[GNC-dev] Further feedback

Tue Feb 5 02:56:40 EST 2019

Thanks! And a report example as well as the options to be specified too?

On Tue., 5 Feb. 2019, 08:54 Stephen M. Butler <kg7je at arrl.net wrote:

> On 2/4/19 2:56 PM, Christopher Lam wrote:
> > Thank you for detailed algorithm. I'll see about that over next week.
> Yup.  A lot of work there.
> >
> > We may have to limit the report to one account for various reasons,
> > but will try avoid this.
> I could work with that.  But a bank statement might trigger a reconcile
> for Checking, Saving, Money Market, Visa card  (all on one statement).
> But it would be four different reconciliations -- all on the same day.
> >
> > If you have the time and inclination, a test datafile, with crafted
> > but realistic amounts, is very welcome. Perhaps about 10 transactions
> > of various dates in 3 accounts, fully or partly reconciled (or not) in
> > the past, and example report output, will help illustrate. <-- Welcome
> > to test-driven development.
> >
> > C
>
>
> I tried.  Hope it is interesting enough.  Noticed that some had partial
> reconciliations already done.  So....
>
> All Asset accounts (low level) and all Liability accounts (lowest level)
> should be reconciled at some point.   None have been.  I removed a bunch
> of accounts and transactions to get here.  It might not make sense (or
> cents either).
>
> --Steve
>
>
>
> >
> > On 5/2/19 2:37 am, Stephen M. Butler wrote:
> >> Some additional thoughts.
> >> In the summary listing at the top of the report, in addition to the
> >> last-reconcile-date and fixing the existing amount columns, add one
> >> final column which is the account ending balance (which should match the
> >> check register or sum of all check registers for that account).  It
> >> would also be the bank ending balance + outstanding transactions.
> >>
> >> Also, I selected a Placeholder account plus all the children.  In the
> >> summary the placeholder account has all zeros in the columns.  Suggest
> >> that if the account is a placeholder account and the column value is
> >> zero, then blank suppress the amount.
> >>
> >> Column recap:
> >> Account -- account name as now shown.  Allow option to get the full
> >> name.
> >> Reconcile-Dt -- Date of most recent reconciliation for the account.
> >> Most likely will be today or very recent.
> >> Starting -- Sum of all reconciled transactions for this account prior to
> >> Reconcile-Dt.  AKA -- Bank Starting Balance
> >> Reconciled -- Sum of all reconciled transactions for this account on
> >> Reconcile-Dt (only those transactions just reconciled).
> >> Ending -- Sum of Starting and Reconciled -- AKA Bank Ending Balance.
> >> Outstanding -- Sum of all non-reconciled transactions for this account
> >> (include future dated transactions).
> >> Balance -- Sum of Ending and Outstanding.  Should be the account balance
> >> shown in the Accounts tab.
> >>
> >>
> >> Note -- on the options Display tab, the Amount can be None, Single or
> >> Double.  Changing this appears to make no difference in the report.
> >> Perhaps it should be removed if it does nothing.
> >>
> >> Also when selecting all accounts, the summary did list all accounts
> >> including those that never had a reconciliation.  Perhaps we should
> >> impose a filter that the account has to have been reconciled at least
> >> once before showing up in this report.  I'm thinking maybe add an
> >> additional restriction that it has to have been reconciled more recently
> >> than x days ago (a really old account that was reconciled years ago is
> >> just hanging around but gets included because it was reconciled a
> >> century ago -- slight hyperbole!).  I would probably pick 100 days as
> >> there are accounts that get a statement only quarterly.
> >>
> >> That way we could pick some options that 80% of the user base could use
> >> without having to click on the options button to configure the report:
> >> *  All accounts
> >> *  Reconciled within the last 100 days
> >>
> >> That way the default report would pop up and it would suffice for the
> >> vast majority of users.  It would only show accounts that had been
> >> recently reconciled.
> >>
> >> --Steve
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On 2/3/19 6:58 PM, Stephen M. Butler wrote:
> >>> On 2/3/19 3:35 AM, Christopher Lam wrote:
> >>>> Hi Stephen
> >>>>
> >>>> If possible I'd be grateful if you would check my branch
> >>>> maint-scheme-progress
> >>>>
> >>>>    * cd gnucash
> >>>>    * git fetch --all
> >>>>    * git checkout chris/maint-scheme-progress
> >>>>    * dpkg etc (note there will be gnc-date error - ignore)
> >>>>
> >>>> Main issues for feedback:
> >>>>
> >>>>    * Reconciliation report modified header hopefully is satisfactory
> >>>>
