Latest Tips
Windows 7 & Vista, Standby - Save Power, Budgeting, Semiloops and Navigating the Tree
Tips
NewViews tips and tricks that you might not have picked up on your own.
NewViews is advancing at a rapid pace.
Since the release of NewViews NV2 in 2005 over 100 new features have been added.
- All new changes and features are listed in Appendix "A" of the manual.
-
Also with each new release the new features are listed on our web site.
A version history with build changes is available here.
Windows 7 - released Oct, 2009
Installing NewViews on computers with Vista or Windows 7
It is recommended that NewViews be installed using the "Run as administrator" command.
For NewViews to function it required full read / write access to it's installation directory and
the "temp" directory of the operating system.
- NewViews 2 for Windows runs on both 32 and 64 bit versions of Vista and Windows 7
- NewViews 1 for DOS only runs on 32 bit versions of Vista and Windows 7
NewViews for Windows
File Backup & File Save
The most important mouse click of the day.
The built in File>Backup command will backup your books while you are using NewViews. No need to close the books first.
This backup was specifically created for multi-user operation. There is no need to tell users to close down NewViews
in order to create a backup file of your books.
The File>Backup command saves the current NewViews file to a backup file that has an automatically generated file name. By
default, the backup is created in the same folder as the database, but this default can be overridden.
We do not recommend the use of disk imaging or file differential backup software when NewViews server is running with open
NewViews databases.
The File>Save command saves changes to disk for the current file.
The File>Save All command saves changes to disk for files currently open. If issued anywhere on a workstation, all files
you have open on that workstation are saved. If issued anywhere on a server, all files that the server currently has open,
i.e. that users have open through that server, are saved.
Although NewViews saves information to disk automatically as work is performed, for efficiency purposes the changes are saved
during background processing, i.e. when NewViews is idle. NewViews may not be idle very often when many users are
simultaneously making changes in a multi-user environment, and the information lost by a system crash can increase
accordingly. The File>Save and File>Save All commands force all changes to disk, ensuring that they will not be lost in
the event of a system crash.
Help - [F1]
It's not an animated dog wagging it's tail.
Help is context-sensitive; when [F1] is pressed, the manual is opened and positioned in the relevant section.
Error checking is exhaustive, and you can ask for help when any error occurs. Never hesitate to try something new with
NewViews.
If an operation or value is not allowed, you are informed immediately and given a full explanation. If you make errors that
NewViews cannot catch, such as entering incorrect amounts, you can correct them easily by editing.
The Manual
The NewViews manual is not published on paper.
The manual is provided as an Internet online HTML document.
The manual is also provided with the installation as a local HTML document.
The manual is easily accessed by pressing Help > Manual on the main menu in NewViews or the Workstation.
The manual is indexed into various sections.
Highlighted words and phrases are hyperlinks to other sections of the manual or direct links to Web sites for real-time
help.
The manual contains several hundred screen shots, covering everything from exploration, navigation, daily tasks, payroll,
reporting, custom reporting, budgeting, electronic banking, importing from NewViews 1 for DOS, etc.
There is also a search tab in the left frame.
How to navigate the Tree
Do you understand the tree view? If not, please check out this tip.
Tree navigation allows for access to an organized structure.
The one application that has been consistent in Microsoft Windows is the Explorer.
The Explorer is the file manager included with Windows since Windows 95.
Regrettably, Microsoft has hidden the once prominent program in the Start menu under Accessories.
Also the default view of Explorer has the folders and details views turned off.
Shown below is the default view in Windows Explorer.
By clicking on "Folders", the left pane will switch to the tree view.
By clicking on "View" > "Details", the right pane will switch to a sortable list; by name, size, date, etc.
Above you see the Windows Explorer in the traditional tree view.
In this view, your files become more accessible to backup, copy, move or delete.
In the address bar, the full path of the file is visible.
Now you know where the file really is.
In the "details view" the date of the individual files is visible, this is one of the most important pieces of
information about a computer file.
You need to know the what (file name), where (path) and when (date) to deal with files with confidence.
This is clearly presented here.
The tree view is the best representation of what is on your computer.
This is the tool that most IT personnel use to manipulate folders and files.
It is unfortunate that Microsoft no longer presents this as the default view.
In Explorer use the following command to set the above as the default view;
Tools > Folder Options > View > Apply to All Folders.
Trees in NewViews
In NewViews the tree is used to display the organized structure of a set of folders which make up a set of books.
The tree is also used for the context menu.
In the database explorer you see the root folder, folders nested within it, a small plus-minus icon next to each folder
used to expand or collapse the folders, and each folder is clickable.
Below is the default view on the NewViews database explorer.
The Accounts Payable folder is highlighted in the explorer tree,
(green highlight) causing the contents to display in the window to the right.
The active cursor (yellow highlight) in on the Arrakis account.
To use NewViews efficiently, you need to know how to navigate the tree explorer.
