The PC-SIG Library 9/The PC-SIG Library on CD ROM - Ninth Edition.iso/901_1000/DISK0961/DISK0961.ZIP/MINI.DOC

Text File | 1980-01-01 | 17KB | 346 lines

             THE MINI-MINDER MANUAL

             Jess Hillman
             P.O. Box 642
             Columbus, MS  39703
             1-601-356-4966


         WHAT IS IT?

         This program is a simple rental property management system,
         designed to track information such as size (or other
         description), rate, various tenant data, payment records, and
         expense of operation on about 400 units.  It will also
         perform some other tasks, such as producing mailing labels in
         record sequence and billing tenants.

         Mini-Minder was written specifically for use by miniwarehouse
         or locker rental operators, but it will take little
         imagination to adapt its fixed format to practically any
         rental property scheme.

         To run this program you will need an IBM PC or compatible
         system with 128K, GW BASIC or BASICA, and two disk drives.
         Although I have run this program successfully on a PCJr and
         another system with only disk drive, it is not practical for
         the impatient--you will be swapping disks often.  The printer
         of your choice is a given.

         The original version of this program adds some reporting
         functions, plus the ability to generate past due letters and
         notices of sale of property letters. These are generally site
         specific so I did not include them here--however, anyone
         purchasing this more advanced version can include with their
         order and $50.00 check the text they would like to use for
         these letters and I will customize the program for them.  I
         will also throw in one custom report function per order.
         Simply mail your money, appropriate data and the report
         output format you would like to follow to the address above.
         For another $25.00 above each order, I will add or delete up
         to five data fields, and/or change any of the data fields in
         the basic format to suit a specific customer.

         That's a lot of customizing for $75.00 grand total, although
         I honestly believe anyone can take the program as is and run
         successfully.

         For any programmers out there, I do have some GOTOs in this
         program and if they offend you...sorry.  I just couldn't
         resist the clarity of GO TO for some screen edits.  And if
         any of you want to come to Mississippi and buy me a beer and
         some catfish and hushpuppies, I'll be glad to explain EXACTLY
         why the program is structured the way it is.  I haven't seen
         very many interpreted programs around that took up 50K-plus
         of code.  The more advanced version mentioned above, when
         running, leaves a hair over 700 bytes of the 64K BASICA
         recognizes free, so you can appreciate my warning that
         attempting to follow the code around is not for the
         fainthearted.  The program does work, and I will cheerfully
         patch any serious bugs.


         THE FILES AND WHAT THEY DO...

         There are only two basic programs included on your disk:
         MINI.BAS and WHLABELS.BAS.  MINI contains the main program
         while WHLABELS is CHAINed from the main menu to produce
         mailing labels from your database.

         There is a mandatory option on the main menu that you must
         take on startup that creates all your data files for you.
         These files include:

                UNITS      (These 3 random access files contain basic
                UNITS1      name/address type data on your tenants.
                UNITS2      Access is by unit number only.)

                NUMUNITS    (Contains 1 record--how many units you
                             have for these data files)

                B:JANUXX-B:DECEXX   (Records of income received and
                                       its source)

                B:JANEXPXX-B:DECEXPXX  (Expense record record data)

                B:DALY1XX-B:DALY12XX   (Daily report records by month)
                                        NOTE: XX = Current Year

         The three random access files handle the 362-byte record that
         is created for each unit.  I decided against setting switches
         and maintaining one file because of interpreted BASIC's 65K
         memory limit.  Setting switches would limit each file to
         about 180 units, and for most miniwarehouse and locker rental
         operations that is simply not sufficient--so extra coding
         would have been required anyway.  These three files, even at
         maximum size (somewhere around 450 units), take up only about
         half the space in a disk, so you could combine them and set
         up your system with DOS, BASICA, both WHLABELS.BAS and
         MINI.BAS on Drive A.

         All other files are sequential, and there are provisions for
         editing records in each of the income, expense and daily
         report files.  All the sequential records are kept in drive
         B: and judging from past experience it should be possible to
         keep two years' worth of records on a 250-unit operation
         quite easily on a 360K disk.



         GETTING STARTED...

         During this discussion, which doubles as brief tutorial, I am
         going to assume you will have your programs and DOS on one
         disk and the UNITS files and other files on two other disks.

