Placeholder Accounts report 0 balances, why?

[Mike or Penny Novack]

>
> Can the font size be changed, so that we can print more accounts per 
> page? I don't seem to be able to change any aspect of the way things 
> print, in fact when I tried to do a print preview it crashed!
>
> I know this is all minor, however, a neat and well organized set of 
> financial statements is important to how a company/individual is 
> perceived when dealing with banks and other financial institutions.
>
> This summer I may want to help make some changes to the reporting 
> area. I will let you know.
>
> Regards,
> Jay
>
Part of a bigger question. At least in MY case, any reports which would 
have to be filed with some agency would need to be edited far more than 
would be reasonable from WITHIN an accounting system. When I raised the 
question with the person who helps put reports into GAAP format whether 
I should write custom reports to do this he said "don't bother" (he 
would prefer using his own favorite editor).

In other words, you ask GnuCash to produce the "raw" report. You export 
this and then bring the data into what can be edited with the preferred 
editor and edit it there. No need to play with things like font size 
until then. What editor(s) you choose to use would depend on all sorts 
of things including just how "pretty" the final report needs to be 
(perhaps even using a "typesetting" editor like LaTex because ending in 
up in a glossy printed annual report book of the organization -- but 
obviously not going nearly that far if just "home use"). Even for the 
same organization can depend on which report. Thus for the MA Chapter of 
the American Chestnut Foundation only the annual (4th quarter) reports 
get done up GAAP* and the other three quarters I just bring simpler 
versions to the board meetings.

It is simply not reasonable to expect that capability from WITHIN the 
accounting package, especially when you consider that every jurisdiction 
has different rules about how reports are to be presented.

Michael

* When completed in GAAP format, the annual is less than half just the 
numbers -- an awful lot of ordinary text spelling out things like 
accounting conventions used, depreciation policy (as a non tax paying 
entity we can choose fairly freely but have to SAY what the policy is), 
notes explaining any amounts that were out of the ordinary or would 
otherwise be misleading without explanation.