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LedgerPlus - Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I upgrade to LedgerPlus?
Where is the user manual for LedgerPlus?
Where is the LedgerPlus database located?
How do I transfer data from your free Ledger program?
Why do I get a message telling me the database is not accessible?
Why do accounts not appear in the drop down list?
Why can't I find the Maintain menu?
Why can't I see all the entries I've posted to an account?
Why doesn't LedgerPlus run on Windows Vista or Windows 7?
What is the BDE?
What is Paradox?
What's the difference between standard mode and client/server mode?
What is Firebird?
What is Interbase?
How do I convert my database from Paradox to Firebird?
Why should I upgrade to LedgerPlus?
You should only upgrade to LedgerPlus if you want the additional features that are not part of
our free Ledger program. If you don't need
these features you are better off staying with Ledger, a robust application that will continue to give you reliable trouble-free
operation for years to come.
These extra features include automatic tax calculations, comparative
accounting reports, ledger and cashbook search functions, a purge function to remove old entries from the database,
account summaries, budget comparisons, fixed assets & depreciation, an electronic document repository, invoicing,
stock control, accounts receivable, point-of-sale (POS) and user-access levels.
In future updates we're planning to include data import & export functions (using XBRL) and audit trails.
Where is the user manual for LedgerPlus?
Because LedgerPlus is so easy to install and use we didn't bother with a manual since we figured
you probably wouldn't read it anyway. Instead everything you need to know to get started is on our quick start
page.
. . . well perhaps . . . not everything! The biggest difficulty you're likely to encounter when using our software is
that it assumes a basic understanding of the principles of accounting and in particular the function of a general ledger.
Unlike other popular accounting systems our software is not dumbed-down to accommodate users that haven't
taken the time to understand the fundamentals.
Our goal is to provide you with software that will contribute to your long-term business success and for this to happen we
believe it's important that you grasp the basic principles of accounting. Once you've
mastered these principles (which isn't that hard!) we're confident you'll find LedgerPlus better and easier to use than any other accounting system.
If you'd like a good book that provides an excellent introduction to accounting we unreservedly recommend
Accounting Demystified by Jeffry R. Haber. We think it's the best accounting book we've seen
and suggest it's likely to be the only book on accounting you'll ever need (unless of course you decide to become an accountant!) For a
concise explanation that may be useful as an additional resource please see our essay on accounting theory.
If you still can't find the information you're looking for either on our quick start
page or here on this FAQ page please don't hesitate to email support@responsive.co.nz
and we'll be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Where is the LedgerPlus database located?
When you install LedgerPlus the default location for the database is
C:\Program Files\Responsive Software\LedgerPlus\Database. The database files are created automatically
in this folder when you run LedgerPlus for the first time. If your data is important to you then you
need to make sure this folder gets included in your regular backup.
NOTE: If you're running LedgerPlus on Windows Vista or Windows 7 the database may be stored
in C:\Users\(USERNAME)\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\Responsive Software\LedgerPlus\Database.
How do I transfer data from your free Ledger program?
At present there are no data import or export functions in LedgerPlus that let you combine two separate databases.
However if you are using our free Ledger program and
would like to switch over to LedgerPlus you
can copy the entire database from one to the other. Simply delete ALL the files in the folder C:\Program Files\Responsive Software\LedgerPlus\Database
and then copy into it ALL the files from the folder C:\Program Files\Responsive Software\Ledger\Database.
NOTE: If you're running Ledger or LedgerPlus on Windows Vista or Windows 7 the databases may
be stored in C:\Users\(USERNAME)\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\Responsive Software\Ledger\Database
or C:\Users\(USERNAME)\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\Responsive Software\LedgerPlus\Database respectively.
Why do I get a message telling me the database is not accessible?
If you're running LedgerPlus on Windows Vista or Windows 7 please see the question below
Why doesn't LedgerPlus run on Windows Vista or Windows 7?
If you've installed LedgerPlus on a drive other than C: (say X:) you need to change the BDE setting. Go to the control panel
and run the BDE Administrator. Click on the Databases tab, click on LEDGERPLUS and change the PATH value
from C:\Program Files\Responsive Software\LedgerPlus\Database to X:\Program Files\Responsive
Software\LedgerPlus\Database. Then exit the BDE Administrator and save the changes.
Check also that the Paradox network control directory is accessible by the BDE. To do this go to the control panel
and run the BDE Administrator. Click on the Configuration tab. In the tree view click on
the + sign to expand the nodes Configuration, Drivers, Native and PARADOX. On the right
hand side next to NET DIR check that the directory specified exists and is fully accessible on your computer.
If your computer is using a language other than English you may also need to change the BDE setting. For example if you
are in Mexico and your computer is using Spanish go to the control panel and run the BDE Administrator. Click on the Databases tab, click on LEDGERPLUS and change the PATH value
from C:\Program Files\Responsive Software\LedgerPlus\Database to C:\Archivos de Programa\Responsive Software\LedgerPlus\Database.
Then exit the BDE Administrator and save the changes.
If you installed a beta release of Expression WebDesigner or some other recent software from
Microsoft you may also get this error. This software contains a bug that prevents
the Borland Database Engine from accessing a database correctly. To fix this problem either
uninstall the offending software or contact Microsoft to see if they can provide a fix.
