[929] in linux-announce channel archive
CBB Version 0.61a
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Lars Wirzenius)
Thu Aug 17 22:09:42 1995
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 1995 00:10:09 +0300
From: Lars Wirzenius <wirzeniu@cc.helsinki.fi>
To: linux-announce@vger.rutgers.edu
From: "Curt L. Olson" <clolson@me.umn.edu>
Subject: CBB Version 0.61a
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.announce
Approved: linux-announce@news.ornl.gov (Lars Wirzenius)
Organization: ?
Followup-to: comp.os.linux.misc
August 11, 1995
I am pleased to announce the release "CBB" version 0.61a, a check book
balancing program written specifically for Unix. It is implemented in
two parts. The data base "engine" is written in Perl and the
graphical front end is written in Tcl/Tk.
CBB is available at ftp.me.umn.edu:/pub/finance/cbb-0.61a.tar.gz
It should also be available someplace on sunsite before too long.
The primary changes from the last release are:
o Support for tk4.0
o Created a simple interface for external reports and graphs.
o The above interface is applicable for other user written
functions as well.
o Created a simple interface for a user definable menu to access
external user modules.
o CBB now uses a new data file format. Please see the reference
manual for a more detailed explanation of the simple easy way
to migrate your data.
o Added an "auto save" function for ASCII format data files.
o Splits now include a comment field.
o Check #'s longer than 5 digits can now be handled.
o The current X selection can now be pasted into any entry
field.
o The .cbbrc file has been replaced with a .cbbrc.tcl file. This
file is source'd when CBB is invoked.
o Online help is available in html format. All you need is a
web browser that can display local files. No network connection
is required.
o Added some addition internal consistency checking.
o Tweaked the interface a bit.
o Improved the intelligence of the installation script.
o Updated the manual.
I consider this software to still be in the "alpha" stage. There is
quite a bit of work left to be done, but since the package is
progressing nicely, I have been releasing it. Hopefully others will
be able to find it as useful as I do.
I embarked on this project primarily because I was very sick of
having to reboot my Linux machine just to run windows and Quicken.
(Now don't get me wrong, Quicken is not a bad program, but I hated
having to stoop down to "window's" level in order to keep track of my
money.)
Since I am in the process of developing this software, I welcome all
questions, comments, suggestions, complaints, assistance, etc., etc.
I am including the "README" for those who are interested in further
details.
-----------------------8<---- README ----8<--------------------------
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 (perl5
is preferred) and tk 3.6 or later (tk 4.0 is preferred.) If you run
Linux/Slackware installing the perl (d-series), and tcl/tk
(tcl-series) packages should satisfy this requirement.
NOTICE==WARNING==NOTICE==WARNING==NOTICE==WARNING==NOTICE==WARNING==NOTICE
This notice is for users of any pre-0.60a versions who are upgrading!!
In this *new* version, the data file formats have changed again. Data
is now saved in an ascii format. (The dbm format is still supported)
The conversion procedure is fairly straightforward. Follow the
directions in the manual for migrating your data. A script to do the
migration is provided in the contrib directory.
Specific directions for this procedure can be found in cbb-man.tex (a
LaTeX2e manual) or online under the Help menu.
NOTICE==WARNING==NOTICE==WARNING==NOTICE==WARNING==NOTICE==WARNING==NOTICE
Here is a quick run down of the current features:
o tk4.0 support.
o Created a simple interface for external reports and graphs.
o Added an ``auto save'' function for ASCII format data files.
o The current X selection can now be pasted into any entry
field.
o Check #'s longer than 5 digits can now be handled.
o The .cbbrc file has been replaced with a .cbbrc.tcl file. This
file is source'd when CBB is invoked.
o CBB now uses a new data file format. Please see the reference
manual for a more detailed explanation.
o Added some addition internal consistency checking.
o Online help is available in html format. All you need is a
web browser that can display local files. No network connection
is required.
o I tweaked the interface a bit.
o I improved the intelligence of the installation script.
* CBB Manual and more CBB info available at:
http://www.me.umn.edu/1/home/clolson
* removed tclX dependencies ... now works with standard tk.
* psuedo-globbing (~ & ~user) now understood by install script.
* added a contrib directory ... currently contains an emacs forms
mode for viewing the cbb export file in emacs
* 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.
* A new report -- short summary by category.
* Transfers between accounts. (Provided by Chris Browne & Curt Olson)
* A manual! (Written in TeX)
* 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.
* 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.
- 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.
- Better interactive category editor ... the current facilities,
while functional, are lacking.
- Generate more reports & graphs.
- 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/[tcl7.4.tar.Z tk4.0.tar.Z]
ftp.neosoft.com:/pub/tcl/distrib/[tcl7.4.tar.gz tk4.0.tar.gz]
ftp.uu.net:languages/tcl/[tcl7.4.tar.Z tk4.0.tar.Z]
Perl is available via anonymous ftp from:
prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu/perl-5.xxx.tar.gz
ftp.cs.umn.edu:/pub/gnu/perl-5.xxx.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]__/
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