[GNC] How to find ALL Transactions in ALL Accounts for a Single Specific Date?

[David T.]

Indeed it is. That's one convoluted description, accurate as it may be. I'm not sure I'd know what was being explained without the current discussion!


On January 13, 2026 2:18:25 PM GMT+05:30, Sherlock <sh025622 at gmail.com> wrote:
>Hi David,
>
>The behavior is documented in the GnuCash Manual: https://www.gnucash.org/docs/v5//C/gnucash-manual/tool-find.html#tool-find-txn
>
>Regards,
>
>Sherlock
>
>
>On 1/12/26 11:07 PM, David T. via gnucash-user wrote:
>> Huh. I never knew that the search function in a register was limited to transactions in the current view filter, but a couple quick tests confirm that.
>> 
>> That's not what I would have expected. I would expect that if I performed a search of an account, the search would include everything in that account, and not just transactions that were visible at the time of the search. I mean, the point of search is to *find* things. What purpose would be served by *not* including other transactions?
>> 
>> Further, how does search function when: a) the user starts a search in the Accounts pane, and b) the user has saved a particular view filter for a given account? Are the results limited by that account's saved filter? If not, then why not, given the limits within an account window?
>> 
>> Finally, this doesn't match up with search behavior with regard to hidden or placeholder accounts; a general search from the Accounts pane will return transactions in these accounts (indeed, it is possible to modify read only transactions without warning from a search results window). Why would search function on one set of hidden transactions, but not another?
>> 
>> Ultimately, my questions are:
>> 
>> * Is this an intentional behavior?
>> * Is there a reason for this behavior?
>> * Is this behavior actually documented for users?
>> * And is this behavior what an average user would (or should) expect?
>> 
>> David T.
>> 
>> On 1/13/2026 7:28 AM, Derek Atkins wrote:
>>> No, the General Journal will show imported transactions.
>>> However, the GJ starts with a time limit -- it only shows transactions in
>>> the last 30 days (by default).  You can, of course, change that via the
>>> View menu.
>>> So if your imported transactions were prior to the start date of the GJ,
>>> they wouldn't show up in your search.
>>> 
>>> -derek
>>> 
>>> On Mon, January 12, 2026 8:39 pm, Tom Route36 wrote:
>>>> Patrick (and Kirk),
>>>> 
>>>> I think I solved the mystery about why I wasn't able to get Find working
>>>> in the General Journal.  It turns out that Find actually IS working
>>>> okay.  The problem is that the transactions that I was looking for were
>>>> never in the General Journal in the first place.
>>>> 
>>>> As I mentioned earlier I'm still a newbie with GnuCash.  And I've only
>>>> started ENTERING transactions into GnuCash within the last couple
>>>> months.  All my transactions prior to that were all IMPORTED into
>>>> GnuCash from Quicken via a QIF file.  And apparently, those imported
>>>> transactions never got recorded in the General Journal.  At least, that
>>>> appears to be the case for me here.
>>>> 
>>>> Maybe someone else can confirm if that's how transactions are supposed
>>>> to work with the General Journal.  That is, you have to actually ENTER
>>>> those transactions, and not simply IMPORT them. Assuming that's correct,
>>>> that's not a big deal for me.  It's just something I have to be aware of
>>>> going forward.  That is, don't look in the General Journal for imported
>>>> transactions.
>>>> 
>>>> Tom
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> On 1/12/2026 2:45 PM, Patrick James via gnucash-user wrote:
>>>>> "probably because I don't really enter things via the General Journal."
>>>>> 
>>>>> Back in the good 'ole days, all entries began in the General Journal,
>>>>> and then were posted to the various accounts. With the advent of modern
>>>>> information systems, that process is no longer necessary. In GnuCash,
>>>>> when you enter to a given account, the General Journal entry is created
>>>>> for you, and while the order does not really matter, and there are other
>>>>> information systems issues here, one may consider the General Journal
>>>>> entry to be created first, before the account entry. Again with today's
>>>>> information systems, this is not really that important, but the General
>>>>> Journal includes all the journal entries.
>>>>> 
>>>>> In summary, it's reasonable to suggest that GnuCash "really does enter
>>>>> things via the General Journal."
>>>>> 
>>>>> If an entry is not present, check the filters.
>>>>> 
>>>>>> On 01/12/2026 1:18 PM PST kirk abbott via
>>>>>> gnucash-user<gnucash-user at gnucash.org> wrote:
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> General Journal doesn't really work for me either. Mainly because only
>>>>>> random things seem to show up there. probably because I don't really
>>>>>> enter things via the General Journal. What is working for me is the
>>>>>> Accounts Tab. Don't know if it mattered, but I had the Assets line
>>>>>> highlighted while testing. Regardless, it found everything within a
>>>>>> couple of days of the target date regardless of Asset account.
>>>>>> Kirk
>>>>>>       On Monday, January 12, 2026 at 12:02:13 PM PST, Patrick James via
>>>>>> gnucash-user<gnucash-user at gnucash.org> wrote:
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>    Tom,
>>>>>> 
>
>
>
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David T.