User's Guide - Orientation

This user's guide will help you get your bearings as you begin to explore Collect!. It introduces you to the user interface and some of the details of operating in Collect!.

Introduction

Thank you for using Collect! software for credit and collection from Comtech Systems Inc.

Collect! is a flexible contact management and financial system designed for small, medium and enterprise credit and collections. Easy to use screens and menus combine with modern design to produce a powerful, flexible and cost effective system.

Collect! tracks clients, debtor accounts, daily financial transactions and contacts, client payments, client and debtor notes, and invoice/statements. Collect! produces daily and monthly reports and manages contact plans, letter series and intra office debtor followup procedures. Collect! features an integrated flexible report system. A set of standard letters, invoice/ statements, and reports are included, and you may define your own reports, mailing labels and letters.

Information stored in Collect! can be easily created and edited, while relationships between records are automatically maintained and calculations are automatically performed. Collect! has many powerful features including the flexible report system, a powerful search mechanism for finding records data quickly and easily, and a macro facility for automating time consuming repetitive tasks.

Your Computer

Your computer consists of many components, the most important of which are the screen, the keyboard, an optional mouse, a disk drive, and in multi user installations, a network.

You interact with Collect! by typing on the keyboard, and the program responds by displaying results or prompts on the screen.

Your disk drive contains the files which constitute the Collect! database. The database contains everything that you type into Collect!. These files are interrelated, and cannot be used separately. You never have to be aware of what files are used by Collect!, except when you are backing up your data.

The Screen

Your screen contains several elements that are consistent no matter what you are doing in the program. These allow you to access information and conveniently perform common operations. A status bar displays pertinent information to help to use the program.

Main Menu

The Top Menu Bar
The Top Menu Bar is displayed at the top of the screen and contains a list of commands available. This is described in more detail in the section below entitled "Menus."

The Toolbar Menu
The Toolbar Menu is displayed at the top of the screen and contains buttons for performing several basic functions. This is described in more detail in the section below entitled "Menus."

Status Bar
A message line is displayed at the bottom of the screen. On the left is the status of the form you are currently viewing, whether you are browsing or editing, or in the case of a multi-user, whether someone else has locked the record you are viewing. Next is the name of the current form being displayed. At times there will be letters which appear to indicate the status of various aspects of your program.

These include:

B - Browsing, nothing has been changed

E - Editing, record can be edited

M - Modified and not yet written to disk

S - Search criteria (F6) are active.

I - Insert - when you type, characters after the cursor are pushed ahead.

O - Overstrike - when you type, characters after the cursor are overwritten.

T - Writing transaction to disk. A critical instant in time for the database.

On the right side of the message line is a space where the program shows you its current progress. For example when recalculating, a message to that effect will be displayed there.

When a lengthy process is being completed, a blue bar will indicate the progress of the operation that you are running.

The Keyboard

Your keyboard contains both normal typewriter keys and extended keys used to control the program.

Normal Keys
Normal keys include the alphabetic and numeric characters, the punctuation marks and the spacebar. They are used just like with a typewriter, but their operation can also be modified by using them in conjunction with the extended keys.

Extended Keys
Extended keys give control over the program. They include any of the keys which are not normally on a typewriter.

Movement Keys

Tab - Next field
Shift+Tab - Prior field
Right Arrow - Move 1 character right
Left Arrow - Move 1 character left
Home - Go to the start of field
End - Go to the end of field
Page Up - Next record
Page Down - Prior record
Ctrl + Page Up - First field
Ctrl + Page Down - Last field
Ctrl + Home - Go to the start of list
Ctrl + End - Go to the end of list

Editing Keys

Enter - Save field and go to next
Delete - Delete cursor character
Backspace - Delete character to left
Insert - Insert/overstrike mode
Ctrl + Enter - Save form and exit
Esc - Discard changes