The tree widget includes a lot of functionality. The plus-minus icon to the left of the folders is a button.
When you click on the small plus-minus icon, the nested folders either display or are hidden, respectively.
When you click on a folder name, the contents of the folder are revealed in a separate window.
But the plus-minus icon doesn't do the same thing.
All that does is expand or collapse the view of nested folders. This doesn't show or change view to it's content.
So you can expand a folder and not see its contained content, or you can click on a folder label to see its content
without expanding the view to see its nested folders.
Tree view controls are also used as menus.
The tree as a menu in NewViews is the Context Menu.
It is with this "tree" that you can move through the "branches" to find the associated command that will provide the
required results.
For example, the context menu is the tree as a whole. When you start looking at the tree you see that there are several
main branches (File, Edit, Window, Print, etc.) and when you expand a branch by clicking on the + you see even more
sub-branches attached to the main branch. Therefore if you select File>Exit NewViews, the Context Menu is the tree,
"File" is the main branch that supports the sub-branch "Exit NewViews" and the expected result will be that NewViews
will exit.
The Maximize / Restore button
The click that puts you in control of the window panes.
Microsoft Windows
All Microsoft Window programs have three buttons on the right side of the title bar.
They appear in the Windows Classic style and NewViews
as: 
They are in order from left to right; Minimize, [Maximize/Restore] and Close.
The middle of the three 
is the Maximize/Restore button
and comes in two shapes;
or
.
Every time the Maximize/Restore button is clicked it switches between the two shapes.
When you click the button the active window will
maximize (cover other windows).
When you click the button the active window will
restore (expose other hidden windows).
NewViews
NewViews is a Multiple Document Interface (MDI) program.
In NewViews the child windows reside within a single parent window.
The child windows are controlled by one Maximize/Restore button in each title bar.
Child windows that contain additional child windows have two title bars, one above and one below the row of tabs.
The child windows do not display the Minimize or Close buttons.
The single button or
at the right edge of the title bars is the
Maximize/Restore button.
On average the NewViews database explorer displays a half dozen or more Maximize/Restore buttons. These buttons control how many child windows are open and how deep you wish to drill down.
When you click the Maximize button
the active window will maximize and change its shape to
When you click the Restore button
the active window will restore to the previous state (expose other hidden windows) and change its shape back to
.
If any button in the database explorer appears in the Restore
state, there are hidden windows.
Show X (cross account) not GOX
All journal explorers display both the credit and debit side of a transaction.
In addition, on any journal, when viewing the details of a transaction you may open a third window pane by clicking on
the maximize/restore button.
The red arrow below is pointing at the maximize/restore button that will expose the third window pane.
The third window pane observes the position of the cursor position in the middle pane.
In this example the middle window pane is displaying the details of the $14,628.90 deposit. Line one is the Olson
account's $9,628.90 deposit paying invoices 1203 and 1208.
The bottom green window pane displays the ledger of the Olson account (in real time) with automatic highlighting of
the bank deposit posting.
Access Denied?
Hey, this is my computer, what gives.
In the good old days, Windows 95, 98, and 2000 most users had full access to all the files and folders on their
computer.
Now with networks, Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7, Microsoft and the IT department, have decided they know better than
to give users full access to their computers. By default, many files and folders are restricted.
To install and operate NewViews, you will need full read/write access to the folder in which you install NewViews,
(default is C:\NV) and to %WINDIR%\Temp.
We also recommend that you have read/write access to a shared folder on the network dedicated to NewViews data where your
data can be backed up, create a download directory for upgrades and a printing directory to share printing templates.
Bookmarks
Just like the Internet, save your favorite positions, and navigate with the forward and backward buttons.
The toolbar is located near the top of your application window, just below the menu bar. The toolbar has navigation buttons
(Back, Forward and Forward End) and a Bookmarks button.
The Bookmarks button allows you to bookmark (called "Favorites" in Internet Explorer) a position, view or window arrangement
that you can return to at any time.
Check the NewViews manual for a full description with screen shots under "Toolbar navigation buttons" in the Operating
Newviews chapter. The manual is accessed by clicking on the Help > Manual command in the main menu.
Budgeting
NewViews for Windows is not restricted to monthly history ranges like the old NV1. NV2 has full history and
reporting on a daily basis. Budgets can be done yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly even daily.
There are two methods of entering a budget.
- Directly on a report set to the Budget view.
- From the Budget Journal
Method 1 is covered in the NewViews manual in a dedicated chapter called "Budgeting".
An alternate is method 2, entering the budget directly from a budget journal.
We assume you are entering an annual budget to be used with monthly reports.
This can be accomplished in four easy steps.
-
Navigate to the Budget journal. The journal is located in the General Journal folder.
NewViews/Journal/General/Budget - In the Transactions view, if your year end is March 31, create an entry dated April 1. In the Cr Account column enter the "BUDGET_BALANCE" account name. Now expand into the detail window with [F6] to the "Details" view.
