a Quicken user tests out GnuCash...

[plussier at mindspring.com]

In a message dated: Tue, 25 Feb 2003 02:27:36 EST
James Ralston said:

>On 2003-02-21 at 10:03:31-0500 plussier at mindspring.com wrote:
>> I've never had this problem myself, but why does the order matter?
>> As long as the transaction contains all the appropriate splits with
>> the money going to/coming from the proper accounts, and everything
>> is properly balanced, then you should be all set, shouldn't you?

>Take my paycheck, for example.  Due to taxes, the exact amount that is
>deposited to my bank account fluctuates.  In Quicken, I've memorized
>the transaction, but whenever I enter a new paycheck, I need to check
>each line item to make sure it's the correct amount.  Performing this
>double-checking is a *lot* easier if the order in my split transaction
>view is the same order as the itemization on my paycheck.

Hmmm, this must have changed in the 1.8.x series.  I do exactly what 
you describe here, and order is always maintained between pay checks 
for me.  I often use the Duplicate Transaction feature, then change 
the date and check number, then go back and verify all the splits 
match my paycheck.  I've never had it change the order on me.

I agree, it's a lot easier to do this if the order were maintained.
(btw, the reason I asked was that I didn't realize there were people 
as anal about this stuff as me :)

>However, I don't think GnuCash should force GAP upon me just for the
>sake of GAP.  I want to order my splits in a manner which makes it
>easier for me.  GnuCash should give me that option, rather than
>forcing me to use the split order it thinks best adheres to GAP (but
>which I find to be significantly inconvenient).

Agreed.  And again, this seems like a new thing.  I'm still using 
1.6.6 and everything you've mentioned being an problem is exactly the 
way you wish it were in that release :)  

>> AFAIK, you just hit Enter, and if it's unbalanced, GnuCash will pop
>> up a window asking what you want to do.  One of the choices is to
>> allow GnuCash to balance the transaction.
>
>But as far as I can tell, the only way it balances is by adding
>another entry into the split.  I want a button that says "balance the
>transaction by totaling up all of the splits, and then setting the
>transaction amount to that total".
>
>Or have I misunderstood the interface?

No. I don't think so.  Yes, it does add a split, and I can see that 
wouldn't work, given the way you do things.  It would make sense to 
act the way you describe how Quicken works.

>> Ahm, has something drastic changed between 1.6.6 and 1.8.x?  I
>> always enter the transaction total first, then add splits in in
>> exactly the way you describe.
>
>Perhaps I'm misunderstanding the interface, but I simply can't enter
>the transaction total.  I *have* to do it in the split.
>
>I'm using gnucash 1.8.1, which came with Red Hat Linux 8.0.94 (the
>third "Phoebe" beta).  If this is a bug, let me know, and I'll
>bugzilla it with Red Hat.

This sounds like a change in the 1.8.x series.  And if so, I'm 
sticking with 1.6.6 until this is fixed.  I enter way too many splits 
to have to work this way :)

Don't know if I've helped any.
-- 

Seeya,
Paul
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