Michael
T.
Edwardes

    mte@users.sourceforge.net

Roger
Lum

    rogerlum@gmail.com

2005-07-09
0.8

# Ledgers

## The Ledger View

The Ledgers view is where most of the functionality of &kappname; lies. This view is for entering transaction data into the various accounts. The view is split into two main areas: the transaction list, and the input area. In the transactions list, the transactions are arranged by date with the most recent transaction on the bottom.

It allows for several key functions: viewing transactions, entering transactions, and editing or deleting existing transactions. Other functionality includes modifying account details, or reconciling the account.

Ledger View

The view consists of these components:

1. The account drop down list

2. The transaction list

3. The transaction input form

### The account drop down list

Account Drop Down

You can select an account via the account drop down list. Note that depending upon the type of the account the transaction input form at the bottom of the view changes.

### The transaction list

Transaction list

After you have entered some transactions they are displayed in the transaction list. From here you can also change transaction properties or even create new transactions directly in the list.

## Entering Transactions

Two methods of entering transactions into the ledger are available; using the transaction input form and entering the data directly into the transaction list. The transaction form is displayed by default and this is the method we will discuss first.

To enter a transaction, first ensure that you have selected the correct account. To start entering a new transaction, double-clicking the empty line below the last transaction, or click the New button in the input area at the bottom of the screen. The fields in the input area then become available for entering information.

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 for the transaction to be split into multiple categories.

## Using the transaction form

Transaction Form

The transaction input form at the bottom of the view is the interface for creating transactions. Creating a transaction is as simple as choosing the transaction type, filling in the required information and then entering the transaction to the ledger.

Depending upon the transaction you wish to enter there are several different tabs available in the transaction form. Click on the tab that best describes your transaction and the transaction form will load several fields ready for your input.

Please note that the actual transaction method is not directly used by &kappname; but is purely for grouping/reporting purposes.

If you are unsure what method to choose simply use Deposit for any money going into the account and Withdrawal for money coming out of the account. The transaction methods and the differences between them are discussed in more detail within this manual.

Select the transaction method by clicking on one of the tabs.

### Entering the required information

Enter the required information using the following notes on the available fields. Note that many fields have 'Auto Completion' turned on. That is the field will try and finish your input for you. If you start typing &kappname; 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, &kappname; will find it for you after the first few characters have been input.

#### The Payee

The Payee is who the money came from/to. If the payee is a new entry &kappname; will ask if you wish to add this to the Payees view. Any other information related to a payee, such as the address details can be updated in this view later.

#### The Category

The Category lets you associate this transaction with another account for accounting purposes and to let you create reports and or 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 &kappname; will prompt you to create a new one.

If this transaction is a multipart transaction, i.e you wish to associate the transaction with more than one category, &kappname; can let you do that. An example transaction might be a cash machine withdrawal of 50 that 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 assign these categories to the transaction click on the Split button. This brings up the Split Editor. Enter the categories, creating any new ones as needed, and input the amount per category. Click on OK to save the assignments. Note that the category field in the transaction input form now displays Split transaction

#### The Memo

A one line memo can be entered if you wish to help you remember what the transaction was for.

#### The Check Number

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.

#### The Date

The transaction date can also be entered to specify when the transaction took place. See the special &kappname; fields section for more information on the date input field and it can be used to make entering dates quicker and easier.

#### The Amount

Finally the transaction amount is entered into the required field. Note that a simple calculator can be displayed by entering the % character into the field.

Enter the required information for the transaction and click on Enter.

## Directly inputting transactions into the list

The second method of entering transactions into the ledger involves editing the transaction list itself directly.

To do this you must first let &kappname; know that you don't want to use the transaction from by opening the settings dialog and unchecking the Use transaction form option.

This is performed by selecting Settings Configure &kappname; from the menu bar and selecting the Register icon from the list on left. The option to uncheck is labelled Show transaction form. When finished click on OK to be ready to directly enter transactions.

### Starting the edit

To enter a transaction into the register you can now either double click on the entry or press &Ctrl;&Insert; when the transaction is highlighted. The Up and Down 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.

To move through the fields press the Tab key and when done press Enter to save the changes or Esc to cancel.

Which method you use to enter transactions is up to you and is a matter of personal preference.

## Editing transactions

To edit a transaction select it in the list view and either click on Edit in the transaction input form or right click on the entry and select Edit 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.

## Deleting transactions

To delete the transaction select it in the list view and right click on the entry selecting Delete from the popup menu when it appears or press the Delete button on the keyboard.

## Split Transactions

Split transactions allows you to divide up a transaction into multiple amounts and categories. For example, using a split transaction, you can divide a single purchase at a store into multiple categories for the different items purchased.

To enter a split transaction, start a new transaction as normal, including entering the total amount. Instead of selecting a category, click the split button. If you have selected a category, that becomes the first entry in the split editor screen.

In the split editor screen, double-click an empty line to enter a new sub-transaction or press &Ctrl;&Insert;. Specify the category, add a memo, and enter the amount. To save this sub-transaction, press the green check mark under the category. To cancel, press the red cross.

After entering a sub-transaction, the bottom of the split editor shows how much of the total transaction is still unassigned. After entering all the sub-transactions, press the Finish button to save the entire transaction. If there are still unassigned amounts, you will be prompted to either return to editing the splits, change the total transaction amount, or leave part of the transaction unassigned.

Split transactions Split transaction

## Understanding the Cleared State

A transaction can have three states: non-reconciled (N), cleared (C) and reconciled (R). When you enter a transaction, it has state (N). Once the 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.

Understanding the cleared state cleared state

When you reconcile your account , you actually mark the statements as cleared and check that the difference of the sum of beginning balance and cleared transactions equals the ending balance of the statement. When this is the case, you can 'finish reconciling' which actually turns the state of all transactions in (C) to (R).

If you try to edit a transaction with at least one split in (R), you will be warned.

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.

## Changing Transaction Settings

There are several settings options to change the view and behaviour of the ledgers view in terms of transactions. These settings are found under "Configure KMyMoney..." under the Settings menu, and in the Register settings page.

Most of the settings are self explanatory. For clarity, several of the settings are explained below.

- 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 behaviour where you have to push the green check mark to save changes.

- Show transaction form - toggle to hide the transaction input area 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.

These images show the what direct transaction entry looks like compared to the transaction form.

The transaction input form

The transaction form Transaction form

Transactions entered directly

Transactions entered directly Direct input

## Other Functionality

Additional options are available from the Transaction Options menu, accessed either by right-clicking a transaction in the list or pressing the More button in the bottom input area.

The transaction options sub-menu Transaction options

Options include jumping to the Payee's page, creating a schedule, and changing reconciled or cleared indication.

To edit the account information from this view, press the Account button to bring up the Account Options menu. 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.