Sorry to drive this thread further off-topic and "off-group" but I can't
help but ask, how does ReportBuilder compare to FastReport, do you know?

Anthony Tanas wrote:

> I'll check it out then, thanks for the suggestion. :)
>
>
> _____
>
> From: firebird-support@yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:firebird-support@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Kevin Stanton
> Sent: Monday, December 11, 2006 11:18 PM
> To: firebird-support@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: RE: [firebird-support] My ACCOUNTING table structure
>
>
>
> Although this is a bit OT for this group, if you spent one day with RB, you
> would never go back to QR. You can do just about anything in code as well
> with RB. I dumped QR years ago and have never looked back.
>
> _____
>
> From: firebird-support@ <mailto:firebird-support%40yahoogroups.com>
> yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:firebird-support@ <mailto:firebird-support%40yahoogroups.com>
> yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Anthony Tanas
> Sent: Monday, December 11, 2006 4:10 PM
> To: firebird-support@ <mailto:firebird-support%40yahoogroups.com>
> yahoogroups.com
> Subject: RE: [firebird-support] My ACCOUNTING table structure
>
> Ah, I currently use QuickReports (Delphi 7). I like being able to anything
> I want from code.
>
> _____
>
> From: firebird-support@ <mailto:firebird-support%40yahoogroups.com>
> yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:firebird-support@ <mailto:firebird-support%40yahoogroups.com>
> yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Kevin Stanton
> Sent: Monday, December 11, 2006 6:50 PM
> To: firebird-support@ <mailto:firebird-support%40yahoogroups.com>
> yahoogroups.com
> Subject: RE: [firebird-support] My ACCOUNTING table structure
>
> The application is currently in Delphi 6, using IB Objects (TDataset
> compatible) and the reporting tool is ReportBuilder (
> www.digital-metaphors.com <http://www.digital-
> <http://www.digital- <http://www.digital-
> <http://www.digital-metaphors.com/> metaphors.com/> metaphors.com/>
> metaphors.com/> ) which I
> can't say enough about. It has built in capabilities for drill-downs and is
> extremely easy to set up the drill down. A little spendy but there has not
> been a report that I haven't been able to create.
>
> _____
>
> From: firebird-support@ <mailto:firebird-support%40yahoogroups.com>
> yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:firebird-support@ <mailto:firebird-support%40yahoogroups.com>
> yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Anthony Tanas
> Sent: Monday, December 11, 2006 3:04 PM
> To: firebird-support@ <mailto:firebird-support%40yahoogroups.com>
> yahoogroups.com
> Subject: RE: [firebird-support] My ACCOUNTING table structure
>
> OK thanks Kevin. Yes I see the benefit of closing out balances so reports
> don't have to grind through years of data.
>
> No I don't have to worry about company and division. My user will be a
> small medical practice. Occasionally multiple offices will be involved. I
> will not need to track assets or anything of the like at this time.
>
> If I may ask what language/tool do you code in and (if Delphi) what
> components do you use for reports (and does it provide events and the like
> for "drill down" capability?)?
>
> _____
>
> From: firebird-support@ <mailto:firebird-support%40yahoogroups.com>
> yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:firebird-support@ <mailto:firebird-support%40yahoogroups.com>
> yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Kevin Stanton
> Sent: Saturday, December 09, 2006 10:47 AM
> To: firebird-support@ <mailto:firebird-support%40yahoogroups.com>
> yahoogroups.com
> Subject: RE: [firebird-support] My ACCOUNTING table structure
>
> Hi Anthony,
>
> I've built an accounting system from scratch and here are some of the things
> I did (I'm sure they can be improved upon but it currently works):
>
> 1) I have a general ledger table and a sub-ledger table. The
> sub-ledger holds all accounting at the order number level. The general
> ledger holds summarized entries by company, division, accounting period,
> batch id and g/l number. My users can enter in a "batch" of invoices of say
> 20 or 30 invoices to separate customers. Upon posting the batch, I print out
> journals for user entry verification (as well as screen edits). Also upon
> posting, a batch id is assigned and the records get posted to the sub-ledger
> and ledger tables (and others as needed like an invoice history table). My
> general ledger table has one amount field in it but when I run my G/L
> report, I create calculated fields: 1 for a debit amount, and another for a
> credit amount. I also have a "source" field in the both ledger tables.
> This tells me how the entries got there: INV (invoicing), JRN (journal
> entry), REC (cash receipt), CHK (check/disbursement), ADJ (adjustment). And
> of course I log the user id and entry timestamp. Having only one field in
> the general ledger table makes it extremely easy to post records to the
> table and query.
>
> 2) Manual journal entries are always required. There are always
> beginning balances even if starting a company from scratch: capital
> investments, cash, fixed assets, etc. And J/E are needed on a monthly basis
> as well.
>
> 3) I too have a year-end close process that simply roles up all the
> income and expense accounts into retained earnings (or a similar account).
> This process also creates a balance record for each company/division/year/GL
> account number. This way, I don't have to query many years of data, just go
> to the g/l balance table, get last year's balances and total up the current
> year.
>
> 4) I don't have sub-account numbers, just a 10 character G/L number
> but I wish I did have sub-accounts. Several of my customers have requested
> them but changing to a format like that now would be a huge deal.
