PROGRAM CREATING METHOD

Disclosed is a method for creating easily and quickly a program that allows new slips to be read by an automatic reading apparatus. A new slip is first input to the automatic reading apparatus. The reading apparatus reads from the slip its reference symbol and its information patterns indicating areas in which to write alphanumeric characters. The reference symbol is interpreted and assigned a numeric code that places the slip in an appropriate category. From each slip, the coordinates of a plurality of information patterns therein are detected. The areas designated by the coordinates are separated into numeric data and image data entry areas. These areas are defined using accounting terms. It is then defined that a numeral is recognized from the image of each numeric data area, and that an image is extracted and transferred from each image data area. Each interpreted numeric code, each assigned category, the coordinates of each numeric and image data entry area, and other necessary definitions are recorded into memory.