[GNC] Orphan-<currency> and Imbalance-<currency> splits created on stock transaction when closing & reopening GnuCash data file

[Chris Grinton]

Good to know that this isn't just me. Using "File > Save As" works as a
workaround for me too - good find!

Chris


On Fri, 7 Oct 2022 at 12:59, john <jralls at ceridwen.us> wrote:

> I can reproduce this with your sample file, and I discovered another
> facet: If one does a File>Save As, either to XML or SQlite3, the new file
> doesn't exhibit the behavior.
> I also found that if I remove the extra splits in the original file they
> don't come back. It's not a last-transaction issue, either: If one creates
> two transactions in a session they'll both get the Orphan and Imbalance
> splits created.
>
> I''l try watching the program load in the debugger next.
>
> Regards,
> John Ralls
>
> On Oct 5, 2022, at 9:33 PM, Chris Grinton <cgrinton at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Good spotting on the share balance difference! I hadn't intended that in
> the screenshots; it was just a side effect of me playing around trying to
> get it to work between the first and 2nd screenshot - I had added some
> other transactions for testing that did adjust the share balance.
>
> Selecting "Edit Exchange Rate" on the CapitalLosses:CurrentYear:Realized
> split in the CapitalLosses:CurrentYear:Realized account register shows an
> error: "The two currencies involved equal each other".
>
> I can reproduce the problem by creating a brand new (empty) GnuCash file
> and then following the steps I described, and using only a single currency
> in that file. So I don't think a multi-currency factor is at play here.
>
> If it helps and I've inspired anybody to dig deeper, I've shared a
> .gnucash file at https://app.box.com/s/xdrru5yr8gjm3r7ovatmsn92jcvme053
> that can be used to reproduce: simply create a new buy or sell transaction
> involving the ACME security in the Assets:ACME Corp account, and new Orphan
> & Imbalance splits will be created in your transaction the next time the
> file is opened.
>
> Chris
>
> On Thu, 6 Oct 2022 at 11:59, john <jralls at ceridwen.us> wrote:
>
>> That looks like a proper cap gains transaction. It's odd that the share
>> balance differs by 250 between the two screenshots: Is there some other
>> transaction that might be affecting things?
>>
>> The next thought is that there might be a non-AUD transaction currency
>> involved. If you open the transaction in the
>> CapitalLosses:CurrentYear:Realized account register, right-click on the
>> split for that account, and select "Edit Exchange Rate" does it open the
>> transfer dialog or pop an error box? If the former, what is the non-AUD
>> currency/commodity it wants to price; if the latter,
>> what's the error?
>>
>> Regards,
>> John Ralls
>>
>> > On Oct 5, 2022, at 7:33 PM, Chris Grinton <cgrinton at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> > Good thought - but the problem still occurs even if the share count and
>> > price are non-0. (The example transaction I've described is a simple
>> > reduction in the cost base of the asset without changing the number of
>> > shares held. But I think that is not directly relevant to the problem
>> and
>> > probably the example I described more complex than it needed to be.)
>> >
>> > Chris
>> >
>> >
>> > On Thu, 6 Oct 2022 at 09:45, R Losey <rlosey at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> >> Perhaps I'm missing something, but if there is a transaction that has a
>> >> cost of 5000, and you have shares with a price of 0, that may be
>> causing it
>> >> to think there is an imbalance, and thus the transactions get added?
>> >>
>> >> On Wed, Oct 5, 2022 at 7:09 AM Chris Grinton <cgrinton at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> Hi GnuCashers,
>> >>>
>> >>> I have a strange situation where a transaction is automagically (and
>> >>> unexpectedly) getting splits added to it against the
>> "Orphan-<currency>"
>> >>> and "Imbalance-<currency>" accounts when my GnuCash data file is
>> closed
>> >>> and
>> >>> reopened. I can't work out why these splits are getting added, and
>> would
>> >>> love any insights that people might have on how to stop it from
>> happening.
>> >>>
>> >>> The unexpected behavior here appears to be somehow related to having
>> >>> trading accounts enabled, and a consequence of changing the namespace
>> of a
>> >>> security.
>> >>>
>> >>> Here are steps I do to reproduce this problem:
>> >>>
>> >>> 1. Create a transaction as follows:
>> >>>        Expenses:Realised capital losses     DR 5000
>> >>>        Assets:Stock account                                         CR
>> >>> 5000 (with shares & price = 0)
>> >>>
>> >>> This appears in GnuCash as per the following screenshot:
>> >>>
>> >>> [image: image.png]
>> >>>
>> >>> No change occurs to this transaction as long as I keep the GnuCash
>> file
>> >>> open.
>> >>>
>> >>> 2. Edit the UNLISTED:ACME security, and change its namespace. For
>> example,
>> >>> change the namespace from "UNLISTED" to "UNLISTED2".
>> >>>
>> >>> 3. Open a different GnuCash file (or close GnuCash), and then open the
>> >>> original file again. The act of opening the file appears to cause the
>> >>> transaction to be updated with additional splits to read as follows:
>> >>>
>> >>>        Expenses:Realised capital losses     DR 5000
>> >>> *        Orphan-AUD                                      DR 5000*
>> >>>        Assets:Stock account                                         CR
>> >>> 5000 (with shares & price = 0)
>> >>> *        Imbalance-AUD
>>   CR
>> >>> 5000*
>> >>>
>> >>> Here's a screenshot showing this:
>> >>> [image: image.png]
>> >>>
>> >>> 4. If I delete the Orphan & Imbalance splits, they continue to
>> reappear
>> >>> every time I reopen the GnuCash file.
>> >>>
>> >>> I have not seen this behavior occurring for securities that have not
>> had a
>> >>> namespace change, but is reliably reproducible for securities that
>> have
>> >>> had
>> >>> a namespace change.
>> >>>
>> >>> I'm using GnuCash 4.8 on Windows with a SQLite data file.
>> >>>
>> >>> Thoughts?
>> >>>
>> >>> Thanks,
>> >>> Chris
>> >>> _______________________________________________
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>> >>
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> _________________________________
>> >> Richard Losey
>> >> rlosey at gmail.com
>> >> Micah 6:8
>> >>
>> > _______________________________________________
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