-
In the [Dr Account] column start posting to all the accounts for which you have a budget.
These will be monthly budget amounts.
Enter negative values for Credit normal balance accounts.
Enter positive values for Debit normal balance accounts.
If you have annual budget numbers you may enter them as follows, lets say the budget is $60,000 for the year, simply type 60000/12 in the amount column and press enter. The value displayed will be the result of the calculation 60000/12=5000 (see line 3 above in the sample screen shot) - Once all the monthly amounts have been entered, press [F4] to contract back to the top window. Position on the header of the transaction (line 1 in this example) and run the command Tools > Create Transactions > Post Dated. You may now copy the single monthly entry 11 more times to create the annual budget.
The idea is to create budget entries for the smallest date range you will be reporting with, monthly in the above example.
Then simply duplicate the transaction for as many months as you wish.
If some of the monthly budget amounts are variable over the year, use "Show X" (see Tips) to view an account in budget
mode and adjust the appropriate amounts directly in the ledger below.
Split the Amount column into individual Dr and Cr columns
On any account ledger the default view is a single Amount column beside the running balance (Amount Total) column.
Using the menu View command click on the [Amounts Only - Dr/Cr Split] command to split the left Amount
column into individual Debit and Credit columns.
You can return to the original single Amount column with the same menu View command and click on
the [Amounts Only] command.
Standby - Save Power and possibly damage your data
Most new computers come with power saving settings.
e.g. turning of the computer monitor after a set amount of time. This is not a problem.
A prominent method of saving power (the green movement) is with the "power" section in the computer's
display settings.
In the "power" section many users activate the "system standby" option.
This allows an idle computer to go to (sleep) after a set amount of time.
This is fine if there are no running applications that rely on external links.
However, NewViews when running in multi-user mode is connected to a server machine that is active.
If NewViews is active on your desktop in multi-user mode, i.e. your NewViews data is on another machine,
you must not allow your computer to go into standby mode.
Going "standy" with NewViews running as a real-time application with data synchronized
from other computers is the same as pulling the power plug out of the back of the computer.
Your data may appear fine after restarting, but at some point serious damage may occur to your data.
Edit Printing Templates then rename the File
Have you ever lost your modified printing template after updating to a new version of NewViews?
With the NewViews installation, over 100 printing templates in the form of .xls files are installed
on your computer.
Templates by nature are designed to be modified by you the user.
Most of us have some knowledge with Excel and find it easy to modify the printing templates for
Checks, Invoices, Statements, payroll reports, etc.
When you first open a template to modify, please immediately do a Save As command and rename the
template with a new name.
Suggested names are; prepend the name with your company name, or your own first name or the printer
name.
This will guarantee that after you have modified the new template it has a unique name and will not
be overwritten with the next upgrade.
Note: we recommend that you create a new directory as a shared folder and name it "printing templates".
Copy to this new folder any and all .xls files you use as templates. Most users use less than a dozen
templates. This will make it easier to find the template you are looking for. Instead of looking at
a list of 100 files there will only be the dozen or so you use.
The traditional Trial Balance view
Looking for a report with two columns, one for debits, one for credits with no negative values?
Any report can have a Trial Balance Tab added. The Trial Balance Tab (or view) is unique, it has
dedicated columns for Debits and Credits. No negative values are shown, if a Debit normal balance
"goes" negative, the amount will jump to the Credit column and vice-versa.
We recommend that this only be added to reports that have a Total account at the bottom that sums to zero.
This would be reports such as a Trial Balance or General Ledger. But this view may be useful on any
report where all the debit and credit accounts sum to zero.
The command "Create Trial Balance" in available on the Report Desktop Menu.
To access the Report desktop menu position on a report, and right click on the title bar immediately above
the report tabs. The title bar should start with text such as /REPORT/(name of report).
With the Report Desktop Menu open, expand the Tools item to display the "Create Trial Balance"
This is not all, you can add two more columns (debit/credit) and set them for the prior year. How nice
to give out the trial balance with the current period and the prior period. If you wish you can add
as many pairs of columns as you wish and each pair can be a different date.
Semiloops may be slowing you down
The graph below is a semiloop. There are two paths from D to A, one through B and one through C.
A semiloop in the total-to structure means that one account is totaling to another more than once. This does not
result in duplicate postings in the account that is totaled to more than once. NewViews automatically ensures that
each posting appears only once in any account. So, for example, semiloops will not typically cause a set of books
to go out of balance.
Semiloops were allowed in NewViews 1.XX and to ease conversion, NewViews 2 continued to allow semiloops.
In the latter versions of NV2, a warning was presented upon completion of the conversion process from NewViews
1.XX if semiloops where present.
We strongly suggest that you remove semiloops if present in NewViews 2.
For more detailed information on semiloops, please check the NewViews manual under "Setting Up The Books",
"Semiloops in NewViews Totalto Structure"
Version 2.15 can re-total accounts close to the speed of NewViews 1.XX when no semiloops are present.