1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 470 471 472 473 474 475 476 477 478 479 480 481 482 483 484 485 486 487 488 489 490 491 492 493 494 495 496 497 498 499 500 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 511 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519 520 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528 529 530 531 532 533 534 535 536 537 538 539 540 541 542 543 544 545 546 547 548 549 550 551 552 553 554 555 556 557 558 559 560 561 562 563 564 565 566 567 568 569 570 571 572 573 574 575 576 577 578 579 580 581 582 583 584 585 586 587 588 589 590 591 592 593 594 595 596 597 598 599 600 601 602 603 604 605 606 607 608 609 610 611 612 613 614 615 616 617 618 619 620 621 622 623 624 625 626 627 628 629 630 631 632 633 634 635 636 637 638 639 640 641 642 643 644 645 646 647 648 649 650 651 652 653 654 655 656 657 658 659 660 661 662 663 664 665 666 667 668 669 670 671 672 673 674 675 676 677 678 679 680 681 682 683 684 685 686 687 688 689 690 691 692 693 694 695 696 697 698 699 700 701 702 703 704 705 706 707 708 709 710 711
|
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<chapter id="details.ledgers">
<chapterinfo>
<authorgroup>
<author> &Michael.T.Edwardes; &Michael.T.Edwardes.mail; </author>
<author> &Roger.Lum; &Roger.Lum.mail; </author>
</authorgroup>
<date>2010-07-23</date>
<releaseinfo>4.5</releaseinfo>
</chapterinfo>
<title>Ledgers</title>
<sect1 id="details.ledgers.view">
<title>The Ledger View</title>
<para>
The Ledger view is where most of the functionality of &kmymoney; lies. This
view is for examining and entering transaction data in the various
accounts. The view is split into three main areas: the filter area, the
transaction list, and the input area.
</para>
<para>
This view allows for several key actions: searching and viewing transactions,
entering new transactions, and editing or deleting existing
transactions. Other functionality includes modifying account details and
reconciling the account.
</para>
<para>
<screenshot>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="ledgerview-numbered.png" format="PNG" />
</imageobject>
<textobject>
<phrase>Ledger View</phrase>
</textobject>
</mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</para>
<para>
The view has three elements:
</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem><para>The filter area</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>The transaction list</para></listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
The transaction input form, which may or may not appear, depending upon
your configuration.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
<sect2 id="details.ledgers.view.filter">
<title>The filter area</title>
<para>
<screenshot>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="accountdropdown.png" format="PNG" />
</imageobject>
<textobject>
<phrase>Filter area</phrase>
</textobject>
</mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</para>
<para>
You can select an account via the account dropdown list at the top of the view
area. Note that depending upon the type of the account the <link
linkend="details.ledger.transactionform">transaction input form</link> at the
bottom of the view changes.
</para>
<para>
To the right of the account dropdown list, are two additional fields. The
search box acts as a filter on the transactions that are shown in the list
view. Only transactions that include the text typed in the search box are
displayed. The text specified can be in any of the fields of the transaction.
The status field is a dropdown list. Only transactions of the type selected in
that dropdown are displayed.
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2>
<title>The transaction list</title>
<para>
<screenshot>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="translist.png" format="PNG" />
</imageobject>
<textobject>
<phrase>Transaction list</phrase>
</textobject>
</mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</para>
<para>
After you have entered a transaction, it is displayed in the transaction list.
You can also change transaction properties or even create new transactions
directly in the list. In the transactions list, the default arrangement of
transactions is sorted by date with the most recent transaction on the bottom.
Clicking the Right Mouse Button on the header of the transaction list brings
up a dialog that allows you to change the sort order of the transactions. For
instructions on how to change the default sort order, see the <link
linkend="details.settings.register.sorting">Sorting tab</link> section of the
<link linkend="details.settings">&kmymoney; Settings</link> Chapter.
</para>
<para>
Note that the balance column is based on the currently displayed sort order,
and will not be calculated if the display is filtered by the search box or
transaction type dropdown, as described above.
