CAFR Review Computer Program and Review Guide.

COURTESY: The late Gerald Klatt - CAFRMan.com:

 

CAFR REVIEW INFO PAGE ARCHIVE (Some help with reading) - http://CAFR1.com/CM3.html

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The following is a very simple VB (Visual Basic) CAFR review program (for the computer application savvy) has been created in which you will need Microsoft Windows. The instructions are intensive and you will need to do the legwork to fill in the blanks from your local government CAFR on the Review program. The first step:

File Directory

Establish a directory with the name "C:\CAFR Review Program\". The downloaded zipped file should be placed in this directory.

Download Zip File

To download the CAFR Review Guide Computer Program, click on the link below, and the save the .zip file to   C:\CAFR Review Program\

(additional .XLS review programs are available further down on this page if wanted)

CLICK HERE to download the Basic CAFR Review Program. (Size 3.9 MB)

                                

1. Place the file in its own directory C:\CAFR Review Program\

2. Double click on the file ZipCAFR.ZIP

3. In the WinZip screen that pops up, click on the menu item "Extract".

4. Select "All files". Select "EXTRACT" to: C:\CAFR Review Program\

The unzipped files will be in three automatically created directories:

1. C:\CAFR Review Program\CAFR Computer Program\
2. C:\CAFR Review Program\Review Guide\
3. C:\CAFR Review Program\SetupExe\

Establishing the CAFR.exe in Proper Directory

The steps to setting up your computer to be able to run the CAFR.exe program:

1. Go to the SetupExe directory
2. Locate and double click on the C:\CAFR Review Program\SetupExe\Setup.exe file
3. Follow the instructions provided; however, when the instructions state:

"Project1 Setup

Begin the installation by: clicking on "Change Directory"

Change the "Directory" to  C:\CAFR Review Program\CAFR Computer Program\

Follow the rest of the instructions.

This should install the program on your computer and it will place a "CAFR.exe" file in your C:\CAFR Computer Program\   directory.

4. From your internet browser open the file "C:\CAFR Review Program\Review Guide\MainMenu.htm"

** The CAFR Review "Guide" in step 4 above can be read section by section and or printed out. Follow the instructions there to get started with the step-by-step process to use the CAFR Review program. Follow the instructions on what program files to click on and how to fill in the blanks. You may find the instructions hard at first, but with use you will get the hang of it.

Work, spread sheet smarts, and some effort are required.

Just follow the very detailed instructions in "The Guide" 

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**These CAFR review programs were created by Gerald Klatt and technical support is not available from CAFR1

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ADDITIONAL .XLS APPLICATIONS IF WANTED:

For Microsoft� Excel, Lotus�1-2-3, Quattro Pro, StarOffice, and other spreadsheet users

There are many people who have various spreadsheet programs who are familiar with their operation. Some of these people have asked for a spreadsheet program that would accomplish the same thing as the Visual Basic (VB) stand alone program that can be downloaded.

While creating the downloadable program Microsoft� Excel was used as the basis for writing the program.

Mr. Klatt has taken that base program and put the entire program in one Microsoft� Excel workbook. An individual if familiar with this type of application can conduct a review of a State, county, city, AND school distict by using just one workbook.

All the data on the workbook is integrated. That means all the State data is transferred to the appropriate State worksheets and then converted automatically to the proper numbering designation and entered on the final Combined Economic Impact Analysis worksheet. This provides a combined effect of State and county; State and city; State, county, and school district; and State, city and school district's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR).

Because the program is almost exactly the same as the downloadable VB program, the same Review Guide (Instructions) can be used to complete the various worksheets in the spreadsheet. This Review Guide does not have to be downloaded, because it is accessible from the site.

The CAFR Review "Guide" can be read and printed from your Internet browser. CLICK HERE

Today most spreadsheet programs (Lotus 1-2-3, StarOffice Quattro Pro, etc.) can convert Microsoft� Excel files to their own format including the macros contained therein. This adds a new deminsion to the reviews of State and local government CAFRs.

This program is the Beta but since every thing seems to be working OK, Mr. Klatt decided to let everyone participate. If you encounter any problems, support is not available from CAFR1.

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The Program can be brought up in your browser if you have Microsoft� Excel on your computer. You can also save the program (file) to a directory on your hard drive or to a diskette without having to have Excel on your computer. Then the Excel file can be converted to another spread sheet program. The file has an .xls extension (Microsoft� Excel extension). Copy the files downloaded here and put on CD to share with others from your community.

 

To download the .xls fill in the blanks form program > CLICK HERE

 

There is a second Microsoft� Excel file that can be brought up in the browser or saved. This is a "repair" file for the above program. This workbook is the same as the above workbook except that instead of empty cells it has the formulas entered for every cell that has a formula. So when your cat walks across your keyboard, your child spills something on the keyboard, or you delete a row or column, you can repair the damaged worksheet using this workbook.

To download .xls repair program > CLICK HERE

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Files contained in the ZipCAFR.ZIP file

Here is a list of the required files you will get for each directory.

SetupExe Directory:

CAFR Computer Program:

If you move the file "CAFR.exe" to another directory, you should also move all the files.

EXAMPLE INFO FROM "The Guide" contained in the review program:

File Designations

The file names used for forms has a standard format. The file name is as follows:

Example: Directory Path + \S2-Rev1-WaterUtilComm-1.ss3

The files always have the ".ss3" extension. So if you decide to change a file name be sure it includes a .ss3 extension.

All Master Form files have the following format: Directory Path + Master-Rev1.ss3. Master files cannot and should not be saved because these files are needed many times during the review of different CAFRs.

Key Operations

There are four key operations that are used many times on the forms. The keys are:

Enter - Moves the cursor down one cell.

Tab - Moves the cursor and focus one cell to the right and if at the end of the table then to the first cell on the next row down.

