Based on your description, I can see that you understand the concept but run into some peculiarities of the user interface.
One is the transaction autotill or autocomplete (not sure what the official name is). I assume you start with a new transaction in your checking account and as you seem to describe when you type the name of the Grocery store and press tab then it will fill the transfer account and amount with the previous transaction for that grocery store. When you combine that with opening the split instead of changing the amount in the main line then it can arguably get a bit confusing because only half of the split is updated and the old amount is still partially there. One way to get a better, less confusing start would be to avoid triggering the autocomplete. Later when you are used to the interface it will matter less because you'll know how to update the split. But right now try this: after entering the Store name, do not TAB but instead click with your mouse on the transfer column. That way you are not triggering the autocomplete that copies the previous transaction with that store name. Then don't enter account and amount yet. Just click on the split button at this point, and it will open the split lines with only the bank account showing. On that line with the bank account, go and put the 7.24 in credit. When you tab it will automatically put 7.24 in debit on the next line. After you pick entertainment as the account then you will have to change that second 7.24 to 5.25. Tab again a couple times to go to the next line and you'll see it will fill 1.99 for you to show you that's the amount still unallocated, and on that line you can pick groceries for the account. Then press enter a couple times and you should be set. On Sat, Dec 17, 2022 at 2:20 PM p.f.cuthb...@btinternet.com p.f.cuthbert--- via gnucash-user <gnucash-user@gnucash.org> wrote: > > Hi > > Having today transferred all my data from Quicken to GNUCash I am just > trying to understand how it works. Entering single data items is easy, > but the difficulty I have hit is with payments that require multiple > debits (ie. a split payment) The User Guides that I found today uses an > income example that I did not find at all helpful despite several > readings. > > So let us have an example: > > Payment by bank card (credit entry to Bank Account) of £7.24 comprising > a book (debit £5.25 to Entertainment) and some milk (debit £1.99 to > Groceries). > > The process in Quicken would be credit bank £7.24, then for the > 'Category' choose Split and fill in the details tabbing down to the next > line and choosing catergory and amount until the balance unallocated > drops to zero. Finally save transaction by pressing Return. > > The process in GNUCash seems to start the same. Credit bank £7.24, then > choose Split. The yellow analysis lines come up, but for me the debit > (Deposit) column comes up £16.74, which is the last Groceries posting. > This is because I put the store name in as the descriptor for the > transaction but the last one was not split. I put in the correct account > Entertainment and then delete the £16.74 and enter £5.25. Next I tab > down to the next line. I enter some description like Milk, then select > the Account Groceries, tab to the next column and enter £1.99. At this > point the total Credit of £7.24 is still in place. > > At this point things look good. So what does one do next? Press Return > seems like a safe bet. However it is far from it. All that happens is > that the whole transaction disappears. The alternative, using another > Tab is almost as bad. The £1.99 debit in Groceries is now replaced by a > £5.25 credit and the £7.24 credit from the bank has disappeared. Ok, it > makes the books appear to balance since double entry is maintained but > the whole process seem astonishingly random. > > If any kind reader can advise on the correct way yo handle this simple > task I would be most grateful as I do simple domestic accounting but > have lots of split debit analysis. > > Regards > > Pete > > > Dr Peter Cuthbert > Creuddyn > Coedlan Y Plas > > Llangawsai > Aberystwyth > Ceredigion > SY23 1HJ > 01970 623 447 > _______________________________________________ > gnucash-user mailing list > gnucash-user@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. > _______________________________________________ gnucash-user mailing list gnucash-user@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.
