accts_examples1.html "clean GnuCash file" means what?

[Jacob Wegelin]

David,

Thank you. What is the url for the Concepts guide? I mean the document that I can read (and work) through to get a good foundation in GnuCash.

Jake

On Fri, 12 Nov 2010, David T. wrote:
<snip>
> 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.

On Sat, 27 Nov 2010, David T. wrote:

> 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
>
>
>
>