The Nominal Ledger provides a simple but powerful facility for Journal posting, with automated controls and with a number of features which minimise the element of repetition in data entry. There are two styles of journal entry, Line and Grid. For more detail on the grid entry , please refer to Insert Journal Entries. The system parameter on the Journal tab allows the user to select the style. See System Parameters for further detail. This topic concentrates on the line entry, rather than the grid entry journals.
To post Journals:
From the Autoline Master menu select the Nominal Ledger option and the company you require.
The NOMINAL LEDGER menu is displayed.
Select the Insert NL journal entries option.
The Insert NL journal entries form is displayed.
Standard jnl: The cursor first rests on the Standard jnl field. If recalling
a standard journal for use within the journal input, click on the
button to recall a list of the available ones. Alternatively
type the name of the standard journal in this field, if it is known.
If a Standard Journal is not used then this field can be left blank and the user can tab past it. (See Editing Standard Journals for more information).
The following fields govern posting of the journal, although if using a Standard Journal some of these may be defaulted in when selected, although they can be amended at this time:
Editable Fields
Type: This field refers to the journal type which can be used
to differentiate certain types of postings. There is a drop down menu
facility here to determine which journal type to use. This is
activated by selecting the 
box.
. Select on the Journal type you
require: (For further details see Journal
Types).
Date: Enter the posting date of the journal. This can be set
within the System Parameters
to default to either the current system date,
the end of period date or blank, but can be changed at this point. For your
convenience, there is a
button search facility that accesses
a calendar when clicked.
Journal ref: This field accepts a Journal reference of up to ten alpha/numeric characters.
Non-Editable Fields
Lines: This field displays the total number of journal lines which have currently been entered.
Balance: This field displays the current balance of the entries as a guide to ensuring that balancing entries are made. Under normal circumstances, a Journal cannot be posted unless the balance is zero.
DR Total: This field retains a total of all debit balances keyed to visually check total journal.
CR Total:This field retains a total of all credit balances keyed to visually check total journal.
BUTTONS
When you select Insert journal entries the following buttons will be available:
To enter the posting details, the New linebutton should be clicked. An input window will then appear requesting the following fields to be entered.
Information to complete:
Account: This field accepts valid Nominal Ledger Account
codes. There is
a search facility available. This is activated by clicking the
button.
Note: Subject to the system parameter, System Parameters Same account on adjacent lines of journal, the system will allow the account code to be repeated from line to line of the Journal.
Suffix: This field accepts a suffix for the posting which may
be eight characters long and must match the correct format, where
suffix control is enforced. An improves the search facility here.
Amount: This field accepts the value of the posting. Debits are entered as normal values but credits must be preceded by a minus (-) sign.
When entering values, do not split thousands with commas.
Narrative: This field accepts twenty characters of narrative which will be associated with the individual posting.
SL/PL Account: This allows the user to enter [for information only] a "source" account from the PL/SL, depending on where the source was from.
Customer Reference [SL/PL Reference]: This is another information only field that allows the user to enter some further meaningful detail to aid reporting etc, once the daybooks have been processed.
Item Reference: The occurrence of this field appearing on the journal input form [it replaces the SL/PL Reference field when enabled] is determined by amending a field within System Parameters. By checking the box in the "Multi-item journals" field within the Journal tab of the System Parameters, the user will then be forced to input an Item Reference in the journal form. The rationale is that for every journal line completed, a corresponding item reference must be entered. Only when the item reference balances to zero, will the user be able to enter a different reference for subsequent lines. There is also an impact on daybook processing and reporting, which is the main reason for the item reference field: every time the item reference changes, a new daybook item number will be created, and consequently when a user drills into the daybook in question,[refer to Transaction Enquiry for further detail] onl y the item reference that relates to the line being queried will be displayed. This saves users searching through large amounts of transactions that are unrelated to the search results they require.
It is not possible to enter the same item reference within one journal, nor is it possible for a user to complete a line or a journal without entering an item reference at all. Multi item journals can be used in grid and default mode of journal entries.
To ensure the item references DO balance, click the Item Balance button- this will display whether the item references net to zero. If they do not, further entries on the line reference are required to make them balance, and allow the journal to be posted.
The buttons OK [to action your input selection], Cancel [exits back to main input form] , and Help [displays online help in default company browser] are available here.
This allows the copying suffices and narratives between journal lines. This option is particularly useful if the journal lines have information which needs to be repeated each time.
Suffix options:
Narrative options:
Allows you to create a text record relating to the whole journal. The text is stored in the same way as a document archive (document type NJ) and is available for display at a transaction detailed display level in both the Account enquiry and Transaction enquiry options covered in previous topics.
When you click the Reverse button you will be shown a window for entering a reference to be used on the reversing Journal. It will default to the existing reference and can be amended if necessary.
Tip: The Reverse button is an alternative to the Post button and is only available if the journal type used in the journal has the Auto-reversal set to yes.
The Reverse option will post the Journal exactly as entered but will also post a Reversing journal in the following period. The following period is determined by the journal posting date previously entered. The date used for the Reversed journal is decided by the parameter setting 'Auto-reverse date' which can be the first day of the following period or the last day. Refer to System Parameters for further detail.
Note: The Reverse option is available only at an access level set within the system parameters 'Priority for Auto-reverse journals'.
Use this option to complete the journal entry and post onto the nominal ledger. On selecting this option you will be offered a prompt 'Are you sure you want to post this journal?' together with the commands OK or Cancel.
Click on the OK button to confirm the journal posting and the system will prompt for entry of another Journal. If no further entries are required click on the Exit button to return back to the Nominal Ledger Main menu. Dependent upon the System Parameters (Print daybook or Exit without printing daybook), a daybook will be either automatically printed at this point before you being returned to Nominal Ledger Main menu.
Click on the Cancel button to cancel posting of the journal and return back to journal entry form. All information is still retained at this point.
Use this option to clear all information entered for the current journal and start again.
Choose exit to exit the routine without saving any of the journal information. so far.
Help: Displays online help in the default company browser.
This option allows a user to insert a Nominal ledger Journal after the year end has been advanced, providing the option "Close Prior Year journals" has not been taken .Consequently the journal posting date will always be fixed as the last day of the preceding financial year. The accounts used and input of lines behaves the same as Insert NL Journal entries as discussed above. Entries are written to both the current transaction and archived transaction file. It is also worth bearing in mind that divisional installations entering prior year journals must consider that any journal raised must balance in each division. Journals can be raised across divisions but the individual divisions must balance. The post button will not be enabled until the divisions balance. The journal functionality is dependent on the NL System parameter settings, see System Parameters for further details.
