Account Reports - Application User Facilities

Here you define how the sales/purchase reports, based on the accounts file, are to print. For most reports the parameters you must give include the print style (type of printing), the data items to print, and any sorting sequence for the final report.

The set-up for most reports follows a standard pattern as illustrated by the ‘Account Listing’ report.

Print Control

Up to eight report styles can be defined on your system through the CONFIG user (see the Configuration Guide). These control the length/width of page to print. The styles available are listed at the bottom right of the screen.

Data Items

Here you can select up to ten items to print across the page for each report. The data items available for selection are listed to the right of the screen – you can also, however, use the F4-Select key to select items for the report.

Sorting Sequence

Reports are normally printed in account code order. You may specify a different sorting sequence for a report here by giving the item numbers in the file of the data item on which you wish to sort. The first item chosen is the senior sort item, with each subsequent one being junior.

You have the option to choose an ascending sort sequence (normal choice) or descending value. You might use descending value if sorting on a numeric value.

The OPTIONS Button

The Options button allows you to set defaults for how this report is printed. The items available here can also be amended at run-time if required and were discussed as part of the user section of this manual, although they are included here again for reference.

Before discussing the parameters you should note the buttons available at the footer of this parameter screen.

The report parameters available are:

Paper Size - select the paper size the report is to be printed to (i.e. A4).You can elect to leave this blank in which case the report is printed as per the last/default page size of the printer, however, if you do this you can only choose fixed pitch fonts (and the screen is a slightly different layout) – selecting a page size is mandatory to use proportional fonts.

Default to Landscape – set to default the printed report to landscape, leave blank for usual portrait orientation. You may want to set reports such as the Sales Ledger Aged Debtors Report or the Cashbook Receipts Analysis Listing to landscape to increase the size of print as these reports require a large amount of detail to be printed.

Show Time in Report Headings – set to include the printed time in the report headings in addition to the printed date.

Include Selection Criteria – set to print any selection criteria that were applied to the report.

Email as Text – if send this report via email this option allows you to send as a text file attachment as opposed to, if left blank, PDF.

Omit Full Page Headings – When printing a multi-page report the system repeats the headings for each page. Setting this option reduces the heading details for the second and subsequent pages allowing more record detail to be printed per page.

Default Output to Spooler – Usually, when printing a report, the default printer is the last print device used. Select this option to set the default printer as the spooler for this report. This acts only as a default and doesn’t prevent you electing to print the report instead.

Allow Change of Printer Alias – when these options are configured then it is assumed you are printing as ‘direct windows print’ and this is the alias set by default. Setting this option allows you to change the default alias at run-time to one of the list of Datafile configured printers. If you change the alias to a ‘DOS’ style alias then the page size (length/width) is again picked up from the Print Style Profile and fonts depend on ASCII codes configured, although other settings such as ‘include time’ etc. remain from the OPTIONS display.

Print Negatives in Red – on selected reports, assuming you have a colour printer, it may be useful to print negative values in red. This option is not applicable if the page size is left blank.

The next set of parameters allows you to specify formatting and margin settings for both portrait and landscape when the page size has been set. The appropriate setting being used based on the orientation of the output selected at run-time.

Characters Per Line – the system displays the width of the report items on the right. If you leave this value at 0 (recommended) then the report width used in determining the start column positions of data items (as discussed above with regards to font size) is the larger of either the report print items or 80 columns.You can manually set a report width – from 64 to 255 columns. You may want to increase the number of columns on (say) a landscape report with few print items to bring the fields closer together to aid in reading.

Lines Per Page – if left at 0 (recommended) then the number of lines per page is determined by the font and page size. Alternatively you can set a number of lines per page, perhaps to give a greater gap between rows of data items.

Left Margin (mm) – set the size of the left hand margin (relative to page orientation in millimetres.

Right Margin (mm) – set the size of the right hand margin.

Top Margin (mm) – set the size of the top margin.

Bottom Margin (mm) – set the size of the bottom margin.

This set of parameters allows you to specify formatting and margin settings for both portrait and landscape when the page size has notbeen set. Two columns are definable, one to use if printing in portrait, the other if printing in landscape - the appropriate setting being used based on the orientation of the output selected at run-time.

Minimum Characters Per Line – the system displays the width of the report items to the right. If you leave this value as 0 then the report width is the larger of either the report print items or 80 characters. You can manually set a report width – from 64 to 255 characters wide – but if you set a width less than the items actually printed then this is overridden by the report width at run-time.

Maximum Lines Per Page – if left at 0 then when printing a report the system will determine the number of lines per page based on the report width and the printable area of the page up to a maximum of 72 lines per page in portrait mode or 50 lines per page in landscape mode. Alternatively you can set the number of lines per page, from 16 to 255, and this is then taken into account when deciding font size to ensure that number of lines is printed. If left at 0 then when sending to the spooler the lines per page is assumed to be 72 in portrait mode and 50 in landscape. If you require an identical print from the printer and the spooler then a maximum number of lines should be set.

Left Margin – set the number of characters to be used as a margin from 1 to 64.If you require a margin then when entering the value you need to take into account the report print width – a margin of 4 characters on an 80-character report will be bigger than a margin of 4 characters on a 132-character report. If left at 0 no left margin is applied.

