In addition to the design features accessible from the document mask there are various parameter screens, thirteen in all for the Sales Statements (17 for Purchase), which can be used to configure the printed output and the processing of the document.When you select Parameters we automatically display the first of these parameter screens. You can navigate between the parameter screens by using the options available at the bottom of the parameter screen.
The PREVIOUS button, available on all bar the first parameter screen, takes you to the previous parameter screen. The NEXT button, available on all bar the last parameter screen, takes you to the next parameter screen. The OK and CLOSE buttons both return you to the document mask.
The ACTION pull-down lists the parameter screens available allowing you to go directly to the required screen if desired.
In addition to the buttons you can navigate between pages by use of the <Page-Up> and <Page-Down> keys. The <End> key will also take you to the next page and the <ESC> key will return you to the document mask. Note that once you have changed the value of an item then the value is updated to the definition – if you want to reset it you must either change it back or exit from the document design without saving.
Select the printer profile that you wish to use when printing this document layout. A help bubble at the bottom of the screen gives the available styles.
Selecting this option causes the printer to stop at the end of each page to give the operator time to insert another sheet of paper. Leaving blank assumes automatic feeding.
Reports take the ‘page size’ settings from the print profile or the printer; however these settings are defined separately for the document. Note that although you can size the document to a maximum of 132 lines to match the page length of the stationery you are using, you can only configure the print of detail up to 66 lines.
Key in the number of characters of the document width – max is 136 characters although you can only design up to 128 characters. If using direct windows print then the more characters across the page the smaller the print (in essence other print methods follow the same guideline but require ASCII codes to set the font size as well).
These parameters refer to where the first and last lines on the document between which the statement details are printed.
This refers to whether, when you print the document, a copy is to be saved into the document history available on the sales/purchase ledger enquiry. Enter ‘S’ if the document is to be saved.
In most cases you will print statements before the end of a period. Although you may have posted some payments, and even raised some invoices in the few days for the next period, you may not want to include these when printing the statement. If left blank forward transactions are not included.
If leave blank then current transactions are reported – current being transactions entered during the period and those that were outstanding at the start of the period.If set then the full account history (or as much of it as set to retain in the system profiles) is printed. This option only applies to ‘open-item’ type accounts.
When printing the statement the system asks you for the accounts that you wish to print for – All accounts, a List of specified accounts, a Range of Accounts or Selective accounts. Enter A L R or S for the default accounts to print (can amend at run-time as required).
An open-item type statement does not normally give a running balance, it shows the value of each transaction, and the balance outstanding on each invoice. This option is usually set.
Set to allow the ‘balance’ item to print as a running balance, like the final column on a bank statement, rather than the outstanding value of each transaction.
If not set to print an open-item type statement, i.e. all accounts are set as ‘balance brought-forward’, then a balance b/f value is printed at the start of the statement.Set to leave a blank line between this value and the start of the transaction detail.
When left blank, transactions are aged by the transaction dates entered, if set then they are aged on the due date of the transaction.
Setting this option saves the statement date back to the account record for enquiry. Note, if set for this option the system requires an exclusive lock on the ledger files to print a statement.
Up to five statement date fields can be maintain on the customer accounts file. If configured this option controls which date, of the five, is updated. These five dates are in addition to the generic statement date item above.
Setting this option allows you to pre-define selection criteria for the accounts to be processed.Note that this option only applies if you set ‘Eligible Accounts’ parameter at run-time to ‘Search Criteria Screen’.
This feature allows you to number statement pages consecutively for each customer. So today, for example, you might be printing the 42nd statement page for customer BAL001 and the 65th page for customer WAL001. If set then the system requires an exclusive lock on the ledger files when printing the statement.
Here you can define were on the statement layout the page number is to print (can define up to two places). It is more usual to define the printing position from the document mask using the category ‘Statement Headings’.
Statements are usually printed in account code order but this option allows you to specify a different order by defining a sorting sequence. Enter the item number, <F4-Select> available if required, of the data items of the sort.
Normally you would print in ascending order (set to A) but you can print in descending order also (set to D)
If the statement is configured as a remittance advice for use with the automatic generation of payments, particularly with a combined cheque, then the remittance is printed for the automatic payment detail recorded against the account. This option, when set, clears this payment detail so that the remittance cannot be reprocessed.
