[GNC] Unexpected change in reconcile status

[doncram]

In Quickbooks Desktop 2017 by the way, you absolutely can go back and
change a reconciled transaction's memo info and categorization and date and
so on, as long as you do not change the dollar amount.
If you do try to change a dollar amount, you get the following
(appropriate) message:
    *Quickbooks will allow you to do this, but it's not a good idea*
    Here's why:
         Quickbooks thinks this transaction has been reconciled.  If you
change this transaction now, when you reconcile your next statement your
opening balance will not match your bank statement any more.
    Do you want to save your changes?
         *if you changed your amount by accident*, click No
         *if you meant to change this amount*, click Yes
         *if you're changing this transaction to fix a problem,* we've got
some information and solutions which can help you. Click HERE for some more
help.

and that HERE leads to an online Quickbooks support webpage... but for me
it basically says that I need to update my Quickbooks subscription, that
service has been cut off for the Quickbooks edition I have.   I do think
some good advice should be provided somewhere, and linked to like above,
for persons having their reconciled totals out of whack.  Also, if you try
to delete a reconciled transaction, you get briefer question "Are you sure
you want to delete this reconciled transaction?".

So anyhow, an assertion that commercial packages "don't allow you to change
a completed transaction - you must do a correcting entry to change a
completed transaction" is not true for Quickbooks at least, which does
allow some editing.

I see Chris Lam said that for GnuCash "In latest releases, reconcile-status
is reset only when editing split's
account & amount IIRC." which sounds like the right behavior.  I do hope
GnuCash gives dramatic messages like the example above.

--Don

On Tue, Sep 1, 2020 at 11:50 PM Christopher Lam <christopher.lck at gmail.com>
wrote:

> The reconcile-status being reset when editing past transactions'
> description/notes/memo was a change that was later reverted, although I
> cannot find the exact release.
>
> In latest releases, reconcile-status is reset only when editing split's
> account & amount IIRC.
>
> On Wed, 2 Sep 2020 at 05:45, John Angelico <jatalldad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Michael and Janet,
> >
> > I would consider this to be a logical consequence of editing a
> transaction
> > (and potentially changing the amount).
> >
> > In commercial packages like Quicken/Reckon, MYOB, Xero et al, the same
> > applies. Other packages don't allow you to change a completed
> transaction -
> > you must do a correcting entry to fix some error.
> >
> > As long as you are aware of the behaviour, you can re-reconcile the
> > transaction once you have finished editing.
> >
> > It's mainly a surprise later, when we forget to do that, at the time.
> >
> > Regards,
> > John Angelico
> > Melbourne Aust
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