</para>
<para>
At the bottom of the transaction list, &kmymoney; displays three values:
</para>
<formalpara><title>Last reconciled</title>
<para>
This is the most recent date on which you reconciled this account.
Reconciliation is an important process for many accounts, and is described
<link linkend="details.reconcile">here</link>.
</para>
</formalpara>
<formalpara><title>Cleared</title>
<para>
This is the total of all cleared and reconciled transactions in this
account. See <link linkend="details.ledgers.cleared">this section</link>
for more information about the cleared and reconciled states of
transactions.
</para>
</formalpara>
<formalpara><title>Balance</title>
<para>
This is where &kmymoney; displays the total balance of the account, which is
the sum of all transactions in the account. However, if you select more
than one transaction in the transaction list, this changes to display the
sum of the selected transactions. This returns to the balance when only one
transaction is selected.
</para>
</formalpara>
</sect2>
<sect2>
<title>The transaction input form</title>
<para>
The exact layout of the bottom area of the ledger view depends on your
configuration and the type of account being displayed. However, it generally
includes fields for all the details of a single transaction, as well as
buttons for various actions that can apply to a transaction. It is described
in more detail in the following sections.
</para>
</sect2>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="details.ledger.transactions">
<title>Entering Transactions</title>
<para>
There are two methods of entering transactions into the ledger: using the
transaction input form and entering the data directly into the transaction
list. The transaction input form is displayed by default and this is the
method we will discuss first.
</para>
<para>
The fields in the input area match the information fields in the transactions
list. Additional fields include the Memo field, for a more detailed
description of the transaction, and a Category selection. The Split button
allows you to split the transaction into multiple categories.
</para>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="details.ledger.transactionform">
<title>Using the transaction input form</title>
<para>
<screenshot>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="transactionform.png" format="PNG" />
</imageobject>
<textobject>
<phrase>Transaction Form</phrase>
</textobject>
</mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</para>
<para>
The transaction input form at the bottom of the ledger view is the interface
for creating transactions.
</para>
<para>
Depending upon the type or method of transaction you wish to enter there are
several tabs available on the transaction form. Click on the tab that best
describes your transaction (deposit, transfer, or withdrawal) and the form
will load several fields ready for your input.
</para>
<para>
Please note that the actual transaction method is not used directly by
&kmymoney; but is purely for grouping/reporting purposes.
</para>
<para>
If you are unsure which method to choose simply use Deposit for any money
going into the account, Withdrawal for money coming out of the account, and
Transfer for money moving from one account to another. The transaction
methods and the differences between them are discussed in more detail
elsewhere.
</para>
<para>
Select the transaction method by clicking on one of the tabs.
</para>
<sect2>
<title>The fields of a transaction</title>
<para>
Enter the information using the following notes on the available fields. Note
that many fields have 'Auto Completion' turned on. That is, if you start
typing, &kmymoney; will offer alternatives matching the characters you have
entered so far. To select an entry click on it using the mouse or keyboard,
or if your entry is not listed keep typing to add the new value. The next
time you type the value in, &kmymoney; will find it for you after the first
few characters have been input.
</para>
<sect3>
<title>The Payee</title>
<para>
The Payee is who the money came from/to. If the payee is a new entry
&kmymoney; will ask if you wish to add this to the list of Payees. Any other
information related to a payee or payer, such as address details can be
updated in the Payees view later.
</para>
</sect3>
<sect3>
<title>The Category</title>
<para>
The Category associates a transaction with an income or expense category for
accounting and reporting purposes, and enables you to group certain
transactions. Type the name of the category into the required field. If you
have entered the category and it does not exist then &kmymoney; will ask if
you want to create a new one.
</para>
<para>
If you wish to associate parts of the transaction with different categories,
&kmymoney; can let you do that. An example transaction might be a cash
machine withdrawal of 50 of which you use 10 on food, 20 on beer and 20 as
spare cash. The transaction will therefore be assigned three categories:
Food, Beer, and Cash. To do this, you need to use <link
linkend="details.ledgers.split">Split Transactions</link>, which is described
in more detail below.
