Ledger-SMB Manual v. 1.2

Manufacturers order parts but they sell the products of their efforts. Ledger-SMB supports manufacturing +

Manufacturers order parts but they sell the products of their efforts. LedgerSMB supports manufacturing using the concept of assemblies. An assembly is any product which is manufactured on site. It consists of a selection of parts, services, and/or labor and overhead. Assemblies are treated as parts in most other regards. @@ -1443,7 +1444,7 @@ them once they are manufactured. id="x1-590005.8.1">Stocking Assemblies

One stocks assemblies in the Stock Assembly entry on the Goods and Services submenu. When an assembly is stocked the inventory is adjusted properly. -

The Check Inventory option will cause Ledger-SMB to refuse to stock an assembly if the inventory +

The Check Inventory option will cause LedgerSMB to refuse to stock an assembly if the inventory required to produce the assembly would drop the part below the reorder point.

The AP Invoice section has a capacity to separate internal notes from notes printed on the invoice. Note, however, that since these are received invoices, it is rare that one needs this ability. -

To remove a line item from an invoice or order, delete the partnumber and click update.

@@ -1798,7 +1799,7 @@ that these can be entered as AR transactions associated with the customer.

8.1 Project Basics

A project is a logical collection of AR and AP transactions, orders, and the like that allow one to better -manage specific service or product offerings. Ledger-SMB does not offer comprehensive project management +manage specific service or product offerings. LedgerSMB does not offer comprehensive project management capabilities, and projects are only used here as they relate to accounting.

@@ -1853,7 +1854,7 @@ numbers, one can see the transactions associated with the project.

9 Quotations and Order Management

This unit will introduce the business processes that Ledger-SMB allows. These processes are designed to +

This unit will introduce the business processes that LedgerSMB allows. These processes are designed to allow various types of businesses to manage their orders and allow for rudimentary customer relationship management processes to be built around this software. In this section, we will introduce the work flow options that many businesses may use in their day-to-day use of the @@ -2211,7 +2212,7 @@ try to avoid having IP addresses where the last octet is the same.

12.1 GL Basics

The General Ledger is the heart of Ledger-SMB. Indeed, Ledger-SMB is designed to be as close as possible to +

The General Ledger is the heart of LedgerSMB. Indeed, LedgerSMB is designed to be as close as possible to a software equivalent of a paper-based accounting program (but with no difference between the General Ledger and General Journal).

12.1.3 The GL in Ledger-SMB

The paper-based accounting procedure works well when one is stuck with paper recording requirements but it has one serious deficiency— all of this transcribing creates an opportunity for errors.

Relational databases relieve the need for such transcription as it is possible to store everything physically in a way similar to the way a General Journal is used in the paper-based systems and then present the same information in ways which are more closely related to the General Ledger book. -

This is the exact way that the General Ledger is used in Ledger-SMB. The actual data is entered and +

This is the exact way that the General Ledger is used in LedgerSMB. The actual data is entered and stored as if it was a general journal, and then the data can be presented in any number of different ways. -

All modules of Ledger-SMB that involve COA accounts store their data in the General Ledger (it is a little +

All modules of LedgerSMB that involve COA accounts store their data in the General Ledger (it is a little more complex than this but this is very close to the actual mechanism).

12.2 Cash Transfer

The simplest form of GL entry in Ledger-SMB is the Cash->Transfer screen. This screen shows two +

The simplest form of GL entry in LedgerSMB is the Cash->Transfer screen. This screen shows two transaction lines, and fields for reference, department, description, and notes.

12.6 Reports

The most flexible report in Ledger-SMB is the GL report because it has access to the entire set of financial +

The most flexible report in LedgerSMB is the GL report because it has access to the entire set of financial transactions of a business. Every invoice posted, payment made or received, etc. can be located here.

The search criteria include: @@ -2596,7 +2597,7 @@ specific check number. id="x1-14300013">Recurring Transactions

Any transaction or invoice may be repeated a number of times in regular intervals. To schedule any GL, AR, or AP transaction or invoice, click the schedule button. -

In general the reference number should be left blank as this will force Ledger-SMB to create a new invoice +

In general the reference number should be left blank as this will force LedgerSMB to create a new invoice or transaction number for each iteration. The rest of the options are self-explanatory. Note that a blank number if iterations will result in no recurrences of the transaction.

