How To Reassign Debtors To A Client Using Macros

This document explains how to use a macro for reassigning debtors to a different client using Client Number. This procedure gives each debtor the new client's number.

Requirements

- Review help on macros to learn the commands and keystrokes used
- Back up your data before running the macro
- Sign into Collect! in Exclusive mode when running the macro

Overview

When you have several clients with debtors that you want to consolidate into one account, you can easily achieve this by reassigning the desired client number to each of the debtors that you want to move. This is a relatively easy procedure, but it must be performed exactly with no errors.

Try recording and running macros in the demonstration database first. Practice definitely makes perfect in this case. You will find it easy to record your "real" macro after you have performed the steps successfully a few times in the demonstration database.

Preliminary Steps

*** Ensure that you have a recent backup of your database. If not, it is advisable to back up your database, as a safety precaution. ***

This macro is going to reassign client numbers. Please be sure you know which clients have the debtors you want to move. Please be sure you know the number of the client that will contain the new debtor records.

1. Pull down the Browse menu and choose Clients.

2. Select the first client who debtors you want to reassign.

3. When the client screen is displayed, click into the Debtor section. Maximize the list to view all the client's debtors.

4. Press Ctrl+A to select all the debtors.

5. Pull down the Edit menu and choose View Tags. You have now prepared the list of debtors that you will reassign.

6. Click on the first debtor in the list to display this debtor's record.

Recording The Macro

Now that you are looking at the debtor screen for the first debtor in your list, you can begin to record the steps to reassign this debtor to a new client - the one you have chosen as the final destination for these transferred accounts.

Now let's get the keystrokes down pat before actually recording the macro. Refer to How Use Macros to become familiar with the keystrokes.

Practice this routine so that you can see what goes on. When you are sure you are ready, proceed.

1. You may have to click into the Collect! screen first to make sure it "has focus." Press Shift+F1 to bring up the Macro menu.

2. When you are looking at the Macro menu, press R to begin recording. You should see the word "RECORD" in a blue in the upper right hand of the Collect! screen before you proceed to step 2.

We are now going to record a macro. Each one of your keystrokes will be recorded as part of the macro. Follow these instructions EXACTLY until you have completed the recording session.

3. Using your mouse, select the down arrow in the Client Name field.

4. Now the Client list is displayed. Click in the Client # heading section and carefully type in the number of the destination client.

5. Press Enter. This takes you back to the Debtor screen.

6. Press the Page Down key on your keyboard ONCE. This takes you to the next debtor.

7. Press the Up Arrow key once. This takes you into the Client Name field.

8. Press F2. This opens the list of Clients.

9. Repeat Steps 3 to 5 one more time to choose the correct Client # and return to the Debtor screen.

10. Press Shift+F1 to bring up the Macro menu. Press E to repeat this macro to the end of the list of debtors that you want to reassign.

8. Choose "Yes" at the prompt to loop to the end of the list.

9. Press Shift+F1 to bring up the Macro menu again. Press S to stop recording the macro. You will be prompted to save your macro.

Save The Macro

Give the macro a name that you will recognize. It must have a .mac extension. For instance, client.mac

Execute The Macro

*** Ensure that you have a recent backup of your database. If not, it is advisable to back up your database, as a safety precaution. ***

You may have to click into the Collect! screen to make sure it "has focus." To reassign all the debtors in your list, press Shift+F1 to bring up the Macro menu. Press E to execute the macro.

Now Collect! will quickly reassign the new client number to the entire list of tagged debtors.

Reassigning Debtors From Other Clients

Now you can return to your client list and choose one of the other clients whose debtors you want to reassign.

1. Follow the Preliminary Steps above to select the list of debtors.

2. Click on the first debtor in the list to bring up the debtor screen.

3. Press Shift+F1, E to run your macro on this list of debtors.

4. Repeat these steps until you have transferred all of the desired accounts.

This macro will only work for the numbers you have typed when you were recording it. To reassign different numbers, who would record a new macro.

Recalculation Of Totals

After this process is completed, you will have to recalculate the affected clients so that all totals are accurate.

Summary

When you begin to use macros, start with simple series of steps. When you are comfortable with the process of recording and running your macros, you can perform more complex routines. Collect! gives you the means of automatically processing literally thousands of records in a few moments with this powerful feature.

Practice, experiment and remember to backup your database before you run a macro that alters your precious records!

Press the Esc key to stop a running macro.