r23633 - gnucash-docs/branches/2.4 - [23632] Bug 639264: Add information in Concepts 4.5 to Explain Starting Balance in Reconcile window.
Cristian Marchi
cmarchi at code.gnucash.org
Fri Dec 27 09:25:31 EST 2013
Author: cmarchi
Date: 2013-12-27 09:25:31 -0500 (Fri, 27 Dec 2013)
New Revision: 23633
Trac: http://svn.gnucash.org/trac/changeset/23633
Modified:
gnucash-docs/branches/2.4/guide/C/ch_txns.xml
gnucash-docs/branches/2.4/help/C/Help_ch_GettingStarted.xml
Log:
[23632] Bug 639264: Add information in Concepts 4.5 to Explain Starting Balance in Reconcile window.
Modified: gnucash-docs/branches/2.4/guide/C/ch_txns.xml
===================================================================
--- gnucash-docs/branches/2.4/guide/C/ch_txns.xml 2013-12-27 14:25:08 UTC (rev 23632)
+++ gnucash-docs/branches/2.4/guide/C/ch_txns.xml 2013-12-27 14:25:31 UTC (rev 23633)
@@ -546,16 +546,21 @@
<sect1 id="txns-reconcile1">
<title>Reconciliation</title>
- <para>Transactions are typically checked against bank statements - a
- process known as <emphasis>reconciliation</emphasis>. <application>&app;</application> keeps track of the
- reconciliation status of each transaction.</para>
+ <para>Once transactions have been entered into <application>&app;</application>, it is important to verify
+ that they agree with the records of your financial institution. This
+ verification process is known as <emphasis role="strong">reconciliation</emphasis>, and it is key to determine
+ whether your records are accurate. Most commonly, you will check transactions
+ against bank statements, although you can use this process to verify any
+ transaction.</para>
- <para>The reconciliation status of a transaction is shown by the
- reconciliation <guilabel>R</guilabel> field. <emphasis>y</emphasis> indicates that a transaction has been
- reconciled, <emphasis>n</emphasis> indicates that it has not, and <emphasis>c</emphasis> indicates that it has
- been cleared, but not reconciled. You can toggle the reconciliation status
- between <emphasis>n</emphasis> and <emphasis>c</emphasis> by clicking in the <guilabel>R</guilabel> field; you can set
- it to <emphasis>y</emphasis> by using the <guilabel>Reconciliation Window</guilabel>.</para>
+ <para><application>&app;</application> keeps track of the reconciliation status of each
+ transaction. The reconciliation status of a transaction is shown by the
+ reconciliation <guilabel>R</guilabel> field in a register:
+ <emphasis>y</emphasis> indicates that a transaction has been
+ reconciled, <emphasis>n</emphasis> indicates that it has not, and <emphasis>c</emphasis> indicates that it has
+ been cleared, but not reconciled. You can toggle the reconciliation status
+ between <emphasis>n</emphasis> and <emphasis>c</emphasis> by clicking in the <guilabel>R</guilabel> field; you can set
+ it to <emphasis>y</emphasis> by using <xref linkend="txns-reconcile-window2" />.</para>
<para>At the bottom of the account window, there are (among others) two running
balances (the <guilabel>cleared</guilabel> and <guilabel>reconciled</guilabel> balance), and the
@@ -574,12 +579,20 @@
window. There, you will be able to change the <guilabel>R</guilabel> field to <emphasis>y</emphasis> (reconciled).</para>
<note>
- <para>You cannot reconcile in the register window, you must use the
+ <para>You cannot reconcile directly in a register window by clicking in the <emphasis>R</emphasis> field. You must use the
reconciliation window. Once a transaction has been marked <emphasis>reconciled</emphasis>,
it can no longer be easily changed without breaking the
<link linkend="rec-start-blnc"><guilabel>Starting Balance</guilabel></link> of the next reconciliation.</para>
</note>
+ <note>
+ <para>It is important to understand that reconciliation is done for a given
+ date, and when you reconcile an account based on a statement from a given date,
+ you are reconciling <emphasis role="strong">all transactions prior to that date</emphasis>. Therefore, if you
+ add or modify transactions that predate your last reconciliation, your
+ <emphasis role="strong">reconciled</emphasis> balances will be thrown off.</para>
+ </note>
+
<sect2 id="txns-reconcile-window2">
<title>Reconcile windows</title>
@@ -629,25 +642,29 @@
<para>This is a non-editable item which displays the balance from the previous
reconciliation. It should match the starting balance in your statement.</para>
- <note>
+ <warning>
<para>Sometimes, the opening balance in <application>&app;</application> does not match that
found on your statement. This can happen the first time you reconcile your account or
when a previously-reconciled transaction is de-reconciled or deleted.</para>
- </note>
+ </warning>
- <para>The first time you reconcile your account, the <guilabel>starting balance</guilabel> will
- be <guilabel>0.00</guilabel>, thus probably not the <emphasis>opening balance</emphasis> of your account.
- When you reconcile the account, the <emphasis>opening balance</emphasis> for the account
- will be included in the reconciliation, and the result should balance.</para>
-
- <para>In the case when a previously-reconciled transaction is accidentally de-reconciled, you can simply
- re-reconcile the transaction along with the transactions on the current statement, and the
+ <note>
+ <para>The first time you reconcile your account, the <guilabel>starting balance</guilabel> will
+ be <guilabel>0.00</guilabel>, thus probably not the <emphasis>opening balance</emphasis> of your account.
+ When you reconcile the account, the <emphasis>opening balance</emphasis> for the account
+ will be included in the reconciliation, and the result should balance.</para>
+ </note>
+
+ <tip>
+ <para>In the case when a previously-reconciled transaction is accidentally de-reconciled, you can simply
+ re-reconcile the transaction along with the transactions on the current statement, and the
result should balance.</para>
<para>The case of accidentally deleting a previously-reconciled transaction presents
more of a challenge; if you cannot determine what was
deleted and restore it to the register, you will have to create a dummy
transaction to get the reconciliation to finish.</para>
+ </tip>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
Modified: gnucash-docs/branches/2.4/help/C/Help_ch_GettingStarted.xml
===================================================================
--- gnucash-docs/branches/2.4/help/C/Help_ch_GettingStarted.xml 2013-12-27 14:25:08 UTC (rev 23632)
+++ gnucash-docs/branches/2.4/help/C/Help_ch_GettingStarted.xml 2013-12-27 14:25:31 UTC (rev 23633)
@@ -734,6 +734,11 @@
<para>You should now have successfully imported your accounts.</para>
+ <tip>
+ <para>Imported transactions might need to be <emphasis role="strong">reconciled</emphasis>.
+ This process is described in the <application>&app;</application> Tutorial and Concepts guide.</para>
+ </tip>
+
</sect1>
<sect1 id="tip-of-the-day">
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