This option allows you to calculate and add an interest charge to an overdue sales account. When set a pop up form allows extra parameters.If calculating and recording interest the statement process will require an exclusive file lock.
The following parameters appear in the interest pop-up window.
Set to calculate interest for printing but don’t add to the account. You could print the calculated interest as a warning of the charge that would be applied if the account is not brought up-to-date.
Interest would only be charged if the balance was overdue by the number of days stated here.
You can either put an interest rate on the account itself or else use a global rate. To use a global rate enter the value here. If you enter zero here, then the routine assumes the rate is set per account record.
This defines the (optional) item which holds the interest rate to be charged for this account. You must give an item if the global rate is zero.
Enter a value below which no interest change will be calculated – i.e. if outstanding value less than £1.00 then do not calculate any interest.
Interest charges do not attract VAT in the UK, enter here the zero-rated tax code.
Enter here the default values to write into the interest transaction as it is written.
Set this if you want the interest rate to be part of the description. E.g. if the description above were set to ‘Interest charged at’ then the actual transaction description, assuming a rate of 1.75% would be ‘Interest charged at 1.75%’.
To flag interest transactions for analysis or other purposes, give the transaction file item number to hold the ‘Y’ flag here.
Some companies do not like to charge interest on unpaid interest charges; if so set this option (note the transaction flag item above is required).
Your statement design may differ according to whether you charge interest or not. A simple way to omit accounts for the interest rate calculation is to set this option. In which case, only accounts with a non-zero rate of interest will be processed.
The customer / supplier accounts field can record a flag to omit print of the statement for this account.Set this option to take this flag into account when printing this individual statement.
The ‘Eligible Accounts’ option when printing a statement at run-time includes the option for selection criteria. This option gives the ability to set default criteria to be applied.
Usually set for purchase remittance advices, this option would only print transactions that have been paid as part of the payment generation process.
If you set this option only outstanding invoice transactions will be printed. If you leave this option blank then invoices that have been fully settled since the last period end will also be shown (with a nil balance).
An open-item statement usually shows all transactions on file, regardless of date or allocation status.These options allow you to include or omit fully allocated transactions of each type. For purchase remittances you would not set these options. On the sales ledger side, if you wish your customers to use your statement as a remittance advice, then setting these questions will make the remittance advice clearer in terms of what is owed.
When a transaction is posted with an incorrect value, or to the wrong account, you can enter an invoice adjustment to cancel it and re-enter correctly. If you do not wish the statement to show these errors you can flag the transactions, once allocated, with an ‘X’ status. Setting this option configures the statement to ignore X flagged transactions where they have been allocated.
The sales and purchase allocation routines allow other flags in addition to X-Omit. These include C-Contra and D-Disputed for both the sales and purchase ledger, B-Bad Debt for the sales ledger, plus U-Unauthorised and P-to-Pay for the purchase ledger. This option allows entry of a string of flags which, if match a flag set on the transaction, will mean that transaction isn’t included on the statement / remittance.For example a purchase remittance may be set to DU meaning that disputed and un-authorised transactions are excluded.
Typically, an open-item statement which includes a partially-paid invoice is configured to show the total invoice amount in the debit column, the amount paid so far in the credit column, and the amount outstanding in the total column. Some people find this confusing so by setting this option the amount paid so far will not be printed.
Where payment and credit note transactions are present, but you have not yet allocated them against invoices, the total of these unallocated credit values can be printed on the statement in the balance column. Set if required.
One of the detail items that can be printed, particularly useful if the balance is configured to be a running balance, allows print of the unallocated amount of the transaction.Setting this option means that this value is only printed for invoice transactions.
This prompt asks for the maximum number of significant figures to use when a value item is printed.The maximum is 10 significant figures but this can be a lot more than is necessary and, where print room is tight, reducing this value can help.
The system can print a flag, usually an asterisk, to highlight overdue transactions. Set here the ASCII code value, <F4-Select> is available if required, to use for the highlight character.
If printing statements for file purposes, rather than to send, or print one page per account, setting this option means that blank lines are suppressed (depending on the number of transactions), more than one account is processed per page. You would want to design a much simpler statement layout for this report if this option was to be set.
When using pre-printed continuous stationery it can be helpful to run a test print for alignment purposes. Setting this option allows the option for a test print at run-time.
