Calculators

Use Calculators to calculate values for financial reports.

HINT-- The Goldenseal accounting software already includes calculators that fill values into the Balance Sheet, Income Statement and other financial reports.

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Types of Calculators

There are several calculators which calculate values for reports.

Four calculators are described in this section-- they all look the same, except for the items they include:

Account Calculators-- Calculators which fetch values from accounts.
Breakdown Calculators-- Calculators which fetch values from breakdowns.
List Calculators-- Calculators which fetch values from lists.
Transactions Calculators-- Calculators which fetch values from transactions.

Goldenseal also includes some specialty calculators which are described elsewhere:

Custom Calculators-- Calculators which do math with other calculators.
Income Tax Calculators-- Calculators which calculate totals for income tax reports.
Payroll Tax Calculators-- Calculators which calculate wages, taxes and other payroll amounts.
Summation Calculators-- Calculators which add up values from other calculators.
Utility Accounts Calculators-- Calculators which fetch values from utility accounts.

Entering Calculators

To enter a Calculator, follow these steps:

Choose Calculations from the Options menu, then choose Accounts, Lists or Transactions from the submenu.
Click the New button, or click on an existing item and click the Edit button.
Fill in details about the calculation.

Data Fields

Enter the following information for each Calculator:

Name-- Type in a brief name for the calculation. This is the text that will appear in clairvoyant fields.
HINT-- It's a good idea to have a name that describes exactly what the calculated value includes, so you'll know what to expect when making forms or reports.
Description-- Type in any comments you'd like to make about this item.
Source-- Choose the account, list or transaction to use.
Field-- Choose the data field to use.
Calculation Type-- Choose the type of calculation that this item will produce.
Rounding-- Choose the way you'd like number values to be rounded off.
Time Range-- Fields that come from a transaction can use a time range.
Date Choice-- Choose the date field to check, when picking items for time ranges.
Field Match-- If the source includes clairvoyant fields, you'll be able to base a calculated value on just those items.
Field Value-- If you are using a field match, enter the value that must be matched.
Current Value-- Goldenseal will display the current value of the calculation. For lists, only the first few items are shown.

Calculation Types

Enter one of the following calculation types:

List-- For calculators that will display a list of values for all matching item.
Sum-- For calculators that will display the total of all matching item. Available for number and money fields only.
Count-- For calculators that will display the total number of matching items.

Rounding Types

Enter one of the following rounding types:

No Rounding-- The calculation will be shown with no rounding (to the nearest hundredth of a penny).
Nearest Penny-- The calculation will round to the nearest penny.
Display Nearest Dime-- The calculation will round to the nearest dime. Its basic value will not be rounded.
Display Nearest Dollar-- The calculation will round to the nearest dollar. Its basic value will not be rounded.
Display Nearest Ten-- The calculation will round to the nearest ten dollars. Its basic value will not be rounded.
Display Nearest Hundred-- The calculation will round to the nearest hundred dollars. Its basic value will not be rounded.
Display Nearest Thousand-- The calculation will round to the nearest thousand dollars. Its basic value will not be rounded.
HINT-- Use the "display" rounding types to show the most accurate numbers. Because of rounding errors, your reports may sometimes show numbers that don't appear to add correctly. For example if you start with 1.4 and 1.4, then 1 + 1 = 3 when you round to the nearest dollar.

Data To Nearest Dime-- The calculation and data value will round to the nearest dime.
Data To Nearest Dollar-- The calculation and data value will round to the nearest dollar.
Data To Nearest Ten-- The calculation and data value will round to the nearest ten dollars.
Data To Nearest Hundred-- The calculation and data value will round to the nearest hundred dollars.
Data To Nearest Thousand-- The calculation and data value will round to the nearest thousand dollars.
HINT-- Use the "data to" rounding types to round off data values, to make sure your reports always appear to add up correctly. Note that these rounding types can produce serious distortions to totals. For example, if you have ten values of 1.4, their sum will be 10, not 14.

Drop Thousands-- The calculation will drop the final three digits, so $300,000 will appear as $300.

Time Ranges

Calculations that are based on a transaction can include just those items within a certain time range. The following choices are available:
All Items -- all transactions will be included.
Today-- only items with today's date will be included.
Yesterday-- only items with yesterday's date will be included.
Future Items Only-- only items tomorrow and after will be included.

This Week To Date-- items between the previous Sunday and today will be included.
Last Week-- all items during the previous week are included. Weeks run from Sunday to Saturday.
Last Week To Date-- items during the previous week, from Sunday to the current weekday, are included.
Next Week-- all items during the coming week are included. Weeks run from Sunday to Saturday.

This Month To Date-- items between the first of the month and today will be included.
Last Month-- all items during the previous month are included.
Last Month To Date-- items during the previous month up until one month ago are included.
Next Month-- all items during the coming month are included.
HINT-- It is often helpful to have a report that compares This Month To Date with Last Month To Date.

This Quarter To Date-- items between the first of the quarter and today will be included.
Last Quarter-- all items during the previous quarter are included.
Last Quarter To Date-- items during the previous quarter up until three months ago are included.
Next Quarter-- all items during the coming quarter are included.

This Year To Date-- items between the first of the year and today will be included.
Last Year-- all items during the previous year are included.
Last Year To Date-- items during the previous year up until one year ago today are included.
Next Year-- all items during the coming year are included.
HINT-- It is often helpful to have a report that compares This Year To Date with Last Year To Date.

Field Matches

Calculations that are based on an account, list or transaction that includes a clairvoyant field can include just those records that have a certain value in a clairvoyant or popup menu field.
To set up a field match, follow these steps:

Click on the Field Match popup menu, and choose the field to use. If you don't want to use a field match, choose All Items.
Enter the desired value into the Field Value field. If you leave the field blank, only blank items will be found.

Using Calculators

After you create a Calculation, follow these steps to use it:

Choose Custom Layouts from the Options menu, and choose Printed Forms or Reports from the submenu.
Switch to the report where you'd like to use the calculation.
Click on the Calculator Tool-- the calculator icon in the palette on the left side of the window.
Click on the report and drag the mouse through the area where you'd like the calculation to appear.
You'll see a list of calculations. Enter the type of Calculation into the popup menu at the top, and choose the new calculation from the list.
Click OK.