To process the recurring transactions, click on the Recurring Transactions option on the main menu select @@ -2666,7 +2667,7 @@ as whether or not they have been reconciled. id="x1-15000014.3.3">What if the Trial Balance doesn’t Balance?

If the trial balance does not balance, get technical support immediately. This usually means that transactions were not entered properly. Some may have been out of balance, or some may have gone into non-existent -accounts (believe it or not, Ledger-SMB does not check this latter issue). +accounts (believe it or not, LedgerSMB does not check this latter issue).

14.3.4

14.5 Balance Sheet

The balance sheet is the second major accounting statement supported by Ledger-SMB. The balance sheet +

The balance sheet is the second major accounting statement supported by LedgerSMB. The balance sheet provides a snapshot of the current financial health of the business by comparing assets, liabilities, and equity.

In essence the balance sheet is a statement of the current state of owner equity. Traditionally, it does not @@ -2807,7 +2808,7 @@ transactions did not post properly.

14.7 No Statement of Owner Equity?

The Statement of Owner Equity is the one accounting statement that Ledger-SMB does not support. +

The Statement of Owner Equity is the one accounting statement that LedgerSMB does not support. However, it can be simulated by running a balance sheet at the end of the time frame in question and comparing it to the beginning. One can check this against an income statement for the period in question to verify its accuracy. The statement of owner equity is not as commonly used now as it once @@ -2816,7 +2817,7 @@ was.

15 The Template System

Ledger-SMB allows most documents to be generated according to a template system. This allows financial +

LedgerSMB allows most documents to be generated according to a template system. This allows financial statements, invoices, orders, and the like to be customized to meet the needs of most businesses. Company logos can be inserted, the format can be radically altered, one can print letters to be included with checks to vendors instead of the checks themselves, and the like. In the end, there is very @@ -2831,15 +2832,15 @@ invoice than a customer in Canada.

The only template that uses a text-only format is the POS receipt. This example provides the simplest way to understand the template system.

The first two lines are: -
<%company align=center width=40%> -
<%address align=center width=40%> +
<?lsmb company align=center width=40 ?> +
<?lsmb address align=center width=40 ?>
-

The first line tells Ledger-SMB to print the company name as passed to it via a variable, centered, with a +

The first line tells LedgerSMB to print the company name as passed to it via a variable, centered, with a page width of 40 characters. The second line does the same thing with the address.

These variables are usually passed to the invoice using form fields (hidden or otherwise) in the submitting web page. The printing script, however, can disable some of these fields or add others via database lookups and the like. -

In all types of templates, variable substitution occurs between <% and %>. One can optionally specify an +

In all types of templates, variable substitution occurs between <?lsmb and ?>. One can optionally specify an alignment or a width but these are really only useful in text templates. @@ -2991,14 +2992,14 @@ by it.

15.5 How are They Stored in the Filesystem?

The template directory ("templates" in the root Ledger-SMB install directory) contains all the root templates -used by Ledger-SMB. These follow a naming convention of COAType-templatename.ext where COAType is +

The template directory ("templates" in the root LedgerSMB install directory) contains all the root templates +used by LedgerSMB. These follow a naming convention of COAType-templatename.ext where COAType is the type of dataset that was created when the user was created, templatename is the name of the template, and ext is either txt, html, or tex (for text, html, and LATEX respectively).

Inside this directory are one or more subdirectories where the relevant templates have been copied as default language templates for the user. Many users can use the same user directory (which bears the name -of the Ledger-SMB username). Within this directory are more subdirectories for translated templates, one for +of the LedgerSMB username). Within this directory are more subdirectories for translated templates, one for each language created. @@ -3006,7 +3007,7 @@ each language created.

15.6 Upgrade Issues

When Ledger-SMB is upgraded, the templates are not replaced. This is designed to prevent the upgrade +

When LedgerSMB is upgraded, the templates are not replaced. This is designed to prevent the upgrade script from overwriting changes made during the course of customizing the templates.

