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Finished off Chapter 4

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Chris Lyttle
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@@ -108,10 +108,10 @@ The partial lines below the transaction line are the <emphasis> split lines </em
(insert registersplit2.png)
</para>
<para>
Each split contains an optional action, or type of split, which you can either type in or choose from a pull-down list. The split also contains an optional memo which describes the split. Each split affects an account, which can be selected from a pull-down list of your accounts. The "R" field indicates whether the split has been reconciled. The last two columns show the amount of the split and whether money is coming into or going out of the account.
Each split contains an optional action, or type of split, which you can either type in or choose from a pull-down list. The split also contains an optional memo which describes the split. Each split affects an account, which can be selected from a pull-down list of your accounts. The "R" field indicates whether the split has been reconciled. The last two columns show the amount of the split and whether money is coming into or oing out of the account.
</para>
<para>
As we discussed in section (?2.1), total debits (left-column entries) must equal total credits (right-column entries) for each transaction. In the example shown above, the total debits equal the total credits, so this transaction is balanced. If you notice, the transaction line contains the same debit amount as the "Checking" split line. Why is this shown twice? Because the transaction line is merely a <em> summary</em> of the transaction's effect on the current account, which is "Checking." The same transaction in a different account will have a different transaction line, one that shows the effect on that particular account. You can see this by highlighting another split line and clicking the "Jump" button on the tool bar.
As we discussed in section (?2.1), total debits (left-column entries) must equal total credits (right-column entries) for each transaction. In the example shown above, the total debits equal the total credits, so this transaction is balanced. If you notice, the transaction line contains the same debit amount as the "Checking" split line. Why is this shown twice? Because the transaction line is merely a <emphasis> summary</emphasis> of the transaction's effect on the current account, which is "Checking." The same transaction in a different account will have a different transaction line, one that shows the effect on that particular account. You can see this by highlighting another split line and clicking the "Jump" button on the tool bar.
</para>
<para>
In this example, if you jump to the "Salary" account, GnuCash brings up the same transaction in the Salary account register:
@@ -143,12 +143,12 @@ All styles permit you to view your data in either single-line or double-line for
(?In the current version, opening balances are entered as a transfer from an equity account to the bank account.)
</para>
</sect2>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="entering1">
<title>4.3 Entering a Basic Transaction (How-To)</title>
<para>
A basic transaction contains only two splits. GnuCash provides a couple of ways to enter basic transactions. You can enter them either directly in the register or from the Transfer dialog.
</para>
</sect1>
<sect2 id="using2">
<title>4.3.1 Using the Register</title>
<para>
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ Click Enter to record the transaction.
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="">
<sect2 id="transfer2">
<title>4.3.2 Using the Transfer Dialog</title>
<para>
You can also enter transactions from the Transfer dialog box. From the main window, select Accounts|Transfer... from the menu. You should then get a dialog like this:
@@ -227,7 +227,8 @@ Click OK to record the transaction.
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</sect2>
<sect1 id="1">
</sect1>
<sect1 id="multisplit1">
<title>4.4 Entering a Multi-Split Transaction (How-To)</title>
<para>
A transaction containing more than two splits is a <emphasis> multi-split transaction</emphasis>. To enter a multi-split transaction:
@@ -387,7 +388,7 @@ TAB moves to the next box and Shift+TAB moves to the previous box
<para>
Space bar toggles the status between "reconciled" and "not reconciled"
</para>
<itemizedlist>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Up and down arrows navigate through the entries within the current box
@@ -477,5 +478,197 @@ Is your ending balance correct? If not, select Reconcile|Reconcile Information.
As you finish reconciling your accounts, you will probably find transactions that appear in your account but not on your statement. These are usually outstanding transactions that have not yet cleared the bank, but you should check the dates on them. If these transactions are still outstanding after a month, you may want to investigate why. Did a check or deposit get lost in transit? Or did the payee simply not cash the check? In some cases, you may find that you entered duplicate transactions, so you will want to delete the "extra" transactions. The reconcile process will quickly point out these exceptions and allow you to easily make the necessary changes to keep your account up-to-date.
</para>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="existing1">
<title>4.7 Working with Existing Transactions</title>
<para>
GnuCash allows you to change transactions at any point, even if the transaction has been reconciled. It is generally not a good idea to modify a reconciled transaction, though, because an amount change will cause a discrepancy in the starting balance of your next reconciliation. For this reason, GnuCash displays a warning message if you try to modify a reconciled transaction, but it gives you the option to record the change anyway.
</para>
<sect2 id="change2">
<title>4.7.1 Changing Transactions</title>
<para>
To change a transaction, simply type your changes directly into the register. If you are adding a split to the transaction, you will need to choose a register style that displays all splits (Auto-Split Ledger or Transaction Journal styles) or click the Splits button to expand the current transaction. When you have completed your changes, check the transaction to make sure it is balanced, then press Enter to record the revised transaction.
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="deleting2">
<title>4.7.2 Deleting Transactions</title>
<para>
To delete a transaction, highlight the transaction line and click the Delete button on the tool bar. GnuCash displays this dialog:
(?insert delete.png)
You should choose the default option, "Delete the whole transaction." (Choosing the other option will delete all of the splits except the one affecting the current account, and this will cause your transaction to become unbalanced.)