Why do accounts not appear in the drop down list?
On the Entries, Accounts and Cashbooks screens only the accounts for the
currently selected Default Accounting Company will appear in the Account drop down list.
(LedgerPlus is multi-company which means it can handle multiple accounting entities.) When you first
install LedgerPlus the Default Accounting Company is set to <Default>. You can change this
by going to the File menu and selecting Configure. Then go to the Workstation tab,
select <Default> (or a company name) from the Default Accounting Company drop down list and click
on the OK button.
Why can't I find the Maintain menu?
If you're using LedgerPlus in a client/server configuration and your User Name has not
been set up as an Administrator through the LedgerPlus Server you will not be
able to access the Maintain menu on the LedgerPlus Client. To fix this go to the LedgerPlus Server main screen.
Then go to the File menu and select Users. Put a Y in the Administrator field next to your User Name.
Why can't I see all the entries I've posted to an account?
LedgerPlus allows you to specify a default period that limits the number of visible entries. If you want to see
all the entries in an account you need to turn this off. Go to the File menu and select
Configure. Then click on the Workstation tab. Remove the ticks from the Begin Period
and End Period check boxes. Then click on the OK button.
Why doesn't Ledger run on Windows Vista or Windows 7?
If you've installed LedgerPlus on a computer running Windows Vista or Windows 7 you may need to make some
additional changes to the BDE configuration before it will run correctly. For more information please see
Configuration - Windows Vista.
What is the BDE?
BDE is short for Borland Database Engine. This is the system software LedgerPlus uses to access
the database when it is stored in a Paradox format.
What is Paradox?
Paradox is a relational database management system (RDBMS) that was very popular before it was overtaken by
Microsoft Access and which many still consider to be superior. The Paradox database format is still
widely used by many other applications because of its superior speed and efficiency.
What's the difference between standard mode and client/server mode?
In standard mode LedgerPlus runs as a single program that accesses the database directly using the BDE
(Borland Database Engine.) When you install LedgerPlus it operates in standard mode by default with a single-user
setup. On a LAN you can switch to a multi-user setup and continue to use standard mode where LedgerPlus runs as a
single program on each computer and directly accesses the database via the BDE. Standard mode is suitable for a
small number of users on a LAN.
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Standard Mode
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In client/server mode LedgerPlus runs as two separate programs - one as a client and the other as a server. Only the
server program has direct access to the database (which can be either Paradox via the BDE or Firebird/Interbase.) When
a client program is started it must establish a connection to the server using the TCP/IP protocol in order to access
the database. Whenever the client needs some data it sends a request to the server via the TCP/IP connection. The server then retrieves the requested data from the database and
returns it to the client. And whenever the client wants to save some data it sends it to the server which then
stores it in the database.
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Client/Server Mode
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Before a client can connect to the server the user is prompted to enter a User Name and Password. A connection
is only allowed if the User Name has been set up in the server program and the correct Password
has been entered. Client/server mode is suitable for a TCP/IP network (including the Internet) and where
there are a large number of users.
What is Firebird?
Firebird is a relational database management system (RDBMS). It is an open source product and
is completely free of registration, licensing and deployment fees even for commercial applications. It
is based on source code released by Borland Software Corporation on 25 July 2000 under the InterBase
Public License v.1.0 and shares much in common with Interbase.
For more information please see the Firebird website www.firebirdsql.org.
What is Interbase?
Interbase is a relational database management system (RDBMS). It is a closed source product
developed and marketed by Borland Software Corporation.
For more information please see the Interbase website www.borland.com/interbase.
How do I convert my database from Paradox to Firebird?
To convert your LedgerPlus database from Paradox to Firebird first change to client/server setup.
Next install and configure Firebird. Make sure the Firebird server is running and accessible from the computer where
the LedgerPlus Server is installed.
Edit the file C:\Program Files\Firebird\Firebird_1_5\aliases.conf using a text editor (e.g. Notepad)
and add the following line:
ledgerplus = C:\Program Files\Responsive Software\LedgerPlus\LedgerPlus.FDB
On the server workstation create a shortcut to the LedgerPlus program C:\Program Files\Responsive Software\LedgerPlus\LedgerPlus.exe
and rename it LedgerPlus Convert. Right-click on this shortcut and select Properties. Then click on the Shortcut tab.
In the Target field after the "C:\Program Files\Responsive Software\LedgerPlus\LedgerPlus.exe" filename (and outside
the quotation marks) add the command line parameter /v. Then click on the OK button.
Shutdown the LedgerPlus Server if it is running.
Double-click on the LedgerPlus Convert icon to start the conversion. Enter the
Firebird User Name (default SYSDBA) and Password (default masterkey) and follow the prompts.
After the conversion has finished delete the LedgerPlus Convert shortcut. Be careful not to run the conversion a second time
or you will need to delete the Firebird database and start again.
Right-click on the LedgerPlus Server shortcut and select Properties. Then click on the Shortcut tab.
In the Target field after the "C:\Program Files\Responsive Software\LedgerPlus\LedgerPlus.exe" filename (and outside
the quotation marks) change the command line parameter from /s to /s /f. Then click on the OK button.
Double-click on the LedgerPlus Server icon and enter the Firebird User Name and Password to restart the server.
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