"Hidden" option in the accounts edit window DANGEROUS -- don't use it

[Ken Heard]

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On 2017-02-18 13:54, David T. wrote:
> 
>> On Feb 18, 2017, at 11:18 AM, Ken Heard <kenslists at teksavvy.com>
>> wrote:
>> 
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>> 
>> In my accounts list I have a few accounts which I no longer use
>> but still have entries in them.  I thought that I could use the
>> "hidden" option and so ease use of the accounts tree.
>> 
>> I discovered to my chagrin that there is no way to "unhide" any 
>> account that has been hidden.  While those accounts are forever
>> gone from view they still exist.  Their balances are still used
>> in adding up the totals for placeholder accounts, so that
>> placeholder account balances will no longer be the total of the
>> balances in accounts on view in the placeholder tree.

> Ken,
> 
> I also tend not to hide accounts that have balances in them, for
> the reason you note regarding balances. What sorts of accounts are
> you hiding, and why?
> 
> David
> 
One example are obsolete or rarely used expense accounts going back
years in some cases which cannot be deleted because there are entries
still in them.  For previous years these entries are there because
GnuCash does not have an annual transfer of balances in revenue and
expense accounts to a profit and loss account.  If it did these
accounts could be safely deleted.

Admittedly for year end reports the transactions making up the
balances transactions for other years are filtered out; so it does not
really matter that these old accounts still exist.  They do however
serve in my case a historical purpose.

Regards, Ken

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