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="finding2">
<title>4.7.3 Finding Transactions</title>
<para>
To search for transactions, click the Find button on the tool bar of either the main window or the register window. You will see a dialog that offers several search options:
(?insert find.png)
</para>
<orderedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
Select the accounts you wish to search by highlighting them in the account list.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Specify your search criteria by clicking on the appropriate tab on the left. For example, to specify a date range, click on the Date tab. Each of the tabs corresponds to a register column heading, so you can easily narrow your search.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
GnuCash brings up search results in the form of a register, so you can edit the transactions directly in the search register window. The program will then update the transaction splits in the affected accounts, just as if you had edited the transaction in one of the account registers.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</sect2>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="dupes1">
<title>4.8 Entering Recurring and Duplicate Transactions</title>
<para>
Recurring transactions are predictable transactions that happen on a regular basis, such as paychecks or monthly bills. Most of the information in these transactions remains the same from period to period, so it is helpful to enter these ahead of time for planning purposes.
</para>
<para>
In the current version of GnuCash, recurring transactions must be entered manually. Automated support for this is still under development and should be released soon in the next version. For now, use the duplicate function to simplify entry of common recurring transactions:
</para>
<orderedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
Enter a common transaction, such as a paycheck deposit, in the account register.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Select the transaction by clicking on it, then click the Duplicate button in the tool bar. (??This is being modified so the Duplicate function brings up a calendar widget for date selection---describe this when it is finished.)
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Notice that a duplicate transaction now appears in the window. Change any information you wish to and record the changes.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Repeat this process until you have scheduled recurring transactions out as far as you wish.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
When you receive the actual bill or pay stub, update the estimated transaction amount to the actual.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
<para>
(??Tip: The actual amounts of recurring transactions often vary slightly from the estimate. It's a good idea to flag the recurring transactions that have been updated with actual amounts, so you can keep track of which amounts are still estimates. One way to do this is to enter a flag in the Num field when you update the transaction with actual amounts. For example, if you have entered several recurring paycheck deposits, you might enter "DEP" (or some other abbreviation) in the Num field when you update a deposit with actual amounts.)
</para>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="together1">
<title>4.9 Putting It All Together (Example of entering an opening balance in checking, entering a paycheck with deductions, entering a second paycheck using QuickFill, and scheduling a recurring paycheck transaction)</title>
<para>
Start by opening your (?gcashdata) file that you last worked on in (?Chapter 3). As a refresher, your main window should look something like this:
(insert chartaccts.png)
</para>
<orderedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
Open the Checking account register. Select Register|Style from the menu and check to make sure you are in Basic Ledger style. You will view your transactions in the other modes later, but for now let's enter a basic transaction using the basic default style.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
From the Checking register window, enter a basic transaction to deposit your net pay of $800 into your checking account. (Remember, basic transactions transfer money from a source account to a destination account. Your source in this case is the Salary account, and your destination is the Checking account.) The transaction should look like this:
(?insert transactex.png)
Record the transaction.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Now duplicate this transaction using the Duplicate button in the tool bar. Schedule the transaction date a week out in the future, and notice the blue line separator that GnuCash uses to separate future transactions from current ones:
(?insert transactex2.png)
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Edit the transaction you just created so that it now shows gross salary and paycheck deductions for federal tax and FICA. Since this is now going to be a multi-split transaction, click the Split button to enter the remaining splits. (Remember, in a multi-split transaction, you can have several source accounts and several destination accounts, but total debits must equal total credits for the transaction to balance. In this case, your source account is Salary, but you now have 3 destination accounts: Checking, FedTax, and FICA. You *debit* destination accounts and *credit* source accounts.) Edit the transaction so that it shows:
</para>
<para>
<table>
<title>Split Example</title>
<tgroup cols=4 align=left>
<colspec colname=c1 >
<colspec colname=c2 >
<colspec colname=c3 >
<colspec colname=c4 >
<tbody>
<row>
<entry>Debit</entry>
<entry>Checking</entry>
<entry>800</entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry>Debit</entry>
<entry>FedTax</entry>
<entry>200</entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry>Debit</entry>
<entry>FICA</entry>
<entry>50</entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry>Credit</entry>
<entry>Salary</entry>
<entry colname=c4 >1050</entry>
</row>
</tbody>
</tgroup>
</table>
</para>
<para>
(Note: You will have to create expense type accounts for FedTax and FICA, since these accounts don't exist in your list, but you can easily do this by typing the account name in the split line Account field. GnuCash will bring up the Account Information dialog and you can fill in the account details.)
</para>
<para>
Here's what the transaction should look like:
(?insert transactex3.png)
Press Enter to record the transaction.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Enter another paycheck with a date set two weeks in the future. This time, use QuickFill to enter your transaction. On a blank transaction line, select the date from the drop-down calendar. In the Description field, type "P" and watch GnuCash fill in the rest of the description for you. Tab to the next field, and note that GnuCash inserts "-- Split Transaction --" in the Transfer field. Tab again and note that GnuCash inserts the same deposit amount as the last transaction. Record the transaction.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Expand the transaction you just entered so that you can see the splits. This time, instead of clicking the Split button in the tool bar, select the Auto-Split Ledger style from the Register|Style menu. Move around the register and notice the difference between this style and the Basic Ledger style. Now select the Transaction Journal style from the Register|Style menu, and notice the differences there.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Let's look at another account register to see how this last paycheck transaction affected it. In the expanded transaction, select the Salary account split, and click the Jump button in the tool bar. You should now see the same transaction in the Salary account register:
(?insert transactex4.png)
</para>
<para>
Notice the transaction line is different, but all of the split lines are exactly the same. You are now looking at this transaction in the Salary account, so the transaction line shows a summary of the effect on this account.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
You now know all you need to know to enter your transactions in GnuCash. Return to the main window by closing the register windows, and note that some of your accounts now have balances. Your chart of accounts should now look like this:
(?insert chartaccts2.png)
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
<para>
Be sure to save your (?gcashdata) file for future use. The next (?five) chapters address specific examples of transactions you may want to enter, and they continue with practice exercises at the end of each chapter.
</para>
</sect1>
</chapter>
</book>