Occasionally, however, the data model changes in a way which can cause the templates to stop printing certain information. When information that was showing up before an upgrade stops showing up, one can @@ -3025,20 +3026,20 @@ template to make the change.

16.2 Preliminaries

Logging into Ledger-SMB (1.2+) updates a row in the users_conf table containing your account configuration +

Logging into LedgerSMB (1.2+) updates a row in the users_conf table containing your account configuration defaults and other information. The implication for API users of LSMB is that you must login as part of running API scripts. For security purposes, it is recommended that scripts prompt for a password rather than storing it.

All scripts included in the documentation can also be found in the doc/samples directory.

cd /usr/local/ledger-smb ./ct.pl "login=name&path=bin&password=xxxxx&action=search&db=customer" -

The cd command moves your terminal session’s current working directory into the main Ledger-SMB -directory. Then the Ledger-SMB perl script ct.pl is called with one long line as an argument. The argument is +

cd /usr/local/ledgersmb ./ct.pl "login=name&path=bin&password=xxxxx&action=search&db=customer" +

The cd command moves your terminal session’s current working directory into the main LedgerSMB +directory. Then the LedgerSMB perl script ct.pl is called with one long line as an argument. The argument is really several variable=value pairs separated by ampersands (&). The value for the login variable is the -username that Ledger-SMB is to use, and the value for the password variable is the plaintext +username that LedgerSMB is to use, and the value for the password variable is the plaintext password.

To build our examples we will use a username of "clarkkent" who has a password of "lOis,lAn3". -

cd /usr/local/ledger-smb ./ct.pl "login=clarkkent&path=bin&password=lOis,lAn3&action=search&db=customer" +

cd /usr/local/ledgersmb ./ct.pl "login=clarkkent&path=bin&password=lOis,lAn3&action=search&db=customer"

If we execute these commands we will get the html for the search form for the customer database. This result isn’t useful in itself, but it shows we are on the right track.

@@ -3050,16 +3051,16 @@ result isn’t useful in itself, but it shows we are on the right track.

With a working example, we can start to build reproducible routines that we can grow to do some useful work.

1. sets NOW to the current working directory 2. prompts for and reads your Ledger-SMB login 3. prompts -for and reads (non-echoing) your Ledger-SMB password 4. changes directory to /usr/local/ledger-smb 5. -constructs login and logout commands and a transaction command 6. logins into ledger-smb (in a real +

1. sets NOW to the current working directory 2. prompts for and reads your LedgerSMB login 3. prompts +for and reads (non-echoing) your LedgerSMB password 4. changes directory to /usr/local/ledgersmb 5. +constructs login and logout commands and a transaction command 6. logs into ledgersmb (in a real program, output would be checked for success or failure) 7. executes the transaction 8. logs out -of ledger-smb (although this is not necessary) 9. returns to the original working directory 10. +of ledgersmb (although this is not necessary) 9. returns to the original working directory 10. exits

NOW=‘pwd‘
-
echo -n ~Ledger-SMB login: ~ +
echo -n ~LedgerSMB login: ~
read LSLOGIN
echo
-
echo -n ~Ledger-SMB password: ~ +
echo -n ~LedgerSMB password: ~
stty -echo
read LSPWD
stty echo @@ -3133,7 +3134,7 @@ class="verbatim">

LGIN=~login=${LSLOGIN}&password=${LSPWD}&path=bin&action=login~
LGOT=~login=${LSLOGIN}&password=${LSPWD}&path=bin&action=logout~
-
cd /usr/local/ledger-smb +
cd /usr/local/ledgersmb

./login.pl $LGIN 2>&1 > /dev/null
./ct.pl $ARG @@ -3156,9 +3157,9 @@ builds commands and then executes them. This type of script can be used for more the simple bash script above, though it is still fairly limited. If your needs require, rather than have the script build and then execute the commands it could be written to generate a shell script which is executed by hand. -

This script begins by prompting for your Ledger-SMB login and password. Using the supplied +

This script begins by prompting for your LedgerSMB login and password. Using the supplied values a login command is constructed and passed into the runLScmd subroutine. runLScmd -changes directory to /usr/local/ledger-smb/ for the length of the subroutine. It formats the +changes directory to /usr/local/ledgersmb/ for the length of the subroutine. It formats the command and executes it and returns both the output and error information to the caller in a scalar.

