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

[Derek Atkins]

As I mentioned in my last message, the problem is that you
did not provide a transfer account.  The money is withdrawaled
from your checking account and goes... where?

- Into your pocket?  (assets:cash)
- To your checking account?  (liabilities:ccard)
- To pay for groceries?  (expenses:groceries)
...

-derek

Harry Putnam <reader at newsguy.com> writes:

> 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?
>
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-- 
       Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT Media Laboratory
       Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board  (SIPB)
       URL: http://web.mit.edu/warlord/    PP-ASEL-IA     N1NWH
       warlord at MIT.EDU                        PGP key available