Control Keys

Alt - Activate menus
Ctrl - Activate buttons
Alt + X - Exit the program
Shift + Arrow - Grab text
Shift + Insert - Paste text

Function Keys

F1 Help
F2 Pick from list
F3 Create new record
F4 Edit field
F5 Open form detail
F6 Find record
F7 Delete current record
F8 Close form
F9 Activate buttons
F10 Activate menus


Shift + F1 Record macro
Shift + F2 Play macro
Shift + F3 Paste from the clipboard
Shift + F4 Copy record to clipboard
Shift + F5 Cut record to clipboard

Alt + F4 Exit the program
Alt + F6 Prior record

Getting Help
When using Collect!, you can always get help by pressing the F1 key. When you press F1 anywhere in the program, you will get help for the form or menu item you are viewing.

The Mouse

While not required, a mouse is recommended. It can speed up your work by allowing you to 'point and shoot' at anything you see on the screen, rather than using a lot of keystrokes with the Arrow keys or Tab and Shift Tab to select something on the screen.

The LEFT mouse button Selects and is the same as pressing the Enter key. The RIGHT mouse button Escapes from your current activity, and is the same as pressing the Escape key.

Choosing with the Mouse
Throughout the program, you can click the left mouse button on anything you see on the screen, and the system will make that object the new focal point. Depending on what the selected object is, the program will respond to your actions appropriately.

Double-Click
Sometimes you can perform two different operations on the same object. For example if you are choosing objects in a list, a single mouse click will select the object and close the list, but quickly clicking the mouse twice will open the object to let you edit its details. The quick clicking twice is called a double-click. There are may operations where you can double-click, especially in lists, so don't be afraid to try. Double-clicking tells Collect! you want more detail.

Functional Details

KEYBOARD STEPS

Buttons

Buttons are commands available in forms and lists. Each is shown as a square button with a label that describes its function. You can use buttons to open forms and menus and to control the program.

You can click on the button with the mouse or use the CTRL key to activate the buttons, then use the arrows or the Tab key to select a button, and press ENTER to perform the button's command.

F9 or CTRL - Activates buttons
Arrows - Move to select buttons
Enter - Perform button's action or command

Pick Lists

Pick lists show predefined options.

Press F2 to display the list.
Select using the arrows.
Press Enter to accept. Press Escape to discard and exit.
Press the left mouse button on the field.
Click the left button on the option you want.
Click the right button to escape.

A blank option lets you enter custom information.

Editing Lists Using Keys

Moving in the List

Up and Down arrow keys - Scroll by record.
PageUp and PageDown - Scroll by pages.
Ctrl + PageUp - Go to the start of the list.
Ctrl + PageDown - Go to the end of the list.
Esc (Escape) - Exit.

To Find A Record
Type the information you are looking for. Press Tab or Shift Tab to shift to a different field.

To Add A New Record
Select the place where you want the record added. Press F3. The new record will be added to the list after the record you selected.

To Edit a Record in the List
Select a record and press F4.

To Delete a Record
Select the record you want to delete. Press F7. You will be asked to confirm your deletion. Press YES in the Delete dialog box to delete the record. Press NO to cancel deleting the record.

To Copy a Record
Select the record you want to copy. Press Shift + F4 to copy the record. Move to the place you want to insert the copy. Press Shift + F3 to paste the copy.

To Move a Record
Select the record you want to move. Press Shift F5 to cut the record. Move to the place you want to insert the record. Press Shift F3 to paste the record.

MOUSE STEPS

Moving in the List
Using the scroll bar, click on the up arrow to scroll you one record. Click on the down arrow to scroll down one record. Click above the scroll bar highlight to page up. Click below the scroll bar highlight to page down. Holding the left mouse button down on the scroll bar highlight will allow you to select a page from the list. Keeping the left button pressed on, move the mouse up or down and then release the mouse button. Click the right button to exit.

