[GNC] Problem with missing balance in a parent account FINAL POST

Tue Oct 11 10:11:36 EDT 2022

Reconcile appears in the menu, but it will not open a reconciliation of the subordinates, and (presumably) the placeholder account itself is empty.  You can expand the subordinates, but will not be able to reconcile the expansion.

What you are attempting to do is understandable, but difficult from a data modelling standpoint.  The constituent parts of a data structure have semantics.  In your particular case: that of a checking account.  But you are attempting to superimpose a breakdown of its contents that represent different semantics.  These semantics clash somewhat with the semantics of 'checking account' and the related function of reconciliation required with a bank statement.  So, while what you are attempting to accomplish is understandable, the collision of semantics is difficult to harmonize.

There was recent mention of envelope budgeting here. Trying to implement an envelope budgeting scheme by using sub-accounts to a single checking account might be doable, but it would be a kluge insofar as it would complicate reconciliation and wouldn't represent a generally suitable envelope budget feature.  An envelope budgeting feature would necessarily span multiple financial accounts, potentially across multiple institutions, and require an entirely different view to be superimposed on the simple tree structure accounts in GnuCash represent.  The tree structure is GnuCash is tremendously flexible, but doesn't provide for multiple views.

-----Original Message-----
From: gnucash-user <gnucash-user-bounces+john.layman=ieee.org at gnucash.org> On Behalf Of Robin Chattopadhyay
Sent: Monday, October 10, 2022 5:05 PM
To: Gnucash Users <gnucash-user at gnucash.org>
Subject: Re: [GNC] Problem with missing balance in a parent account **FINAL POST**

At the risk of sounding defensive (I assure you I'm not, just confused) what is wrong with what I suggested (using the right-click/context menu on the placeholder account)? In the screen shot attached, you can see that the account I've selected is marked as placeholder and I can select the Reconcile option from that account.

I'm using 4.12 on Ubuntu 22.04.

Robin

On Mon, Oct 10, 2022 at 8:21 AM john <jralls at ceridwen.us> wrote:

> Please remember to copy the list on all replies.
>
> If you want the Reconcile button (and, contrary to what Robin 
> Chatterjay wrote, Actions>Reconcile) to be active for your account, 
> make it not a placeholder.
>
> Regards,
> John Ralls
>
>
> > On Oct 10, 2022, at 7:56 AM, Jay Ridgley <jridgley2 at austin.rr.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > Good morning,
> >
> > After some additional research I believe that the ONLY problem is 
> > the
> grayed out reconcile button.
> >
> > I was confused about the balance showing in the Parent Account,
> Placeholder. It shows in the Reconcile Popup window.
> >
> > The ACTUAL trouble is the grayed out Reconcile Button, that first
> appeared for me in Ubuntu 22.04 LTS after the upgrade.
> >
> > Since I have found the workaround below, it is a matter of
> inconvenience. However it would be preferable to have it as it was in 
> earlier releases (not grayed out).
> >
> > Regards
> > Jay
> >
> > On 10/9/22 15:49, Jay Ridgley wrote:
> >> Good afternoon,
> >> Up until Ubuntu 22.04 The reconcile button was NOT grayed out for 
> >> the
> type of account I am using (Parent account  and Placeholder). I am 
> including an example of my account structure here:
> >> Banking Account (Parent Account, Placeholder)
> >>     Checkbook  (sub-account)(contains all checkbook transactions)
> >>     Reserve (sub-account) (contains minimum account balance)
> >>     Separate Purpose (sub account) (rental income & expenses)
> >>     Checkbook Blind (sub-account) (amount held as a pad) All 
> >> transactions take place in the sub-accounts. For me it has worked
> successfully since I began using GnuCash (over 25 years ago).
> >> I was advised of a workaround that allows me to continue using this
> arrangement until it can be fixed/changed to act as it did previously.
> >> It is as follows:
> >> Open Parent account
> >> right click and choose reconcile from the drop down Works just 
> >> fine.
> >> Would not be necessary if the Reconcile button was not grayed out.
> >> My question boils down too: Is this change a bug or a "feature" and 
> >> can
> it be put back the way it was?
> >> Please advise how I should proceed.
> >> Thanks,
> >> Jay
> >> On 10/8/22 07:50, David T. wrote:
> >>> That account register doesn't have any transactions in it, so it 
> >>> won't
> have any value either. Is it possible that in the past, you used a 
> report to see the parent account balances, or even the Chart of Accounts?
> >>>
> >>> And if the account in the screen shot is a placeholder account, 
> >>> then
> you a) wouldn't be able to open the account by double clicking, b) be 
> told on selecting Open that it was read only, and c) once opened, the 
> entire register would be greyed out. The screen shot seems to show a 
> normal account. It also shows a similarly-named tab next to the active tab.
> >>>
> >>> David T.
> >>> On Oct 8, 2022, at 1:51 PM, Jay Ridgley <jridgley2 at austin.rr.com
> <mailto:jridgley2 at austin.rr.com>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>     On 10/7/22 16:38, john wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>             On Oct 7, 2022, at 12:43 PM, Jay Ridgley
> >>>             <jridgley2 at austin.rr.com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>             Good Morning,
> >>>
> >>>             BRAND NEW to the list, have been using GnuCash on my Ubuntu
> >>>             system for over 20 years, this is the first problem I have
> >>>             encountered that I have not been able to resolve.
> >>>
> >>>             I discovered that the balance amount that should 
> >>> appear in
> a
> >>>             the parent account for my bank is missing. Therefore I am
> >>>             unable to do this month's reconcile.
> >>>
> >>>             The account was proper last month, and I was able to
> balance
> >>>             my checkbook successfully. In the meantime I upgraded to
> >>>             Ubuntu 22.04 LTS from 20.04 LTS every thing seems to
> running
> >>>             properly, otherwise, including GnuCash.
> >>>
> >>>             Today when I tried to reconcile my bank account I
> discovered
> >>>             the amount of the balance is missing and the reconcile
> >>>             button is grayed out(naturally since nothing shows).
> >>>
> >>>             All the sub accounts point to the parent account and when I
> >>>             list my accounts the balance appears there and is correct.
> >>>
> >>>             What happened and how can I get it back?
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>         Can you attach (don't inline!) a screenshot of the problem?
> It's
> >>>         not clear from your description what balance is missing 
> >>> and
> what
> >>>         button is disabled.
> >>>
> >>>         Regards,
> >>>         John Ralls
> >>>
> >>>     John,
> >>>
> >>>        Sorry it took so long...
> >>>     The account shown is the parent and the Balance should NOT be
> blank, but
> >>>     the sum of 4  account balances.
> >>>
> >>>     Thanks,
> >>>     Jay
> >>>
> >
> > --
> > Jay Ridgley
> > jridgley2 at austin.rr.com
> > Registered Linux User ID - 9115
> > https://linuxcounter.net/cert/9115.png
> > Registered Ubuntu User ID - 23320
> >
>
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