Automatic Transactions

[Derek Atkins]

Hi,

Quoting gnucash at ew.ewheeler.org:

>
> The automatic transaction editor's heading changes from
>   Tot Funds In / Tot Funds Out
> to
>   Debit Formula / Credit Formula
> after clicking on a line item to edit.

Yes, because the headings are based on the cursor line.  The
full transaction shows the 'total' funds, whereas each split
line is just a credit or debit formula.

> This has always confused me.  I learned that the 'Tot Funds In/Out'
> headings are acurate in the way that I understand the meaning.  To me,
> "Tot Funds In"=="Credit Formula", however this is now how it is written.
> Several times I have had the columns backwards and transactions debiting
> where they should credit.
>
> Is this (percieved) backwardness intended?  If so, can someone offer an
> explanation of why the meaning changes when viewing vs. editing?

The labels aren't backwards.. Your understanding of the labels is
backwards because you learned from from bank statements.. which
shows them from the bank's point of view, not YOUR point of view.
A Credit to the bank is really a Debit to you..   Keep in mind that
to the Bank your deposit is a Liability (whereas to you it's an Asset).

So in an Asset account, a Debit will Increase the value, so it's
funds "into" the Asset.

> -Eric

> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.

-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