Re: [GNC] Single User two Geographically Separate Computers

[Greg Feneis]

There is a non-cloud alternative to being able to use GnuCash in multiple
locations on multiple devices. It involves keeping both GnuCash and
associated files on a removable media, like thumb drive, and
transporting/using the thumb drive at each location. I've only read about
this, I don't have experience doing it.

Kind regards, Greg Feneis
(Pixel 3)


On Sat, Feb 20, 2021, 22:02 Peter Williamson  wrote:

> Hi Dean
> Thanks very much. I will now look further at cloud storage and
> arrangements for AQBanking.
> Peter
>
> > On 21 February 2021 at 17:00 Dean Gibson  mailto:gnucash.st...@mailpen.com > wrote:
> >
> >
> > This is what I do, & it works fine.  Note that settings, including
> > AQBanking info, is stored in folders in your user area on each
> machine.
> > You can also share those through OneDrive, but that's a bit advanced.
> >
> >
> > On 2021-02-20 19:40, Peter Williamson wrote:
> >
> > > > Hi
> > >
> > > I am a new gnucash user and would like operate as a single
> user on two geographically separated computers. I would use each computer
> on alternate months depending on my location at the time.
> > >
> > > I am not very computer literate and I am proposing to use
> Onedrive to store my gnucash files and then access them from whichever of
> the computers is in my current location.
> > >
> > > Would this work? Is there a better way of achieving this
> operating setup?
> > >
> > > Peter
> > >
> > > > ___
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Re: [GNC] Single User two Geographically Separate Computers

[David Carlson]

That's the way we used to do before cloud services existed.   It still
works for backups,  it is air gapped from the internet and its risks,  and
it also works for data transport.

We used to call it the sneakernet.

On Sun, Feb 21, 2021, 9:04 AM Greg Feneis  wrote:

> There is a non-cloud alternative to being able to use GnuCash in multiple
> locations on multiple devices. It involves keeping both GnuCash and
> associated files on a removable media, like thumb drive, and
> transporting/using the thumb drive at each location. I've only read about
> this, I don't have experience doing it.
>
> Kind regards, Greg Feneis
> (Pixel 3)
>
>
> On Sat, Feb 20, 2021, 22:02 Peter Williamson  wrote:
>
> > Hi Dean
> > Thanks very much. I will now look further at cloud storage and
> > arrangements for AQBanking.
> > Peter
> >
> > > On 21 February 2021 at 17:00 Dean Gibson  > mailto:gnucash.st...@mailpen.com > wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > This is what I do, & it works fine.  Note that settings, including
> > > AQBanking info, is stored in folders in your user area on each
> > machine.
> > > You can also share those through OneDrive, but that's a bit
> advanced.
> > >
> > >
> > > On 2021-02-20 19:40, Peter Williamson wrote:
> > >
> > > > > Hi
> > > >
> > > > I am a new gnucash user and would like operate as a single
> > user on two geographically separated computers. I would use each computer
> > on alternate months depending on my location at the time.
> > > >
> > > > I am not very computer literate and I am proposing to use
> > Onedrive to store my gnucash files and then access them from whichever of
> > the computers is in my current location.
> > > >
> > > > Would this work? Is there a better way of achieving this
> > operating setup?
> > > >
> > > > Peter
> > > >
> > > > > ___
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> > > To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe:
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[GNC] Setting billterm with python bindings

[Giuseppe Foti]

Good morning,
I need some help using python bindings.
I have written a small script based on simple_invoice_insert.py to invoice
all my active customers.
My need is to set a bill term for each invoice, and I cannot understand how
to manage this.
I opened a bug reporting a sample code here
https://bugs.gnucash.org/show_bug.cgi?id=798126
It seems I can get billterms, but I cannot get their name or description.
Moreover, I don't know how to set a billterm to an invoice.
Any help would be really appreciated.
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Re: [GNC] Expense Over Time report

[gnu Gord]

Thanks for the information, I didn't realize I could even do that and I was
wondering what that "Account Code" field was all about!!
The more I learn about this stuff the more I realize how much I don't know.
(and I didn't know a whole bunch to start with!) LOL

