Account Codes

Colin Scott gnucash at double-bars.net
Wed Apr 11 16:46:00 EDT 2012


> Perhaps there should be an option for a warning and confirmation
> requirement before changing the account tree. It should remind the 
> user that reports may change and the implication of an audit trail
> may be broken.

I think my view on this is that a user who needs reminding of these things probably shouldn't be let loose behind the controls of an accounting system - certainl not one as sophisticated as GnuCash.  

Colin

-------- Original Message --------

*Subject:* Re: Account Codes
*From:* David Carlson <carlson.dl at sbcglobal.net>
*To:* gnucash-user at gnucash.org
*Date:* Wed, 11 Apr 2012 09:21:57 -0500

On 4/11/2012 7:35 AM, Colin Scott wrote:
> As I understand it, in GnuCash the unique account identifier supplied by the system is the fully qualified account name (eg: INCOME:sales:widgets).  Gnucash also makes available an "account code" which the user is free to use or not as he wishes.  The account code can be used as a shorthand to substitute for either entering the fully qualified account name or for selecting it from a list.
>
> I'm not quite sure what the problem might be with this system unless you would like GnuCash to insist that the account code is always unique.  If you want that then I suggest that you propose it as a configurable option ('cos lots of people *won't* want it! :-)  through the proper channels ...
>
> Colin
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There is one caveat in the use of the fully qualified account name vs
individual account identifier which is the same as as the more general
notion of absolute vs relative addressing.  That is that users are
allowed to edit the account tree by moving an account to a different
'parent' account.  That is not a problem if internal code handles it not
only for the obvious requirements to display transactions in the correct
account on the screen and in reports, but to also keep such secondary
operations as imports and exports operating correctly.

Perhaps there should be an option for a warning and confirmation
requirement before changing the account tree. It should remind the user
that reports may change and the implication of an audit trail may be broken.

David Carlson

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