[GNC] Reconcile also opens Interest Payment box?

[Tommy Trussell]

On Sun, Jul 12, 2020 at 11:41 AM John Ralls <jralls at ceridwen.us> wrote:

> Frank and I have both opined on
> https://bugs.gnucash.org/show_bug.cgi?id=797854 that the whole interest
> payment as part of reconciling is stupid. I want to add to that opinion
> that so is the payment transfer that optionally pops up when one finishes
> reconciling a credit card account. It's a lot of program complexity that
> relieves the user of very little work indeed: Those interest and payment
> transactions can just as easily--maybe more easily--be created in the
> register before and after reconciling, and in the case of interest they're
> an obvious candidate for a scheduled transaction.
>
> But that's a UI change and UI changes tend to generate heated
> disagreement. I want to get that out of the way up front: Who here objects
> to removing the interest and payment transfer automatic popups and the
> interest payment button on the reconcile info dialog, and what compelling
> reason do you have for objecting?
>

I have thought about the interest dialog for years -- for the few accounts
I have that pay me or I pay interest, it seems to me it was obviously
designed to save typing in two ways:

1) When you use the Interest dialog AND the relevant transactions (if any)
have cleared the account before the statement closing date, then the
reconciliation dialog can accurately suggest the correct closing statement
amount. So you might not have to type the digits, which depending on the
account balance could save, maybe, three to twelve keystrokes each month?
;-)

2) During the reconcile workflow, it's slightly faster to key in and
autocomplete the interest and the transfer accounts using the interest
dialog -- IF you know that it follows similar autocompletion rules as the
register. Because it can autocomplete the transfer account for your
interest, it can save a tiny amount of brainwork and typing. (I make it
easy by typing "int" for everything.) The autocomplete part is not
immediately obvious until after the SECOND time you use it.

ALL THAT SAID, I would only miss the Interest dialog a tiny amount if it
went away. Most "regular" bank accounts I have don't pay much or any
interest at the moment, and haven't for a few years. And I try to never
carry over a credit card balance.



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