Thanks again,
Gord


On Sat, Feb 20, 2021 at 11:35 PM Richard Danielson 
wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I moved from (originally) Bedford Accounting to Simply Accounting and
> can't remember when I was required to assign account numbers to all of
> my accounts, but I did.
>
> After getting started with Gnu Cash, I used the names of accounts to
> make transactions, but that got tiresome so I added my old account
> numbers to all of the accounts in Gnu Cash.  After doing that I just
> used the account numbers to identify which account was needed for a
> transaction and all of the text stuff just came with it.  When I make
> transactions, it's quite fast, but only for accounts for which I
> remember the numbers.  If I forget an account number and have to
> remember the account names for rarely used accounts I just click on the
> drop down list and get it that way.  It works and is quite fast.
>
> I still use placeholder accounts for category headings, but for
> transactions, use the numbers almost exclusively.
>
> Check to see the numbering scheme for something like Sage Simply
> Accounting and add the numbers to your account name and number fields,
> then you're away.
>
> Rick
>
>
> On 2021-02-20 6:32 p.m., gnu Gord wrote:
> > Thank you to everyone that replied.
> > I'm still a bit confused as to why I can select the accounts to
> > include/exclude plus I can/need to select the level. It seems redundant
> to
> > me but maybe in some situations it's required.
> >
> > In my example, it appears I have created my hierarchy incorrectly. The
> > suggestions I received seem to say I should have no transactions in
> branch
> > accounts and only in leaf accounts. (I didn't realize I needed to be a
> > gardener to do accounting!) LOL
> > I rearranged my example and it seems the report options work more the
> way I
> > would expect, but I'm still not clear on the level vs. account selection.
> >
> > To summarize the way I understand it, all but the lowest level accounts
> > should be marked as Placeholder accounts (or at least have no
> > transactions). Is this closer to 'standard' accounting practice?
> >
> > Here is the way I've redone the example. With "Expenses", "L2" and "L3"
> all
> > having the Placeholder option ticked:
> >
> > [image: image.png]
> >
> >
> > On Sat, Feb 20, 2021 at 11:36 AM Dale Alspach 
> wrote:
> >
> >> Some accounting software, e.g., Quickbooks, use a virtual leaf  "Other"
> in
> >> reports to remove any ambiguity when there are  transactions in a branch
> >> account which are not in a leaf.  Thus a report for the situation L3
> $100
> >> transaction and L4 $500 transaction would display
> >> L3
> >>L4 500
> >>L3 - Other 100
> >>
> >> Dale
> >>
> >> On Sat, Feb 20, 2021 at 8:04 AM D. via gnucash-user <
> >> gnucash-user@gnucash.org> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Geoff,
> >>>
> >>> That was an excellent answer, and explains clearly a big reason why
> users
> >>> should strive to limit their transactions to leaf nodes in the account
> >>> hierarchy. (My own books include numerous violations of this premise,
> >> BTW)
> >>> Gnucash has always allowed users to put transactions in intermediate
> >> level
> >>> accounts, which some in the community have felt was Not Good, although
> >> I've
> >>> been a little more equivocal about it. I'm not sure, but there may be
> an
> >>> outstanding bug request on the behavior.
> >>>
> >>> I *do* think Gord's final question is an interesting one. It might be
> >>> useful to conduct some tests to see the interaction between account
> >>> selection and level setting in the various reports that use that method
> >> of
> >>> grouping, and then update the docs with information.
> >>>
> >>> Best,
> >>> David T.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>  Original Message 
> >>> From: Geoff 
> >>> Sent: Fri Feb 19 18:37:21 EST 2021
> >>> To: gnu Gord , gnucash-user@gnucash.org
> >>> Subject: Re: [GNC] Expense Over Time report
> >>>
> >>> Hi Gord
> >>>
> >>> It appears that L3 is both a parent of L4 and has transactions worth
> >>> $100 itself.
> >>>
> >>> Thus reporting on L3 is ambiguous - do you want only its transactions
> >>> ($100), or its transactions plus the sum of its children ($100 + $500 =
> >>> $600)?
> >>>
> >>> I suggest that you only record transactions against the lowest level
> >>> children accounts in your hierarchy (the "leaves" and not the
> >> "branches").
> >>> Hope this helps.
> >>>
> >>> Regards
> >>>
> >>> Geoff
> >>> =
> >>>
> >>> On 20/02/2021 10:07 am, gnu Gord wrote:
>  I'm trying to understand this report and it just isn't working the way
> >> I
>  expect.
>  Below is a screenshot of my test chart of accounts, for reference.
>  I have one expense of $100 in account L3