> >>>> Thank you, your (and house accountant) feedback *very* much
> >>>> appreciated!
> >>>>
> >>> git describe
> >>> 3.4-104-gacbcc6a1a
> >>>
> >>> Reconciliation report.  Looks like I can no longer select the date for
> >>> the reconciliation.  I had done one a few days ago.  At this point it
> >>> showed only the un-reconciled transactions.
> >>>
> >>> This summary at the top was interesting (I selected a parent with 3
> >>> children):
> >>>
> >>> Account          Starting     Reconciled   Ending
> >>> BECU              $0.00        $0.00            $0.00
> >>> Checking        $1,591.23  $1,591.23     $4,039.74
> >>> Money Market $1,004.44  $1,004.44    $17,004.61
> >>> Savings           $454.09    $454.09       $486.21
> >>>
> >>> With apologies to wm, and warning therefore that TMI is forthcoming
> >>> (wm,
> >>> skip to next email to avoid being offended).
> >>>
> >>> At first I was expecting the Reconciled column to show what had been
> >>> reconciled in the last pass.  However, it shows everything that had
> >>> been
> >>> reconciled up to that point.  My question now is, when would those
> >>> first
> >>> two columns be different after the first reconciliation?
> >>>
> >>> The Ending column appears to go into the future.  My checking register
> >>> has upcoming entries that I know will happen so I an forecast if the
> >>> account will be overdrawn at any point.  I'm wondering if it shouldn't
> >>> end at today.
> >>>
> >>> I then reconciled the bottom two accounts and noted:
> >>>
> >>> 1.  Unable to locate the option to see the reconciled transactions.  I
> >>> should be able to see the transactions just reconciled (most recent
> >>> date
> >>> reconciled).
> >>>
> >>> 2.  The bottom two accounts had all three columns the same as the
> >>> ending
> >>> figures above.  In this case I would expect:
> >>>
> >>>      A.  Starting column would have the account balance prior to the
> >>> transactions reconciled in this just finished action (most recent date
> >>> reconciled).
> >>>
> >>>      B.  The reconciled column would have the total reconciled.  In
> >>> this
> >>> case I think you need two numbers.  Total credits and total debits
> >>> reconciled.
> >>>
> >>>      C.  Ending column should be the account balance just after the
> >>> reconciliation.
> >>>
> >>> At this point I sat down with the accountant and had an enlightening
> >>> conversation.  Let me translate into coding speak.
> >>>
> >>> 1.  She said to get rid of Reconciled column -- as presented it doesn't
> >>> make sense.  [I suggest the net balance of Funds In and Funds Out for
> >>> items just reconciled.]
> >>>
> >>> 2.  Need to show the most recent reconciled date (so I know the
> >>> checking
> >>> was last reconciled last month) and the other two were just reconciled.
> >>>
> >>> 3.  Starting balance needs to be what the bank statement showed at the
> >>> end of last month.  [You can get this by summing all reconciled
> >>> transactions up through the last month's reconciliation -- ie, not
> >>> including the most recent reconciliation date.]
> >>>
> >>> 4.  Ending balance should show the bank statement at the end of this
> >>> month.  [Ending = Starting + Reconciled]  sum all reconciled
> >>> transactions including the current cycle.
> >>>
> >>> 5.  Must see the just reconciled transactions with the CR/DR sub-totals
> >>> just like you show for the unreconciled.
> >>>
> >>> 6.  Good to see the transactions still not reconciled.
> >>>
> >>> Summary:
> >>>
> >>> Locate the most recent reconciliation date for the account.
> >>>
> >>> Get the starting balance by summing all reconciled transactions up to
> >>> but not including that date.
> >>>
> >>> Get the reconciled amount by summing all reconciled transactions on the
> >>> most recent reconciliation date.
> >>>
> >>> Ending balance = the sum of all reconciled transactions (inclusive).
> >>>
> >>> You might want to add an Outstanding column showing the sum of the
> >>> transactions not reconciled.
> >>>
> >>> Then show the reconciled transactions for that last date followed by
> >>> the
> >>> unreconciled transactions.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> The implication for my situation is that the checking account would
> >>> show
> >>> last month's values since I hadn't reconciled it yet this month.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Hope this gives you some idea of how to accomplish the accountant speak
> >>> to get the bank starting and ending balances without peeking at the
> >>> actual statement!
> >>>
> >>> --Steve
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >
>
> --
> Stephen M Butler, PMP, PSM
> Stephen.M.Butler51 at gmail.com
> kg7je at arrl.net
> 253-350-0166
> -------------------------------------------
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