Trial Balance

[Mike or Penny Novack]

On 12/22/2016 11:38 AM, Michael via gnucash-user wrote:
> Thanks Dave for the reply.  It seems to be something with my data.  OK 
> on 2.6.14 but not 2.6.15.  I tried a simple new test account on 2.6.15 
> and trial balance is as expected.  With my real account data, two 
> columns of numbers are there, but only one sum. I must have something 
> in one column that prevents a sum. Thanks again. Mike

I must admit to being slightly curious. What are people using the "Trial 
Balance" FOR?

Having learned bookkeeping back in the old days of pen and ink on paper, 
I know what I used the trial balance for. Since manually "posting" the 
entries from the "journal" to the "ledger" quite possible to have 
transcribed an number incorrectly, so the ledger COULD be out of balance 
(this a common type of error), so it was then "find the error" (has to 
be between now and the previous Trial Balance).

But "autoposting" software like gnucash will not make this sort of error 
<< any unposted portion of a transaction will be in Imbalance, for 
example --- so simply check that Imbalance and Orphan have zero balance. 
 >> Anyway, a package like gnucash sort of works in reverse with the 
transactions being entered directly into the ledger and the Journal 
being virtual << you can run a report that would be the journal >>

So when are people using gnucash running a Trial Balance and what is 
being done with it?

Michael D Novack