Re: [GNC] Copying reports from one machine to another

[Jim DeLaHunt]

On 2021-02-19 20:48, Richard Gaede via gnucash-user wrote:

Hi,

I have a number of personalised reports (using only standard GNU Cash 
options) on my notebook. I also have an SP3 on which I have installed 
GNU Cash. I use a data file stored on a NAS.


Excuse ignorance, but the report options appear to be machine 
specific, as opposed to App specific. It seems I must recraft the many 
reports on the new machine. Is there some way of copying the report 
configs from one machine to the other?


I am using Version 4.2  Build 2020 09 26 on win 10 and Win 10 Pro.

Any assistance much appreciated.

Thanks & regards



Hello, Richard, and welcome to the GnuCash-users list.

Fortunately you are not the first person to be in this sitation. Yes, 
GnuCash stores report configurations in a different location than where 
it stores the book data file. There is an FAQ about copying the report 
configurations to multiple computers which share a book data file:


*Q: I use the same account on multiple computers (through a repository), 
how do I also transfer the reports I currently have open?*
>


In fact, you might find the entire FAQ section, *Multiple Computers, 
Users, ...*, helpful.


On my computer, my report configurations are stored in the file,
/Users/myuserid/Library/Application\ Support/Gnucash/saved-reports-2.8
My computer runs macOS 10.13.6 High Sierra. Your Windows 10 computers 
will have a different path to your USER_CONFIG_HOME directory.


Does this answer your question?

 —Jim DeLaHunt

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[GNC] Assets vs. expenses vs. income entry

[gnu Gord]

I'm unsure of the best way to record the adding/modifying of an asset.
Should the transaction go directly to an asset account or an expense
account then create an asset? Let me explain.

If, for example, I buy a car that costs me $1000 and pay for it from my
chequing account, no loan involved.
Should $1000 go from my chequing account to an asset account called 'car'
or to an expense account called 'car' then create a new account in asset
called 'car' with 'equity:opening balance' of $1000?

Would the latter option be more flexible? If the car was really worth $2000
but I only paid $1000 for it I could record an asset worth $2000 but an
expense of only $1000.

What if the car increased in value somehow (unlikely)? Would this be
reported in the asset account as 'equity:asset change' or in an income
account as income or something else?
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Re: [GNC] Assets vs. expenses vs. income entry

[David Cousens]

What has happened in the transaction? 

You have taken money from an asset (bank account) and exchanged that for
another asset (a car) which you have control of and use as a resource, so
there is not an expense involved. 

Hence the transaction will be a debit to your bank account (decreasing that
asset) and a credit to an asset account for the car (increasing the value of
the asset that is the car from zero).

An expense is something which depletes an asset and is expended or used. The
general criteria for something to be an expense is that you are going to use
or consume it (or expect to) within a pewriod corresponding to the current
accounting period (usually annual). 

For example, if you buy a ream of paper for your printer, you would
generally expect to consume that within the next year or so, so you would
generally record that as an expense and not as an asset. If you were to
record it as an asset, then, as you printed each sheet of paper out, you
would then have to record the value of each sheet as a separate expense, so
that you are recording the depletion of the asset and that is clearly not
tenable and a huge waste of effort.  

In a manufacturing business however you may purchase several years worth of
materials which you expect to consume over a number of years because you can
get a break on the quantity and at a good price at the current time and you
have a reasonable expectation that prices are likely to increase. This is a
case where you would record the purchase as an asset, and then expense the
consumption of the asset in the year in which that consumption occurred as
you manufactured items for sale.

