The Check Book Balancer -- by Curtis Olson  (curt@sledge.mn.org)

The latest version is always available at:

    ftp.me.umn.edu:/pub/finance/cbb-[version].tar.gz

Note, this program requires specifically:  perl 4.036 (or later) and tk 3.6
(or later.)  If you run Linux/Slackware installing the perl (d-series), and 
tcl/tk (tcl-series) packages should satisfy this requirement.  Note: the perl 
pieces seem to run just fine under Perl5 and the tk pieces seem to run fine
with tk4.xx


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     This notice is for users of any pre-0.50a versions only!!

In this *new* version, the data file formats have changed.  Data is
now saved in `dbm' format.  The conversion procedure is simple.
Follow the directions in the manual for creating a new account.  Then,
follow the directions for importing your pre-0.50a data file into the
new account.

Specific directions for these two steps can be found in cbb-man.tex 
(a LaTeX manual) or online under the Help menu.

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Here is a quick run down of the current features:

    o CBB Manual and more CBB info available at:
          http://www.me.umn.edu/1/home/clolson

    o removed tclX dependencies ... now works with standard tk.

    o psuedo-globbing (~ & ~user) now understood by install script.

    o added a contrib directory ... currently contains an emacs forms
      mode for viewing the cbb export file in emacs

    o wrote a small function to export all uncleared transactions to
      a file called "uncleared.cbb".  This file can then be imported
      into next years account ... or something like that.  Note, this
      program also deletes the uncleared transactions from the original
      file.  Backups & caution are highly recommended.

    o A new report -- short summary by category.

    o Fixed a logging bug where the day was one too high.

    o Fixed a quicken export bug ... my fault ... from move to four digit dates.

    o Fixed a reports balance bug.

    o Changed Splits field from "Difference" to "Sum".  This slightly changes
      the semantics ... your goals is now to make the Sum = the value of the
      transaction.  Before your goal was to make the difference = 0.

    * Transfers between accounts.  (Provided by Chris Browne & Curt Olson)

    * A manual!  (Written in TeX)

    * A text based front end.  (Provided by Christopher Browne)

    * Some simple reports.

    * Online, hypertext help.  Thanks to Jun Luo <junluo@cs.wisc.edu>
      and Liem Bahneman.  This is done via a program called latex2tkhlp 
      which quickly generates a tk hypertext help function from a latex 
      file.  latex2tkhlp has a ways to go, but so far is very cool.

    * Data is now stored in dbm files.  (With an easy conversion procedure
      from the previous file format.)

    * Logging of transaction changes.  Theoretically if the data base file
      is corrupted, it could be reconstructed from the log.

    * Dates represented by four digits instead of two.  This means cbb
      will break in the year 10000, not in the year 2000.

    - Ability to import *and export* quicken export files.  This feature
      has not been extensively tested, but should provide the ability
      to move back and forth freely between quicken and ``Cbb''.

    - Ability to enter transactions.  Automatically calculates the running
      balance.

    - Some input accelerators.  i.e. +/- in the date and check # fields work
      as in quicken.  Category completion:  type the first few characters of 
      the category, and the rest will be filled in from the category list.

    - Entry field keyboard bindings!

    - Better category handling.

    - Memorized transactions to speed entry.

    - Simple, but functional undo.

    - Ability to handle ``quicken style'' splits.

    - Balancing:  Ability to enter a statement starting/ending balance, select 
      uncleared transactions, verify start balance + transactions = end balance,
      then clear all selected transactions.

    - An install script.

Planned features (future work)

    - Include many more error/sanity checks.

    - Interactive category editor ... right now you must use a text editor :)

    - Generate more reports.

    - Work on increasing performance.

    - Clean up a lot of things ... certain traditional interface things act 
      funny or aren't included yet.

    - A more sophisticated multilevel undo?

Things that would be nice but are far in the future (probably)

    - Ability to manage budgets.

    - Ability to handle recurring transactions

    - Ability to handle investment accounts

    - Double accounting ???

    - ??? ... The possibilities are endless :)


PREREQUISITES
=============

Tcl & Tk is available via anonymous ftp from:
   ftp.cs.berkeley.edu:/ucb/tcl/[tcl7.3.tar.Z tk3.6.tar.Z]
   ftp.neosoft.com:/pub/tcl/distrib/[tcl7.3.tar.gz tk3.6.tar.gz]
   ftp.uu.net:languages/tcl/[tcl7.3.tar.Z tk3.6.tar.Z]

Perl is available via anonymous ftp from:
   prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu/perl-4.036.tar.gz
   ftp.cs.umn.edu:/pub/gnu/perl-4.036.tar.gz


INSTALLATION
============

Type "make install"
Answer the questions.


Let me know what you think!!!  Thanks,

Curt.
--
Curtis Olson             Phone: (612) 626-9800            curt@sledge.mn.org
                                                                     .
Try Linux ...                                                    \__[0]__/

