SQL-ledger Initial Steps

First User is the Admin User - Initial Settings

revised: 24-Jan-2022

The creation of an example ledger: 'ABC Publishing Trust'(APT)

a. Initial Steps

Step#1: Control Page Password (via admin.pl)
When opening the SQL-Ledger (v3.2.9) application for the first time, one is presented with a dialogue to submit a password; one that will be use to access the creation/deletion of 'datasets'(as databases are called here). Thereafter anytime to access this control page is via 'http://[yourIP]/sql-ledger/admin.pl' as opposed to 'logon.pl'

SL-firstuser

Step#2a: Creation Database together its Admin User
Having set the Control Page password, one clicks on 'add dataset' the following dialogue will request for 'Host' and other details. If one set a password for 'sql-ledger', submit it here, otherwise no other entry is need here and one presses 'continue'.
Step#2b: Naming the Database, Company and Admin User (First User)
One would recommend naming the database with a year date (eg.'apt2020db') as an annual database is likely to be created*. The Admin user and other users of the database would then be of this nature: admin@apt2020db.

Note: The First User: In setting up the first user, the settings made therein establishes certain information eg. company contact details, dataformat, session and particularly the template directory, where as the first user, one enters a name in the 'New Templates' box. In this example, one will use simply 'apttemplates'. Thereafter, 'apttemplates' will appear in the dropdown list.

Permissions of the first user are usually that of the owner; that is full access to all menu items. Thereafter, the first user setup serves as a template for other users to be establish, making minor contact info changes as well as reducing access to certain menu items accordingly to other user's security rank.

Note: When setting up any user, it's recommended to adjust the date-format (yyyy-mm-dd) and to extend the session timeout to at least 30600. A strong alphanumeric password (>8characters) is highly recommended.

Step#3 Populating the Database with Info (but not transactions): With a user-database pair now established, one can logon from the SQL-ledger entry page: 'http://[yourIP]/sql-ledger/logon.pl'. Once inside the ledger interface, one go to [System] will enter info according to this recommended (partial) list:

Defaults: where among the various entries, business number is the TIN.
Currencies: Enter the currency abbreviation (eg.UGX) and move that currency to the top of the list.
Taxes: to remover/add/set the rate(s).
Chart of Accounts: to modify according to your business structure.
Goods & Services: the Inventory code of each booktitle in stock.
Payroll: pay scales, Employee Income Tax, Social Security, etc.
Type of Business: Retail & possibly, wholesale (discounts).
Customers/Vendors: Codes for these together with some basic contact info.
Ledger-Backup / Restore [only use 'Save to File'] to save the ledger, particularly prior to making transactions as to have a 'starter' template for the following years.

Note:
1. In a moderately active business, the database grows in size at the approximate rate of 50kb/week and therefore the year's database size reaches 2.5mb or more. This size is still manageable to download daily and to upload/restore in the case of a system break. However, a 5-6mb file for two years is less manageable and hence the recommendation to establish a fresh database every new accounting year.
2. It is useful to have a redundant database (eg testdb) to experiment with unfamiliar transactions.
3. Save/Restore datasets now is very easy. Via System->Maintenance->Restore or Backup->Save-to-file, one can easy save and 'reset' the dataset; very useful when training on a testdb or when one is about to make a complex transtion or operation on the dataset as to establish a quick restore-point.