Mass delete of zero split lines?

Mike or Penny Novack stepbystepfarm at mtdata.com
Fri Jul 9 06:59:25 EDT 2010


JimR wrote:

> I just discovered something that before I thought was an annoyance, 
> but now I think is much more of a pain.  When I split a checkbook 
> register transaction to a payee, the next time I create a split to the 
> same payee, GNUCash remembers all of those splits.
>
> In particular, when I break down my credit card bill into multiple 
> accounts, it remembers those accounts and amounts month-to-month.  For 
> the past several years, when a particular month did not have a charge 
> to a specific account, I simply deleted the amount, leaving the split 
> line, thinking that it caused no harm.
>
> However, when I went to search for a phrase within one of the 
> accounts, I got back every month's line item, even though those were 
> all nil amounts.  (I probably should have expected this.  Hindsight is 
> always 20-20.)
>
> Is there some way that I can delete all of those nil transactions?  (I 
> have a hunch a side benefit is that it might speed up the loading of 
> my files on startup.)
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
This is very odd. I haven't a clue what you are describing since I never 
have any split when PAYING the credit card bill. While I can't help you 
with how to get rid of the zero splits you describe, have never 
encountered "memory" with regard to transactions, let's discuss where 
these splits came form.

HOW are you entering credit card transactions? Or are you? You should 
have a liability account for this (these) credit cards. In the case of 
the organization for which I am treasurer I only sometimes get informed 
by people that they have used their cards, don't find out till I see the 
combined statement and often have to ask "what was that particular item" 
(so I know against what expenses account).

In other words, first I enter all the charges as of the date they were 
made. The accounts affected would be the appropriate expense account and 
the credit card liability. Then I cut a check to pay the liability and 
for that transaction the accounts are credit card and checking account.

Are you trying to skip ever having recorded the assumption of the 
liability (on date X) and the subsequent paying off of the liability in 
whole or in part on date Y? Only recording the expenses as you PAY for 
them? That you shouldn't try to do it that way should be clear when you 
consider that perhaps you are only paying in part.

Michael

-- 
There is no possibility of social justice on a dead planet except the equality of the grave.



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