exceed your monthly-planning.

To accelerate the data entry of your expenses, Spender Pro remembers stores, cities and payment modes associated with each category.

If you want to change the way in which the date is displayed in the whole program, open the options window and change the date type format.

How to use it?

•	In the expenses menu, choose : expenses data entry module.

•	Fill out all the fields and save your expense.


Income data entry module

Explanations :

This module is used to record and to look up your income. In the top section, you have the history of all your income. You can look up your income by month, by year or at once by selecting the corresponding option.

To erase an income, select the one you want to erase and click on the X button.  To add a new one, fill out all the entries in the bottom section and click on the save button.

How to use it?

•	In the operations menu, choose : income data entry module.

•	Look up or add a new income the way you like.


Monthly cumulative follow-up

Explanations :

This module is very interesting and one of most useful because you can visualize four months of income, expenses and monthly-planning. Each month is separated into two columns : realized and planned.  At the bottom of the window, you have expenses and income totals.

You can move between months, one month at a time, using the small arrows in the top left corner of the window. If there are stars in a planned column, that means this category didn’t exist for this month.

You can click on the realised columns in the grid obtain the corresponding expense list.  This will not work with planned columns.

How to use it?

In the operations menu, choose : monthly cumulative follow-up. You can also reach it with the toolbar.


Manual monthly-planning

Explanations :

This module enables you to plan each category you have added in the options window.  For each category, you must fix a warning amount and an exceeded amount with their corresponding messages.  While adding a new expense, a personalized message will be displayed if you exceed your monthly-planning.

In the top section, you have the category list with its respective data. When you move from one category to another, the bottom section changes. To modify the amounts or the messages, write directly in the reserved spaces and click on the save button.

How to use it?

•	In the operations menu, choose : manual monthly-planning.

•	Modify the amounts and the messages and save the changes.


Automatic monthly-planning

Explanations :

This module helps you to accelerate the realization of your monthly-planning.  The top section is used to copy a previous month’s planning in the current month. If you are still in your first month, it’s normal not to see any month in the list.

It’s important to note that when you activate the automatic monthly-planning, the amounts are modified but the messages remain intact.

The bottom section is used to make monthly-planning a little more realistic starting from the expenses of the previous month.  Thus, for a category, it’s not the month’s planning of another month which is copied but the total amount of the expenses of this category.

A good way to make your monthly-planning would be to use the bottom section and then, to slightly modify the amounts in the manual monthly-planning module.

How to use it?

•	In the operations menu, choose : automatic monthly-planning.

•	Choose the top or the bottom section

•	Choose a month on the list.

•	Click on the “Activate automatic monthly-planning” button.

•	Automatically, the amounts will be modified and the manual monthly-planning window will appear so that you can see the modifications.


Add or erase a category

Explanations :

You have to create categories in order to organize your budget correctly. You can create as many categories as you want.

How to add a category?

Open the options window and click on the green button above the category list.

How to erase a category?

Open the options window and click on the X button above the category list.


Add or erase a payment mode

Explanations :

You have to create payment modes in order to organize your budget correctly. You can create as many payment modes as you want.

How to add a category?

There are three ways to add a payment mode in the expenses data entry module.

•	In the expenses menu, under payment mode, choose to add a payment mode.

•	You can click on the green button beside the payment mode list.

•	Highlight the payment mode list and press on the insert key.

How to erase a category?

There are three ways to erase a payment mode. For each way, you must previously have selected a payment mode in the list in the expenses data entry module.

•	In the expenses menu, under payment mode, choose to erase the active mode.

•	You can click on the X button beside the payment mode list.

•	Highlight a specific payment mode in the list and press on the delete key.


Expenses search module

Explanations :

When you have many recorded expenses, it becomes very interesting to analyze them. A good way to do this is to make a detailed search with the expenses search module.  You can either do a simple or a complex search, depending of your needs. When you carry out your search, the result is an exhaustive list of the expenses corresponding to your search criteria.

How to use it?

You can specify your criteria starting from the seven basic entries and determine the display order of the result.

•	If you don’t check any category, the result of your search will take all the listed categories. Same thing for the payment modes.

•	If you check one, two or several categories, the result of your search will only take the expenses associated with these categories. Same thing for the payment modes.

•	Choose the time interval corresponding to the desired expenses. You can personalize this interval in your own way. By default, it is attached to the expenses of the last month.

•	Choose the amount interval.

•	You can enter a keyword for the store, the city or the description.  Example : if you type "liquor" in the description, the result will contain all the expenses having the word liquor in the description.

•	Finally, choose the order in which you want to see the results apprear.

To execute a search, click on the button in the windows bottom.


Display a search result

Explanations :

The search result is an exhaustive expense list which corresponds to your search criteria. Several handling options are offered to you at this time.  First, the table menu is activated and several commands become available to you. You can :

•	Display the columns you want.

•	Select an expense to modify or erase.

•	Visualize the complete description of an expense if it is too long to be completely seen on the grid.

•	Automatically generate a HTML report of the expense list with the visible columns.

•	Automatically generate an Excel report of the expense list with the visible columns. In this case, you must have at least Excel 5.0 or an Excel viewer to be able to use it.

•	Automatically generate an Excel graph of the expense list with the visible columns. In this case, you must have at least Excel 5.0 or an Excel viewer to be able to use it.

You can click on the heading columns to sort in ascending order according to this column.  Also, statistics appear at the bottom of the window. These statistics include the minimum, the maximum, the average, the total and the number of expenses on the list corresponding to your search criteria.


Rename a category or a payment mode

Why rename ?

•	The name is no longer significant to you.

•	If you want to combine categories or payment modes, rename with a pre-existing name.

How to use it?

The only place where you can rename a category or a payment mode is in the expenses search module.  Please note, if you rename a category with a pre-existing name, the expenses of the two categories will be combined in only one category with the new name. No expenses will be lost. Same thing for a payment mode.

•	In the search menu, choose : rename a category or a payment mode.

•	Then, click on the category or the payment mode which you want to modify.

•	Type the new name in the input box.


Wizard

Explanations :

The wizard is very useful to a person who is not familiar with Spender Pro. It’s a small educational software in eight simple and fast steps.  It gives you an overview on the Spender Pro possibilities

How to use it?

•	In the help menu, choose : wizard.

•	Click on the next step button to pass throught the next step.


Registration

Explanations :

To order Spender Pro, you need your member code. To obtain this number, open the About window and you will see it.  At that time, visit the Vision Innovation web site to http://www.rayonline.com/spenderpro/ and go to the order section.

From there, follow the instructions indicated. Once the transaction is complete, you will receive your register code by e-mail in about 48 hours. This register code will enable you to remove the 50 expenses limit.

The Spender Pro cost is only 19,95$ US.

How to remove the 50 expenses limit of this program?

Once you have received your register code, follow these instructions.  In the help menu, choose the registration.  Type your register code in the text zone and press the accept button.

Do you have other questions?

Support : spenderpro@rayonline.com

Web site : http://www.rayonline.com/spenderpro/index.html


About Spender Pro

Explanations :

This window displays general information such as the current version, the Spender Pro goal and your member code in order to register the program.