[GNC] Change account type by editing XML?

[Stephen M. Butler]

On 5/2/20 9:29 AM, Geert Janssens wrote:
>
> Op zaterdag 2 mei 2020 17:58:11 CEST schreef Stephen M. Butler:
>
> > On 5/2/20 2:44 AM, Geert Janssens wrote:
>
> > > Op zaterdag 2 mei 2020 08:23:19 CEST schreef Adrien Monteleone:
>
> > >> Indeed, I clicked Edit on an Asset account and I can only change
> it to:
>
> > >>
>
> > >> Bank
>
> > >> Cash
>
> > >> Asset
>
> > >> Credit Card
>
> > >> Liability
>
> > >>
>
> > >> I get the first three if there is going to be a limitation, but
> allowing
>
> > >> the last 2 and not allowing even another debit balanced account like
>
> > >> Expenses?
>
> > >>
>
> > >> Strange.
>
> > >>
>
> > >> I’m starting to wonder if this is a bug. If not, can someone shed
> light
>
> > >> on
>
> > >> the reasoning for not being able to refactor accounts except
> within their
>
> > >> current parent type?
>
> > >
>
> > > The idea here is that you can't put expense accounts under the an
> Asset
>
> > > parent account. So if you want to change an asset account to become an
>
> > > expense account, you will first have to select a parent account
> that is
>
> > > an expense account. That will then allow you to change the account
> type.
>
> > >
>
> > > I agree the UI can use some more polish to make this a better
> experience.
>
> > > The UI's original idea was to show the valid account types that are
>
> > > available for a given parent account. I think this would be more
> easily
>
> > > understood if the parent account and the accountype widgets would
> switch
>
> > > places. It is more intuitive if a lhs selection (for left to right
>
> > > interfaces) affect what can be selected in a rhs selector. Not the
> other
>
> > > way around.
>
> > >
>
> > > Playing with this a bit more I wonder if other combinations make
> sense or
>
> > > possibly conflict with gnucash' internal assumptions. For example, are
>
> > > there valid use cases to store an income account under an expense
> account
>
> > > or the other way around ?
>
> >
>
> > For a small business I was carrying Cost-of-Goods-Sold (COGS) as an
>
> > expense item.  When my CPA filed the taxes, I noticed that he placed it
>
> > as a deduction to revenue.  So, after a chat with the in-house
>
> > accountant, I moved COGS to be under the Income parent.
>
> >
>
> > Thankfully, the internal representation for amounts still worked
>
> > correctly and the COGS account now showed as a reduction to Income
>
> > without me having to go change the sign on each transaction.
>
> >
>
> Do you mean that when you moved the COGS account under the Income
> parent you also changed the account type to "Income" or did it remain
> an expense ?
>
I changed it to be an Expense type.
>
>  
>
> Note by the way that I have seen it mentioned several times on the
> mailing lists that the Account Hierarchy view does not necessarily
> follow the same ordering as your balance sheet.
>
>  
>
> Regards,
>
>  
>
> Geert
>
-- 
Stephen M Butler, PMP, PSM
Stephen.M.Butler51 at gmail.com
kg7je at arrl.net
253-350-0166
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