The script checks to see if there was an error in the login, exiting if there was. @@ -3179,7 +3180,7 @@ class="verbatim">

#!/usr/bin/perl -w
#
#  File:         lsmb02-cli-example.pl -
#  Environment:  Ledger-SMB 1.2.0+ +
#  Environment:  LedgerSMB 1.2.0+
#  Author:       Louis B. Moore
#
#  Copyright (C)   2006  Louis B. Moore @@ -3207,12 +3208,12 @@ class="verbatim">

use HTML::Entities;

-
print ~\n\nLedger-SMB login: ~; +
print ~\n\nLedgerSMB login: ~;
my $login = <STDIN>;
chomp($login);

-
print ~\nLedger-SMB password: ~; +
print ~\nLedgerSMB password: ~;
system(~stty -echo~);
my $pwd = <STDIN>;
system(~stty echo~); @@ -3297,7 +3298,7 @@ class="verbatim">

    my $i    = 0;
    my $results;
-
    local $CWD = ~/usr/local/ledger-smb/~; +
    local $CWD = ~/usr/local/ledgersmb/~;

    $cmd = $cmd . ~ \~~ . $args . ~\~~;
@@ -3347,7 +3348,7 @@ class="verbatim">

id="x1-174000II">Technical Overview

17 Basic Architecture

Ledger-SMB is a web-based Perl program that interfaces with PostgreSQL using the relevant Perl modules. +

LedgerSMB is a web-based Perl program that interfaces with PostgreSQL using the relevant Perl modules. The code is well partitioned, and the main operation modules are written in an object oriented way.

@@ -3367,23 +3368,23 @@ way. src="LedgerSMB-manual6x.png" alt="PICT" />

Figure 8:

The Ledger-SMB software stack in a Typical Implementation

+class="content">The LedgerSMB software stack in a Typical Implementation

Ledger-SMB runs in a Perl interpreter. I do not currently know if it is possible to run it with Perl2C or +

LedgerSMB runs in a Perl interpreter. I do not currently know if it is possible to run it with Perl2C or other language converters to run in other environments. However, except for high-capacity environments, Perl is a good language choice for this sort of program. -

Ledger-SMB used to support DB2 and Oracle as well as PostgreSQL. However, currently some of the +

LedgerSMB used to support DB2 and Oracle as well as PostgreSQL. However, currently some of the functionality is implemented using PostgreSQL user-defined functions. These would need to be ported to other database managers in order to make the software work on these. It should not be too hard, but the fact that it has not been done yet may mean that there is no real demand for running the software under other RDBMS’s. -

One can substitute other web servers for Apache. Normally Ledger-SMB is run as a CGI program +

One can substitute other web servers for Apache. Normally LedgerSMB is run as a CGI program but it may be possible to run it in the web server process (note that this may not be entirely thread-safe).

The operating system can be any that supports a web server and Perl (since PostgreSQL need not run on -the same system). However, there are a few issues running Ledger-SMB on Windows (most notably in trying +the same system). However, there are a few issues running LedgerSMB on Windows (most notably in trying to get Postscript documents to print properly).

On the client side, any web-browser will work. Currently, the layout is different for Lynx (which doesn’t support frames), and the layout is not really useful under eLinks (the replacement for Lynx which does @@ -3392,22 +3393,22 @@ without these features.

17.2 Capacity Planning

Some companies may ask how scalable Ledger-SMB is. In general, it is assumed that few companies are +

Some companies may ask how scalable LedgerSMB is. In general, it is assumed that few companies are going to have a need for a high-concurrency accounting system. However, with all the features available in -Ledger-SMB, the staff that may have access to some of the application may be senior enough to make the +LedgerSMB, the staff that may have access to some of the application may be senior enough to make the question worthwhile. -

This question also becomes more important when companies might look at integrating Ledger-SMB with +

This question also becomes more important when companies might look at integrating LedgerSMB with a CRM solution, online store, or other environment. This section looks at a number of the known issues and their solutions.