Right Margin – if you require a margin to be applied on the right of the report set the number of characters accordingly (again 1-64), if leave as 0 then no right margin is applied.

Top Margin – set the number of lines to leave as a margin at the top of the page (1-32 lines). If left at 0 then no top margin is applied.

Bottom Margin – set the number of lines to leave as a margin at the bottom of the page (1-32 lines). If left at 0 then no bottom margin is applied.

Finally, you can set default options that are used when you send the report to print or e-mail.

Print Device – if using a stand-alone Datafile system then you can set a default printer to output to. This option only applies when sending to a print device; if last printer was spooler or fax then this remains the default. If using a networked Datafile system then you can still set this where you are printing to a networked printer – provided all terminals have a consistent device path.If the print device isn’t valid then the normal printer is offered instead.

E-mail Address – if the report is sent to email then here you can enter an email address that is to be used by default for this report – though it can be amended at run-time.

Once you’ve set the desired parameters select the SAVE option to apply for future prints.

Account Listing

Used to give a reference report of the accounts in the ledger you can specify up to ten data items to be included. The standard report lists the account code, name and telephone number.

Account Status

This report is used to print a financial summary by account. The standard report lists the account code and name, the current balance, the value of unallocated payments and the date of the last invoice and payment amount.

Name & Address

This report lists the account name and address vertically.

Unallocated Payments

This reports shows the accounts that have unallocated credits (debits in the purchase ledger) recorded against them. The standard report shows the account code and name, the current balance, the value of unallocated payments, and the last payment date for reference.

Analysis Report

The format of this report is fixed, although you can specify the print control to use. Although the report usually analyses the current year turnover you can choose a different value item to analyse if you wish.

Aged Analysis

This is one of the most valuable reports, and although the basic format of the report is fixed (amounts outstanding are summarised in columns depending on the age of the debts) there are several alternative methods of presentation available to you.

Include Extra Item

You can print one extra item from the accounts file on the report – for example the default is the telephone number but you may alternately choose the credit limit. Enter here the data item number required <F4-Select> is available.

Report Comment

If you want to enter a comment to print on the report at run-time then set this option.

Age on Due Date

Most people prefer to age on original transaction date, in which case you leave this option blank.If you set this option then transactions are aged on the due date. An extra column, headed FORWARD, is printed between the BALANCE and CURRENT values to hold amounts not yet due when this option is set.

Include TX Detail

This is the default setting which you can amend at run-time. Set as to whether you usually include transactions when running this report.

Include B/F Accounts

An aged account report normally prints only those accounts defined as open item. If you have a mixture of accounts on file then the total of the aged analysis report would not equal the ledger balance. If you set this option then balance b/f accounts are also printed on the report although they are not aged. This allows the report balance total to match that of the ledger control total.

DB and CR Report

If set then if an account has a mixture of unallocated debits and credits separate totals for the debits and credits are displayed with a net total, if only unallocated debits (credits) then one total is reported. Only applicable if the following parameter not set.

Credits as Column (Debits for Purchase Ledger)

This option allows you to print an extra column showing the unallocated payments for each account on the report (these values are already included in the ageing columns).

Double Spacing

Set to leave a blank line between each account on the report.

Use a Dash Line

Set this, in addition to the above, to replace the blank line between each account with a separator line.

Single Line Report

Only applicable when not reporting transactions or including the extra item this option puts the account name on the same line as the account code so that each account only reports as a single line.

Use Month Names

If ageing on calendar months then setting this option uses the month name rather than ‘Month-1’, ‘Month-2’ etc.

Sort On

Ascending / Descending

You can sort the report on up to four data items from the accounts file and set whether the sort sequence is to be processed in ascending or descending sequence. For example, in the sales ledger you may set the report to be sorted on the BALANCE data item in descending order so the customers who owe the most are at the top of the report.

Sub-Total on Item

If you are sorting your aged report, then you can ask for sub-totals to be printed on change of a data item. You would usually set the first sort item as the sub-total item you require.

Include Extra Trans Items

If including transactions on the report you can nominate up to five items from the transaction file to be displayed. When including transactions the system already displays the type, date and reference of the transaction.

Include All Transactions This Period

The aged analysis report only shows transactions that are outstanding. Setting this option also includes any transactions entered within the period though doesn’t display anything in the balance or ageing columns for it.

Print Large Values

The aged analysis and balance columns format the value to print in up to 8 significant figures.Where a larger value is necessary then setting this option formats the value to print in up to 10 significant figures.

Allow Sel Transactions

This option allows you to enter selection criteria at run-time for the transactions to be reported.

Customer Profit (Sales Ledger)

This report is used to show the profitability of sales to the customer and usually shows the account code and name, turnover for the period and year, costs for the period and year plus a margin of profit over turnover.

Supplier Payment Report (Purchase Ledger)

This report is used to show the transactions due for payment and usually shows the transaction date, the due date, the reference, description and any status flag. In addition special items are used to show the payment amount (outstanding less any settlement discount) and discount available. The report automatically includes the account code and name so these items need not be specified.

Control Summary

This report is the Ledger Control Summary and has a fixed layout, although you can amend the printer profile and print settings if required.