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DataCOM, Database Communicator, is a new package analyzed and written by Data Development Designers 3Ds, as a small business solution for small to moderate firms. DataCOM Consist of Accounting, Inventory and Human Resource (Payroll) integrated into one program; it also consist of User Access and Utilities.

DataCOM forms can be grouped into 3 categories:

1. Archive forms
   Ledger
   Items
   Currency
   Client
   Supplier
   Grouping
   Subgroup
    
2. Transaction forms
   Purchases
   Return Purchases
   Sales
   Return Sales
   Adjustment
   Journal Voucher
   Payment Voucher
   Receipt Voucher
   Debit Note Voucher
   Credit Note Voucher
    
3. Reports
   General Ledger
   Statement of Account
   Statement of Items
   Transaction Journal Voucher
   List of Receipt/Payment/Debit Note/Credit Note
   Income Statement /Balance sheet/Difference of exchange
   Trial balance
   Inventory
   List of Items
   Profit per items
   Sales reports
   Purchase reports
   List transaction…

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0 : First section where the details of the record appear
     e.g. The detail of an item , of  a supplier etc...
1 : Second section where all the records of the table are shown in a tabular form.
     e.g. The client table is shown as a list

NB: The second or tabular section is a read only section in the archive forms. Information is entered or modified in the first section only.

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0 : First section where the header of the form appears
     e.g. Sales form : Client number and name , date , reference, account ref ...
            Purchases form : Supplier number and name , date , reference, account ref ... 
            Journal Voucher form : JV reference, folio, date ......

1 : Second section where details of the transaction appear: 
     e.g. Sales form : Details of the sale invoice “ item code quantity price. ... “ (items being sold)
            Purchases form : Details of the purchase invoice " item code quantity price. .” (items being
            purchased)
            Journal Voucher form:  Details of the JV ' Account number, name, debit/Credit, amount .....)

All Archive and transaction forms are supported by the following toolbar navigator:

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0. To choose working company and year

Navigator : Through which only, any table or file can be accessed. It is used to scroll in the current table or file, insert, delete , edit current information and delete current record. It contains the following 10 buttons:

1. Go to first record 2. Go to previous record                  3. Go to next record                         4. Go to last record                          5. Add new record                           6. Delete current record                        Delete a detail line of a transaction  7. Modify or edit current record    8. Post current new changes       9. Cancel current changes and restore the previous state   10. Reflect current changes

(CTRL + T) (CTRL + P) (CTRL + N) (CTRL + L) (CTRL + I) (CTRL + D) (CTRL + Delete) (CTRL + E) (CTRL + S)  (CTRL + Q) (CTRL + R)

NB: - Scrolling order is related to the index chosen (button 14)
       - Deleting a detail line is possible only when modifying or adding a transaction                       

       e.g.1 : If the current form is the client form, the index is "name" and the first button is pressed
                 then the first client  according to the name ( alphabetical order) appears. 
       e.g. 2: If the current form is the sales form, the index is "date" and the last button is pressed
                 then the last invoice according to the date (ordered by date) appears.

When the insert or edit button are pressed two disabled buttons become enabled one to save changes which is the post button and the other is canceling the changes which is the cancel button.
When delete button is pressed a confirmation window appears to confirm the deletion

Field place to search for
11. Search text is used to search the current table for the text
     e.g. search for a name, a number, a date etc... (according to the index chosen). To use this
           search text for a date search the following form used 'dd/mm/yyyy' if the date format of the
           computer is 'dd/mm/yyyy' or according to the date format used. 

Fast print button           
12. This button is used for fast printing the current record if the form is a transaction form or a list of the table if it is an archive form

Advanced search button
13. This button opens an advanced search form 

Lookup for available indexes
14. This drop down list shows the available index of the table.

Excel button
15. This button exports the current record to a Microsoft Excel sheet

List of characters and numbers to set a range according to the index chosen                    
16. This list is used with the corresponding index. 
      e.g. If the index is 'name' and the letter A is chosen then only all the names starting with 'A' are
            displayed.

DataCOM is a very friendly user application.  The help for an already created entity is the same in all forms and reports.  To get help, for a client or a supplier or an account or an item or a group or a subgroup, follow the same procedure.
Each file or table in DataCOM has a code and a name or description.  To search for a record, either the code or the name or description, or part of them, can be used.
        a client has a code and name
        a supplier has a code and name
        an account has a code and name
        a group has a code and name
        a subgroup has a code and name
        an item has a code  and description

Always the user should write in the code field to get the help.
e.g. when creating an item, to get help for group the field group code is used, when creating a sales invoice, to get help for a client the field client code is used, when creating a sales invoice, to get help for an item the field item code is used, when creating a journal voucher , to get help for an account the field account code or number is used, when creating a payment voucher, to get help for an account the field account code or number is used, etc...

The user can search either for a code or for a name.
1. To search for a code:
The complete code or the start characters (at least one character) of the code can be directly entered in the code field followed by the enter key.  If it is the correct code (it is found) the system accepts this code or number and the name is displayed.  If it is not correct (or not found) a pop up window, containing the file (ordered by code or number), indicates the nearest record.

2. To search for a name or a description using the start text of this name or description:
In the code or number field, the ' character must be entered followed by the start characters (at least one character) of the name followed by the enter key. A pop up window, containing the file (ordered by the name or description alphabetical order), indicates the nearest record that its name or description starts with the text entered. 

3. To search for a name or a description using any part of this name or description:
In the code or number field, the ' character must be entered followed by the character? followed by the text to search for (at least one character) followed by the enter key. A pop up window, containing the file (ordered by the name or description alphabetical order), indicates the first record that its name or description contains the text entered. 

The following figure shows the pop up window to get  help for an account name that starts with 'Sup', in this example the user enters in the account code field the text 'sup followed by the enter key.

The following figure shows the pop window to get help for an account name that contains the part 'on fre'. In this example the user enters in the account code field the text '?on fre followed by the enter key.
NB: sub string is checked means the program search for a text in any part of the name

In all the three cases of the help, the search form can be used for advanced search by using the option and button it contains.

Special Hints for a proper start of  DataCOM to be a business solution.

1- To use DataCOM for inventory control, purchases and sales follow these steps:

1. Create the necessary currencies and set their rates

2. Create the groups or subgroups of items if possible

3. Create the necessary suppliers that already have purchases

4. Create the existing items

5. Create the inventory of items (existing quantity) if exist using the adjustment form

6. Create the existing purchases before the sales procedure if step e is skipped

7. Create as necessary the clients to start invoicing

8. Create the chart of accounts or the ledger sheet

9. Start accounting transactions by creating an opening journal voucher containing the existing balances.

2- To use DataCOM for accounting purposes only follow these steps:   

1. Create the necessary currencies and set their rates

2. Create the chart of accounts or the ledger

3. Start accounting transactions by creating an opening journal voucher containing the existing balances.