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

[Harry Putnam]

Derek Atkins <warlord at MIT.EDU> writes:

> Harry Putnam <reader at newsguy.com> writes:
>
>> Josh Sled <jsled at asynchronous.org> writes:
>>
>>> Yup; it can't really guess.
>>>
>>> It will remember the mapping, though, and match similar transactions in
>>> the same way in future imports.
>>
>> Here's a thought.  The QFX file tells if a transaction is debit or
>> credit. On the stregth of that maybe gnucash could default to expenses
>> or income/asset.
>>
>> At a glance it looks like those two are the main divisions. It would
>> be no more work for someone wanting more detailed splitting.  However
>> those of us who only want to go as far as one or the other could just
>> zip thru by pressing [guess] or something.
>
> The problem is the vast majority of users have tens or hundreds of
> expense accounts (and probably a handful of income accounts).  What
> does it mean to "default to an expense account" when you have a hundred
> of them?

I guess I don't see how it is any different with the current default.

Currently it defaults to `unbalanced ...'  Requiring human
intervention anyway.  If it defaulted to expenses or assets it takes
the same effort for someone wanting to aim at one of several hundred
accounts as `unbalanced..' does.  At least until learnt.