[GNC] How to reorganize the account tree

Gyle McCollam gmccollam at live.com
Mon Jun 13 15:49:19 EDT 2022 

David,
I used your trick to sort my accounts.  Knowing that I don't need a complete hierarchy of all my accounts, but only those at the same level has made this a lot better,  I have arranged my Assets in order of liquidity: Cash, Checking, Savings, CDs, etc.  I had the account code as the 1st column, but that caused the indented account list to be aligned.  Once I had the accounts numbered/ordered, only the ones I absolutely needed, at each level I moved the account code to the last column, which restored the indented nature of the CoA.  I much prefer looking at it this way.


Thank You,
Gyle McCollam

Gyle McCollam

609.680.2326                     Mobile

gmccollam at live.com<mailto:gmccollam at gyleshomes.com>           email

________________________________
From: gnucash-user <gnucash-user-bounces+gylemc=gmail.com at gnucash.org> on behalf of David T. via gnucash-user <gnucash-user at gnucash.org>
Sent: Monday, June 13, 2022 10:46 AM
To: gnucash-user at gnucash.org <gnucash-user at gnucash.org>
Subject: Re: [GNC] How to reorganize the account tree

I use account codes in my file, and  like it quite a bit. You can add
the Code to the Chart of Accounts (CoA) page and quickly sort on it as
one would with any other displayed column. I'll note that the tree
aspect of the CoA means that the sorting will still be
hierarchical--that is, accounts will only sort in order at the same
level of hierarchy.

You can take advantage of this. A little trick I've used in my (perhaps
exceedingly) deep CoA is to refrain from assigning codes in certain
accounts, such as for individual commodities in investment accounts. I
do this because adding codes to the (often many) individual commodity
accounts quickly bogs down in a portfolio with even just a few
transactions per year. Instead, I use a single dummy code in the
commodities (1), and a blank for the associated Cash account. This
places the cash account at the top of the account listing, where I can
quickly find it; all the other commodities will then sort alphabetically
afterward. I find this kludge workable for my circumstances; your
results may vary.

David T.

On 6/13/2022 10:31 AM, Gyle McCollam wrote:
> Jay,
> As someone suggested, you could assign account codes and sort on them.  I would use at least a four digit number, so you have room to add accounts in between in the future.  I would suggest 1000s for assets, 2000s for liabilities, 3000s for income, and 4000s for expense.  You could use the 100s in each for subaccounts and 10s for subs within that etc.  Using this numbering scheme your accounts would line up more like your balance sheet and income/expense report.  Using this scheme, you could also list the accounts in any order you wish, not necessarily alphabetic. You could also assign orphan and imbalance as 9999 and 9998 to have them at the end, the same as Alan does by sorting on hidden.
>
>
> Thank You,
> Gyle McCollam
>
> Gyle McCollam
>
> 609.680.2326                     Mobile
>
> gmccollam at live.com<mailto:gmccollam at gyleshomes.com>           email
>
> ________________________________
> From: jaypj at comcast.net <jaypj at comcast.net>
> Sent: Monday, June 13, 2022 9:42 AM
> To: 'Gyle McCollam' <gmccollam at live.com>
> Subject: RE: [GNC] How to reorganize the account tree
>
> I am now sorting on the account and it seems to be working well.  I just
> wish that there was a way to move the accounts around in the list a little
> more easily. Thank you for your help
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: gnucash-user <gnucash-user-bounces+jaypj=comcast.net at gnucash.org> On
> Behalf Of Gyle McCollam
> Sent: Sunday, June 12, 2022 12:07 PM
> To: Alan A Holmes <gnucash at alanaholmes.me.uk>; gnucash-user at gnucash.org
> Subject: Re: [GNC] How to reorganize the account tree
>
> Alan,
> It sorts correctly in my GnuCash as well.  Are you sure it is sorting on the
> account column, it the only explanation I can think of?  Can't tell that
> from the narrow view in the attachment. I understand why the narrow view as
> you don't want to display the full account names.
>
>
> Thank You,
> Gyle McCollam
>
> Gyle McCollam
>
> 609.680.2326                     Mobile
>
> gmccollam at live.com<mailto:gmccollam at gyleshomes.com>           email
>
> ________________________________
> From: gnucash-user <gnucash-user-bounces+gylemc=gmail.com at gnucash.org> on
> behalf of Alan A Holmes <gnucash at alanaholmes.me.uk>
> Sent: Sunday, June 12, 2022 11:52 AM
> To: stepbystepfarm at comcast.net <stepbystepfarm at comcast.net>;
> gnucash-user at gnucash.org <gnucash-user at gnucash.org>
> Subject: Re: [GNC] How to reorganize the account tree
>
> I wasn't complaining, it was just a comment.
>
> But see the attachment, where "G" and "P" both come before "C". And there
> are no leading spaces or non-printable characters.
>
>
> Alan A Holmes
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: gnucash-user
> <gnucash-user-bounces+gnucash=alanaholmes.me.uk at gnucash.org> On Behalf Of
> Michael or Penny Novack
> Sent: 12 June 2022 14:52
> To: gnucash-user at gnucash.org
> Subject: Re: [GNC] How to reorganize the account tree
>
>
>
>> What I do notice sorting this way is that within the top level
>> accounts (Assets, Expenses, Income, etc.) that the 2nd and subsequent
>> level Accounts under Assets AREN'T sorted alphabetically, while those
>> under Expenses and Income ARE. I have insufficient sub-accounts under
>> Equity and Liabilities to be able to say.
> WHAT are you saying, exactly?
>
> The CoA is a TREE structure. The accounts at the same level of the tree
> should be sorted in alpha-meric order. The sibling accounts (children of the
> same parent account) should also be sorted that way AMONG THEMSELVES (but
> not sorted that way with respect to children of different parents)
>
> You aren't seeing the ultimate top level parent (aka "root") but "top level"
> accounts like "asset", "liability", "equity", "income", "expense",
> "Imbalance" are its children and so appear in sorted order.
> In other words, they are siblings at the highest level.
>
> Michael D Novack
>
>
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