These options allow, where statements are often printed over several pages for an account a page number to be printed – i.e. Page 2 of 4. Set the line/column these items are to be printed at.
Usually configured for print via the document mask and the category ‘Amount Due / Settlement Discount’ these options allow you specify the line/column print position, usually in the footer section of the remittance advice, of the total pay amount including any discount taken, the net amount of the payment, and the discount taken.
If you want to exclude the payment that the remittance is being printed for, you could set the ‘omit allocated payments’ option above. However, if you want to include previously unallocated payments, but not ‘this payment’ then setting this option alone allows this.
Set if the designed remittance includes a cheque layout.
This parameter screen primarily contains print items which are better set via the document mask.The items that can be printed include
Usually, printed in the same detail column as the transaction description. Applies only to Balance B/F statements
Allows you to specify the print position (twice) of the account code.
Allows you to specify the print position (twice) of the statement date.
Allows you to specify the print position (twice) of the month end date.
Allows you to specify the print position of the debit column. Two print positions can be specified – one for the statement and one for any remittance tear-off.
Allows you to specify the print position of the credit column. Again two print positions can be specified.
Allows, on an open-item statement, the separate print of the unallocated value of a transaction when the balance column is used as a running balance.
Prints either the outstanding value of the transaction, or a running balance of the outstanding values.
Set the print position in the document footer where the final balance is to be printed (note this must be in vertical alignment with the print of the balance detail item)
Set the print position of the document type – i.e. INV, PAY, CRD etc.
Set the print position of the age of the invoice transaction.
If you are not printing the balance column then setting this option means that instead of the value of the invoice/payment being printed in the debit and credit columns, the outstanding value is printed instead. This parameter can be set for either the first or second print of the debit/credit columns.
Useful for the purchase remittance advice, this setting allows the debit/credit columns to display the actual values paid. This parameter can only be set for the first print of the debit/credit column.
This parameter asks, when using a statement with a remittance tear-off slip, at what column the remittance advice starts.
Applicable for open-item statements, this screen allows you to configure the aged analysis periods for print. It allows you to print the five ageing period values, the current period values plus, when ageing on due date, the forward value.
You may print the aged totals for debits and credits separately as well as having the balance, or just print the balance. All of these items can be set for print via the document mask. In addition parameters are available for:
When running the statement you have the option to select the types of account printed – All, those with a balance, those with a balance overn days, etc. Setting this option applies a default setting to this parameter each time it is run otherwise the value is remembered each time. A help bubble at the bottom right of the screen shows the options available.
If set a default type of account such as ‘balance over 30 days’ then this option can be set to only include the transactions over 30 days ignoring anything that is due in the current/forward period. This option can be useful when the statement is being used as a debtor chasing letter.
Setting this option gives a pop-up window with these parameters.
If you age over days such as 30, 60, 90, and 120 then printing the aged analysis table with entries for the later entries could actually encourage late payment. On the statement design you are likely to have text such as ‘Balance Over 30 days’, ‘Balance Over 60 days’, and so on. These options allow you to blank out a length of text if the customer does not have any balance over that number of days.(If they have no balance over 30 days, but do have a balance over 60 days then the 30 days text is not blanked).
Usually you would enter the age days on the mask – i.e. ‘Over 30 days’. However this would be inappropriate if you change the number of days as part of the pre-run parameters. This option allows you to set a line/column for the actual ageing periods used.
If you define five ageing periods but, for the statement, you only print the first three then any values after in the fourth and fifth ageing period would be omitted unless you set this option, when they would be included in the third ageing period.
This screen allows you to print unallocated amounts on the statement, either in total or divided between payments and credit notes. For a sales statement these amounts may be printed on the statement only, or on a remittance advice alongside as well.
The print positions would usually be positioned via the mask and the category ‘Statement Totals’ but the messages printed must first be defined via this parameter screen. The messages will not be displayed if the appropriate value is zero.
If set then the settlement discount available for any invoice that is partially allocated is proportional to the outstanding value otherwise the discount available is displayed in full.
Usually set via the mask and the category ‘Amount Due / Settlement Discount’ alternatively you can set the line/column for these three print items.
Enter the text to be printed, over two lines, if any settlement discount is available. These items only print if settlement discount available is not zero. Although the items can be configured to print from the document mask, category ‘Amount Due/Settlement Discount’, the message must be entered first.