17.2.1 Scalability Strategies

Ledger-SMB is a fairly standard web-based application. However, sometimes the database schema changes +

LedgerSMB is a fairly standard web-based application. However, sometimes the database schema changes during upgrades. In these cases, it becomes impossible to use different versions of the software against the -same database version safely. Ledger-SMB checks the version of the database and if the version is higher than +same database version safely. LedgerSMB checks the version of the database and if the version is higher than the version of the software that is running, will refuse to run. -

Therefore although one strategy might be to run several front-end web servers with Ledger-SMB, in +

Therefore although one strategy might be to run several front-end web servers with LedgerSMB, in reality this can be a bit of a problem. One solution is to take half of the front-end servers off-line while doing the initial upgrade, and then take the other offline to upgrade when these are brought back online. @@ -3418,7 +3419,7 @@ Slony-I).

If this solution is insufficient for database scalability, one might be able to move staff who do not need real-time access to new entries onto a PG-Pool/Slony-I cluster where new transactions are entered on the master and other data is looked up on the replica. In certain circumstances, one can also offload a number of -other queries from the master database in order to minimize the load. Ledger-SMB has very few issues in the +other queries from the master database in order to minimize the load. LedgerSMB has very few issues in the scalability of the application. @@ -3432,7 +3433,7 @@ row is updated, PostgreSQL leaves the old row in the database, and inserts a new table. Over time, unless those old rows are removed, performance can degrade as PostgreSQL has to search through all the old versions of the row in order to determine which one ought to be the current one. -

Due to the way the SQL statements are executed in Ledger-SMB, most inserts will also create a dead +

Due to the way the SQL statements are executed in LedgerSMB, most inserts will also create a dead row.

A second problem occurs in that each transaction is given a transaction id. These id’s are numbered using 32-bit integers. If the transaction id wraps around (prior to 8.1), data from transactions that appear @@ -3475,17 +3476,17 @@ source code and edit the database queries to omit unused tables.

18 Customization Possibilities

Ledger-SMB is designed to be customized relatively easily and rapidly. In general, the source +

LedgerSMB is designed to be customized relatively easily and rapidly. In general, the source code is well written and compartmentalized. This section covers the basic possibilities involving customization.

18.1 Brief Guide to the Source Code

Ledger-SMB is an application with over 34000 lines of code. While it is not possible to cover the entire +

LedgerSMB is an application with over 34000 lines of code. While it is not possible to cover the entire application here, a brief overview of the source code is in order.

In the root of the install directory, one will find a setup.pl program, a number of other .pl programs, and a -number of directories. The setup.pl program is used to update or install Ledger-SMB. The other .pl programs +number of directories. The setup.pl program is used to update or install LedgerSMB. The other .pl programs provide a basic set of services for the framework (including authentication) and then pass the work on to the data entry screen file in the bin directory.

The bin directory contains another directory for each terminal type. The main two offered are lynx and @@ -3494,9 +3495,9 @@ terminal. Mozilla is the terminal type used for most other web browsers. The per directories provides the user interface of the software.

The css directory in the root install directory contains CSS documents to provide various stylesheets one can select for changing various aspects of the look and feel of the application. -

The locale directory contains translation files that Ledger-SMB uses to translate between different +

The locale directory contains translation files that LedgerSMB uses to translate between different languages. One could add translations to these files if necessary. -

The LSMB directory is where the Perl modules reside that provide the core business logic in Ledger-SMB. +

The LSMB directory is where the Perl modules reside that provide the core business logic in LedgerSMB. These modules provide functionality such as form handling, email capabilities, and access to the database through its at least partially object oriented API.

Finally, the sql directory provides the database schemas and upgrade scripts. @@ -3513,7 +3514,7 @@ etc.

We set up hot keys for payment lines, automatically focused the keyboard on the last partnumber field, removed separate print and post buttons to ensure that invoices were always printed and posted together, and removed the ability to print to the screen, and even the ability to scan items in when an invoice was -received (using a portable data terminal) and import this data into Ledger-SMB. Finally we added the ability +received (using a portable data terminal) and import this data into LedgerSMB. Finally we added the ability to reconcile the till online in a paperless manner.

