Multiple Updating - Update From Any Datafile Database File - Nominal

This option allows you to define how to update from any Datafile database file. You can create some very powerful system links outside the standard ledger and payroll links with this feature. In use the update procedure creates a double entry nominal ledger transaction for each incoming transaction — it is written with both debit and credit nominal codes.

The definition is very straightforward to complete in the screen shown below, and is in two parts consisting of:

The input accounting items for debit and credit amounts, value, and other items

The data items to be copied between transactions for reference and analysis

Input Accounting Items

DB account

or code:

CR account

or code:

Enter here the data items on the input file for both the debit and credit accounts. In case the input file data item for either of these is blank, you must also give the nominal ledger code to which the value is to be posted instead. If you leave either the debit or credit account input items blank then the or code would usually be a control account, if you specify both the debit and credit account input items then the orcode would usually be the suspense account.

Journal Source Code

Enter here the identify code of the journal – i.e. JNL if importing journals. You can view the codes you have defined in the nominal system profiles. If your input file contains a source code item, as you are importing from another nominal transaction file, then leave this blank and define an input copy item for it instead.

Amount

This is the data item which holds the value for this transaction. It can be an L-, K- or *-type data item in the input file.

The transaction amount is expected to be positive. If there is a negative amount, then it is written into the nominal transaction file as a positive amount with the debit and credit codes reversed.

Flag as being updated

It is good practice to include in the input file a flag which the update procedure can set to Y as it updates each transaction. This prevents the possibility that this record can be accidentally updated again at some future time. Give here the data item number for this flag (which must be a ?-type item).

Description

This is the data item in the incoming file which holds the description to copy into the nominal ledger transaction description field. It is an optional item.

Date (else run date)

You would normally give the data item number of the input transaction date here. If you do not give the data item number of a date field in the input file, then the run date is used as the date of the nominal transaction.Note that you cannot import transactions across periods – the period number you run the import at is the period updated regardless of the date on the transactions.

Post as Provisional?

You have the option to post all the transactions which are input by this routine as provisional transactions – set as required.

Tip

In many cases you may want to update only certain records from the input file. Set this option, and not only can you specify some selection criteria at run time but you can set up a proforma selection criteria screen following the input copy items procedure which comes next (see below).

Input Copy Items 

You may specify up to 10 items which you want copied from the input file into the nominal transaction file. Do not include those already mentioned on the left of the screen, since the program knows where to put them. Enter the item number in the left-hand column for each item in your external file which you want copied, and the item number in the right-hand column for the nominal transaction file data item where you want it to go.

At any time during the completion of this screen you can <Escape> to be asked ‘Are the above details OK?’ - reply ‘No’ to return to the start of the screen, or ‘Yes’ if the details are correct. If you had requested selection criteria, then you can complete a proforma selection criteria screen (see the System User Guide for more information on selection criteria) otherwise you are returned to the User Facilities menu.