To Add a Record
Select the place where you want the record added. Click the left button on "Edit"on the menu bar. Click the left button on "Add" in the Edit menu. The new record will be added to the list after the record you selected.

To Edit a Record in the List
Select the record you want to edit. Click the left button on "Edit" on the menu bar. Click the left button on "Edit" in the Edit menu.

To Delete a Record
Select the record you want to delete. Click the left button on "Edit" on the menu bar. Click the left button on "Delete" in the Edit menu. You will be asked to confirm your deletion. Click the left button on YES in the Delete dialog box to delete the record. Click the left button on NO to cancel deleting the record.

To Copy a Record
Select the record you want to copy. Click the left button on "Edit" on the menu bar. Click the left button on "Copy" in the Edit menu. Move to the place you want to insert the copy. Click the left button on "Edit" on the menu bar. Click the left button on "Paste" in the Edit menu.

To Move a Record
Select the record you want to move. Click the left button on "Edit" on the menu bar. Click the left button on "Cut" in the Edit menu. Move to the place you want to insert the record. Click the left button on "Edit" on the menu bar. Click the left button on "Paste" in the Edit menu.

WARNING: You must paste a record after it has been cut! Do not leave the program without pasting the records you cut. You won't be able to retrieve the cut record when you restart the program. This will corrupt your database.

Starting Collect!

Double-click the CV11 icon on your Desktop. The Collect! splash screen will appear. Click anywhere on the screen to start the program.

Enter default ID OWN and Password own to open the Welcome To Collect! screen. Then select the START button to sign into Collect!.

If you are running Collect! on a network, please refer to Network Setup for a complete discussion of starting Collect!.

After starting the program, the Main Menu is displayed. The Main Menu displays several functions that you will perform on a regular basis. It also displays a convenienct Quick Search area that you can use to search for accounts in your database.

Main Menu

Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to choose an option. Press Enter to select the highlighted option. Press Escape to exit. Press F1 for help.

Quitting Collect!

To exit from the Collect! program, select the QUIT button or hold down the ALT key and press F4.

Menus

Collect! uses three types of menus. The form shown below displays a menu which allows access to the day to day operations of the program, including quickly searching for accounts in your database. At the top of the screen, you can also see a menu bar which provides access to more powerful functions of the program.

Main Menu

Full Screen Menus

Full Screen Menus are used to display the day to day functions required to operate Collect!. They display a limited number of selections which are useful when performing specific tasks. They should be used during normal day to day operations.

Use the Arrow keys to move between items, and the Enter key to select an item.

Top Menu Bar

The Top Menu Bar provides quick access to several specific functions and settings in the program. Press F1 when the menu item is highlighted and help will be displayed describing the available choices.

Toolbar Menu

The Toolbar Menu provides quick access to several basic operations that you can perform at any given time. Some of these items may be greyed out (disabled) if the option is not available.

Forms

Forms are rectangular regions that appear on the screen. Forms can be used to display and edit information and to display menu options.

Each form can have fields which display information from your database. For example, the Day form shown below contains fields from the Day record. The fields displayed here are automatically calculated from the list of today's transactions, client payments and new listings recorded for this day.

The Day Form

Buttons

On the Day form, you can see various Buttons such as OK, Next [>>} and Prior [<<]. Normally, when you open a form, your cursor is flashing on a button. Pressing the Enter key executes the command associated with the button. Use the arrow keys to move between buttons. Underlined letters indicate a shortcut key that may be pressed to perform the button's action.

Clicking the left mouse button on a button performs the action described by the button name.

You can also press and release the Ctrl key or the F9 key to move your cursor between the buttons and the data entry fields on the form. When you have selected a button, pressing Enter performs the action described by the button name.

Scroll Bars

Scroll bars are used to indicate where you are in a list. They are displayed on the right side of forms and lists. The arrows at the top and bottom, small hash marks in a vertical bar, and a small blank slider constitute the scroll bar.

