[GNC] Splitting a Transaction (Newbie Question)

[p.f.cuthbert@btinternet.com p.f.cuthbert@btinternet.com]

Hi

Having today transferred all my data from Quicken to GNUCash I am just 
trying to understand how it works.  Entering single data items is easy, 
but the difficulty I have hit is with payments that require multiple 
debits (ie. a split payment)  The User Guides that I found today uses an 
income example that I did not find at all helpful despite several 
readings.

So let us have an example:

Payment by bank card (credit entry to Bank Account) of £7.24 comprising 
a book (debit £5.25 to Entertainment) and some milk (debit £1.99 to 
Groceries).

The process in Quicken would be credit bank £7.24, then for the 
'Category' choose Split and fill in the details tabbing down to the next 
line and choosing catergory and amount until the balance unallocated 
drops to zero.  Finally save transaction by pressing Return.

The process in GNUCash seems to start the same.  Credit bank £7.24, then 
choose Split.  The yellow analysis lines come up, but for me the debit 
(Deposit) column comes up £16.74, which is the last Groceries posting. 
This is because I put the store name in as the descriptor for the 
transaction but the last one was not split. I put in the correct account 
Entertainment and then delete the £16.74 and enter £5.25. Next I tab 
down to the next line.  I enter some description like Milk, then select 
the Account Groceries, tab to the next column and enter £1.99.  At this 
point the total Credit of £7.24 is still in place.

At this point things look good.  So what does one do next? Press Return 
seems like a safe bet.  However it is far from it.  All that happens is 
that the whole transaction disappears.  The alternative, using another 
Tab is almost as bad.  The £1.99 debit in Groceries is now replaced by a 
£5.25 credit and the £7.24 credit from the bank has disappeared.  Ok, it 
makes the books appear to balance since double entry is maintained but 
the whole process seem astonishingly random.

If any kind reader can advise on the correct way yo handle this simple 
task I would be most grateful as I do simple domestic accounting but 
have lots of split debit analysis.

Regards

Pete


Dr Peter Cuthbert
Creuddyn
Coedlan Y Plas

Llangawsai
Aberystwyth
Ceredigion
SY23 1HJ
01970 623 447