transaction record; jump to blank

[Richard Wackerbarth]

On Mon, 24 Jul 2000, Dave Peticolas wrote:
> Jason Rennie writes:

> > Sorry to keep bothering you about this, but I guess the meaning attached
> > to a single key can be pretty important :)
> >
> > I've been importing my past year's checking account records into GNUCash
> > and have been finding that I don't always want "Enter" to correspond to
> > "jump to blank".  Specifically, when the split line that I am editing has
> > information in it (usually info that I just entered), I'd like to move to
> > the next split line.  If I'm in the first line of the transaction or on a
> > blank split line, I'd like "Enter" to send me to a new blank entry.
>
> I should mention that you can 'Tab' out of a split line to the next
> split line. If you are in multi-line mode and you are entering the
> blank split, when you tab out you will go to the new blank split.

OK, I'll jump in with my admittedly biased opinion here.

1) Data entry needs to be easy to accomplish from just the keyboard.
Entering any combination of split and unsplit transactions needs to be 
virtually the same as typing the information.

2) The system should anticipate what you are going to type. Typing a 
conflicting character should undo the anticipatory typing and continue n the 
basis of the characters actually typed. This will probably result in a 
different anticipation.

3) There is a hierarchy in the data entry.
A) Transaction
B) Ledger Entry (Split)
C) Data Field
D) Subfield

At each point, it should be easy to accept the anticipated value for the 
remainder of the present level and move to the next peer at the level or to 
the next higher level.

For example, lets assume that I am entering credit card transactions.
When I type "Mobil" as the Payee, the system might anticipate that the 
expense account will be Auto:Fuel since that is what I usually buy for that 
vendor. Now lets assume that I have just moved to the field for the Account.

I might want to a) change the account to "Snacks" b) change the account to 
"Auto:Maintenance" c) accept "Auto:Fuel" but change the amount asigned to 
this Ledger Entry d) accept the entire transcation, e) go back and change the 
date, f) other -- (I'm sure that I forgot to mention some reasonable action)

4) I have no problem with sequences such as "Enter Enter" to accomplish some 
of the actions described above provided that the sequence is not too long and 
that it follows logically.

5) As for "Enter" vs "Tab", I prefer that they both have the same meaning WRT 
the current data entry field (They finish it) but may have different meaning 
WRT the next field to be entered.