Total
Legal Accounting 3
SECTION
5.5.3.1 - CREDITOR ACCOUNTS ASCII EXPORT
USAGE: To export a file detailing,
all or a subset, of the information on the Creditor master-file. This export
file can then be used as input to other programs, such as Spreadsheets,
Databases and Word-processors. This gives you the flexibility to format
reports, etc. in ways not otherwise available in T.L.A.
DISCUSSION: When you choose this function, T.L.A. will firstly
ask you in which order you wish to export the data. The screen will appear as
follows:
The export is the same irrespective of report order,
however if you intend to limit the export to a range of Creditors, it is more
efficient to export the file in that order, because T.L.A. can then
optimise the search pattern.
When you enter this program, the following questions
will appear:
INCLUDE ALL CREDITORS If you do not wish to set any limits on the export, enter Y otherwise enter N. If you enter N, you will be asked a list of further questions.
The following question asks you to enter both a
lower and upper limit. The upper limit must not be less than the lower limit.
The default answers define the extreme limits of the field. You do not have to
change all of these limits. Only change the ones you wish to, and tab past the
others.
CODE RANGE This is the Creditor’s code.
GROUP RANGE This is the Creditor Group.
NAME RANGE This is the first 10 characters of the Creditor’s name.
POSTCODE RANGE This is the postcode. For this to work, you must use the postcode
field on the Creditor’s master-file.
OTHER KEY RANGE This may appear as a different literal depending on how
you have defined the field in SYSTEM
PARAMETERS.
YTD PURCHASE RANGE This is the total purchases for this year and next year,
irrespective of the period you are running the report for.
TOTAL BALANCE RANGE This is the total balance, irrespective of the period you are
running the report for.
Next you will be presented with a page full of
questions. These relate to the exact fields and nature of the proposed export
file:
FILE NAME This field contains the name of the file you wish to
create. The default name is #FTLA50.CSV (where # is replaced by the data directory name, eg. C:\TLA3DATA\COMP1\). However, this can be changed to any valid
DOS (or UNIX) path name. Be very careful if you enter a name suffixed by DAT, KEY, BAT, EXE or COM as it is possible to overwrite normal files used by T.L.A. In a DOS
environment, it is also possible to choose a name such as PRN or COM1 so that the export will be
sent directly to a printer or a communications port. T.L.A. will automatically
truncate the name from the first space encountered, so do not leave embedded
spaces or leading spaces in the name. T.L.A. will warn you if the file you are
about to create already exists.
FIELD NAMES Each field available in the
master-file may be individually chosen for export. Highlighted fields will be
exported. Low-lighted fields will be skipped. To toggle a field from highlight
to low-light, move the highlight bar over that filed and press <Enter> or the <Space> bar. You must choose to
export at least one field.
There are also function keys available for
manipulating FIELD NAMES:
<F4> This will return you to the FILE NAME entry.
<F5> This will highlight (export) all fields.
<F6> This will low-light (skip) all fields.
<F8> This will restore the field choices to the state
that they were before you entered the program.
<F9> This will open a screen that allows you to choose
the format of the fields exported. For further details, see APPENDINX B.
<F10> When you have finished choosing the fields you wish
exported, press <F10> to start the export
process.
When you have entered all the above information,
press <F10> and you will be asked START FILE CREATION? If you answer N, the
program will reset and return you to the CREDITOR
ASCII EXPORT MENU. If you enter Y, the screen will clear and
the Creditor master-file will be read in. During this time the computer will be
selecting account records according to the selection criteria you have just
entered will start writing the selected fields to the export file.
Like other reports, it is possible to stop the
export of the ASCII file by pressing <ESC>. However, the ASCII file
will have been created up to the point where you stopped it.
When the report has completed, T.L.A. will return
you to the CREDITOR ASCII EXPORT MENU.
