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In Banana Accounting Plus several practical functions allow you to speed up and automate the following operations:
Here are the most frequently used functions for fast data entry:
Copy, Cut and Paste
Use these functions to copy, cut and paste data from one cell to another, one row to another, one table to another, Excel to Banana, etc. See the functions in the Edit menu.
Texts, accounts and amounts auto-completion
Auto-completion makes data entry much easier and faster. As soon as you type the first few characters, the programme suggests how to complete based on already existing data (accounts, VAT codes, dates or texts you have already entered).
In the menu Tools → Program Options → Editor → Smart fill rows limit , you can limit the number of values that are suggested or even deactivate the functionality.
You can use one of the following keys to accept the value that is proposed:
- Enter key, accept the choice and move to the next editable cell, either to the right or below, depending on the settings you have chosen.
- Ctrl+ Down Arrow key, accepts the chosen value and moves to the cell below.
- Tabulator key, accepts and moves to the cell to the right.
- Shift+Tabulator key, accepts and switches to the cell to the left.
- F6 key (or Cmd+6 for Mac) accepts the text and executes the associated command (see explanation below).
Important:
To deactivate auto-completion of the previous year, the Smart fill with transactions from previous year option must be deactivated, from the menu File → File and accounting properties → Options.
Input and shortcut keys
You can speed up your data entry with various shortcut keys or by entering the dot '.', which takes on different functions depending on which column you are in.
Here are the most common ones:
- On a Date column, the dot "." inserts today's date.
- On a Time column, the dot '.' inserts the current time (e.g. in the Time Sheet).
- F4 key (or Cmd+4 on Apple computers): copies data from the cell above.
You can find the complete list of keyboard shortcuts in the menu Help → Keyboard Shortcuts.
Recurring transactions
Do you have transactions that keep on repeating or almost the same every month? You can write them in the Recurring transactions table and automatically recall them in the Transactions table when you need them.
See how to enter Recurring transactions.
Import bank statements
Automatically import data from bank, postal, credit card, or PayPal statements.
See all available options
Integrated calculator
You can quickly enter formulas in unprotected cells, then press the Enter key and the programme performs the calculation and enters the final result. This function allows you to make immediate calculations, for example when you need to quote a value from a paper document or need to calculate a percentage. The integrated calculator is useful in all tables and in all columns of the Amount type .
Execute Command (F6 key)
Some columns are associated with actions that are activated with the menu Edit → Execute Command, or with the corresponding key (F6 or Cmd+6 on Apple computers) indicated in the information window. This function makes it possible to retrieve data or rows quickly without having to retype the contents. Examples of actions:
- Doc column: resumption of recurring transactions or sequence number.
- Description column: resumption of similar row data.
Wrap text
When the text of a line is very long, the Calculate Line Height command from the Format menu allows you to display it completely, adjusting the line height. For more information see the Format Menu page.
Here are the most frequently used functions for checking and detecting possible errors:
The Balance Column
In Banana Accounting Plus the possibility has been introduced to activate, in the Transactions table, the Balance column, which verifies in real time the difference between Debit and Credit accounts and immediately shows any differences.
Watch the Balance Column Video
The Balance column page
Check accounting and recalculate accounting command
The Check Accounting command from the Actions menu, rechecks all transactions and immediately reports any errors or differences.
Totals Table
The Totals table gives you a concise overview of how your business is doing, as it shows the totals of the main groups and is used to check the balancing of accounts. See the explanations on the Totals table.
Temporary Filter & Sort rows
This double feature allows to Temporary Filter and Sort rows. It helps to temporary sort and filter table rows quickly ,without changing its permanent content or order. These are very useful functions to immediately search for data, both text and amounts.
Once the sorting criteria or filter is lifted the table rows go back to their original order. More info...