These items ask for the print positions of the settlement discount values and, as such, would usually be set to print from the document mask. The first item is available to print from the category ‘Statement Detail Lines’, the remaining two from the category ‘Amount Due / Settlement Discount’
This screen allows you to select up to fifteen items from the accounts file to be printed, and as such would usually be configured to printed from the document mask and the category ‘Account Details’
This option allows you to omit blank lines from the address detail where you enter the address in a structure format – line 1 and 2 is address, line 3 is town, line 4 is county etc.The name and address range must be defined in the advanced features of the database structure for this option to apply.
If you are using the statement address facility, where a statement for an account is sent to another account (perhaps a head office) items on screen 7 above relate to the account to which the statement is being sent. These items relate to the account that the statement is for. Again these print items would usually be configured to print from the document mask and the category ‘Originating Account Details’.These items only print if the statement address facility is in use for the account.
This screen allows you to configure for print up to 10 items from the transaction record. Although the items can be configured to print from the document mask, category ‘Transaction Detail Lines’ you can also configure here whether, if printing a value item, to omit the print if the value is 0.
Set to print a blank line between statement detail entries
Set to allow a run-time facility to only report selective transactions. You might enable this option on an account history statement so you can restrict the detail printed (say) to the last financial year.
This option allows you to print an extra 10 items from the transaction file. These items, however, all print in the same column down the statement rather than across. When set, a pop-up window asks for the column number to print the extra text in and the items to be printed.
This option allows the statement date or month end date to be printed with a four-digit year. Set if required.
Set to print document dates, as printed from the Statement Headings category, in full text format rather than digits.
This allows you to specify certain text messages to be printed. You can print up to three lines of text that are to be input at run-time plus selected messages to print when an account has a balance greater than one of the ageing periods – only one of these print at run-time, that for the oldest invoice.
As with other items these can be set for print from the document mask though you have to enter the ageing messages here first.
On a currency based system the statement is (usually) printed in the currency of the account.These options allow you to configure the print of the currency code, name and short name on the statement.These items can be set to print from the document mask.
This screen is reserved for those occasions when a user has a special requirement that Datafile Software has programmed specifically. Any parameter settings required for this special option are defined here, and your reseller will advise.
Only applicable if remittance layout includes cheque print.
These prompts control where and how the cheque date is printed. Usually set from the Cheque Details category on the mask these options allow you to set the line/column for print of the date either as one item or split into its component parts.
These prompts control where and how the cheque number is printed (if not pre-set on the layout).Alternatively you can position the cheque number print item from the mask via the ‘Cheque Details’ category.
These prompts control when printing the amount whether it is prefixed with the currency sign, or leading zeroes. Enter the appropriate ASCII code for these characters if required.
This prompt controls the line number on which the cheque narrative is printed. Alternatively you can position the narrative from the mask.
The system will use the AMOUNT field from the purchase transaction as the cheque value unless you nominate another item here.
These prompts ask for printing position of the payee name, usually set via the document mask although the size must be set here. The item used for the payee name is set within the ‘Account Items to be Printed’ parameter screen.
These prompts ask for the printing position of the cheque amount, usually set via the document mask although it can also be set here.
If your cheque layout has boxes into which you update a number into – for example if writing a cheque for £357 pounds you update THREE into the hundreds box, FIVE into the tens box, and SEVEN into the singles box, then these parameters allow you to specify the column number to print at. If setting manually, and not via the mask, you also need to update the line number on the first parameter screen.
Similar to the above this asks for the column to update the number of pence into, however this updates as a value ‘57’.
If the cheque layout has a narrative for updating the cheque value into – for example, if writing a cheque for £357.52 then you write Three Hundred Fifty Seven Pounds and Fifty-Two pence, then these parameters allows you to specify the line, column and size to print the narrative at. If setting the print position via the mask you must set the size manually first.
This prompt asks for the data item number on the supplier database that contains the PAYEE name for a cheque. Usually set as the account name you can nominate an alternative item if required.
The remainder of this screen allows you to specify a further ten items from the accounts file to print on the cheque. You can, of course, position these data items from the document mask.
Article ID: 1377
Created On: Mon, Jul 2, 2012 at 3:12 PM
Last Updated On: Mon, Jun 19, 2023 at 3:35 PM
Online URL: https://kb.datafile.co.uk/article/document-parameters-document-design-manager-1377.html