These can be available at SYSTEM level and is how things will start but further down the line, other clients may wish to control their own categories. Only Calibre will be able to set a SYSTEM level category. Users will be able to generate their own categories. When searching for a category to use, the system can request whether to use SYSTEM or PRIVATE level.

System to generate Primary Key.
Ability to Add a Category.

If adding a Category at SYSTEM level, ACRES must check to see if the Category already exists. If it does, ACRES to advise the user. If the Category does not exist then the Category will be added.

If adding at PRIVATE level, ACRES must check if the CATEGORY exists already at PRIVATE level. If it does, ACRES to advise the user. ACRES must also check if the Category exists at SYSTEM level. If it does, ACRES must advise the user that the Category already exists at SYSTEM level and prompt the user if they want to use the SYSTEM level Category or create a duplicate at PRIVATE level. If the Category does not exist then the Category will be added.

Ability to Edit a Category. Only available at PRIVATE level as the ramifications are too great for making such a system level change. If a Category is wrong at SYSTEM level or needs to be changed then a new Category should be added and existing entries using the old Category could be updated manually to the new Category. When making a change to a Category at Private level, ACRES to warn the user that all entries with Category 'A' will be changed to 'Renamed A' and prompt the user to confirm the change.

Ability to Delete a Category. At SYSTEM level, the ONLY way a Category should be deleted would be if there are no entries in ANY Expense Ledger that use the Category to be deleted. If Calibre tries to make such a deletion, ACRES should warn that it is not possible as there are entires currently using the Category. A list could be displayed of all ACRES Customers who are using the particular Category name. A decision can then be made whether to update these Categories by programme or advise the Customers to make the change.

To Delete a PRIVATE level Category, ACRES will check to see if the PRIVATE level Category is being used. If it is, ACRES will warn that the Category is in use with options to Cancel the request to delete or apply a global change for all PRIVATE Category 'A' to PRIVATE Category 'B'. If the PRIVATE Category is not in use then ACRES may delete the Category.

As PRIVATE Categories are created, ACRES could email Calibre who can then decide whether to create those Categories at SYSTEM level. Adding a Category at SYSTEM level when the Category already exists at one or more PRIVATE level must not affect the PRIVATE level customer.