         Please follow these steps:

         1. After booting your system, with the appropriate DOS/BASICA
         disk in drive A, place the disk you have received in Drive B
         and, from the DOS A> prompt, type:
                COPY B:*.*
                and strike the ENTER key.
         WARNING: This step will erase any existing AUTOEXEC.BAT files
         you have on your DOS disk.

         2. Press Control-ALT-Delete to reboot the system.  This will
         run a documentation program which prints the manual, creates
         the new AUTOEXEC.BAT files and starts the program so you may
         create all your data files and begin using the system.

         3. Place your original disk in a safe place and make backup
         copies of your program disks and both data disks.  I
         recommend at least two backup copies.


         ONCE IT'S RUNNING...

         After the initial announcement screen, you will see a prompt
         asking you to fill in the date.  If you strike the ENTER key,
         the system will show you the current system date and plug in
         that value for the program.  If the date is not correct, the
         system offers you a chance to key in the date of your choice,
         which is then established as the current system date.

         Next, you will be asked to remove the program disk and place
         the name and address data disk in Drive A.  When you strike
         any key next, the main menu appears on the screen.  Your
         choices from the menu are:

                1. ADD NEW TENANT
                2. EDIT CURRENT TENANT INFORMATION
                3. GO TO REPORTS MENU
                4. ENTER RENTAL PAYMENTS/OTHER INCOME
                5. GO TO BILLING MENU
                6. GO TO EXPENSE MENU
                7. EDIT INCOME RECORDS
                8. CHECKING ACCOUNT REVIEW
                9. EDIT DAILY REPORTS
                10. CREATE FILES FOR NEW CALENDAR YEAR
                11. DO LABELS
                12. END SESSION

         Since you are starting up the system for the first time, and
         on the first business day of each calendar year for as long
         you use the program, take option 10.  Trying to run the system
         without doing this step will result in program errors.  When
         you take it, the system responds:

         CREATE NAME AND ADDRESS FILES (IF STARTING UP FOR FIRST TIME
         ANSWER Y-(y/n)?

         Key in a Y and strike the ENTER key.

         PLACE BLANK FORMATTED DISK IN DRIVE A AND STRIKE ENTER?
         ENTER NUMBER OF UNITS FOR THIS FILE?

         These two prompts allow you to get the proper disk in drive A
         for the name and address files, and also to establish how
         many units you are going to be using from that point on
         whenever you run the program. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES DO I
         RECOMMEND KEYING ANY NUMBER HIGHER THAN 450.  Remember, you
         are dealing with BASICA and its 65K limit here.

         Once you key in the appropriate number of units, the system
         will create on the Drive A disk the files NUMUNITS, UNITS,
         UNITS1, and UNITS2.  Depending on the number you key, it
         could take several minutes.  After it is through, it will
         repeat the process for the other data files which must be
         kept on Drive B.  The difference is you will be asked to key
         in the calendar year for which the files will be created, and
         you will be cautioned to make certain the disk on which the
         new files are created contains the files for December of the
         previous year (necessary for daily report generation).


         THE REST OF THE MAIN MENU...

         You are now ready to begin working the menus in this program
         as you will during daily operation.  So, lets take the other
         options one at a time.

         1. ADD NEW TENANT.   Simply answer the prompts.  For each one
         you will be filling in a data field.  Here are the prompts
         and the maximum characters each will hold in parentheses:
                UNIT NO.?(4)
                UNIT SIZE? (5)
                MONTHLY RENTAL? (7)
                EXPECTED LENGTH OF RENTAL?(8)
                TENANT'S NAME?(30)
                SPOUSE'S NAME(30)
                STREET ADDRESS #1? (30)
                STREET ADDRESS #2? (30)
                CITY? (20)
                STATE? (2)
                ZIP CODE? (10)
                PHONE NO.? (10)
                EMPLOYED BY? (30)
                WORK PHONE? (10)
                DRIVERS LICENSE #? (30)
                SPOUSE'S EMPLOYER? (30)
                SPOUSE'S WORK PHONE? (10)
                DATE PAYMENT DUE? (8)
                CURRENT BALANCE $? (8)
                DATE LAST PAID? (8)
                IS UNIT PADLOCKED? (1)
                TENANT'S LOCK CUT? (1)
                NAME OF OTHER CONTACT, ETC.? (40)

         After filling in these fields with the appropriate
         information you will be presented with a straightforward edit
         screen that numbers each field in allows you to key in the
         number of the field and then type in the correction needed.
         Key in a "24" when all editing is done.

