`Balance' dialog box.. what is it for.

[Harry Putnam]

Elizabeth Dodd <liz at billiau.net> writes:

> You have missed a step further back.
> when you write a cheque, you have to allocate the money to 'something'
> you could use less than useful 'somethings' like 'household expenses'
> or you can subdivide them into power / electricity/  gas/
> food/ grog / eating out.
> once you have the money spent being allocated to some purpose, you will not 
> have the irritating dialogue box

Not sure where this step is.  I have an account named `bank1 chk' it
is supposed to be a mirror of a real account I have.
Double click account `bank1 chk', I get the register.

I see I have an opening balance of 678.  I see the next transaction
was an atm withdrawal of 240.  Leaving a balance of 438.

Now I want to enter another transaction.  It will be another
withdrawal that was an atm withdrawal of 100.

Ok, I click on the date and adjust it.  Then the `description'
<atm withdrawal>

Where do I enter the allocation information?

I go to withdrawal field and type in 100 <ENTER>
Here comes the dialog, defaulted to `adjust current account split' I
must change this or have my work so far erased.  I change it to
`balance it manually' and hit ok.  All is good, but whoops wait...  

Now I cannot leave this transaction; either with <enter> or down
arrow.  Every attempt brings up the dialog again.

Gnucash doesn't like my entry but doesn't say why.  It just won't let
me get any further.  What a pain in the butt.  Finally I try choosing 
`let gnucash add adjusting split' although to my mind there is nothing
to adjust but the remaining balance.  But ok check it.  Now gnucash labels
my transaction (under the column `transfer' `imbalance USD'.

> BTW would it suit others to have it default to 'manually fix' ??

I'm obviously not really qualified to answer this as you've noticed
I'm sure.  But wouldn't it make sense for this to default to the last
choice as many other dialogs in gnucash do.  Or at least the `field'
dialogs do.  But for basic usage like mine.  Why is the dialog
necessary at all?