Shift-Tab - Moves the cursor and focus one cell to the left and if at the beginning of a table then to the last cell in the previous row.

Editing a Data Entry - Double clicking on a cell will place the cell in the edit mode and data entries can be edited. A single click on a cell allows for initial entries.

Main Menu-Opening Page

Legal Stuff - Legal considerations regarding the use of this program.

Instructions - Explains where to locate and use the CAFRman's Review Program Guide

Review Program- When this button is clicked the following buttons are shown:

New Form - This is for retrieving a new form to use. When this button is clicked a separate widow is shown. The window states at the top "Select directory/path where the Master Form can be found".

Double click on the appropriate directory/path where the Master Forms are located and then click on Continue. This will take you to the Master Forms List screen shown below. (Note: It is important to double click on the appropriate directory/path or the proper directory/path will not be selected.)

Existing Form - This will open the File Management screen in order to select from existing forms that have been worked on and explained below.

Project Management - This is a form to assist in managing review projects. When this button is clicked a separate widow is shown. The window states at the top "Select directory/path where the Master Form can be found".

Double click on the appropriate directory/path where the Project Management Form is located and then click on Continue.

Exit - Closes the program.

Forms List

The list of forms screen provides for selection of a new form from the kinds of forms associated with each Type of Review based on the CAFR Schematic. This helps to quickly find the form that is appropriate to type of review being conducted.

To select a new form click on one of the buttons left of the corresponding form you want to use.

File Management (.ss3)

Drive (c:) - You can change the drive here.

Directory (Path) - must double click in order to change directory

Files in this Directory- this list only includes the .ss3 files in a selected directory. This makes it easier to locate the proper directory and locate the file that you want by not showing files not associated with this program.

Current File (Data Entry Box) - This is the either the file selected or where you can edit the file name. Make sure the file directory and file name contain the proper Form Name (Rev1, Econ1, Ret1, etc.) and the extension .ss3 or you will not be able to keep track of the forms. You can always go to your Windows or other file management system and change the file name to the proper file name in the event you made a mistake in designating the file or directory properly.

Open - once you are satisfied with the directory and file name shown in the "Current File" box described above, then click on Open and the file will be retrieved in the proper form.

Cancel - Returns to the previous screen/form.

Delete - Deletes the file selected and contained in the Current File. In order to insure that the file was deleted, double click on the "c:" or other drive selected in the Directory (Path) area and then double click on the directory in which the deleted file was previously shown. The file should not appear in the Files in this Directory list.

Exit - Returns to the Main Page of the program

Project Management

Type Review - When a row in this column is clicked a pop up menu appears and provides the only selections allowed for the Type of Review.

Form - When a row in this column is clicked a pop up menu appears and provides the only selections allowed for the types of forms used in this program.

Organization Name - This is the full name of the government/organization that the form pertains to.

Page Number - Normally you would enter "1" in this cell. However, there may be times when you want to look at a form/analysis in two or more different ways. You can call your first analysis page "1", second analysis page "2". For example, you may want to look at the review or economic analysis using the retirement surpluses and not using the retirement surpluses as part of the overall potential surpluses of a government or other government entity.

Abbreviated Organizational Name - The above Organization Name can become very long and cumbersome for inclusion in a file name. You should decide on a smaller abbreviated name for the file name. For example: the Xyz County Housing Improvement District could reduced to XyzHseImpDist or something similar.

STATE, COUNTY, CITY, SCHOOLS, and COMBINATION - You can keep track of your work by entering the data listed above under one of these categories. In this way you not have to figure out what you have accomplished from a file listing in a directory. This segregates your work by government. For example, all S1/S2/Ret1/Ret2 (State-level government) forms would be listed under STATE.

File Name Designation and Saving Files

This data input form provides for a uniform file name for each form in order to keep track of the work being performed. When a Master Form is called, this form appears in order to insure that a proper file name is provided so the completed form will not be saved back to a Master Form and lose the ability to use this Master Form again in other reviews.

Type Review -When this data input block is clicked a pop up menu appears and provides the allowable choices for this program.

Review Form - The review form selected either by selecting a Master Form or an existing file will be displaced in this block. This block cannot be edited. The form name must be associated with the proper file containing the data of that form.

Organization Name - See Organization Name under Project Management above.

Abbreviated Organization Name - See Abbreviated Organization Name under Project Management above.

Page Number - See Page Number Name under Project Management above.

New File Name - If this is a new file name you will see "?" for that portion of the file name that has not been completed. A proper file name does not contain "?s".

OK - This will record the new or edited file name and display the information on the top of the form you are using.

Cancel - This will remove the File Name Designation form from the screen and take you back to the current form you are working on at the time.

Calculator

This calculator is a little different than most calculators. It has two display blocks. The top portion displays the numbers as they are entered. The second display block displays the numbers with the appropriate commas in order to see exactly what you entered. How much is 200000000? Do you have enough zeros or too many? The second block displays 200,000,000, which is much easier to compare when adding data from the CAFR.

In addition and probably more important is that you can make computations and paste the results to a particular cell in a form: (You can use this feature on every Rev1 and Rev2 form many times.)

Click on the cell in which you want the result to appear.

Click on the Calculator menu item. The calculator appears.

Perform the calculations you want and click on the "=" button.

Click on the "Paste" button on the calculator and the results will be transferred to the cell in which you had originally clicked above.

Starting the Program

The executable file is "CAFR.exe". You can start the program from three sources:

1. From your file management program (e.g. Windows� Explorer) by double clicking on the CAFR.exe file.

2. In Microsoft� Windows click on START, then click on RUN, then BROWSE until you find the CAFR.exe file, and click OK.

3. Establish a short cut with an icon. Follow your computer instructions for creating an icon.

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