Handbook

Appendix B Page 147
Appendix B
Creating a Custom Expense Report
This section explains how to modify existing Expense application
templates, and how to create your own custom expense report
templates for use with the Expense application.
Note: This section assumes that you are familiar with Microsoft
Excel or a similar spreadsheet application. If you are not
familiar with Microsoft Excel, consult your company’s
Information Services department or another experienced user.
About Mapping Tables
Before creating or modifying an Expense template, it’s important to
understand the function of Palm
™
Desktop’s Expense application. In
simple terms, the Expense application is designed to move Expense
data from your Palm III
™
connected organizer into a Microsoft Excel
spreadsheet.
Each Expense item stored in your Palm III organizer represents a
group of related data. The following data can be associated with an
expense item:
■ Category ■ Payment Currency
■ Date ■ Vendor
■ Expense Type ■ City
■ Amount ■ Attendees
■ Payment Method ■ Note
When you perform a HotSync
®
operation between your Palm III
organizer and the Palm Desktop on your computer, the Expense data
is stored on your computer (in a file named Expense.txt). When you
open the Expense application in Palm Desktop, an Excel macro starts,
and populates an expense template with your data based on the rules
specified in a spreadsheet file named Maptable.xls.
The Maptable.xls file is an editable spreadsheet that functions as a
“mapping table.” The function of the mapping table is to guide the
Excel macro in extracting the Expense data. The mapping table tells
the Excel macro how large the spreadsheet is and provides the data-
cell layout of the Excel template used for the Expense Report.
apps.bk : apps.fm5 Page 147 Thursday, June 4, 1998 12:54 PM