Frequently Asked Questions

Q - Can I set up colours etc of the various views ?

A – You certainly can. Each view has its own ‘Style Sheet’. Once you’re happy with the settings you’ve made, click the save button, Allsorts will reload your Style Sheet each time it starts. There are lots of settings you can change – fonts, colours, the layout, sidebar etc.

Q - I’m a Self Builder too, will Allsorts print my completed VAT returns.

A – Yes it will. That was one of our goals when creating Allsorts. We wanted it to keep hassle for busy self builders to a minimum. To print your VAT reports, just select the report from the list, and either view it, or just print it. Below we've selected the 'Part 3' report and shown it as a 4 page preview.

Q – I’d like to export some data to Microsoft Excel, is this possible ?

A – Yes. Allsorts supports all versions on MS Excel, use ‘Export’ button on the toolbar, select your export type, give your file a name and location and click Export.

Q – Is Allsorts easy to use ?

A – We’re Self Builders too, and know that the average Self Builder gets stuck into the dirty parts of the build. We know they are busy people and don’t have the time to start learning complicated software. Using Allsorts is not only easy, but quick too.

Basically, you order materials from a supplier, who gives you an invoice. You add the supplier name (if it's your first invoice from them) to Allsorts, then you add the invoice details – number, terms etc. Next you add the items that invoice contains – cost, quantity etc (just as it appears on the invoice). Finally, just tell Allsorts the type of material the item is (screws, nails, timber or whatever), the pack size (Tonne, 25 Kg, Box 100 etc) and the Stage on which you used the items (Electrical 1 Fix, Roof, foundations) and you’re done.

Each invoice you have will take only a few minutes to add, as Allsorts does the hard work for you. It will let you select options from lists and work out the VAT on each item, saving hours of typing. A good example is the description of the item you have bought. If this is the first time you have entered an item like ‘Ogee Gutter’, the next time you need to enter the same thing again, it’s available to select from a list.

From the information you enter, Allsorts can produce a whole host of reports, like those shown on our 'home page' (and a lot more). Click the picture below to get more information.

Q – Can I save the reports, for comparison, say month by month, and for attaching to emails too.

A – Absolutely. As your build progresses and you start to run the reports, you get the option to save them in the following formats, PDF, HTML, Excel files, Text files, picture files and more. PDF files are a great way to send reports by email and for comparing things on a weekly / monthly basis.

Q – When I sort my data, I’d like to print the screen (exactly how it appears within Allsorts). How can I do this ?

A – I’m really glad you’re using the sorting features in Allsorts – it's where the software got its name. You can not only print the screen as it appears, but save it too. Just use the Quick Report button on the menu …

Sort your data the way you want it, then click the Quick Report button on the menu, as shown below ...

In the preview window that appears, you can add titles, footers, colours etc and even save your newly created report to view later or compare with previously saved reports.