Program CARCOST3.OPA
Textfile CARCOST3.WRD (this file)

CarCost3.OPA

Version 3.0
Carl Littlejohns (see Appendix 2)


CarCost arose from the need for a simple to use utility that would allow me to
quickly enter journey, fuel purchase details etc., and that would then allow
me to get at the data in a useable way.

My favourite stats package happens to be public domain, and will accept comma
delimited ascii, so that is the format I use when exporting the data.

You can peruse entries from CarCost without exporting the data.  The commonest
thing I need to do is recall a half complete entry when a journey is complete.
This is easy to do, and more powerful searches of all stored data are also
possible.

Installation

The program should be installed in the \APP\ subdirectory, and will create
it's datafile ( car.odb ) and any ASCII exported file ( carout.asc ) in the
\OPD\ subdirectory.  The drive used is determined by the current default drive
set up by {Psion}-G from the series 3 system screen.

Copy CarCost3.OPA to the /APP/ subdirectory of the Series 3 and then from the
system screen select {Psion}-I and at the installation menu select CARCOST3
for installation.

The new ICON should appear on screen.  When first run, the program looks for
it's data file (car.odb) in the \OPD\ area.  If not found the ICON will have
"CAR3" displayed below it.  If the file exists already, then "Car" appears
below - as it will in ordinary use.

CarCost creates an empty data file when first run from the system screen.

IF YOU WISH TO USE THE DATAFILE FROM A PREVIOUS VERSION OF CARCOST YOU SHOULD
COPY IT INTO THE \OPD\ AREA BEFORE RUNNING CARCOST2.

Use

The main command menu appears thus:

        CarCost v3.0
        -----------------------   
        FIND    last entry
        ENTER FUEL purchase
        DATA   PROCESSING
        HELP   &  INFORMATION

The menu items are selected by highlighting the item and pressing ENTER.

The first two items, when highlighted give further options if the left or
right arrow keys are pressed before ENTER.

FIND: LAST entry
Selecting this recalls the last entry made (assuming the files have not been
sorted subsequently) and allows it to be edited or added to.  ESC cancels the
function, ENTER saves the amended record.

FIND: DATABASE entry
This item displays a search dialog, which allows the display of records
according to ONE of three types of search.

TYPE - only BUSINESS or only FUEL entries can be displayed etc.

Date - only records ON or AFTER the selected date will appear.

or

Text - only records containing the piece of text entered will be found. e.g.
enter 'home' and pull in records of journeys to and from home.  Selecting this
option and entering NO search text will recall ALL records.

ENTER: Fuel Purchase
This item prompts for a date (but supplies TODAYs date by default- as appears
on ALL entry screens in CarCost) a mileage reading (mileometer) the number of
litres purchased and the amount spent.

ENTER: BUSINESS mileage
This item prompts for date, start and end mileometer reading, and FROM and TWO
strings for text of the journey details. 

ENTER: PERSONAL mileage
As for business miles.

ENTER: SERVICE entry
This item records date, mileage, which service it is, which garage and the
cost incurred.

ENTER:Misc
This item records miscellaneous expenditure on the care in a simialr format.

DATA PROCESSING
This opton produces another dialog that 1. sorts the datafile in order of
mileometer reading. 2. exports the data a comma delimited ascii.  The format
of the file allows for importing the data into any package which accepts comma
delimited files - spreadsheets, graphic packages and databases - as well as
BASIC.  See appendix 1.

3. deletes all items entered BEFORE a chosen date - by default this starts at
30days before TODAY. 4. If the datafile is stored on FLASH SSD this option
will compress it to remove space from deleted records.

Deleting database records:

The main way of deleting records is to use the block delete option which is
available from the DATA PROCESSING option.

In additiona individual records can be deleted in one of three ways.

1.At the time of data entry, if instead of pressing ENTER, you press ESC then
that record will NOT be stored as an entry.

2.At the time of data entry, if you move the cursor up to the 'Entry Type'
option, and then press the left or right arrow keys, the 'type' bar will
change to display ** DELETE THIS ENTRY ** .  Pressing ENTER at this point
saves and then immediately deletes the record.  Of course, the 'recall last
entry' option produces an inaccurate result immediately afterwards, since the
last record technically doesn't exist!

3. To delete an existing record, use the search menu to locate the record,
move to the 'Entry Type' bar as before, and using the left/right arrow keys
set the entry to DELETE and press ENTER.  Pressing ESC in this instance
PREVENTS the record from being deleted.


Appendix 1

ASCII output file \opd\carout.asc format.

This is a text file, the first line of which consists of 8 headings, as
inverted comma delimited strings separated by commas.

Each subsequent line consists of one record from the data file in the
following order, depending on the type of entry:

1st item: Entry type
Stored as a single letter- F-fuel entry, B-business miles, P-personal miles,
S-service, O-miscellaneous ('other')

2nd item: Date
Stored as a european date string:
dd/mm/yy

3rd item: MilesA
This refers to the mileage at the time the record was entered (or the start
mileage of a journey)

4th item: MilesB
This is the mileage at the end of the journey.

5th item:From
This is a 25 character text string -journey start, or for a service entry it
is the particular service, or for a misc. item it is the first text item.

6th item:To
This is the end of journey text string, or for miscellaneous entries, the
second text item.

7th item
This is a decimal number corresponding to litres of fuel purchased (if
applicable, or just "")

8th item (final)
This is a decimal number corresponding to cost - fuel cost, service cost,
misc. cost.

Empty items export as empty inverted commas e.g. "".


NB When the sort option is run, it sorts the database on item 3, the first
mileage.

Appendix 2

The author:

Carl Littlejohns   October 1992
Email:csljohns@cix
FidoNet 2:253/152
Fax: 0745-812125

Appendix 3

Public Domain.

This program is in the public domain.  It may not be sold, or included with
software that is being sold.

The concept of public domain originated from the educational establishments of
the USA.  I have benefitted greatly from this initiative which I hope will be
around for  a long time to come...the public domain I mean, not the USA...er
that is...

Carl Littlejohns    December 1992