Initialisation Templates

Templates provide a pre-configured starting point for a UK business node: a Category Tree, rollups, Cash Codes, and related defaults.

Templates are optional. You can configure everything from scratch, but templates reduce setup time and provide accountant-friendly conventions from day one.

How templates relate to the Cash Statement

The Cash Statement is driven by the Category Tree. A template is simply a fast way to install a usable Category Tree structure so the statement is meaningful immediately.

Depth levels (UK)

Templates are grouped by depth:

Basic

For first-time use and small operations.

• A small number of Categories
• Minimal rollups
• Designed to be easy to understand and maintain

Standard

For typical small/medium businesses.

• More granular Categories
• A fuller set of rollups (totals)
• Suitable for routine decision-making and monthly reporting

Detailed

For finance-heavy or analysis-driven use.

• More Categories and sub-structure
• More rollups and analysis lines
• Supports deeper cost/income visibility without changing underlying data

What a template installs (high-level)

A template typically sets up:

• Categories and their order (how the statement reads)
• Total Categories (how categories roll up)
• Cash Codes mapped into Categories
• Default settings required for common statutory/UK tax groupings (where applicable)

Current implementation (technical note)

Templates are registered by name and executed as a stored procedure.

• Registry: App.tbTemplate (TemplateName, StoredProcedure)
• Example: App.proc_TemplateCompanyHMRC2021

(You do not need to understand these details to use templates, but they explain why templates can be implemented and improved over time.)

Suggested UK template roadmap (dev objective)

Initial out-of-the-box set (proposed):

• UK Company — Basic
• UK Company — Standard
• UK Company — Detailed
• UK Sole Trader — Basic
• UK Sole Trader — Standard
• UK Sole Trader — Detailed

Community templates (planned)

In future, templates can be published for specific sectors (still UK), for example:

• “Grocer — Standard”
• “Construction — Detailed”

A community template should clearly state:

• intended business type and sector
• the reporting intent (what the tree is trying to show)
• any assumptions (VAT registered, payroll complexity, etc.)

Next

If your goal is the Cash Statement, see:

• Cash Statement Overview
• Cash Statement Configuration