ComDial Transaction Interface Program
Version 1.2

Overview

The COMDIAL program is a DOS program. It is used to convert telephone expense transactions from the ComDial "Station Report" file to be compatible with the Tabs3 Merge Data Capture Transactions program.

The COMDIAL program must reside in the same directory as the Tabs3 programs in order to work properly.

Note: The Create Validation Files program must be run before you can successfully use this data capture device interface program. The Create Validation Files program is found in Tabs3 by selecting the following menu options Maintenance|Integration|Create Validation Files. When creating validation files, select a Validation File Type of Data Capture Device.

Installation

The ComDial interface program (COMDIAL.EXE) must be transferred to the directory on your hard disk where the Tabs3 program files reside. This is done by using the INSTALL program on the ComDial interface program disk.

To install the ComDial interface program on your hard disk:

  1. Insert the ComDial interface program disk into your floppy disk drive.
  2. From a DOS prompt, make the floppy disk drive the default drive by entering the drive letter followed by a "colon". For example, if your floppy disk drive is drive A, then enter:

    3.         A:
  3. From the floppy disk drive prompt, enter the command:

    4.         INSTALL

    Note: The INSTALL program has a built-in search feature that will find where your Tabs3 program files reside. On larger network hard drives, this search feature can take quite a bit of time. If you know where the Tabs3 program files reside, you can bypass this search feature by entering the path following the install command. For example, if the Tabs3 program files reside on drive F: in a directory named "STI", you would enter: INSTALL F:\STI

  4. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the software onto your hard disk. The Install program will locate your Tabs3 software on your hard disk so that the interface program can be transferred to the same directory as Tabs3. After the installation process, the message "Installation Complete" will be displayed.

Executing the ComDial Interface Program

Use the following procedure for conversion:

  1. Copy the "Station Report" data file containing the logged ComDial telephone transaction data from its source location to the Tabs3 data file directory.
  2. From a DOS prompt, start the interface program by entering:

    3.         COMDIAL

    Note: You can specify the input file name when running the COMDIAL program. For example, if the input file name is CMDLDATA.ASC, you could enter "COMDIAL CMDLDATA.ASC" (without the quotes). If you don't specify the input file name, the COMDIAL program will prompt you for the file name later.

  3. The first time you run the COMDIAL program, you will be asked to enter the Tabs3 transaction code number that you use for telephone expenses. Once the transaction code has been entered, the COMDIAL program will use the same transaction code each time COMDIAL is executed. COMDIAL will use the transaction code description that was entered for this code in Tabs3. After entering this transaction code, you will be asked for a markup/markdown percentage. This number must be entered as a whole number. It can be used to mark up or mark down the transaction cost found in the ComDial report file.

    4.         Examples:
            Entering 25 will convert a $2.00 cost to $2.50
            Entering 0 will leave a $1.00 cost as $1.00
            Entering -10 will convert a $3.00 cost to $2.70

  4. If you did not specify the input file when invoking the COMDIAL program, you will be prompted to enter the input file name containing the ComDial telephone data.
  5. Now you will be asked "Is it OK to continue? (Y/N)". If you enter "N" the program will be aborted. If you enter "Y" the program will look for the data file containing the ComDial telephone data. If the file is found to contain data, the program will display the message "Converting Transactions" followed by a count of each transaction read from the file. The files T3EXPKEY.REM, T3EDESC1.REM and T3EXP.REM will be created which can be merged with the main Tabs3 data files. You must then start Tabs3 and run the Merge Data Capture Transactions program.

Note: Transaction records with a blank account number field will not be converted.

Note: The ComDial data file containing the logged phone calls will automatically be deleted from the Tabs3 directory when the conversion is complete to avoid double posting the data.

Note: It will be the user's responsibility to take the necessary steps to prevent duplicate transactions from being converted. The COMDIAL.EXE program will attempt to convert all transactions, with an account number present, found in the ComDial report file.

Note: You may change the telephone transaction code and markup/markdown value by deleting the file COMDIAL.PRM which is created in your Tabs3 directory during Step 3 above. This will enable you to go through the setup procedure described above in Step 3 as a first time user of the program.

2000/07/28