[GNC-dev] Further feedback

[Christopher Lam]

On 9/2/19 7:49 am, Stephen M. Butler wrote:
> On 2/8/19 5:12 AM, Christopher Lam wrote:
>> I've been experimenting and I think there's a logic error in your
>> thinking -- *during* reconciliation, until it's complete, all
>> 'reconciled' transactions are labelled 'cleared'. Reconciled
>> transactions are, so to speak, gone and don't need to be shown on a
>> reconciliation report.
> The reconciliation report should run just after reconciliation has
> finished.  Therefore, the just reconciled items will be marked as
> reconciled.

I do agree in principle... however the internal logic of GnuCash 
dictates that there is no such thing as "just reconciled items".

Consider a very busy bank account needing regular reconciliation... on 
15-january you try reconcile but you've written and recorded a check for 
$53.50 on 20-december which is still not cleared. This $53.50 will 
remain unreconciled ("outstanding") causing a discrepancy of $53.50 
between your 15-January bank statement, and your book. You reconcile, 
skipping the $53.50 amount, and all's well.

On 15-february the bank statement arrives, and the $53.50 check has 
cleared on 19-january. The $53.50 status changes from (n)unreconciled to 
(c)cleared. Additionally all intermediate transactions are cleared. Your 
15-february bank statement now matches your books.

According to my suggestions above logic the $53.50 will be counted in 
the 'cleared' header, and be present in the reconciliation report. You 
will afterwards then complete the reconciliation, which converts all 
'c'leared to 'y'reconciled.

If we were to follow your logic, and if we run the reconciliation report 
on 15-february, and if we *aim* to look for the 'just-reconciled' items, 
we will definitely miss the $53.50 transaction dated 20-December because 
it's now reconciled/"archived". Remember the transactions do *NOT* have 
a 'reconciliation date' so we cannot look for them using a simple query. 
Only accounts have a last-reconciliation-date. We will *not* find them 
by querying 'reconciliation-date minus 1 day'.

Logically you're not wrong but GnuCash internal logic will dictate the 
above process must be followed.