If you are on the first record in the list, then the scroll bar slider will be at the top of the scroll bar. If you are on the last record, the slider will be on the bottom of the scroll bar.

You can grab the slider with your mouse by pressing and holding down the left mouse button on the slider, and then you can move your mouse up or down to scroll through the your list.

If you are using a keyboard only, then you can move through the list by pressing the Page Up and Page Down keys.

Closing Forms
You can close forms with the keyboard or the mouse. Press F8 to close the form, saving any changes you have made.

If you click any mouse button outside the form borders, the form will be automatically closed.

Pressing Escape closes the form, and exits to the prior form if there is one available.

The buttons on Full Screen Menus can also have underlined letters. Typing Ctrl + an underlined letter directly accesses the menu option. For example the Quit button has the 'Q' key highlighted. If you press Ctrl + Q, that is the same as selecting the Quit button using the arrow keys and pressing Enter.

Pull Down Menus

Pull down menus are accessible from the Top Menu Bar which is displayed on the top of the screen. The menu bar contains words such as File, Edit and so on. You can pick from the items in the menus and the program will respond with actions or display a list of choices for you to select from.

Pull Down Menu

You can pull down the menus by holding down the Alt key, and pressing the underlined letter of the menu you want to see. The arrow keys let you move throughout the pull down menu system. You can also press the F10 key to activate the menus.

Example:

Hold down the Alt key and then press the F key and the File menu will open.

You can move your mouse cursor onto the menu bar and click the left button of your mouse to pull down a menu.

Pull Down Menu Options

When you activate (pull down) a menu, you will see a list of choices for various command options available on that menu. Press an underlined letter to select an option, or use the arrow keys and then press Enter.

You can move your mouse cursor onto the menu item and click the left button of your mouse to pull down a menu. Click on an item to select it. Click the right mouse button to close the menu.

Disabled Options

When you pull down the menus, you will notice that some menu options are shown in a muted color (greyed out). The option is not available now. This may also be caused by user access rights settings.

Fields

The basic unit of information in a database is a field. A field is an item of data with attributes such as Name, Type (e.g, character or integer) and Length. Examples of fields are Client Name, Date of Birth, Social Security Number, Client Number, and Transaction Type. Fields from your database are displayed on your screen . Other attributes that a field may have include Date, Currency, Display Only and so on.

Records

A record is a named collection of related fields, stored and accessed as a unit. This definition of a record is called a Record Type. For example, a record named Client has the following fields, among others.

Client Name, Client Number, Total Listed

Each occurrence (or instance) of a Client record in the database contains a value for each of these fields. To display the information in the Client record, the Client form is displayed on the screen. Each record type can be displayed on one or more forms on the screen. Examples are Client, Debtor, Transaction, Contact and so on.

Sets

Relationships often exist between record types. For example, the client database may include payment histories. The Client record type would be used to record client information while a second record type named Payment would hold the payment information.

When you create a client and enter a client payment, a set relationship is internally defined between the client record and the payment record in the database. The payment and client have a relationship with each other. The client has many payments while a payment belongs to only one client.

When you display the Client record, you will be able to access the list of payments related to that client.

When you display a Payment, you will see the name of the client (or client code) in the Payment form. A small arrow at the end of the Client field in the Payment form indicates you can double-click (quickly click the left mouse button twice in succession) your mouse on the field, and the list of all clients will be displayed.

In Collect!, there are many records and relationships that have been established. These relationships are managed by the program for you.

Collect! Help And Support

Help Menu
At the top of the Collect! screen you will see Help as a menu choice.

There are many sub-topics listed for Help:

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Contents...
Takes you to the Help Contents page.

Quick User's Guide...
Takes you to a convenient user's guide that steps through all the basic functions and features in Collect!.

How To...
Displays a list of all the How To topics in the Help Index.

Keyboard Tips...
Shows you all the keyboard key combinations and shortcut keys that can be used for entering and editing data and navigating through forms and fields.