</para>
<para>
See the special <link linkend="reference.widgets">&kmymoney; fields</link>
section for more information on how to use this field.
</para>
</sect3>
<sect3>
<title>The Tag</title>
<para>
Tags were introduced to &kmymoney; in version 4.7, and they are not yet fully
documented in this handbook. Tags are similar to Categories, and can be used
to maintain an orthogonal view to Categories. For example, you might have
a Category for each different type of automotice expenses, and then have a Tag
for each vehicle. As with Categories, you can select from the dropdown list, or type
a new Tag name, and be prompted if you want to create a new Tag with that name.
</para>
</sect3>
<sect3>
<title>The Memo</title>
<para>
A multi-line memo can be entered if you wish to help you remember what the
transaction was for.
</para>
</sect3>
<sect3>
<title>The Check Number</title>
<para>
The check number can be entered if needed. Note that the check number can
always be visible if desired. This is configured in the Settings dialog.
</para>
</sect3>
<sect3>
<title>The Date</title>
<para>
The transaction's posting date must be entered to specify when the transaction
took place. See the special <link linkend="reference.widgets">&kmymoney;
fields</link> section for more information on how the date input field can be
used to make entering dates quicker and easier.
</para>
</sect3>
<sect3>
<title>The Amount</title>
<para>
Finally, enter the transaction amount into the required field. Note that a
simple calculator can be displayed, either by clicking the icon to the right
of the amount field, or by entering the % character into the field, or by
entering a formula, as in <emphasis>12 + 3</emphasis>. When entering the plus
sign, the calculator will be opened.
</para>
<para>
When you are satisfied that all the fields have been filled in correctly,
click on <guibutton>Enter</guibutton>. If you accidentally press or click on
<guibutton>Enter</guibutton> before you have finished entering all the data,
click on <guibutton>Edit</guibutton> to resume entering the data.
</para>
</sect3>
</sect2>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="details.ledger.direct">
<title>Directly inputting transactions into the list</title>
<para>
<screenshot>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="transactionform-off.png" format="PNG" />
</imageobject>
<textobject>
<phrase>Direct Transaction Entry</phrase>
</textobject>
</mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</para>
<para>
The second method of entering transactions into the ledger involves editing
the transaction list itself directly.
</para>
<para>
To do this you must first let &kmymoney; know that you don't want to use the
transaction form by opening the settings dialog and unchecking the
<guilabel>Show transaction form</guilabel> option.
</para>
<para>
This is performed by selecting <menuchoice><guimenu>Settings</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Configure &kmymoney;</guimenuitem></menuchoice> from the menu bar and
selecting the <guiicon><inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata
fileref="ledgers_view.png"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject>
Register</guiicon> icon from the list on the left. The option to uncheck is
labeled <guilabel>Show transaction form</guilabel>. When finished click on
<guibutton>OK</guibutton> to be ready to directly enter transactions.
</para>
<sect2>
<title>Starting the edit</title>
<para>
To enter a new transaction into the register you can now either click on an
empty entry, press <keycombo
action="simul">&Ctrl;<keycap>Ins</keycap></keycombo>, or click
<guibutton>New</guibutton> at the foot of the window. The <keycap>Up</keycap>
and <keycap>Down</keycap> arrow keys let you navigate through the list. After
pressing &Enter; or double clicking on an entry, the transaction list displays
the fields required to enter the transaction and waits for input.
</para>
<para>
To move through the fields press the 	 key and when done
press &Enter; to save the changes or &Esc; to
cancel.
</para>
<para>
In case the option <guilabel>Use Enter to move between fields</guilabel> is
selected, the &Enter; moves to the next field just as the
<keycap>TAB</keycap> key except for the last entry field where it stores the
data.
</para>
<para>
Which method you use to enter transactions is up to you and is a matter of
personal preference.
