[GNC] How to Disable AutoComplete?

[Tom Route36]

Hi Sherlock,

Thank you so very much for that advice.  It absolutely does work. And 
it's such an easy uncomplicated fix.  Just tab to Notes, type in 
anything, and tab back to Description.  AutoComplete still works for 
filling in the Description field; but it no longer fills in the most 
recent transaction.  Problem solved ... at least for my immediate 
needs.  I still think the initial issue should be considered a bug. But 
for me now it's just a minor annoyance with a good simple workaround.  
Once again, thank you for figuring this out.

Tom


On 11/25/2025 11:34 PM, Sherlock wrote:
> Hi Tom,
>
> A way to prevent GnuCash from using the most recent transaction with 
> the same Description as the template for the new transaction is to 
> enter the Notes field before the Description field.
>
> Regards,
>
> Sherlock
>
>
> On 11/25/25 5:12 PM, Sherlock wrote:
>> Hi Tom,
>>
>> Sorry.  I misread your query.  You said you wanted to disable the 
>> autocomplete but you actually want to disable the use of the most 
>> recent transaction with the same Description as the template for the 
>> new transaction.
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Sherlock
>>
>>
>> On 11/25/25 3:52 PM, Tom Route36 wrote:
>>> Hi Sherlock,
>>>
>>> Thanks for the advice as to pressing Esc or selecting Don't 
>>> AutoComplete before hitting Tab.  That's pretty much what everyone 
>>> has been suggesting here.  It's also what I've been trying all along 
>>> to get around this issue.  Unfortunately, that method isn't 
>>> working.  If I type in anything for the Description that GnuCash has 
>>> seen previously, that earlier entry will appear in the drop-down 
>>> list.  And whether I hit Esc at that point, or select Don't 
>>> AutoComplete from the top of the list, it doesn't seem to matter. 
>>> Once I try to continue the entry by hitting the Tab key, GnuCash 
>>> still insists on AutoCompleting the entry with the most recent 
>>> transaction it finds for whatever I typed into the Description field.
>>>
>>> The way that GnuCash is behaving here seems like something I'd call 
>>> a bug; since it certainly seems like hitting Esc should stop the 
>>> AutoCompletion.  But that's not happening.
>>>
>>> For David who asked about the GnuCash release and OS version, I'm 
>>> running Windows 11 Home Version 24H2 OS Build 26100.6584. And I've 
>>> confirmed this problem with the two latest stable versions of 
>>> GnuCash: with both v5.12 Build ID: 5.12+(2025-06-28) and with v5.13 
>>> Build ID: 5.13+(2025-09-27).
>>>
>>> I have come up with a fairly reliable workaround for this problem; 
>>> although I have to say it's not something I really like.  My 
>>> workaround is to leave the Description field completely BLANK.  And 
>>> I just go ahead and enter all the amounts and details in the 
>>> Splits.  Once all those details are entered, I go and save the 
>>> Transaction -- yes, with a BLANK Description field.  After saving 
>>> the Transaction that way, then I go back and edit the Transaction to 
>>> type in whatever the Description field should actually be.  And 
>>> since I'm only editing an existing Transaction, GnuCash is happy to 
>>> leave things alone and no longer try to AutoComplete anything.  This 
>>> solution of mine does work; but as noted above, it's not something 
>>> that I really like.  I think the proper solution would be for 
>>> GnuCash to recognize the Esc key up front as a flag to stop doing 
>>> the AutoCompletion.  Or, even better, have a Preference setting in 
>>> GnuCash to let the user decide whether or not they want to enable 
>>> AutoCompletion.
>>>
>>> Anyway, that's where things stand right now for me.  If you need any 
>>> additional details, or would like me to try some other solution for 
>>> this issue, just let me know.
>>>
>>> Tom
>>>
>>>
>>> On 11/25/2025 11:56 AM, Sherlock wrote:
>>>> Hi Tom,
>>>>
>>>> There is no preference setting to disable autocomplete.   If you 
>>>> don't want GnuCash to match the earlier transaction, press the Esc 
>>>> key (or select Don't Autocomplete in the pull-down menu) before you 
>>>> hit the Tab key.
>>>>
>>>> Regards,
>>>>
>>>> Sherlock
>>>>
>>>> On 11/25/25 1:22 AM, Tom Route36 wrote:
>>>>> Hi.  I'm still learning my way around GnuCash; so forgive this 
>>>>> beginner question.  When I go to enter a new transaction into a 
>>>>> register and what I am entering into the Description field matches 
>>>>> an earlier transaction, GnuCash will automatically fill in the 
>>>>> amount and the split details exactly as it was recorded previously 
>>>>> for that earlier transaction.
>>>>>
>>>>> For example, let's say my earlier transaction had the Description 
>>>>> "Walmart - Sacramento" with a Tot Charge amount of $154.26, and 
>>>>> the Split consisted of 9 entries. If a couple weeks later I go to 
>>>>> enter a new transaction with the same Description ("Walmart - 
>>>>> Sacramento") and I hit the Tab key to type in whatever new Tot 
>>>>> Charge amount I want to record, what happens is that GnuCash will 
>>>>> automatically fill- in that same earlier $154.26 amount before I 
>>>>> have any chance to enter my new Tot Charge amount.  Worse yet, it 
>>>>> fills in the 9 Split entries for the new transaction to match that 
>>>>> earlier transaction as well.
>>>>>
>>>>> Not only is this annoying; but GnuCash gets bogged down and slows 
>>>>> my system down while it tries to recall the Split details of that 
>>>>> earlier transaction.  Is there a preference setting somewhere to 
>>>>> stop GnuCash from trying to AutoComplete my new transactions with 
>>>>> the details of my earlier transactions?
>>>>>
>>>>> Tom
>
> _______________________________________________
> gnucash-user mailing list
> gnucash-user at gnucash.org
> To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe:
> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user
> -----
> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.