Index...
Displays the Help Index, an alphabetical list of all topics in the Help system. -----------

Disable popup help...
Allows you to Disable or Enable the Popup help feature. We recommend that you leave Popup help enabled when you are getting used to Collect!. You can then hold your mouse over any field and get help for that field.

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Member Services...
Takes you to Collect!'s Member Center web site where you can sign on to the Support Portal and also take advantage of many features provided to our members.

Training Videos...
Takes you directly to the Training area of Collect!'s Member Center web site where you can select from a wide variety of tutorials in FLASH video format.

Report Library...
Takes you directly to the Member Center Report Library where you can view PDF samples and download from a wide selection of reports or whole report libraries.

3rd Party EDI...
Takes you directly to the Member Center Electronic Data Interchanges area where you can view details about various available EDIs and download EDI packages to implement in Collect!

Upgrade Software...
Takes you directly to the Member Center Downloads area where you can obtain the latest version of Collect! and the latest Help documentation, and view the latest new features and revisions.

Version Check...
Compares the latest CV11 version available on line to the version you are running. If there is an update available, a message will display letting you know this. You can then select the Upgrade Software option to proceed to the Member Center.

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Renew Membership
Takes you directly to the Collect! web site where you may renew your membership with all the features and options you are currently licensed for and purchase additional features. This option is only displayed if you currently own a license to Collect!.

Order Now
Takes you directly to the Collect! web site where you may purchase a license to Collect!. This option is only displayed if you do not currently own a license to Collect!.

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About...
Displays information about the Collect! program. This is useful for troubleshooting. You see your Collect! version, the path to your Collect! application, and even the IP Address of your Collect! server. Your Collect! Member ID and other user information are also displayed.

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Context Sensitive Help
Help is built into Collect!. Wherever you are, press the F1 key to display help about the form or menu item you are viewing.

Printing Help
You may print a Help topic by selecting the File, Print command in your internet browser when viewing the Help topic. This is helpful when the directions are complex or lengthy.

Product Support

Comtech Systems Inc. offers a variety of support options to help you get the most out of Collect!.

If you have a question
If you have a question about Collect!, look in the printed documentation or online help. You can also check other sources, including our web site and Comtech training and consultation services.

Membership is offered on an annual basis and provides a subscription to software updates during the year. Members also enjoy reduced rates on additional seats purchased, and special discounts on utilities and options available during the year.

All members also have full access to all training videos, custom reports, and EDI packages through our Member Center, a Members Only section of the Collect! web site.

If consulting or technical assistance is required, Members are entitled to a significant reduction in hourly Time & Services packages.

Purchasing Time & Services enables users to submit a ticket to Member Services through our Member Center Support Portal. Our qualified Member Services team is available for all consulting and technical requests submitted through our ticket system

For information about Membership, please visit Membership Overview. You should also play the STARTING RIGHT video. The link is in the lower right hand side of the page, in the Video Overviews box.

Whenever you Ask Comtech for Help
When you have a support question, you should be at your computer with Collect! running and the product documentation at hand.

Be prepared to give the following information:

• The version of Collect! that you are running.
• The type of hardware you are running, including network hardware, if applicable.
• The operating environment you are using.
• The exact wording of any messages that appeared on your screen.
• A description of what happened and what you were doing when the problem occurred.
• Steps you have taken to try to solve the problem.

What To Do Next

You should now have at least a basic understanding of the general operation and control of Collect!.

To install the program, refer to the Installation Guide.

To ensure that your system is correctly set up with appropriate user groups and access rights, and that the name and address of your company are correctly entered, refer to the User's Guide - System Administration.

Once you know that these areas have been set up according to your needs, the next step depends on the functions you want to perform.

Refer to the User's Guide - Administration for management details.

Refer to the User's Guide - Working Accounts for operator details.

See Also

- New User Basics