</para>
</sect2>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="details.ledgers.split">
<title id="details.ledgers.split.title">Split Transactions</title>
<para>
The Split transaction feature allows you to divide up a transaction into
multiple categories, representing, for example, the different items bought
with a single purchase at a store.
</para>
<para>
To enter a split transaction, using either the transaction input form or the
transaction list, start a new transaction as normal, including entering the
total amount. Then, instead of selecting a category, click the
<guibutton>Split</guibutton> button. If you have already selected a category,
that becomes the first entry in the split editor screen.
</para>
<para>
In the split editor screen, double-click an empty line to enter a new
sub-transaction or press <keycombo
action="simul">&Ctrl;<keycap>Ins</keycap></keycombo>. Specify the category,
add an (optional) memo, and enter the amount. To save this part of the split,
press the green check mark under the category. To cancel, press the red cross.
</para>
<para>
After entering a split, the bottom of the split editor shows how much of the
total transaction is still unassigned. After entering all the splits, press
the <guibutton>OK</guibutton> button to save the entire transaction. If there
is still an unassigned amount, you will be prompted to either return to
editing the splits, change the total transaction amount, or leave part of the
transaction unassigned.
</para>
<para>
Note that the category field in the transaction input form or the transaction
list now displays <emphasis>Split transaction</emphasis>.
</para>
<para>
<screenshot>
<screeninfo>Split transactions</screeninfo>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="split_transaction.png" format="PNG" />
</imageobject>
<textobject>
<phrase>Split transaction</phrase>
</textobject>
</mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</para>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="details.ledger.edit">
<title>Editing transactions</title>
<para>
To edit a transaction, select it in the list view and either click on
<guibutton>Edit</guibutton> in the transaction input form or right click on
the entry and select <guimenuitem>Edit</guimenuitem> from the popup menu. If
you are editing transactions directly in the list you can edit the transaction
simply by double clicking on an entry or by pressing &Enter;
when a transaction is highlighted.
</para>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="details.ledger.delete">
<title>Deleting transactions</title>
<para>
To delete a transaction, select it in the list view, right click on the entry,
and select <guimenuitem>Delete</guimenuitem> from the popup menu when it
appears, or click <guibutton>Delete</guibutton> on the transaction form.
</para>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="details.ledgers.match">
<title id="details.ledgers.match.title">Matching Transactions</title>
<para>
Generally, when importing transactions, either via QIF, OFX, or HBCI, &kmymoney;
will automatically attempt to match them against existing transactions. To
allow for differences in the dates, there is a default setting of 4 days,
which may be changed in the settings - Register/Import. Any transactions so
matched will be highlighted in green. On completion of the import, you should
review these and either accept or unmatch them.
</para>
<para>
If you should find that an imported transaction was not automatically matched
with an existing transaction when it should have matched, then it is possible
to match them manually. Note that there is a difference between manually
matching two transactions and simply deleting one of them, even though they
may appear to have the same effect. Specifically with OFX or HBCI, it is
important not to delete the imported transaction, because you will find that
the next time you import your transactions, the deleted transaction shows up
again. This is because modern import formats like OFX and HBCI use a
<quote>Transaction ID</quote> to identify transactions. When you delete the
imported transaction, the transaction ID goes with it, so the importer has no
way to know this transaction was already imported.
</para>
<para>
The solution is to tell &kmymoney; that the transactions are the same, using
the manual matching interface. This allows you to match an imported
transaction with a hand-entered (non-imported) transaction. To do so, select
one of the transactions to be matched by clicking on it, then select the other
by left clicking on it while pressing the &Ctrl; key, and then select
<guimenuitem>Match</guimenuitem> from the context menu. This changes the
background color to a pale green. This will match and combine the two
transactions together. The values of both transactions must be the same for
the match to work, except that the dates may differ by the window specified in
the settings, as described above. If you are happy with the result, right
click the matched transaction, then select <guibutton>Accept</guibutton>.
