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For full details, please refer to the section entitled ‘Using Business Templates to set up a Chart of accounts’ in the first chapter of the Getting Started manual.

If you wish to create a new data file but want to use the set-up data from a previous data file, you can do so by creating and exporting your own set-up files from the old data file. These can then be imported to the new data file using the process described in the Installation chapter of the Getting Started manual.

To create the set-up files, use this function. Selecting the function produces a window, where you can determine what data is to be included in your set-up file. The scrolling list on the left of the window represents every Enterprise 6 File, from which you can choose those that you want to add to the setup file. If you click on a line, a bullet (•) will appear beside the selected item, indicating that all the records from that File will be written to the set-up file. Clicking again will remove the bullet. If you click a line while holding down the (Macintosh) or <Alt> (Windows) key, a dash (-) will appear. This indicates that you wish to select particular records for inclusion in the set-up file.

The function includes a default setting as to which files are to be included when creating the set-up file. These defaults cover most of the data manager listing files, plus the Preferences (termed ‘USER’ in the scrolling list). You may click or -click/<Alt>-click the three buttons [Defaults] (<Command-D>/), [Select All] (<Command-A>/) or [Deselect All] to change the settings quickly.

You have the options of creating a new set-up file or adding further data to an existing one. Use the ‘New Document’ setting to create a new set-up file. If you select this option, you must enter a listing name, which will be the text that appears in the scrollable area in the Business Templates selection window. If you are adding further data to an existing set-up file, ensure that you use the same Delimiters on both occasions.

For most purposes, the Delimiters section of the window can be ignored. The default characters have been chosen because they are very unlikely to be used in the data being exported. It is not safe to use <Tab> and <Return> (9 and 13 respectively) as delimiter characters because carriage returns may well exist within Text fields.

When you press the [OK] button you’re asked to name the new document on disk, or to locate the existing document to which you wish to add. If creating a new document, it should be placed within a Macintosh folder or Windows directory called ‘ModStart’ that should be within your Enterprise 6 Structure’s folder. The document should be named using the format ‘XXX.TXT’, the suffix being required for compatibility with Windows. The file written (the ‘data document’) is a text file which can be edited in any text editor.

Once the text file has been written to disk, the function will query within the ModStart folder or directory for a second text file named ‘ModStart.TXT’. If this is not present, it will be created. To this document will be added the name of the ‘data document’ plus the listing name, separated by <Tab> and ending with <Return>. It is vital that a ModStart document should exist, with the correct references for the set-up import to be successful.

When the set-up import is run, it will first look for this document, which acts as an index for any ‘data documents’ you may have. If ModStart.TXT is absent, or has had its name changed, the import will fail. Again, you may edit this document in any Text Editor.

You can include Pictures, SuperReports and 4DWrite/SuperWrite documents in the set-up file. These will be stored in a separate file with a %.TXT extension. For example, a Business Template document named ‘Architec.TXT’ will have an associated picture file named ‘Archite%.TXT. If the %.TXT file gets separated from the parent .TXT file, its contents will simply not be imported to the new data file. No error will result. You can also include Personnel records, but user ID’s will not be exported.

If you need to repeat the same set of File choices for many exports, without making any mistakes, two buttons have been provided to allow you to [Save] (<Command-S>/) and subsequently [Load] (<Command-L>/) all the File settings in the list. They use standard Save and Open windows. This function can only be used if you have logged on at the Administrator or Administrator WP level.

This function duplicates the first part of the initial set-up routine which will import accounts, Transaction Types, Periods and accounts Headings according to the Business Template selected. For full details, please refer to the section entitled ‘Using Business Templates to set up a Chart of accounts’ in the first chapter of the Getting Started manual.

If you are using the Business Templates system to transfer your own data between data files, you can select the files to which you wish to import data. To do this, click the [Select] button while holding down the (Macintosh) or <Alt> (Windows) key. The following window appears: By default, all files are selected (marked with a • bullet). Click or use the buttons to select the appropriate files and click [OK].

This function duplicates the second part of the initial set-up routine allowing you to enter opening balances for the Sales, Purchase and General Ledgers. It should be used if, when entering opening balances to an empty data file, you left one or more ledgers as ‘In progress’. In such a situation, you should complete the opening balance process before attempting to use the accounting functions.

Note that if using this function to enter opening balances to the General Ledger, any opening balances you post will be in addition to any posted previously. The previously posted figures will not appear again, and the figures you next post will not replace the old ones. Thus if you posted £1000 to an account initially and £500 to it subsequently, that account would have a total Opening Balance of £1500.