[GNC] How to Disable AutoComplete?

Wed Nov 26 12:00:52 EST 2025

I also was not aware of this, and I may adjust what I've been doing.

Thank you!

On Wed, Nov 26, 2025 at 1:31 AM Tom Route36 <tom.route36 at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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
> >
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-- 
_________________________________
Richard Losey
rlosey at gmail.com
Micah 6:8