Introduction

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Using

Using EnCalcOU Version: 2.2 Size: 520KB Released: 04-October-2011

What ever purpose the program is used for you need to enter two sets of tank readings taken on specific dates. The program will calculate the cost between these two dates and if 'Predict' is not 0 will predict the oil cost for the specified number of months ahead based on the amount used as calculated from the readings entered. The prediction accuracy will improve the greater the time between the two sets of tank readings. Be warned the prediction accuracy will also be affected by seasonal variations such as weather. See the log files and screen shot for examples of use.

For an overview of the data limits including those which can be 0 or empty see Data Limits. When the Calculate or Save Data buttons are clicked any relevant fields set to zero will be cleared. Hovering over the various data boxes with the mouse pointer will cause the Tool Tips to be displayed which give information as to what the box is for and what the data limits are if it is for data entry. Use the tab key to move sequentially between Tank Reading data input boxes or the mouse pointer to select individual boxes.

Entering invalid data will cause an error pop up to appear explaining what is wrong when the calculate or Save Data buttons are clicked. These errors must be resolved before the calculate or save defaults functions will work. If an internal program error occurs data will be written to the log file if possible and an error number will be displayed. Any errors of this type should be reported since they indicate a bug.

Set Up
Before using the program set up how you want to use it. Set the shape plus capacity of the tank(s) and if using depth measurements un tick the volume tick box and set the depth of the tank(s). Set the VAT/Tax rates for oil and deliveries., you must set both rate which can be different or leave both blank.

First Use
Set Tank Reading Date 2 to the current date and the Tank 2 Reading(s) to the current value(s). Set Tank Reading 1 Date to 3 days earlier than the current date and the Tank Readings to 0. Set Delivery Date 1 to the current Date and add the oil value to Delivery 1. Click Calculate and then Save. Doing this sets up a record of the starting point for oil left and it's value. If no costs are entered then the residual value of the oil left will not be saved and no costs will be calculated in subsequent calculations.

Currency And Date Formats
This is defined by the settings in the computer Regional Options which can be accessed via the Control Panel. The currency symbol reflects the settings in the Currency Tab. The date format in the log file reflects the Short Date format setting in the Date Tab. The currency or date settings can be changed with the program running. Currency changes will be reflected next time Calculate. Reset Feds or Clear are clicked. Date format changes will be effective for the next new calculation. Entering a different currency symbol to that selected in the Regional Options Currency Tab will be treated as an error. SHort dates which contain the full month will be converted to 'dd-mmm-yyyy' format.

Depth To Volume Conversion Errors
When using depth measurements the depth is converted to volume, because volume is measured in whole gallons or litres there may be a small conversion error due to rounding. This is very small and is only noticeable when tank readings are small and the amount left is half the depth at the start.

Function Keys
Each button on the various screens can also be operated from the keyboard by pressing the <Alt> key and letter combination shown below:

Get Last
The Get Last button is used to retrieve the last date and tank readings. Each time data is saved the last set of readings are saved and are available for retrieval. You must use this button to retrieve the last readings for every calculation if you want to calculate costs. If this is not done the residual value of the oil left will not be saved and hence if will not be possible to calculate the value of the oil used in subsequent calculations. If this occurs by accident you can either remove the last line from the history file (be careful to maintain the format) or repeat the First Use instructions above.

Logging
The results log file can be used to capture the results of calculations. Each entry is date and time stamped. Any internal program errors will also be written to the log file. A start up message is written to the log file each time the program is started which shows the program version. For a real example of using the program and more details about the log files look at Log Files. There is also a history log which which stores a running record of the last set of tank readings and oil value saved plus a delivery log which stores details of oil deliveries saved. The results log file can be archived, see Log File for details of the location and naming of archived files. It is also possible to clear the results log with out archiving it by clicking on the Archive button and selecting No when prompted.

No History
When the No History checkbox is ticked no data will be saved to the history or delivery log files when save is clicked, the results log will be saved normally. In addition all error checking related to data incompatibility with existing history and delivery records will be inhibited. The status of No History is not saved when Save Data is clicked.

Oil Deliveries
Oil deliveries can be entered either with tank readings or on their own. Any deliveries entered on their own will be recalled when the next set of tank readings are entered if the delivery has been saved and the delivery date is between Tank Reading Date 1 and Tank Reading Date 2 when Get Last is clicked. Deliveries are not automatically added to the tank readings. If there is no oil use when a delivery is added (i.e. the tank readings at the end equals the starting tank readings plus the oil added) no costs will be shown, the value of the delivery will be added to the residual value of the oil. Only one delivery per day can be entered. If you change any delivery data obtained by clicking Get Last the program will not calculate or display costs. A maximum of 2 deliveries can be entered between any 2 tank reading dates.

Tank And Oil Data
The tank capacities and shapes, the prediction period, whether the program runs on top and how save works can be saved as default values by clicking on the Save Data button. The Save Defaults button will only work for users with administrative privileges. The Reset Data button is used to restore the default information. These details should be entered and saved before you first use the program. This information can be obtained from your last oil bill or from the supplier. The tank shape can be selected from Cylindrical - Horizontal, Cylindrical - Vertical and Rectangular. A vertical cylindrical tack is treated the same as a rectangular one since the change of volume with depth is linear. If a cylindrical tank has curved ends this will introduce a small error, this error will be negligible and can be ignored.

Update Check
Clicking on the Update button on the main screen connects EnCalcOU to the JSutils web site to check if it is the latest version. If not you will get the opportunity to download the latest version. The Update button is disabled in shutdown mode.

VAT/Tax
The program can handle different tax rates for deliveries and oil but the rates must both be set or 0 otherwise an error message is generated. To use costs without taking into account VAT/Tax set both VAT/Tax rates to 0 and enter costs inclusive of VAT/Tax. Select the units of measurement you want to use