For another customer, we added the ability to print AR invoices in plain text format and added templates (based on the POS sales template) to do this. @@ -3550,9 +3551,9 @@ Javascript in them to automatically print them on load.

18.5 Reports

The fact that all the data is available within the database manager is a huge advantage of Ledger-SMB over +

The fact that all the data is available within the database manager is a huge advantage of LedgerSMB over Quickbooks and the like. The rapid development of reports allows for one to easily develop reports of any -sort within Ledger-SMB. +sort within LedgerSMB.

18.5.1
19.1 Reporting Tools
-
Any reporting tool which can access the PostgreSQL database can be used with Ledger-SMB for custom +
Any reporting tool which can access the PostgreSQL database can be used with LedgerSMB for custom reporting. These can include programs like Microsoft Access and Excel (using the ODBC drivers), PgAccess (A PostgreSQL front-end written in TCL/Tk with a similar feel to Access), Rekall, Crystal Reports, OpenOffice and more. @@ -3582,20 +3583,20 @@ OpenOffice and more.
We have created spreadsheets of the summaries of activity by day and used the ODBC driver to import these into Excel. Excel can also read HTML tables, so one can use PostgreSQL to create an HTML table of the result and save it with a .xls extension so that Windows opens it with Excel. These could then be served via the -same web server that serves Ledger-SMB. +same web server that serves LedgerSMB.

19.2 Line of Business Tools on PostgreSQL

Various line of business tools have been written using PostgreSQL in large part due to the fact that it is far more mature than MySQL in areas relating to data integrity enforcement, transactional processing, and the -like. These tools can be integrated with Ledger-SMB in various ways. One could integrate this program with +like. These tools can be integrated with LedgerSMB in various ways. One could integrate this program with the HERMES CRM framework, for example.

19.2.1 Known Issues

Ledger-SMB uses a single ’id’ sequence across many tables. At the same time it is expected that these tables +

LedgerSMB uses a single ’id’ sequence across many tables. At the same time it is expected that these tables do not have identical id values in their records as they are used as a sort of pseudo-foreign key by the acc_trans table which stores the financial transaction information.

If the integration solution does not keep this in mind, it is possible to create a situation where the account @@ -3610,11 +3611,11 @@ would lead to a large number of problems.

In general, it is advisable to run all such programs that benefit from integration in the same database but under different schemas. This allows PostgreSQL to become the main method of synchronizing the data in real time. However, sometimes this can require dumping the database, recreating the tables etc. in a different -schema and importing the data back into Ledger-SMB. +schema and importing the data back into LedgerSMB.

One possibility for this sort of integration is to use database triggers to replicate the data between the applications in real-time. This can avoid the main issue of duplicate id’s. One issue that can occur however relates to updates. If one updates a customer record in HERMES, for example, how do we know which -record to update in Ledger-SMB? There are solutions to this problem but they do require some +record to update in LedgerSMB? There are solutions to this problem but they do require some forethought.

A second possibility is to use views to allow one application to present the data from the other as its own. This can be cleaner regarding update issues, but it can also pose issues regarding duplicate id @@ -3623,14 +3624,14 @@ fields.

19.2.3 Examples

Others have integrated L’ane POS and Ledger-SMB in order to make it work better with touch screen -devices. Still others have successfully integrated Ledger-SMB and Interchange. In both cases, I believe that +

Others have integrated L’ane POS and LedgerSMB in order to make it work better with touch screen +devices. Still others have successfully integrated LedgerSMB and Interchange. In both cases, I believe that triggers were used to perform the actual integration.

19.3 Line of Business Tools on other RDBMS’s

Often there are requests to integrate Ledger-SMB with applications like SugarCRM, OSCommerce, and other +

Often there are requests to integrate LedgerSMB with applications like SugarCRM, OSCommerce, and other applications running on MySQL or other database managers. This is a far more complex field and it requires a great deal more effort than integrating applications within the same database.

@@ -3644,7 +3645,7 @@ Replication may be somewhat error-prone unless the database manager supports tri MySQL in 5.0) or other mechanisms to ensure that all changed records can be detected and replicated. In general, it is usually advisable to add two fields to the record– one that shows the insert time and one that shows the last update. -

Additionally, I would suggest adding additional information to the Ledger-SMB tables so that you can +

Additionally, I would suggest adding additional information to the LedgerSMB tables so that you can track the source record from the other application in the case of an update.

