When you choose the U > UPDATE patron records menu option, the system first checks the validity of each entry in the payment data file from the bursar's office.
Each entry includes values specified in fields for:
- the payment date
- a patron identifier (patron record number or Patron ID, e.g., barcode number)
- the payment amount
- the payment type code (payments may be full or partial, or may be waived)
The invoice number and the initials (i.e., the initials or name of a bursar's office employee) are optional. There must be either a character, digit or space in every position in every field of each entry.
If the system encounters invalid entries, it creates an error file. If the system finds that all file entries are invalid, it displays the message: No patron records updated and the total amount posted as zero ($0.00). You can check the payment data file and remove invalid entries.
The system then updates the patron records with payment data from the valid entries, and updates the Fines Paid file with details of the transactions.Payment data is applied to the charge specified in the invoice number field. If an invoice number is not specified in an entry, the system applies the payment data to the oldest charges found in the patron record until the total amount collected has been applied.
The system removes each entry from the payment data file after the data has been used to update the patron record. The system displays the total number of patron records it has updated, e.g.:
Updating patron records: 8
Update complete
Press <SPACE> to continue
When the system has deleted all entries from a payment data file, it deletes the file and displays a screen similar to the following:
BURSAR FILE: mij3950531.bur
Time Created: Wed May 31 1995 15:08:01
Starting Date: Sat May 21 1995
Ending Date: Tue May 30 1995
# of Payments: 8
Total Amount: $197.00
# of Errors: 0
# of Records in use: 0
Total Amount Posted: $197.00
________________________________________________________________
P > PRINT
Q > QUIT
Choose one (P,Q)
If the system encounters one or more invalid entries while updating patron records, it displays a screen similar to the following:
BURSAR FILE: mij3950531.bur Time Created: Wed May 31 1995 15:08:01 Starting Date: Sat May 21 1995 Ending Date: Tue May 30 1995 # of Payments: 8 Total Amount: $197.00 # of Errors: 4 ___________________________________________________________________ U > UPDATE patron records E > View ERRORS V > VIEW file P > PRINT Q > QUIT Choose one (U,E,V,P,Q)
In this example, the system found invalid entries in the payment data file, removed them to the error file, and displayed the total amount applied to fines and charges in patron records as less than the amount collected by the bursar's office. Choose the E > View ERRORS menu option to view the contents of an error file.