         2. EDIT CURRENT TENANT INFORMATION.  Use this option to
         change previously-entered data in case a tenant moves, or
         changes jobs or gets a divorce, or whatever... You will be
         asked to key in the appropriate unit number and from that
         point you will see the same edit screen you used when the
         information was first keyed.

         3. GO TO REPORTS MENU. By selecting this option you go to the
         reports menu, where, by selection, you can:
                1. Do Daily Reports...this option from the reports
                   menu gives you a vacancy report and optionally, a
                   second listing of all units where you as landlord
                   have padlocked or otherwise sequestered the
                   contents of a unit because of nonpayment of rent.
                   There is also a summary report issued following
                   these two reports that recaps receivables to date
                   and other data such as number of units rented and
                   the current state of the property checking account.
                2. List All Outstanding Units...select this report any
                   time to find out which tenants still owe you money.
                   Right off the bat the program asks if you want
                   addresses printed.  If you do answer Y and complete
                   address data will be included, otherwise you will
                   receive the tenant's name only.
                3. Current Status Of A Single Unit...You'll be asked
                   if you want hardcopy and the unit number.  What you
                   will see onscreen and on paper will look similar to
                   your record edit screen from option 2 above.
                4. List Status Of All Units...This summary asks if you
                   want addresses and prompts for a Y/N answer.  It
                   prints unit number, tenant name, current balance
                   whether or not the unit is padlocked.
                5. All these options do plain vanilla reports, Option
                6. 5 is an aging analysis, and the remainder offer
                7. predictable file dumps for income, expenses and
                8. daily reports.  In all these reports you will be
                9. prompted for a month number.

         4. ENTER RENTAL PAYMENTS/OTHER INCOME. First off the bat,
         answer the computer's question by telling it how many
         transactions you will be keying.  At the prompt, type in the
         complete month name in which the income was received.  Then
         you will be asked in turn the amount paid to you and the
         source.  If it is straight rent, key the unit number, else
         pick one of the other listed codes.  You will be given a
         couple of chances to correct any keyboard errors before the
         transactions are applied to the name/address file and stored
         in the permanent files.  Pay attention to the keyboard
         prompts.

         5. GO TO BILLING MENU.  Once you move into this menu, you
         have four main functions available.
                1. Print Trial Balance...a simple report that shows
                   you what the new balance for each unit will be
                   without changing any files.
                2. Post Billing Information and Produce Bills...
                   This option increments the current balance field
                   by the amount shown in the rate field on all units,
                   then comes back prints the bills, assuming that you
                   use typewriter paper-sized continuous form
                   letterhead.
                3. Do Aging Analysis...Exactly the same as the reports
                   menu option.
                4. Produce Bill On Single Unit...I recommend running
                   this option prior to option two, since it will give
                   you a chance to align your forms.

         6. GO TO EXPENSE MENU...Options off this menu are simple.
                1. Enter Operating Expenses...Keyboard activity here
                   is similar to the way you enter in income payments.
                   You get plenty of edit screens and a mandatory
                   printout of all transactions entered.
                2. Edit Expense Files...Just in case you goofed and
                   didn't catch it.
                3. Produce YTD Expense Summary...I probably should
                   have put this on the reports menu.  There is some
                   duplication of function between menus, as you
                   may have noticed, but not a whole lot.
                4. Dump Expense Data For Specific Month...Well, maybe
                   more than meets the eye.

         7.  EDIT INCOME RECORDS...
         9.  EDIT DAILY REPORTS...
                Both these options were included to allow a chance to
                edit these files after permanent storage had taken
                place.  Before using ANY edit feature of the program,
                I suggest you dump the file so you will know exactly
                which record needs editing.

         8.  CHECKING ACCOUNT REVIEW...No biggie here, this option
         just moves the single record in B:Chek out of the file so
         that it can be manually corrected if need be, or simply to
         double check the amount.