The LaTeX-package ``fcolumn''

In financial reports, text and currency amounts are regularly put in
one table, e.g., a year balance or a profit-and-loss overview.
This package provides the settings for automatically typesetting
such columns, including the sum line (preceded by a rule of the correct
width), using the specifier ``f''.

The column specifier f itself is rather simple.  It is the predefined
version of a generic column F.  The generic version expects three 
arguments: |#1| is the separator, |#2| is the decimal mark, and |#3| 
the coding used for grouping digits of the integer part and decimal
part.  For example the f-column in the current version of the package
is using 3,2 as #3, meaning that numbers are typeset with 2 decimal 
digits and grouping is done on 3 digits.  The grouping character is 
``.'' and the decimal separator is ``,'', thereby coding for the 
continental European standard.  People in the Anglo-saxon world would
rather code |\newcolumntype{f}{F{,}{.}{3,2}}|.

To show where and how the f-column is used, let's look at a typical
financial table.

properties    31 dec 2014   debts         31 dec 2014
-----------------------------------------------------
house          200.000,00   equity capital  50.000,00
bank account      -603,23   mortgage       150.000,00
savings         28.000,00                           
cash               145,85   profit          27.542,62
               ----------                  ----------
               227.542,62                  227.542,62

The core part of this table is input as 
\begin{tabular}{lflf}
house        &  20000000 &  equity capital &  5000000\\
bank account &    -60323 &  mortgage       & 15000000\\
savings      &   2800000 \\
cash         &     14585 &  profit         &  2754262\\
\sumline
\end{tabular}

The column specifier ``f'' (for ``finance'') is able to do the 
typesetting.  It constructs the sum line, typesets the numbers,
calculates the totals, makes rules of the correct widths, and 
checks whether the two columns are in balance; if not, the user
is warned via a message.  A special command \resetsumline exists
which allows one to restart a table, so that multiple tables 
in one tabular environment are possible.

To install:
-----------
Run the file fcolumn.ins through LaTeX (in a directory also
containing fcolumn.dtx) and move the file fcolumn.sty to a place
searched by TeX.

To produce the documentation:
-----------------------------
Run the file fcolumn.dtx through LaTeX.  Update the glossary
and index by makeindex:

  makeindex -s gglo.ist -o fcolumn.gls fcolumn.glo
  makeindex -s gglo.ist -o fcolumn.ind fcolumn.idx

and then LaTeX again; presto!