Table-based interface

Banana Accounting offers one of the most productive environments with the highest level of control, thanks to its tabular structure.

• Clear structure, data is entered and displayed in tables.
• It follows the centuries-old accounting tradition that also inspired spreadsheets.
• Wide visibility, with the possibility to understand the content and the numbers. 
• Direct control, freedom of movement, and direct edits. 
• It is similar to Excel.
• In all areas of the program, for the Chart of Accounts, the transactions, the Budget, Exchange Rates, VAT Codes, and also for viewing Account Cards, the tabular structure is always used.

Banana Accounting stands out from other accounting software, which is generally structured according to a procedural logic, made up of guided procedures oriented toward data entry and based on dialog windows, within which it is more difficult to have an overall view, understand the numbers, and keep control.

The tabular interface

This image shows the Banana Accounting interface. The table displayed is the Transactions table, where accounting transactions are entered.

Main advantages of the tabular structure

The tabular structure is very powerful and offers several advantages, including:

• Ease of entry
  Everything is very intuitive, because you can immediately see what needs to be done and where the data must be entered. You can move freely to enter data, make changes, and delete it at any time. During entry, the program also suggests values based on the text typed, and work can be left unfinished and completed later.
• Speed
  Cells allow immediate data entry, and data can be copied and pasted to speed up the work even more. With automatic completion of the values to be entered, it is possible to choose, for example, a value already used before.
• Transparency and control
  The user always has the certainty that the entered data is correct, because the tables are already prepared and include integrated formulas working in the background. If incorrect values are entered, the program reports the error through a contextual warning message, so the user understands where the mistake was made and can correct it immediately.

The 10 heuristic principles

The tables and the interface of Banana Accounting were designed to achieve maximum productivity and ease of use, taking into account the 10 heuristic rules for interface design developed at the beginning of the 1990s by a group of researchers led by Jakob Nielsen. These are principles based on behavioral studies that consider the limited capacity of short-term memory and the ability to process information. These principles are based on human invariants and therefore remain relevant, representing a reference point for the creation of software, websites, and apps.

Banana Accounting Plus satisfies all 10 rules, which is why it is easy to use and highly productive. Below, these principles are presented together with how they are implemented in Banana Accounting.

1. Visibility of system status

“Every system should always keep users informed about the status of their actions through feedback.”

This is the most important point. Banana Accounting fully achieves this thanks to the table interface, inspired by Excel and in line with the tradition of double-entry accounting for more than five centuries. The user always has visibility of the entered data, therefore knows which data has been entered and which still has to be entered, and can see whether there are errors, warnings, or anything else.

• If a row is added or deleted, or the format or color is changed, the result of the operation is visible immediately.
• If an accounting file is resumed, or work was interrupted by a phone call, the user immediately sees which was the last transaction entered.
• Calculations (account balances and more) are updated and visible immediately.
• Multiple windows can be open at the same time.
• The preview window does not block use of the program because it can remain open at the same time.
• In the Info window at the bottom, there is additional information about the transaction, the accounts, or other information about the current cell.
• In the Charts window, you can see the development of the balance of the current account. If cash goes below zero, you can see it immediately.

2. Match between the system and the real world

“The system must always keep the user informed about what it is doing, providing appropriate feedback within a reasonable time. Follow real-world conventions, making information appear in a natural and logical order.”

The table is the native mode of accounting (cash book, account list)

• Entering data in the table leads to an immediate change of status. Everything updates immediately as a result.
• The Transactions table contains the transactions, exactly as they are recorded in accounting.
• In the Accounts table, the Balance Sheet and the Profit and Loss Statement are set up, with accounts and groups, and the related updated amounts, including balances, transactions, budget, and variances.

3. Give users control and freedom

“Users often choose system functions by mistake and will need a clearly marked emergency exit to leave the unwanted state without having to go through an extended dialog.  Support undo and redo.”

In Banana Accounting, the user has full control over the system:

• Freely chooses how and in which sequence to work.
  • The user is never blocked by the system and can interrupt and change.
  • The user can move freely within the table and add or modify any information.
  • The user can temporarily filter and sort rows and return to the normal view.
  • The user can move from one table to another.
  • The user can switch from one file to another.
• The user can search and replace texts.
• The user can undo and redo operations and also decide not to save the file if they realize that the work done is not satisfactory.
• The user can interrupt all dialogs and procedures with the Esc key.
• The user can protect their data:
  • Protect any row from changes.
  • Lock the rows of the Transactions table with blockchain.
    Comply with requirements for the preservation of accounting data and avoid unnoticed changes to the accounting records.
• The user decides where to save the file.
  All accounting data is saved in one file, to which the user gives a name and which can be copied, moved, sent by email, or saved on a network disk or in the cloud.

