[GNC] Recent changes regarding transactions

[Adrien Monteleone]

First,

Top/Bottom isn't really a consideration, except that GnuCash auto-sorts 
Debits & Credits with Debits first. (or 'on top')

The split in question being properly a Debit or Credit as desired is all 
that really matters.

If you are paying someone out of your checking account, and while 
viewing the Checking Account Register, that split is showing first, with 
the amount in the left column, your transaction is backwards. Your 
opposite description of receiving funds implies to me that indeed, your 
transactions are backwards. (perhaps all of them are! - if that is true, 
do not panic, this is relatively easy to fix...)

The left column is Debit, and is an indication of money flowing into or 
being added to an asset, in this case, your checking account.

When money flows out of said account, the amount should appear in the 
right column. (Credit)

The same is true of Expense type accounts.

The reverse is true for Income, Liability & Equity accounts. (Debits are 
outflows—decrease, Credits are inflows—increase)

*Note, this terminology is backwards from that of your bank or financial 
institution. That is because from their perspective, your account is a 
Liability for them, thus increasing it is a Credit, but in your books, 
it is a Debit. (because to you, it is an asset)

-----

Autofill works off the last matching transaction. (as far as I can tell)

There are various ways to avoid it:

1. Duplicate an older transaction and then edit the result.

2. Cancel the auto-complete

3. As commented elsewhere, enter a Note first (turn on View > 
Double-line mode) then enter a Description which will thus not 
auto-fill. (though I'll suspect if your Note just happens to match a 
previous transaction, this might not work. I haven't tested this case 
personally.)

4. Allow the auto-fill, then tab through to the split that is 
'backwards' and entering the proper amount for this transaction as a 
negative in that column, which will automatically move it to the other 
column as a positive, or just delete the amount in the wrong column, tab 
to the correct one, and enter the proper amount there.

5. Use a 'more unique' Description for debit situations and another for 
credit situations.

Once you've successfully recorded a transaction with the proper 
debit/credit order you like, that pattern will continue, until of 
course, you need it reversed again. There's no way for GnuCash to guess 
which one you want.

Regards,
Adrien

On 2/7/26 11:59 AM, Phyllis Bruce wrote:
> I know we've been through this before about ALL transactions (now, just
> most recent) showing in the auto fill list.  That was bad enough.  Now I am
> constantly having to watch which account is presented on top!  For
> instance, if I post a new transaction to someone I recently PAID, my
> checking account is on top, indicating a withdrawal.  That is where it
> should be when I'm in my checking account.
> However, if that same entity sent ME money  (income item in my checking
> account), the checking account is on the bottom!
> 
> This is such a time waster!  Am I totally in left field?