</para>
<para>
During import of online statements - either directly or by importing a
downloaded file - &kmymoney; performs matching as best as it can based on the
name of the payee and the amount of the transaction. In case of an invalid
match, a matched transaction can be unmatched.
</para>
<note>
<para>
The matching interface will not allow you to match two transactions which
have both been imported. Likewise, it won't allow matching between two
transactions which have both been entered by hand.
</para>
</note>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="details.ledgers.cleared">
<title>Understanding the Cleared State</title>
<para>
A transaction can have one of three states: non-reconciled, cleared (C), and
reconciled (R). When you enter a transaction, it has state
non-reconciled. Once the bank posts the transaction, the user can clear it
and thus transform it to state (C). When you receive a statement from the
bank, all cleared transactions should be on the statement.
</para>
<para>
<screenshot>
<screeninfo>Understanding the cleared state</screeninfo>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="cleared_state.png" format="PNG" />
</imageobject>
<textobject>
<phrase>cleared state</phrase>
</textobject>
</mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</para>
<para>
When you <link linkend="details.reconcile">reconcile your account</link>, you
actually mark the statements as cleared and check that the difference between
the beginning balance and the cleared transactions equals the ending balance
of the statement. When this is the case, you can 'finish reconciling' which
actually changes the state of all cleared transactions (C) to reconciled (R).
</para>
<para>
If you try to edit a transaction with at least one split marked as reconciled
(R), you will be warned.
</para>
<para>
A fourth state is defined (frozen (F)) but there's currently no way to set
it. It is reserved for future use. Nevertheless, if a transaction has at least
one split in state frozen it cannot be edited anymore.
</para>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="details.ledgers.settings"><title id="details.ledgers.settings.title">Changing Transaction Settings</title>
<para>
There are several settings options that change the appearance and behavior of
the ledger view in terms of transactions. These settings are found by
selecting <guimenu>Settings</guimenu> <guimenuitem>Configure
&kmymoney;</guimenuitem> from the menu bar, and selecting the
<guiicon><inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="ledgers_view.png" />
</imageobject></inlinemediaobject>Register</guiicon> icon from the list on the
left.
</para>
<para>
Most of the settings are self explanatory. For clarity, several of the
settings are explained below.
</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
Show transaction form (under the Display tab) - toggle to hide the
transaction input area at the bottom of this screen. Transactions can
still be entered directly into an empty line at the end of the transaction
list, through an automatic compact entry area.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
<para>
These images show what direct transaction entry looks like compared to the
transaction form.
</para>
<para>The transaction input form</para>
<para>
<screenshot>
<screeninfo>The transaction form</screeninfo>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="transactionform.png" format="PNG" />
</imageobject>
<textobject>
<phrase>Transaction form</phrase>
</textobject>
</mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</para>
<para>Transactions entered directly</para>
<para>
<screenshot>
<screeninfo>Transactions entered directly</screeninfo>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="transactionform-off.png" format="PNG" />
</imageobject>
<textobject>
<phrase>Direct input</phrase>
</textobject>
</mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
Keep changes when selecting a different transaction/split - by selecting
the next line in the transaction list or split editor, the changes are
kept, instead of the default behavior where you have to push the green
check mark to save changes.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="details.ledgers.other">
<title id="details.ledgers.other.title">Other Functionality</title>
<para>
Additional options are available from the <guimenu>Transaction
Options</guimenu> menu, accessed by right-clicking any transaction in the
list.
</para>
<para>
<screenshot>
<screeninfo>The transaction options sub-menu</screeninfo>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="ledger_more.png" format="PNG" />
</imageobject>
<textobject>
<phrase>Transaction options</phrase>
</textobject>
</mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</para>
<para>
Options include jumping to the Payee's page, creating a schedule, and changing
the reconciled or cleared indication.
</para>
<para>
To edit the account information from the ledger view, select
<guimenu>Account</guimenu> from the menu bar. From this menu, you can change
the account details, or bring up the Reconcile menu, which allows you to match
transactions against an official bank statement or credit card notice.
</para>
</sect1>
</chapter>
|