Split transactions are killing me

[David T.]

Will--

I agree that the distinction between Tab and Enter is a little... confusing, and have questioned the distinction in the past. There are places in the Help Guide and the Tutorial where the distinction is hinted at, but I don't know whether it is explicitly brought up anywhere. I think it would be best to put something into chapter 6 of the Help document...

You might have a look at the Tutorial and concepts guide, chapter 4 (http://www.gnucash.org/docs/v2.4/C/gnucash-guide/chapter_txns.html). It goes into some detail about entering transactions in the GnuCash environment, and provides some detailed walk-throughs on simple and complex transactions.

As for the Left Column/Right Column confusion: while I have used GnuCash for a long time, I am by no means an expert in either the software or accounting (a fact that many on the lists would confirm). The Left/Right column-ness actually depends (as I understand it) on the kind of account you are in; I note also that the labels change as well depending on the account type. I am not an accountant, but I am assured by those that are that the variations in terminology and placement follow a logic, which I am sure someone will now provide. Since I am not an accountant, I simply muck around with the transaction until it does what I need it to do. 


David



________________________________
 From: Will <Will.stewart1a at gmail.com>
To: gnucash-user at gnucash.org 
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2013 2:45 PM
Subject: Re: Split transactions are killing me
 
Ok, Liz seems to have nailed the correct procedure.

Hitting TAB to move to new lines and/or fields, on top of putting the
individual charges in the payment field (?) ended up as follows;

<http://gnucash.1415818.n4.nabble.com/file/n4659295/Screenshot_update.png> 

I suppose this is right, though the Payment concept is an odd one that
doesn't make much sense.

> Will, have faith, you will get this and once you do (stop doing whatever
> you are now doing wrong) you will wonder how you once managed to have so
> much trouble with simple (one sided) splits.

It's easy to see why an odd approach requiring TABs only and calling
purchases "payments" that does not have documentation that explains it with
/any/ degree of sufficiency can end up with a number of first time users
left in the dark. So no, I don't wonder...

>> In the example you're giving, I am assuming you're using your credit
>> card to pay for stuff at Costco. Therefore, the $1000 would go in the
>> left column, and your expense entries would go in the right one. Then
>> everything will balance out.

> It's the other way around. The expenses go in the left-hand column
> and the credit card charge in the right-hand column.

I find it quite telling  that even experienced users are confused on this
matter.




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