Op dinsdag 19 maart 2019 22:10:29 CET schreef Adrien Monteleone: > I never understood the need or benefit to differentiate simple vs. split > transactions since *all* transactions are split into two entries at least > once. Perhaps dropping that distinction is in order, or does it serve some > purpose that isn’t outweighed by the confusion it causes? > > Regards, > Adrien > To my mind it serves a case in that we can offer a simplified input interface for the two-split transactions.
We have long had the single-line interface to enter two-split transactions as most new users find that interface easier to understand and use. But this simplified interface can't be extended generically to also support 3- or-more split transactions. In the personal accounting use case these are less common however so we have optimized for the two-split use case (at least that's what I suppose - it has been like that before I came into the project). So you are right that all transactions are multi-split and it's not for the transactions themselves we differentiate. We differentiate because for the special case of only two splits we can offer simplified input interfaces. Regards, Geert > > On Tue, Mar 19, 2019 at 5:45 AM Michael Hendry <hendry.mich...@gmail.com> > > > > wrote: > >> David, > >> > >> The guide says: > >> > >> "Every transaction in GnuCash has at least two splits, but a transaction > >> can have more than two splits. A transaction with only two splits is > >> called > >> a simple transaction, since it only involves the current account and a > >> single remote account. A transaction with three or more accounts is > >> called > >> a split transaction.” > >> > >> A recurrent observation on this list is that GnuCash is based on the > >> traditional paper-and-pen double-entry bookkeeping system, often linked > >> with the comment that many of the queries that come up are not problems > >> with GnuCash but with the poster’s lack of understanding of the manual > >> system. > >> > >> There seems to be no good reason for introducing the term “split”, and > >> wielding Occam’s Razor I suggest: > >> > >> "Every transaction in GnuCash has at least two Ledger Entries, but a > >> transaction can have more than two Ledger Entries.” > >> > >> “A transaction with two Ledger Entries is called a simple transaction.” > >> > >> “A transaction with more than two Ledger Entries is called a compound > >> transaction.” > >> > >> These three statements are entirely in keeping with bookkeeping usage, > >> whereas saying that a transaction with three “splits” is a split > >> transaction and then that one with two “splits” is something else is > >> muddling. > > _______________________________________________ > gnucash-user mailing list > gnucash-user@gnucash.org > To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: > https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user > If you are using Nabble or Gmane, please see > https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Mailing_Lists for more information. ----- > Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. > You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All. _______________________________________________ gnucash-user mailing list gnucash-user@gnucash.org To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user If you are using Nabble or Gmane, please see https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Mailing_Lists for more information. ----- Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.