The value of that asset you exchanged money is depleted by depreciation,
loss or write off in the event of an accident, losses when sold etc. Such
changes can be recorded as expenses. Whether they are deductible expenses
for business or taxation purposes and when those deductions are allowed
depends on the business and tax rules and regulations you are subject to.

David Cousens



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--
Sent from: http://gnucash.1415818.n4.nabble.com/GnuCash-User-f1415819.html
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Re: [GNC] Assets vs. expenses vs. income entry

[David Carlson]

There are detailed examples in the help manuals that show specifically how
to implement what David Cousens just described.  You would, for example,
put a car account in the fixed asset top account.  If you were to decide
that it is worth the effort to depreciate it as he described, there is an
example of that too, but there are several different ways to do that
depending on why you want to do that.  You can ask for help with that here.

On Sun, Feb 21, 2021 at 6:00 PM David Cousens 
wrote:

> What has happened in the transaction?
>
> You have taken money from an asset (bank account) and exchanged that for
> another asset (a car) which you have control of and use as a resource, so
> there is not an expense involved.
>
> Hence the transaction will be a debit to your bank account (decreasing that
> asset) and a credit to an asset account for the car (increasing the value
> of
> the asset that is the car from zero).
>
> An expense is something which depletes an asset and is expended or used.
> The
> general criteria for something to be an expense is that you are going to
> use
> or consume it (or expect to) within a pewriod corresponding to the current
> accounting period (usually annual).
>
> For example, if you buy a ream of paper for your printer, you would
> generally expect to consume that within the next year or so, so you would
> generally record that as an expense and not as an asset. If you were to
> record it as an asset, then, as you printed each sheet of paper out, you
> would then have to record the value of each sheet as a separate expense, so
> that you are recording the depletion of the asset and that is clearly not
> tenable and a huge waste of effort.
>
> In a manufacturing business however you may purchase several years worth of
> materials which you expect to consume over a number of years because you
> can
> get a break on the quantity and at a good price at the current time and you
> have a reasonable expectation that prices are likely to increase. This is a
> case where you would record the purchase as an asset, and then expense the
> consumption of the asset in the year in which that consumption occurred as
> you manufactured items for sale.
>
> The value of that asset you exchanged money is depleted by depreciation,
> loss or write off in the event of an accident, losses when sold etc. Such
> changes can be recorded as expenses. Whether they are deductible expenses
> for business or taxation purposes and when those deductions are allowed
> depends on the business and tax rules and regulations you are subject to.
>
> David Cousens
>
>
>
> -
> David Cousens
> --
> Sent from: http://gnucash.1415818.n4.nabble.com/GnuCash-User-f1415819.html
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-- 
David Carlson
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Re: [GNC] Assets vs. expenses vs. income entry

[Stan Brown]

On 2021-02-21 15:22, gnu Gord wrote:
> I'm unsure of the best way to record the adding/modifying of an asset.
> Should the transaction go directly to an asset account or an expense
> account then create an asset? Let me explain.

I started writing out a detailed reply, but David Cousens said it all
well, and rather than just pile on I will say that I agree with what he
said.

I'll add one thing: if you find yourself asking "should I record a
transaction to equity", the answer is almost certainly No. Changes in
your net worth arise from income and expenses, so they should be
recorded in the appropriate Income or Expense accounts.

Buying an asset doesn't change your net worth, and therefore it is not
income or expense; the same is true of paying a bill or paying principal
on a loan. (The interest portion of a loan payment is an expense; the
principal portion is just a debit to a liability account.)

-- 
Stan Brown
Tehachapi, CA, USA
https://BrownMath.com
https://OakRoadSystems.com

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Re: [GNC] Assets vs. expenses vs. income entry

[Stephen M. Butler]

On 2/21/21 5:45 PM, Stan Brown wrote:

On 2021-02-21 15:22, gnu Gord wrote:

I'm unsure of the best way to record the adding/modifying of an asset.
Should the transaction go directly to an asset account or an expense
account then create an asset? Let me explain.

I started writing out a detailed reply, but David Cousens said it all
well, and rather than just pile on I will say that I agree with what he
said.

