Switching software
Moving from Tally: the keyboard shortcuts that work the same
Accountants who know Tally Prime can keep their keyboard habits in eSolverBooks. Which keys work the same, what is different, and how to plan the first week.
The hardest part of changing accounting software is rarely the data. It is the person who has entered vouchers in Tally for ten years and can do it without looking at the screen. Take their keys away and a five-second entry becomes a thirty-second hunt for the right button, every time, for weeks. That is where most of the resistance to a switch comes from, and it is a fair objection.
eSolverBooks follows Tally Prime's keyboard shortcuts for exactly this reason. The same keys open the same vouchers and do the same things, so the habits carry over and the first week is about learning where things live, not relearning how to work.
Vouchers: the keys you use all day
| Key | Opens |
|---|---|
| F4 | Contra (bank transfer) |
| F5 | Payment |
| F6 | Receipt |
| F7 | Journal |
| F8 | Sales invoice |
| Ctrl+F8 | Credit note |
| Alt+F8 | Delivery note (challan) |
| Alt+F5 | Sales order |
| F9 | Purchase bill |
| Ctrl+F9 | Debit note |
| Alt+F9 | Receipt note (goods receipt) |
| Alt+F7 | Stock journal (transfer) |
| Ctrl+F7 | Physical stock count |
Moving around and finishing an entry
- Esc or Ctrl+Q goes back one screen, from a customer to the customer list, for example. In a text field, the first Esc leaves the field and the second goes back.
- Alt+G opens Go To, where you type the name of any page or report.
- Ctrl+A accepts and saves the voucher you are on. Ctrl+S saves it as a draft.
- Alt+C creates, Alt+A alters, Alt+D deletes, Alt+X cancels (voids), Alt+P prints or downloads the PDF, Alt+E exports and Alt+2 duplicates.
- F2 jumps to the date field. F1 lists every key, with the ones that work on the current screen highlighted.
What is different
- Purchase order has no key. Tally uses Alt+F4, but Windows closes the window with Alt+F4, so use Alt+G and type "purchase order" instead.
- In a web browser, a few keys belong to the browser: F5 refreshes the page, and F6, F7, Alt+D and Alt+E may also be taken. The free eSolverBooks desktop app for Windows passes every key through, which is why we recommend it for keyboard-heavy users.
- Ctrl+A saves only on screens with an Accept action. Everywhere else, and in any multi-line text box, it still selects all text, so the habit can never post something by accident.
- Document keys such as Alt+A and Alt+P work on sales screens today and are being added to purchases, inventory and accounting screens.
A sensible first week
- 1Install the desktop app on the PCs of the people who enter vouchers, so every key works from the start.
- 2Bring in opening balances for customers and suppliers, then open a few of them and check the statement of account against your Tally ledger for the same period.
- 3Enter a day's sales and purchases with the keys alone. Note anything that slows the team down and tell us; that list shapes what we add next.
- 4Run the trial balance and the receivable and payable ageing at the end of the week and compare them with what you expect.
Keyboard habits are not a reason to stay on software that no longer fits the business, and they should not be a reason a switch fails either. If you would like to see the keys working on your own kind of transactions, ask for a walkthrough and bring the person who will use it most.