The Check Book Balancer -- by Curtis Olson (curt@sledge.mn.org) The latest version is always available at: ftp.me.umn.edu:/pub/cbb-[version].tar.gz Note, this program requires specifically: perl 4.036 and wishx. (wishx is the tclX interpreter -- i.e. extended tcl/tk) If you run Linux/Slackware installing the perl (d-series), and tclX (tcl-series) packages should satisfy this requirement. So far I have been very encouraged by the results. Here's a quick run down of the current features: - Ability to import quicken export files. - 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. * Now, a little documentation! * An install script. Planned features (future work) - Transfers between accounts. - Export in quicken format. - Include many more error/sanity checks. - Interactive category editor ... right now you must use a text editor :) - Generate various 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 - A text based front end? - ??? ... The possibilities are endless :) PREREQUISITE ============ 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] Extended Tcl 7.3b can be down loaded by anonymous FTP from: ftp.neosoft.com:/pub/tcl/distrib/tclX7.3b.tar.gz harbor.ecn.purdue.edu:tcl/extensions/tclX7.3b.tar.gz 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 AUTOMATIC INSTALLATION ====================== Type "make install" Answer the questions. MANUAL INSTALLATION =================== Here is the manual install procedure ... for those that are interested. 0. Make sure you have installed Tcl/Tk, Extended Tcl, and Perl. 1. Uncompress/untar the distribution file. 2. Copy ``cbb'' and ``engine.pl'' to some place in your path. (i.e. /usr/local/bin) 3. Make sure they are both executable. (i.e. mode 755) 4. Make sure the first line of the file ``cbb'' specifies the location of your wishx interpreter. Likewise, make sure the first line of the file ``engine.pl'' specifies the location of your perl interpreter. 5. Copy ``default.cat'' to someplace where ``cbb'' can find it (not necessarily in your path ... i.e. /usr/local/lib/cbb/default.cat) 6. Find the line towards the beginning of the file ``cbb'' that reads ``set def_cat_path .'' Replace the ``.'' with the ``directory'' you used for the previous step. ``demo.cbb'' provides a *lame* example data file to help get you going. Make sure you are in the directory where you unpacked the distribution and type ``cbb demo'' (without the .cbb extension) to start cbb and load the sample data file. Or, just type ``cbb'' and open up the data file from within the application. Let me know what you think!!! Thanks, Curt. -- Curtis Olson Phone: (612) 626-9800 curt@sledge.mn.org . Try Linux ... \__[0]__/