[GNC] Is there an 'easy' way to have a transaction with 'sub-transactions' as it were?

[Chris Green]

On Tue, Sep 08, 2020 at 03:41:54PM +0100, Chris Green wrote:
> On Tue, Sep 08, 2020 at 10:35:28AM -0400, Derek Atkins wrote:
> > Hi,
> > 
> > On Tue, September 8, 2020 10:29 am, Chris Green wrote:
> > > I'm feeling my way with these PCC accounts but I do feel as if GnuCash
> > > will do quite well for me.
> > >
> > > Anyway, next silly question, two of our income streams are
> > > 'Collections in services' and 'Offertory Box'.  These are (currently)
> > > recorded separately in the accounts but get paid into the bank
> > > together.   So, for example, I have for one Sunday in January a
> > > collection of £48.00 and £10.50 in the offertory box which get paid
> > > into the bank on a single paying in slip of £58.50.
> > >
> > > Is there a way of recording the amounts as two income entries but as
> > > only one bank account credit?
> > 
> > Sure.  Create a single split transaction.
> > 
> > Start from your Bank account and create a deposit for the total, 58.50.
> > Then click the Split button to expand it out and then you can enter (in
> > the withdrawal column) the two splits.  One for Income:Collection for 48,
> > and one for Income:Offertory for 10.50.
> > 
> Excellent, exactly what I was after, thanks Derek.
> 
But I don't really see how it helps me much.

I can do the first bit, go to the bank account and enter a deposit of
£58.50, so far so good.

Hit the Split button and what happens is that the single 'new entry'
line I had before splits into three, one yellow and two beige, and
nothing seems to make much sense.  The 58.50 is copied down into the
deposit column of the first beige line, and to the withdrawal column
of the second beige line.

I've sort of filled things in and the totals are correct but I'm no
better off looking in the accounts.  In 'Offertory' for example I just
see the description of the *Bank* transaction and under Transaction it
says 'split'.  If I click the 'Split' button then it expands to five
lines which are sort of correct but waste a lot of space.

Is it really meant to end up like this, needing 5 lines to show what
would fit on three?  I.e.  when you select the transaction and hit the
'Split' button:-

    The 'parent' line as it were, with the 'Bank Account' transaction description
    A line showing the total amount of the deposit to the bank 
    A line showing the collection 
    A line showing the offertory box 
    A blank line for adding further parts

Isn't there a way to display the split other than when it's selected
for editing?

I think I may be misunderstanding quite how this works! :-)

-- 
Chris Green