unable to enter a split transaction

[David T.]

Looking at the screen shots, I'm not certain, but it looked like you were in your checking account (e.g., Assets:Current Assets:Checking), and entered multiple lines for different types of tea, assigning them to Food:Grocery. But there isn't a split for the current account! So what happened when you entered the transaction was: 

1) Gnucash added the transaction to Food:Grocery (three times--one for each of your split lines)(and if you're going to that level of detail, you might consider putting the shipping into a different account, since it's not really groceries...)
2) Gnucash noticed that your transaction had no split for the current account, and moved it out.
3) Gnucash noticed that your transaction was imbalanced, and put in a balancing split assigned to Imbalances-xxx (where xxx is your currency)

To fix this, you need to open the Imbalances account, and change the split line from Imbalances to your checking account. (Note that when you change the split, it will "disappear" from the imbalances account--like it did in the checking account originally.)

You should probably take a little more time with the Concepts guide and grok the double entry stuff a little more. Gnucash handles transactions in ways that differ from Quicken.

HTH,
David

--- On Fri, 11/12/10, Jacob Wegelin <jacobwegelin at fastmail.fm> wrote:

> From: Jacob Wegelin <jacobwegelin at fastmail.fm>
> Subject: unable to enter a split transaction
> To: gnucash-user at gnucash.org
> Date: Friday, November 12, 2010, 12:35 PM
> 
> I am running gnucash 2.2.9 which I installed a day or two
> ago on my Macbook Pro.
> 
> I imported a bunch of QIF files that I had exported from
> Quicken. The import seemed to work okay *except* that
> gnucash was unable to read European accents such as ü or
> the í in Guayakí. Any letter with an accent on it was
> deleted. Thus for instance Guayakí turned into Guayak.
> 
> Subsequently I have attempted to enter new transactions in
> gnucash. Single (non-split) transactions I have been able to
> enter part of the time. Part of the time, gnucash freezes up
> or "hangs". In that case, after I type in the Description no
> amount of clicking on the Transfer field permits me to type
> into it.
> 
> But I have repeatedly been unable to enter split
> transactions. The attached screen shots demonstrate this.
> 
> 2010-11-12-1513-gnucashSplitTransaction.png shows what the
> register looked like after I had typed in the split.
> 
> Then I clicked the "enter" button, and the transaction
> simply
> disappeared.
> 
> 2010-11-12-1514-gnucashSplitTransaction.png shows the
> register after
> this happened.
> 
> What am I doing wrong?  How can I enter a split
> transaction?
> 
> Now, an example of gnucash freezing up:
> 
> Subsequently I simply entered the transaction without
> splitting it. The
> first time, the tab "froze up" or hung, as described above;
> I was
> unable to type into the Transfer field. I closed the tab,
> clicked "OK"
> when it asked if I wanted to save the current transaction,
> and then
> reopened the account. Then I was able to enter the
> transaction (without
> splitting it). The following screen shot (see attachment)
> shows the aborted (null, zero)
> transaction followed by the transaction that I was able to
> enter.
> 
> 2010-11-12-1514-gnucashSplitTransaction.png
> 
> Also, is there any way to paste into the fields when
> entering data? I
> woiuld like for instance to copy the name of the merchant
> or the name of
> the product I have purchased, out of some other document,
> and paste it
> into gnucash. But I don't find that "paste" works.
> 
> Thanks for any info.
> 
> Jacob Wegelin
> -----Inline Attachment Follows-----
> 
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