Q: I entered shorthand codes in RTG Bills, but I do not see them in RTG Timer. Why not?

A: Shorthand codes are meant as personal abbreviations for common names and phrases. You enter the code followed by a space or other punctuation, and the code is instantly replaced by longer text.

Each RTG Bills user, and each copy of RTG Timer, has a separate list of shorthand codes. (Prior to V2.17, all RTG Bills users shared the same list of shorthand codes.)

RTG Bills lets you export the shorthand codes for the current user to the file abbrev.dat, which RTG Timer uses to store its shorthand codes. First, exit RTG Timer. Then in RTG Bills, do this:

File > Export > Shorthand Codes > For RTG Timer

If the RTG Timer data is in the same location as the RTG Bills data (usually true when there is only one user), start RTG Timer and you will see the same shorthand codes that you have in RTG Bills.

However, if you have more than one person using RTG Timer, RTG Timer must be installed in a separate folder for each user. In that situation, each user has a separate copy of the shorthand codes (in abbrev.dat).

After you export the codes from RTG Bills, copy the file abbrev.dat to the folders of each RTG Timer user so they will have the same codes available. Use Windows copy and paste commands to copy the file. Be sure to exit RTG Timer before you paste the file into the RTG Timer data folder (otherwise RTG Timer will overwrite it when it exits).  When you start RTG Timer, you should see the codes.

From that point on, however, any changes will affect only the user who makes the changes.