>
> 5) Reporting you can go crazy on. I've built in some drill-down
> features which have turned out be invaluable. When my customers run the G/L
> report and select "drill down capability", the user can click on say a batch
> id of invoices. The report expands to show all the order numbers/source
> entries that make up the summarized G/L report entry. (hope this makes
> sense). I also put the drill down on my balance sheet and income statement
> to show source G/L entries and a drill down within a drill down to show
> order numbers as well. Users really like this and it helps finding entry
> errors.
>
> Also, it can never hurt to have a company field or in my case, company and
> division fields. This way you can have separate financials for each company
> and/or division. My system can handle multiple companies and multiple
> divisions within a company. If you create something like this then you will
> probably have to have a "consolidation" feature for your financial reports.
> This allows the user to create different consolidation combinations with
> company/divisions to typically produce a company-wide balance sheet/income
> statement.
>
> Hope this helps,
>
> Kevin
>
> _____
>
> From: firebird-support@ <mailto:firebird-support%40yahoogroups.com>
> yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:firebird-support@ <mailto:firebird-support%40yahoogroups.com>
> yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Anthony Tanas
> Sent: Friday, December 08, 2006 11:21 PM
> To: firebird-support@ <mailto:firebird-support%40yahoogroups.com>
> yahoogroups.com
> Subject: RE: [firebird-support] My ACCOUNTING table structure
>
> Some obversations:
>
> a) Is this for a single entity, or are there divisions, branches,
> departments involved? May need additional fields & reporting for this.
>
> Single entity. There may be multiple offices but I think I have that
> covered.
>
> b) Printed output - reports of patients accounts, statements,
> reminders & mailing, aged listings, trial balances, reportwriter access
>
> There will be a "walk out statement" that will correspond to one SUPERBILL
> and a "mail out statement" that will show activity that has an open balance.
> Also I will need to provide AR reports and various productivity reports.
>
> c) Cash accounting records not clearly detailed here - cash books,
> monthly bank reconciliations
>
> Not sure what you mean about cash accounting records? There will be a CASH
> account, or more specifically two seperated by the source of the money
> (insurance or patient). I'm not sure if bank reconciliation is necessary as
> I'm not trying to replace the role of an accounting package (at this time).
> In my current released version of my beta software I have set up a simple
> single entry accounting system (basically just charges and credits) and have
> run into some issues that are not too cleanly resolved (like refunds,
> patient credits, reversal of write offs, et. al.). I want to do things in
> more of an accounting way to better handle these issues and also I would
> like the option to expand it into a full featured accounting system in the
> future.
>
> d) Budget figures required?
>
> Not at this time.
>
> e) Ledger account entries typically have an opening balance, a debit
> column, a credit column and a (current) balance column, with
> a date for each posting to each account.
>
> Well my LEDGERACCOUNT table just defines the accounts and then the LEDGER
> table stores each transaction. As far as the current balance goes, won't
> that be a calculation? I mean I shouldn't necessarily store that I don't
> think. The opening balance would be assumed to be 0 on all accounts, aside
> from any data I convert into the system.
>
> f) Are subaccounts required to provide a categorised breakdown
> per account?
>
> No, I'm trying to keep it as simple as I can at the moment.
>
> g) Manual Journal entry functionality is commonly required
>
> Can you please elaborate on this? In my application I plan to wrap up all
> of these tables into various classes that will then move data back and forth
> to the user inteface. My billing screen will have simple to use functions
> for the user for any activities they would need. Basically this would
> include the following functions: adding CHARGES, PAYMENTS, DISCOUNTS, WRITE
> OFFS, INSURANCE ADJUSTMENTS, REFUNDS and then reverseing any of those. I
> will not allow anything to be deleted once it is "posted".
>
> h) Multiuser with access/role controls for security reasons
>
> Well my system is definately multi-user and I have security. I would take
> care of security at the application level. Basically my application has a
> login, and my application controls what can be done based on the application
> log in. (There is a single Firebird login embedded in the application.)
>
> i) Ability to handle other accounting functionality - creditors
> & suppliers accounts and payments, rent, repairs & maintenance,
> vehicles, assets, equity & capital accounts etc
>
> Yep, defiantely don't want to do that now. This is a pretty big task at the
> moment. However I definately want what I do have to be done correctly so
> that I can grow into that sort of thing in the future.
>
> j) Year end accounting close off possibly months after the
> actual end but still able to process & report on the new
> year.
>
> OK, now here is something I was wondering about. Why is this necessary? I
> can tailor my reports to report on any period of time the user wants. Why
> is it necessary to "close off" the account and functionally how would this
> be done?
>
> k) Reporting will be extensive - current output functions
> will be a good guide to the level of complexity & transaction
> volume, which will then indicate the type & extent of
> storage & summarisation required.
>
> HTH,
> John
>
> I guess to summarize what I am trying to do is that I want to have sort of
> minimal accounting functionality done in a correct way so as to be flexible
> and avoid problems I have encountered in my beta test so far and leave me
> the option to grow accounting functionality in the future. However it is
> not required to take the role of the accounting pacakge at this time. Thank
> you for your insights! :)
>
> -Anthony
>
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