Vanishing transactions and log file

[Derek Atkins]

Hi,

Ross Boylan <RossBoylan at stanfordalumni.org> writes:

>> I'm not sure what you mean by "the contents of the transaction and
>> split comments seem to get copied between each other (in the
>> display)".  Could you expand on that, explain what you mean,
>> and maybe supply some screen shots?
>
> The attached gnc1 shows a register in auto-split mode; all shots are of
> the active transaction.
> gnc1: no comments entered, but splits present
> gnc2: enter a comment on the split 
> gnc3: tab to next split (simply tabbing to another field on the same
> line does not produce a change).  The split comment now appears in the
> header's 2nd line; I think that's supposed to be the transaction notes.
> gnc4: I've clicked on the 2nd line of the header, in the note field, and
> typed a new transaction note.  Focus is still in the note field.
> gnc5: I've tabbed out of the transaction note.  The note has been copied
> to the split memo.

Without seeing the register header line too I'm having a hard time
deciphering this.  For one thing, what's the question-mark doing
in the second column?   It looks like you're in an A/R or A/P account!
Second, I cannot reproduce this here.  I tried following your suggestion
but it's not working.

> Of course, if the transaction has 2 splits in the register's account,
> there's an extra layer (I think it's either the first or last of the
> splits that's linked to the transaction notes.).

What do you mean by "extra layer"?  Again, I cannot reproduce that
here.

> By the way, can any of these notes be multi-line?

No, you cannot include an embedded newline.

>> > The problem with that is that it makes the typical case, a transaction
>> > involving exactly 2 splits, awkward.
>> 
>> There really needs to be another "special-basic" mode that shows a
>> basic 2-split transaction in basic mode but shows any multi- (>=3)
>> split transaction in expanded mode.  It would be half-way between
>> basic mode and journal mode, but not quite the auto-split mode.
>> 
>> This new mode would certainly make it more clear....
>
> That sounds a lot like a solution I was thinking of: in the basic or
> non-focal auto-split mode, if there are multiple splits in the register
> account display them on separate lines in a way that groups them
> together visually, e.g., leaves the date column blank is it is in the
> auto-split pictures attached.  I guess the comment (transaction note)
> would still need to go on a separate line.

The transaction note is ONLY visible in "double line mode".  It's
always been like that, and it will always remain like that.

> One of the issues with any split-oriented mode is that there are many
> editing operations on a split that are really questionable, like
> deleting it or changing the amount.  This suggests disallowing such
> operations; again the "standard case" of 2 exactly balanced splits pulls
> in the other direction (i.e., permit editing amount or deleting the
> split, understood to mean the whole transaction).

Yep.  Which is why we DO make the "standard case" special.  But it
adds complexity as a result, but it's complexity that really does
make sense to add.

So, when should we expect patches from you for this new register mode?
:-)

> Ross

-derek

-- 
       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