[GNC] Mac Installation 4.12 issue

[Hylton Conacher (ZR1HPC)]

Hi,

I recently downloaded the .dmg file for my OS.

I read the README and several other of the texts and not seeing any 
reference installation on a Mac I double clicked on the GnuCash icon.


This verified the package and opened it where I was able to create a new 
set of accounts.
I was puzzled as I had not seen anything about dragging and dropping the 
executable into the Applications folder.


I carried on and made the Mac remember the icon in the task bar.

Each time I execute the app it verifies the package, asks me if I am 
sure I want to open it as it was downloaded from a website. I confirm 
and the accounts I created and saved are opened, thank goodness.


I did some Google work and found the GnuCash app does not open a window 
showing a Mac user to drag the app into the Applications folder.


I ran the .dmg again and dragged the GnuCash icon to a Finder window 
open on Applications.


My problem was solved.

Please add something into the README contents about installing on a Mac.

Thanks and good gnucashing

Hylton
___
gnucash-user mailing list
gnucash-user@gnucash.org
To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe:
https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user
-
Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.

Re: Unit Trusts assistance development

[Hylton Conacher (ZR1HPC)]

HI David,



On 12/09/2017 20:08, D wrote:

Hylton,




I don't understand how this is different from a mutual fund or stock. 
Each has 'units' which have some currency value, e.g.,$5 a share.



Each transaction is actually measured in currency as there is a

 >price per unit which must be paid or received.

Again, I don't see the difference. In my example above, if I bought 10 
shares, I would have a transaction for $50, I would own 10 such shares, 
that wouldbe worth $50.


John, whilst I respect your contribution i.t.o. development of GnuCash, 
I feel you certainly need to take a refresher course in customer 
service. For your information, I am well versed in accounting having 
completed the subject top of my class at high school and consequently 
also completed 1st yr university accounting where I am fully aware that 
Assets-Liabilities=Owners Equity yet Gnucash does not seem to follow 
GAAP(Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) rules. Personal attack 
noted and put aside as it does nothing to help the GnuCash product. 
Unfortunately we both made assumptions and all it did was make an ASS of 
U + ME.


My issue is related to the fact that I cannot create the account opening 
balances as at 31/08 from my paper statement which shows both the price, 
the number of units held and the closing market ZAR value of the units 
held in that particular unit trust asset.


Using either a Mutual fund or Stock, did not allow me to correctly show 
the opening ZAR value of my unit trusts. When I open a new account as a 
mutual fund, it mistakenly marks the ZAR value of this asset as 
negative. According to John a course in basic accounting would fix this, 
however nowhere have I ever seen an asset marked as a negative currency 
value.


Should I try and open a new account as a stock, the tab on the new 
account windows indicating Opening Balance' is greyed out, just as it is 
on a Mutual Fund?


I basically need to add a Current Asset called Unit Trusts which totals 
the ZAR value of its sub accounts, of which there will be five named 
AG-Bal, AG-E, AG-MM, AG-O, Cor-Balp each with an opening balance on the 
31/08/2017 consisting of number of units to 4 decimal places, a unit 
price in cents to 2 decimal places/(ZAR to 4 decimal places) and a 
closing market value, in ZAR to 2 decimal places, which depending on the 
fund may/may not be the product of units x price i.e. the closing market 
value.


THIS IS THE CRUNCH:
THE OPENING BALANCE ZAR VALUE OR THE CLOSING MARKET VALUE ON THE 
PREVIOUS DAY MAY/MAY NOT BE THE PRODUCT OF UNITS OWNED X PRICE


A single account on my paper statement shows:

Units: 6659.22
Unit Price(cents): 2245.70
Closing Market Value: ZAR 149546.01

I am hopeful, once I can get the Opening Balances completed, that I will 
then be able to figure out how transaction will be entered correctly so 
at least my assets don't show up as a negative.


Thankfully transactions seemingly follow the unit x price in ZAR cents = 
ZAR value added/withdrawn from fund.



 If there is anyone else
 >who actually uses Gnucash for South African unit trusts, I would be most
 >pleased to hear from you.


I'd like to point out to you that John is one of the primary developers 
for Gnucash; his knowledge about how it works, and how it is intended to 
work, are pretty substantial. Thus far, you haven't shown that South 
Africa's unit trusts are in fact different from a mutual fund. Perhaps 
you could explain more clearly (with specific examples) how they are 
different, and we could proceed under more civil circumstances?


I have indicated to John that I am thankful for the work he has done, 
and continues to offer, for the Gnucash project.  David, as per your 
request I hope the example above helps illustrate how a unit trust 
opening value needs to be entered so as to correctly indicate the ZAR 
value of the asset to the account holder.


Regards
Hylton
___
gnucash-user mailing list
gnucash-user@gnucash.org
https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user
-
Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.

Re: Unit Trusts assistance development

[Hylton Conacher (ZR1HPC)]

Dear John,

On 10/09/2017 16:10, John Ralls wrote:




On Sep 10, 2017, at 1:26 AM, Hylton Conacher (ZR1HPC) <hyl...@conacher.co.za> 
wrote:

Hi,

I am a new user of Gnucash 2.6.17 on a Mac and after many years using the 
earlier versions (95/98) of Quicken on Windows Have started a fresh set of 
accounts on Gnucash, for personal use, since the 1st Sept.

