How to make a "custom" expense report [was Re: Report customization nightmare]

[Mike Leone]

On 7/1/2010 12:09 AM, Andrew Sackville-West had this to say:
> On Wed, Jun 30, 2010 at 08:47:58PM -0300, Daniel Trezub wrote:
>> I think the whole question about the Gnucash Reports can be demoed by this
>> statement:
>>
>> Here are instructions to get a selection of *expenses* only in a text
>>> based report for a specific time period:
>>> 1. Click Reports ->  Income&  Expense ->  *Income* Statement
>>>
>>
>> Nothing logic, I think. I know some of the developers could argue that it is
>> logic, but it is not. If one is looking for an Expenses report, why in earth
>> should he/she try the Income Statement??
>
> simply standard accounting practice, as far as I know, to call a
> report that summarizes income and expenses for a given time period an
> Income Statement.

But what the OP is referring to is a report that does *not* have 
"Income" on it. He doesn't want to summarize Income and Expenses; only 
Expenses. Putting Income on such a report is superfluous, and perhaps 
distracting, from the point (sum of expenses only).

Perhaps that's not a standard accounting report, but it's a pretty 
standard report that a user wants/needs. And it's a bit difficult to get 
just that table of information (i.e., just expenses, no income shown on 
the report, no charts, etc), by customizing (and saving) an existing 
report, as I pointed out earlier in this thread.