accts_examples1.html "clean GnuCash file" means what?

[David T.]

Jake--

Take a look at http://code.gnucash.org/docs/help/acct-hierarchy.html

For some reason, you're looking at docs for 1.8, and you want the more current ones. That page points out that File->New File will get you a "Clean" file, and the opening set of account dialogs.

Gnucash automatically tries to open the last file you had open, so that is why you keep getting the old one.

You generally won't want to create another Assets account if there's one there already.

HTH,
David


--- On Sat, 11/27/10, Jacob Wegelin <jacobwegelin at fastmail.fm> wrote:

> From: Jacob Wegelin <jacobwegelin at fastmail.fm>
> Subject: accts_examples1.html "clean GnuCash file" means what?
> To: gnucash-user at gnucash.org
> Date: Saturday, November 27, 2010, 5:47 PM
> 
> The manual at http://www.gnucash.org/docs/v1.8/C/gnucash-guide/accts_examples1.html
> says:
> "Start with a clean GnuCash file (do not select any
> predefined accounts)
> and build this basic starting account structure (File ->
> New
> Account...)."
> 
> If I have already been messing with GnuCash (as instructed
> in
> http://www.gnucash.org/docs/v1.8/C/gnucash-guide/basics_together1.html)
> and therefore have saved a file, how do I start with a
> clean GnuCash
> file?
> 
> If I continue with the stuff from
> http://www.gnucash.org/docs/v1.8/C/gnucash-guide/basics_together1.html,
> and then do "File -> New Account..." and then "Account
> name Assets
> (account type Assets, parent account New top level
> account)", I get two
> things called Assets or Asset: the one from the previous
> page and this
> new one. Is this what we are supposed to do? The two things
> (accounts?)
> with identical names are confusing.
> 
> In an attempt to "start clean", I closed GnuCash and
> reopened. But then
> it automatically opened the previous file. So in a second
> attempt to
> "start clean" I moved all the previous GnuCash files and
> backup and log
> files to a different directory on my hard drive. But then
> when I opened
> GnuCash, there was no way to do "File -> New
> Account...".
> 
> This is shown in the attached screen shot.
> 
> What exactly should one do to follow the instructions in
> accts_examples1.html?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Jake Wegelin