I'll add one thing: if you find yourself asking "should I record a
transaction to equity", the answer is almost certainly No. Changes in
your net worth arise from income and expenses, so they should be
recorded in the appropriate Income or Expense accounts.

Buying an asset doesn't change your net worth, and therefore it is not
income or expense; the same is true of paying a bill or paying principal
on a loan. (The interest portion of a loan payment is an expense; the
principal portion is just a debit to a liability account.)



This page has become a reference page for me -- unless my wife is around 
and then it is easier to ask her.

https://www.accountingtools.com/articles/2017/5/17/debits-and-credits

The summary:  Credits go next to the window -- just gotta remember which 
chair I need to set in when making that amazing discovery. >


Debit Accounts -- increase in value on a debit entry:  Assets, Expenses, 
Losses.  Note that a credit to these accounts reduce value.
Credit Accounts -- increase in value on a credit entry: Liabilities, 
Equity/Capital, Income/Revenue, Gains.  A debit to these accounts 
reduces value.


--
Stephen M Butler, PMP, PSM
stephen.m.butle...@gmail.com
kg...@arrl.net
253-350-0166
---
GnuPG Fingerprint:  8A25 9726 D439 758D D846 E5D4 282A 5477 0385 81D8

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Re: [GNC] Assets vs. expenses vs. income entry

[Jim DeLaHunt]

On 2021-02-21 18:30, Stephen M. Butler wrote:
…The summary:  Credits go next to the window … >



Wow, this is a great rule of thumb!

The only problem is, the window is to my left as I sit in my office. So, 
I think I need to climb out the window and dangle. That will put the 
window to my right when facing my computer screen.


I just hope I don't drop my receipts. It's a 22-floor fall to the ground.

Still, that's why I love this list. I can find ways to put the tips I 
receive here to such good use! ;-) ;-)


Best regards,
    —Jim DeLaHunt

(Seriously, "Credits go next to [or, away from] the window" is an 
amazingly vivid rule of thumb!)



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Re: [GNC] Assets vs. expenses vs. income entry

[gnu Gord]

OK, it's starting to sink in, slowly.
I read chapter 11 in the GC documentation (I didn't realize I was asking
about Capital Gains) and used the example to create the accounts and
transactions in my own accounts. It seems to work... like magic.
I'll have to think about it some more and will probably have more dumb
questions.

Thanks for being so patient with me.  :)


On Sun, Feb 21, 2021 at 4:00 PM David Cousens 
wrote:

> What has happened in the transaction?
>
> You have taken money from an asset (bank account) and exchanged that for
> another asset (a car) which you have control of and use as a resource, so
> there is not an expense involved.
>
> Hence the transaction will be a debit to your bank account (decreasing that
> asset) and a credit to an asset account for the car (increasing the value
> of
> the asset that is the car from zero).
>
> An expense is something which depletes an asset and is expended or used.
> The
> general criteria for something to be an expense is that you are going to
> use
> or consume it (or expect to) within a pewriod corresponding to the current
> accounting period (usually annual).
>
> For example, if you buy a ream of paper for your printer, you would
> generally expect to consume that within the next year or so, so you would
> generally record that as an expense and not as an asset. If you were to
> record it as an asset, then, as you printed each sheet of paper out, you
> would then have to record the value of each sheet as a separate expense, so
> that you are recording the depletion of the asset and that is clearly not
> tenable and a huge waste of effort.
>
> In a manufacturing business however you may purchase several years worth of
> materials which you expect to consume over a number of years because you
> can
> get a break on the quantity and at a good price at the current time and you
> have a reasonable expectation that prices are likely to increase. This is a
> case where you would record the purchase as an asset, and then expense the
> consumption of the asset in the year in which that consumption occurred as
> you manufactured items for sale.
>
> The value of that asset you exchanged money is depleted by depreciation,
> loss or write off in the event of an accident, losses when sold etc. Such
> changes can be recorded as expenses. Whether they are deductible expenses
> for business or taxation purposes and when those deductions are allowed
> depends on the business and tax rules and regulations you are subject to.
>
> David Cousens
>
>
>
> -
> David Cousens
> --
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