4. Consistency and standards

“Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing. Follow platform conventions.”

In Banana Accounting, everything is consistent:

• The way of working is always the same, the typical one for tables. 
  • The commands are the same; to enter an account or a transaction, a row is added. 
  • The interface and commands follow those of Microsoft Excel and Office, reference programs in the administrative field. 
    Anyone who knows this software feels comfortable immediately; the main commands and operating methods are almost always similar.
  • In dialogs and other interactions, the graphics and logic specific to the operating system in use are adopted.
  • "Compositions" allow settings to be created and saved in a uniform way.
  • Continuity from one version to another is maintained as much as possible. New designs are implemented only if they are effective and bring advantages. 

5. Error prevention

“Even better than good error messages is careful design that prevents a problem from occurring in the first place.”

In Banana Accounting there is a correspondence between the structure of the data and the display, and there are data entry aids:

• Columns and rows make it clear which information must be entered.
• During data entry, a list of suggestions is offered in order to avoid mistakes.
  • In the date column, if only the day is entered, it suggests the full date with month and year based on the previous transaction. 
  • In the document column, it indicates the next number, for any numbering convention used.
  • In the account or Codes column, it proposes the list of existing ones and also allows searching by entering the description.
  • In the description column, it shows similar texts already used, which can be reused together with the whole transaction.
• The program prevents invalid values from being entered.

6. Easy to understand what to do

“Make objects, actions, and options visible. The user should not have to remember information from one part of the dialog to another. Instructions for using the system should be visible or easily retrievable whenever appropriate.”

In Banana Accounting, as in spreadsheets or an accounting register, it is quite clear what needs to be done and how to act.
There is no need to take notes on how to operate:

• To add a transaction, an account, or a group, a row is added.
• To delete a transaction, an account, or a group, the row is deleted.
• To format, change color, copy, and paste data, the area is first selected and then the command is given.
  • All commands are easily visible in the contextual menu, the top menu, or the toolbar.
  • Account numbers or other values to be entered are suggested when editing (see previous point).

7. Flexibility and efficiency

“Accelerators — unseen by the novice user — may often speed up the interaction for the expert user so that the system can satisfy both inexperienced and experienced users. Allow users to customize frequent actions.”

There are several possibilities for advanced users to work faster:

• There are accelerators (key combinations).
  • There are contextual commands that automate a number of operations (for example reversing Debit and Credit accounts). 
  • Commands (copy, paste, delete, format) can be applied to an entire selected area. Other accounting programs generally allow working only on one row at a time.
  • Reuse of repetitive transaction rows.
  • Settings for recurring transaction rows.
  • "Compositions" to set up and save report settings and other commands.

8. Aesthetic and minimalist design

“Dialogs should not contain information that is irrelevant or rarely needed.
Every additional unit of information in a dialog competes with the relevant units of information and reduces their relative visibility.”

Banana Accounting is designed to adapt exactly to the user's needs, giving them the possibility to have an accounting file that includes only the data they need:

• Accounting can be created only with the necessary options. Features (VAT, multi-currency, cost and profit centers, segments) are not present unless needed, but can be activated selectively when necessary.
  • The table can be customized. Columns that are not needed can be hidden.
  • Different column views can be created so they can be accessed when and in the way most suitable. 

9. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors

“Error messages should be expressed in simple language (without codes), precisely indicate the problem, and constructively suggest a solution.”

Banana Accounting has several ways to allow the user to notice any errors or problems: 

• A well-described error message when an incorrect entry or operation is made.
  • Color highlighting of the row with errors or warnings.
  • Indication of the explanation of the error in the Info window.
  • The "Check accounting" command recalculates and rechecks all entered data and warns about any errors or problems.
  • A window with the list of all messages, with the possibility to click and go to the row where the error occurred.

10. Documentation

“Although it is preferable to use the system without documentation, it may be necessary to provide help and documentation. Any such information should be easy to search, focused on the user's task, list concrete steps to carry out, and not be too large.”

• Every error message has its own documentation page, reachable with one click, complete with causes, solutions, and links to information pages useful for solving the issue. 
• When you are on the table, the help command takes you directly to the explanation page specific to the application and the data table.
• Every dialog has a help button that takes you to the specific help page. 
• There is complete and very thorough documentation, structured according to the logic of the program and with links to related topics.
  • Next to the documentation, there is an index that allows users to understand its structure and move around easily.
  • Dialogs created with program extensions written in Javascript also have links to a specific help page.