I have managed to operate my way through how different the app works, and am 
actually enjoying the learning experience.

In the years previous to this I have invested funds in several unit trusts, or 
what I believe some call, Mutual Funds.

I would like to add the current balances of the unit trusts as opening balances 
in Gnucash however despite reading the on-line manual and doing some Google 
searching as well as Bugzilla searching, have been unable to successfully 
create the following unit trust type of account hierarchy, as the account type 
is not specified.

Further delving into the app trying to use either 'Stock' or 'Mutual fund' did 
not assist as then I needed to select the 'Security/Currency'. When I clicked 
on Select it only showed non-currency related items, and none of them in south 
Africa. As my country currency is not listed, despite being listed if I choose 
to add an 'Asset' account.

The composition of the units purchased is decided by the parent company from 
which you are buying the unit trusts. The money given to the company for the 
purchase of your units is invested in a variety of assets that should provide a 
return i.e. gold bullion, stocks purchased in a particular range of companies, 
bonds etc.
As the value of those investments increases i.e. those companies invested in 
are now worth more, so the value of a unit trust unit increases.
The parent company has absolute discretion on where and when it wants to invest 
your money and so manages the risk and ensures a positive return on investment, 
allowing them to take a fee of the profit earned.

A unit trust will normally be traded in the home country currency but may be 
traded in a completely different currency i.e. whilst the home currency is ZAR, 
I may have a unit trust that is traded in GBP. A unit trust consists of units 
purchased, usually to 2 or 3 decimal points i.e. 0.01 or 0.001 but some might 
be more, a price per full unit and then the currency value of the total units 
held in that particular named unit trust.

I believe this unit trust account type needs further development work and 
wonder if there is a work around?

I have raised a feature request
<https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=787493>
to request this further enhancements to Gnucash.


You believe wrong.

One accounts for units in a unit trust as units. Please STUDY the Tutorial and 
Concepts Guide, paying particular attention to the chapters on Investments and 
Capital Gains, where you’ll learn how to use GnuCash to account for 
non-currency assets.

Regards,
John Ralls


You are incorrect.
You account for your investment in units, expressed as having a currency 
value. Each transaction is actually measured in currency as there is a 
price per unit which must be paid or received. I tried to enter the 
investment as a mutual fund but the price calculation would not allow me 
to enter in values to 4 decimal places. After changing decimal places in 
the settings, I saw no change. Despite your advice and your inability to 
understand my mention that I had read and STUDIED the documentation and 
tried Google searches, I tried many methods to get the unit trust 
accounts to display properly, Gnucash is just not currently suitable for 
unit trust accounts, in my opinion, even if the account is marked as a 
Mutual fund or Stock, of which it is neither. If there is anyone else 
who actually uses Gnucash for South African unit trusts, I would be most 
pleased to hear from you.


Again John, thank you for taking it upon yourself to close my bugzilla 
post before doing any investigation into the matter or even waiting for 
a reply from the original poster. So much for you using the community 
user platform to improve the product.


I have reopened the request and will close it once I am able to 
accomplish what I require, whether it be by step by step instructions or 
further application development.


Let's make Gnucash great again.

Hylton




___
gnucash-user mailing list
gnucash-user@gnucash.org
https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user
-
Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.

Unit Trusts assistance development

[Hylton Conacher (ZR1HPC)]

Hi,

I am a new user of Gnucash 2.6.17 on a Mac and after many years using 
the earlier versions (95/98) of Quicken on Windows Have started a fresh 
set of accounts on Gnucash, for personal use, since the 1st Sept.


I have managed to operate my way through how different the app works, 
and am actually enjoying the learning experience.


In the years previous to this I have invested funds in several unit 
trusts, or what I believe some call, Mutual Funds.


I would like to add the current balances of the unit trusts as opening 
balances in Gnucash however despite reading the on-line manual and doing 
some Google searching as well as Bugzilla searching, have been unable to 
successfully create the following unit trust type of account hierarchy, 
as the account type is not specified.


Further delving into the app trying to use either 'Stock' or 'Mutual 
fund' did not assist as then I needed to select the 'Security/Currency'. 
When I clicked on Select it only showed non-currency related items, and 
none of them in south Africa. As my country currency is not listed, 
despite being listed if I choose to add an 'Asset' account.


The composition of the units purchased is decided by the parent company 
from which you are buying the unit trusts. The money given to the 
company for the purchase of your units is invested in a variety of 
assets that should provide a return i.e. gold bullion, stocks purchased 
in a particular range of companies, bonds etc.
As the value of those investments increases i.e. those companies 
invested in are now worth more, so the value of a unit trust unit increases.
The parent company has absolute discretion on where and when it wants to 
invest your money and so manages the risk and ensures a positive return 
on investment, allowing them to take a fee of the profit earned.


A unit trust will normally be traded in the home country currency but 
may be traded in a completely different currency i.e. whilst the home 
currency is ZAR, I may have a unit trust that is traded in GBP. A unit 
trust consists of units purchased, usually to 2 or 3 decimal points i.e. 
0.01 or 0.001 but some might be more, a price per full unit and then the 
currency value of the total units held in that particular named unit trust.


I believe this unit trust account type needs further development work 
and wonder if there is a work around?


I have raised a feature request

to request this further enhancements to Gnucash.

Hylton
___
gnucash-user mailing list
gnucash-user@gnucash.org
https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user
-
Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.