I working on the GnuCash documentation I found more than a few times that I got totally confused where to find something on the menu's. I decided therefore to do a proposal to reorganise the menus.
The two attached pictures are of the current menu's. I look forward to any feedback on this proposal. I will also be attempting to do a mockup of the changes using the present menu code in GnuCash. I expect some parts will be to difficult for my limited skills to do. Chris
gnucash-menus.png
Description: PNG image
gnucash-register.png
Description: PNG image
Improving the GnuCash Menus. --------------------------- This document is intended as a discussion piece for improving the menu layout in GnuCash. Currently, as part of writing up the documentation on GnuCash, I sometimes find it difficult, if not confusing, to figure out the purpose and functionality of some parts of GnuCash. I have tried where possible in making up this document to incorporate design suggestions from the GNOME Usability Project. The Current Layout: ------------------ GnuCash currently has 2 different menu's used in its UI. One for the Chart of accounts and a different one for the Register. Other windows in Gnucash exist but these tend not to use menu's. I have attached 2 composite screenshots displaying the current layout. (gnucash-menus.png)(gnucash-register.png) Proposal: -------- I propose to apply these changes to the menu configuration in order to make the menu's more consistent and easier to use. ------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------ Chart of Accounts View: ----------------------------------------- File Menu: This should contain items relating to creating, opening, saving, closing and printing accounts and for exiting. There is currently a mix of places in both the Register view and the chart of accounts where these menu items are. I suggest making this menu appear in both views and having a standardised set of items. File --- New File Ctrl-N New Account New Account Tree --- Open File... Ctrl-O Open Account Open Sub-Account Open Recent > # To submenu --- Save Ctrl-S Save As... --- Import QIF File... Export Accounts... Export Report # Greyed out apart from when viewing a report --- Print Ctrl-P Print Check... --- Close Ctrl-W # Closes the current window in chart of accounts Close All Windows # Closes all registers and chart of accounts windows apart from default Quit GnuCash Ctrl-Q ------------------------------------------ Edit Menu: This should contain items relating to editing the account, clipboard handling, selection and searching and replacing. This menu should also be made to appear in both views and have a standard set of items. Edit --- Cut Ctrl-X # Cut, Copy, Paste to clipboard parts of current view Copy Ctrl-C # Greyed out apart from report views Paste Ctrl-V # --- Edit Account Delete Account Check & Repair > # To submenu --- Cut Transaction # Greyed out as only used in Register view Copy Transaction # Greyed out as only used in Register view Paste Transaction # Greyed out as only used in Register view Find Transactions Ctrl-F --- Edit Report Options # This exists as a toolbar button. Merge into this dialog Style Sheets Tax Options # Was Tax Information Options... # Was Preferences ------------------------------------------ View Menu: This should contain items relating to manipulating the way the interface looks such as changing the look of the toolbar, formatting fonts and sort order of items. This menu should also have a standard set of items View --- Refresh Ctrl-R # Reload report --- Hide Toolbar # These 3 are probably in preferences. It would be Hide Status Bar # nice to turn them off if you were wanting to maximise Hide Summary Bar # display space for a report on a small screen. --- Sort Order > # To submenus Date Range > # You should be able to set the display Style > # up before you open the account ------------------------------------------ Transactions Menu: This should be mostly greyed out in this view as it is primarily used to manipulate transactions in the register view. Transactions --- Enter # Greyed out as only used in Register view Cancel # Greyed out as only used in Register view Delete # Greyed out as only used in Register view Blank # Greyed out as only used in Register view --- Duplicate # Greyed out as only used in Register view Split # Greyed out as only used in Register view Jump # Greyed out as only used in Register view --- Transfer... Reconcile... Stock Split... ------------------------------------------ Reports Menu: This should contain items relating to manipulating reports. Reports --- Account Summary Assets & Liabilties > # To submenus Income & Expense > # To submenus Invoice # Greyed out as only used in Register view Transaction Report Tax Report & Export # was Tax Report/TXF Export Sample & Custom Reports > # was Utility ------------------------------------------ Tools: This should contain items that are useful additions to the basic functionality. Tools --- General Ledger Scheduled Transactions > # To submenus Price Editor Commodity Editor Financial Calculator ------------------------------------------ Help: This should contain items related to helping the user and about the program. Help --- Manual Tips of the Day --- About... ------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------ Register View: ------------------------------------------ File Menu: This should contain items relating to creating, opening, saving, closing and printing accounts and for exiting. There is currently a mix of places in both the Register view and the chart of accounts where these menu items are. I suggest making this menu appear in both views and having a standardised set of items. File --- New File Ctrl-N # Greyed out as only used in Chart of Accounts view New Account New Account Tree # Greyed out as only used in Chart of Accounts view --- Open File... Ctrl-O # Greyed out as only used in Chart of Accounts view Open Account # Greyed out as only used in Chart of Accounts view Open Sub-Account # Greyed out as only used in Chart of Accounts view Open Recent > # To submenu, Greyed out as only used in Chart of Accounts view --- Save Ctrl-S Save As... --- Import Qif... Export Accounts... Export Report # Greyed out apart from when viewing a report --- Print Ctrl-P Print Check... --- Close Ctrl-W # Closes the current window in chart of accounts Close All Windows # Closes all registers and chart of accounts windows apart from default Quit GnuCash Ctrl-Q ------------------------------------------ Edit Menu: This should contain items relating to editing the account, clipboard handling, selection and searching and replacing. This menu should also be made to appear in both views and have a standard set of items. Edit --- Cut Ctrl-X # Cut, Copy, Paste to clipboard parts of current view Copy Ctrl-C # Greyed out apart from report views Paste Ctrl-V # --- Edit Account Delete Account # Greyed out as only used in Chart of Accounts view Check & Repair > # To submenu --- Cut Transaction Copy Transaction Paste Transaction Find Transactions Ctrl-F --- Edit Report Options # This exists as a toolbar button. Merge into this dialog Style Sheets Account Tax Options # Was Tax Information Options... # Was Preferences ------------------------------------------ View Menu: This should contain items relating to manipulating the way the interface looks such as changing the look of the toolbar, formatting fonts and sort order of items. This menu should also have a standard set of items View --- Refresh Ctrl-R # Reload report --- Hide Toolbar # These 3 are probably in preferences. It would be Hide Status Bar # nice to turn them off if you were wanting to maximise Hide Summary Bar # display space for a report on a small screen. --- Sort Order > # To submenus Date Range > # To submenus Style > # To submenus ------------------------------------------ Transactions Menu: This should be mostly greyed out in this view as it is primarily used to manipulate transactions in the register view. Transactions --- Enter Cancel Delete Blank --- Duplicate Split Jump --- Transfer... Reconcile... Stock Split... ------------------------------------------ Reports Menu: This should contain items relating to manipulating reports. Reports --- Account Summary Assets & Liabilties > # To submenus Income & Expense > # To submenus Invoice Transaction Report Tax Report & Export # was Tax Report/TXF Export Sample & Custom Reports > # was Utility ------------------------------------------ Tools: This should contain items that are useful additions to the basic functionality. Tools --- General Ledger Scheduled Transactions > # To submenus Price Editor Commodity Editor Financial Calculator ------------------------------------------ Help: This should contain items related to helping the user and about the program. Help --- Manual Tips of the Day --- About... ------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------