# Entering Transactions

This chapter will give you the basic information you need to enter transactions in GnuCash. The next chapters address more specific cases you may have.

We mentioned before that transactions must consist of at least two parts, the part transferring money from an account and the part transferring money to an account. Accountants call these parts of a transaction Ledger Entries. In GnuCash, they are called Splits.

## Overview of Registers

To view an account register, highlight the account name in the account tree window and double-click to open it. You can also click the Open button in the tool bar or use the right mouse button menu to open the account. GnuCash will display the account register window.

For example, here is a Checking Account - Register: The Checking Account - Register

This image shows the Checking Account - Register.

The title bar of the account register displays the account name, which in this case is Checking Account. Below the title bar, the menu bar displays the menu items available within the account register, and the tool bar contains handy buttons that help you work with the account register.

Although each transaction has at least two splits, all you see in the basic register is a summary of the splits affecting the current account. In the Transfer column, you can see the other account from which money is transferred into or out of this account. If the transaction affects more than two accounts, GnuCash displays -- Split Transaction -- to show it is a multiple-split transaction. You can see the individual splits of each transaction by clicking the Split button in the tool bar.

For example, if you highlight the Paycheck register line above and click the Split button, you get an expanded transaction that looks like this: A split transaction

This image shows a split transaction.

The first line of the transaction is the transaction line. It contains a Date, optional Num (such as a check number), transaction Description, total amount affecting the current account (Tot Deposit here), and updated account Balance after the current transaction. Note that in the expanded view, the Transfer column heading disappears, and there is no account name listed in that field. This line shows you only a summary of the transaction's effect on the current account. For more detailed information, you need to look below at the individual splits that make up the transaction.

The partial lines below the transaction line are the split lines, and they are separated by gray lines. As you highlight one of the split lines, the column headings change to show the split-related fields:

How split headings change

This image shows how split headings change.

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.

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 Account split line. Why is this shown twice? Because the transaction line is merely a summary of the transaction's effect on the current account. 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.

In this example, if you jump to the Salary account, GnuCash brings up the same transaction in the Salary - Register:

A jump to the Salary account

This image shows a jump to the Salary account.

Note that the transaction line total now summarizes the effect on the Salary account instead of the Checking Account, because you are looking at the Salary account register. The splits are exactly the same, but the transaction line now reflects the credit to the Salary account.

At the bottom left of the register window, GnuCash displays helpful messages as you move about the register. To the right, you can see the current account balance and the total of cleared splits.

## Choosing a Register Style

GnuCash offers several options for viewing your registers. The default style is Basic Ledger mode, which displays only the summary of splits affecting the current account. This is the style that most closely resembles other popular personal financial packages.

You can choose a different register style by selecting View -> Style from the menu. The Auto-Split Ledger style expands the current transaction automatically. As you highlight a new transaction in the register, the transaction automatically expands to show all splits. The Transaction Journal style is more like an accounting journal, in which all splits are shown for all transactions.

All styles permit you to view your data in either single-line or double-line format. In the View -> Style menu item, check the box next to Double Line, and you will see your transaction line expand to two register lines.

## Using Entry Shortcuts

GnuCash provides several time-saving shortcuts for entering your data. When you type the first few characters of a description that you have used before, the QuickFill feature automatically fills in the rest of the transaction as you last entered it. When you type in the first characters of an account name in either the Transfer field of the transaction line or the Account field of the split line, QuickFill will automatically complete the name from your account list. It also helps you with entering subaccounts in these fields: simply type the first characters of the parent account name followed by a colon and the first characters of the subaccount name. For example, to enter Assets:Checking, you might type `A:C` and let GnuCash fill in the rest.

Register keyboard shortcuts also save you time, and GnuCash provides several of them. In the date field, you can type:

- + or = to increment the date and - or _ to decrement the date

- ] or } to increment the month and [ or { to decrement the month

- M or m to enter the first date of the month

- H or h to enter the last date of the month

- Y or y to enter the first date of the year

- R or r to enter the last date of the year

- T or t to enter today's date

In the Num field of the transaction line, you can type + to increment the transaction number from the last one you typed in. Typing - will decrement the number. This will also work in the Action field of the split line, if you choose to enter split numbers there. The Action field also supports QuickFill - if you type the first characters of a common action (such as Deposit), GnuCash will fill in the rest.

In any of the amount fields, you can use a built-in calculator. Simply type in the first value, followed by +, -, *, or /, then type in the second value. GnuCash will perform the calculation and return the resulting value to the amount field when you press the Tab key.

Most of the menu items have keyboard shortcuts, and these are marked by underlined characters in the menu names. Press Alt + [underlined character] to bring up the menu, then select an item by typing its underlined character. For example, typing AltT brings up the Transaction menu, then typing S will split the transaction. A few of the menu items use Ctrl key shortcuts instead, and these are listed next to the item.

To move around the register, use these keys to save time:

- Tab to move to the next field, ShiftTab to move to the previous field

- Home to move to the beginning of the field, End to move to the end of the field

- Enter or ↓ to move to the next transaction, ↑ to move to the previous transaction

- Page Up to move up one screen, Page Down to move down one screen

- ShiftPage Up to go to the first transaction, ShiftPage Down to go to the last transaction

In the Reconcile window you can use these keyboard shortcuts:

- Tab moves to the next box and ShiftTab moves to the previous box

- Space bar toggles the status between reconciled and not reconciled

- ↑ and ↓ navigate through the entries within the current box

## Putting It All Together

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: FIXME:This section needs redoing The dialog for a New Account

This image shows the New Account Dialog.

1. Open the Checking Account register. Select View -> 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.

2. From the Checking Account 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: Entering a Paycheck transaction

   This image shows Entering a Paycheck transaction.

   Record the transaction.

3. Now duplicate this transaction using the Duplicate button in the tool bar. Enter 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: The duplicated transaction

   This image shows the duplicated transaction.

4. 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 Account, FedTax, and FICA. You debit destination accounts and credit source accounts.) Edit the transaction so that it shows:

   ### Split Example

   Debit | Checking | 800
   Debit | FedTax | 200
   Debit | FICA | 50
   Credit | Salary | 1050

   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.

   Here's what the transaction should look like: The split transaction

   This image shows the split transaction.

   Press Enter to record the transaction.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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: The split transaction in the Salary Account

   This image shows the split transaction in the Salary Account.

   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.

8. 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: FIXME:insert chartaccts2.png The dialog for a New Account

   This image shows the New Account Dialog.

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.