In general, one must write replication scripts that dump the information from one and add it to the other. This must go both ways. @@ -3675,7 +3676,7 @@ previous discussions of this topic, it is listed separately. such basic features as instantiating the form object, ensuring that the user is logged in, and the like. They then pass the execution off to the user interface script (usually in the bin/mozilla directory). -

Ledger-SMB in many ways may look sort of object oriented in its design, but in reality, it is far more +

LedgerSMB in many ways may look sort of object oriented in its design, but in reality, it is far more data-driven than object oriented. The Form object is used largely as a global symbol table and also as a collection of fundamental routines for things like database access. It also breaks down the query string into sets of variables which are stored in its attribute hash table. @@ -3686,7 +3687,7 @@ object.

20.2 Customizing Templates

Templates are used to generate printed checks, invoices, receipts, and more in Ledger-SMB. Often the format +

Templates are used to generate printed checks, invoices, receipts, and more in LedgerSMB. Often the format of these items does not fit a specific set of requirements and needs to be changed. This document will not include LATEX or HTML instruction, but will include a general introduction to editing templates. Also, this @@ -3766,7 +3767,7 @@ reasons. cross-reference data moves the object to another page). In this case you will need to use three passes of LATEX in order to have accurate references. -

Ledger-SMB as of the time of this writing (2.6.8) only makes one pass at the LAT

LedgerSMB as of the time of this writing (2.6.8) only makes one pass at the LATEX file. To force it to make more than one pass, open Form.pm with your favorite text editor. Look for the line: @@ -3797,7 +3798,7 @@ class="cmsy-10">} .err");

20.3 Customizing Forms

Data entry forms and other user interface pieces are in the bin directory. In Ledger-SMB 1.0.0 and later, +

Data entry forms and other user interface pieces are in the bin directory. In LedgerSMB 1.0.0 and later, symlinks are not generally used.

Each module is identified with a two letter combination: ar, ap, cp, etc. These combinations are generally explained in the comment headers on each file. @@ -3848,11 +3849,11 @@ href="http://www.sql-ledger.org/cgi-bin/nav.pl?page=contrib/moore.html&title=Lou id="x1-214000III">Appendix

A Where to Go for More Information

There are a couple of relevant sources of information on Ledger-SMB in particular. +

There are a couple of relevant sources of information on LedgerSMB in particular.

The most important resources are the LedgerSMB web site (http://www.ledgersmb.org) and the email lists found at our Sourceforge site. -

In addition, it is generally recommended that the main bookkeeper of a company using Ledger-SMB +

In addition, it is generally recommended that the main bookkeeper of a company using LedgerSMB work through at least one accounting textbook. Which textbook is not as important as the fact that a textbook is used.

@@ -3888,7 +3889,7 @@ expense.

Ledger-SMB is generally best installed in its own directory outside of the wwwroot directory. +
LedgerSMB is generally best installed in its own directory outside of the wwwroot directory. While it is possible to install it inside the wwwroot directory, the instructions and the faq don’t cover the common problems here.

Install Ledger-SMB. + id="x1-221002x1">Install LedgerSMB.
Set preferences, and customize chart of accounts. @@ -3980,14 +3981,14 @@ class="cmmi-10">>payment. Fill out approrpiate fields and click
- Saving a customer returns to the customer screen. After the appropriate invoice, - transaction, etc. is entered and posted, Ledger-SMB will return to the add customer + transaction, etc. is entered and posted, LedgerSMB will return to the add customer screen.

One can use the requirements report to help determine what parts need to be ordered though one cannot generate PO’s directly from this report.

Note, the needs of Ledger-SMB are mostly useful for light manufacturing operations (assembling +

Note, the needs of LedgerSMB are mostly useful for light manufacturing operations (assembling computers, for example). More manufacturing capabilities are expected to be released in the next version.

A custom assembly is a bit difficult to make. One must add the assembly prior to invoice (this is not true -- cgit v1.2.3