Test report: Scheduled Transactions

Tim Wunder twunder@iwmail.com
Mon, 22 Oct 2001 23:17:14 -0400


OK. Finally got CVS with Scheduled Transactions to compile and my system 
doesn't barf all over it...

Set up a single transaction, the wife's payday. Bi-weekly transaction. Since 
I hadn't entered her last pay, yet, I set the start date to be 10/19/2001, no 
end date, options to Create automatically and Notify me when created.

I exited gnucash, then restarted.

I was presented with a Transaction Reminders dialog with nothing listed. I 
see two problems with the dialog: 
1 - If there are no transactions to remind me of, I don't need to be 
reminded...
2 - My Sceduled Transaction set for 10/19/2001 for my wife's pay didn't show 
up.
I clicked <Next>

I'm then presented with a dialog called Auto-Created Transaction 
Notifications. It displyed what looked to be part of my checking account 
register, with the date highlighted, but no transaction data. I'm guessing 
that this is where my wife's 10/19/2001 payday should appear. But it surely 
wasn't there. The display is quite whacked, too.
I clicked <Next>

Next dialog is the To-Create Transaction Preparation. Whatever that's 
supposed to be...I think it needs a better name, perhaps "Pending 
Transactions", or "Prepare Pending Transactions", or "Pending Transaction 
Preparation", or "Prepare Transactions for Creation". Nothing was listed. I 
guess that these are transactions that are ready to be entered. Ones that 
were not marked as Automatically generated and that require user interaction. 
That's good, I think. But, again, if there aren't any, don't present me with 
the dialog.
I clicked <Next>

Next I get  the Created Transaction Review dialog. Nothing is listed.  I 
assume it's the final chance to review the SX before posting. I imagine you 
know this, but I gotta say it, anyway, if there are none, don't present the 
dialog. 
I clicked <Next>

Finally, I'm presented with an Obsolete Sceduled Transactions dialog. Hmmm. 
What's this? My wife's payday is listed. But, my only option appears to be to 
select it and delete it. I don't wanna do that. I wanna have it entered. I 
leave it unselected and click <Finish>. Nothing happens. Click <Finish> 
again, nothing happens. Click <Cancel>, nothing happens. Click <X>, the 
dialog closes.

Thus ends my first foray into the wonderful world of Scheduled Transactions 
development...

The obvious problems I see are that I'm presented with too many blank dialogs 
calling me to take no action. The other is that it appears the SX logic 
thinks that the transaction I created that is supposed to have no end date, 
has expired and needs to be deleted. I like the idea of an SX that expires, 
though. But it needs to be tidied up a bit.

Other thoughts, is there a way to configure a fixed loan, such as a mortgage 
or auto loan, so that scheduled transactions are created for the loan? This 
would be especially neat for those folks who have automated withdrawals done 
for mortgaes. 

That's all for now, I look forward to further testing...

Regards, 
Tim