flywire, That looks like a bunch of documentation bug candidates.
Though I'm pretty certain, the non-formal labels are default on new installations.
And with regards to explaining Accounts or Transactions first, I think it would be awkward to explain entering a transaction without first explaining that you are doing so by affecting Accounts and what GnuCash means by 'accounts'. (The user also has to set up 'accounts' before entering transactions, so I would think explaining 'accounts' first, makes more sense)
Regards, Adrien On 5/8/23 7:08 PM, flywire wrote:
GnuCash is presented as a double entry accounting system using debits and credits, but it's not special, it just lacks a good explanation. The Guide starts with a quick overview followed by The Basics describing Accounting Concepts. The guide even warns that accounting debits and credits are used contrary to the way most people understand them, and furthermore, GnuCash can be configured to use deposit and withdrawal, yet new users must understand the terms to use GnuCash. Other financial software for non-accountants explains how it works in plain English without confusing accounting concepts. GnuCash can work like that too, but it's not the default and the formal terms need to be understood to interpret the documentation. Let's heed the warning and remove the debits and credits terms from the default software and documentation. It would be easy enough or those familiar with the formal terms to change the settings and they would still understand documentation written in simple terms. In my view, the concept of a transaction also needs to be explained before accounts. Accounting is a record of transactions that record how money moves from one place to another. Understandably, accounting calls those places accounts and arranges them in standard types. Everyone is familiar with withdrawing cash from a savings account. Those are two accounts, savings, and cash. You could spend that cash on groceries or clothing, two more accounts. The Basic Account types and The Accounting Equation are explained in the Guide. Table 2.1 shows the effect of an increase or decrease in each account type and that important concept that does not need the debit and credit line. The note and warning could be reworked to refer to debit and credit as an option in preferences. The Double Entry section is really an explanation of how transactions work in accounting so rename it. Double entry and T-Account are useful concepts to mention in the explanation. Unfortunately, double entry is confusing with a default basic ledger view, and double line view in the interface. Finally, a mention of reports. The accounting equation lists all the accounts as positive numbers and every report I have ever seen uses positive numbers in the report account types then follows the equation to calculate the grand total. There is no benefit in producing reports only understood by the GnuCash community. Regards _______________________________________________ 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.
