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Bug 534210 - additional "individual check item types"
additional "individual check item types"
Status: RESOLVED FIXED
Product: GnuCash
Classification: Other
Component: Check Printing
2.2.x
Other Linux
: Normal enhancement
: ---
Assigned To: David Hampton
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
 
Reported: 2008-05-21 15:49 UTC by sam
Modified: 2018-06-29 22:04 UTC
See Also:
GNOME target: ---
GNOME version: ---


Attachments
proposed patch (58.08 KB, patch)
2010-01-28 10:37 UTC, Thomas Troesch
committed Details | Review
doc patch to Guide for 534210. (11.69 KB, patch)
2010-02-07 08:27 UTC, Thomas Troesch
committed Details | Review

Description sam 2008-05-21 15:49:22 UTC
Thank you for "Part D: Auxiliary File Formats" in your tutorial and concepts guide.  I know little-to-nothing about programing, but I was able to customize our own checks.  Here is my "programming" for our custom payroll check:

[Top]
Guid = 67b144d1-96a5-48d5-9337-0e1083bbf2298
Title = happyville payroll check8
Rotation = 0.0
Translation = 0.0;4.0
Show_Grid = false
Show_Boxes = false

[Check Positions]

[Check Items]

Type_1 = DATE
Coords_1 = 500.0;67.0

Type_2 = PAYEE
Coords_2 = 90.0;102.0;400.0;20.0

Type_3 = AMOUNT_WORDS
Coords_3 = 90.0;132.0

Type_4 = AMOUNT_NUMBER
Coords_4 = 500.0;102.0

Type_5 = NOTES
Coords_5 = 50.0;200.0

Type_6 = ACTION
Coords_6 = 50.0;290.0

Type_7 = MEMO
Coords_7 = 50.0;310.0

Type_8 = DATE
Coords_8 = 350.0;340.0
Align_8 = right

Type_9 = TEXT
Coords_9 = 500.0;340.0
Align_9 = right
Text_9 = YTD

Type_10 = TEXT
Coords_10 = 50.0;360.0
Text_10 = Salary

Type_11 = TEXT
Coords_11 = 350.0;360.0
Align_11 = right
Text_11 = __________

Type_12 = TEXT
Coords_12 = 500.0;360.0
Align_12 = right
Text_12 = __________

Type_13 = TEXT
Coords_13 = 50.0;380.0
Text_13 = Federal Withholding

Type_14 = TEXT
Coords_14 = 350.0;380.0
Align_14 = right
Text_14 = __________

Type_15 = TEXT
Coords_15 = 500.0;380.0
Align_15 = right
Text_15 = __________

Type_16 = TEXT
Coords_16 = 50.0;400.0
Text_16 = Social Security

Type_17 = TEXT
Coords_17 = 350.0;400.0
Align_17 = right
Text_17 = __________

Type_18 = TEXT
Coords_18 = 500.0;400.0
Align_18 = right
Text_18 = __________

Type_19 = TEXT
Coords_19 = 50.0;420.0
Text_19 = Medicaid/Medicare

Type_20 = TEXT
Coords_20 = 350.0;420.0
Align_20 = right
Text_20 = __________

Type_21 = TEXT
Coords_21 = 500.0;420.0
Align_21 = right
Text_21 = __________

Type_22 = TEXT
Coords_22 = 50.0;440.0
Text_22 = Disposable Income

Type_23 = TEXT
Coords_23 = 350.0;440.0
Align_23 = right
Text_23 = __________

Type_24 = TEXT
Coords_24 = 500.0;440.0
Align_24 = right
Text_24 = __________

Type_25 = TEXT
Coords_25 = 50.0;470.0
Text_25 = not-for-profit, 1234 John Doe Road, Happyville, Heaven 12345

Type_26 = NOTES
Coords_26 = 50.0;490.0

Type_27 = ACTION
Coords_27 = 50.0;540.0

Type_28 = MEMO
Coords_28 = 50.0;560.0

Type_29 = DATE
Coords_29 = 350.0;590.0
Align_29 = right

Type_30 = TEXT
Coords_30 = 500.0;590.0
Align_30 = right
Text_30 = YTD

Type_31 = TEXT
Coords_31 = 50.0;610.0
Text_31 = Salary

Type_32 = TEXT
Coords_32 = 350.0;610.0
Align_32 = right
Text_32 = __________

Type_33 = TEXT
Coords_33 = 500.0;610.0
Align_33 = right
Text_33 = __________

Type_34 = TEXT
Coords_34 = 50.0;630.0
Text_34 = Federal Withholding

Type_35 = TEXT
Coords_35 = 350.0;630.0
Align_35 = right
Text_35 = __________

Type_36 = TEXT
Coords_36 = 500.0;630.0
Align_36 = right
Text_36 = __________

Type_37 = TEXT
Coords_37 = 50.0;650.0
Text_37 = Social Security

Type_38 = TEXT
Coords_38 = 350.0;650.0
Align_38 = right
Text_38 = __________

Type_39 = TEXT
Coords_39 = 500.0;650.0
Align_39 = right
Text_39 = __________

Type_40 = TEXT
Coords_40 = 50.0;670.0
Text_40 = Medicaid/Medicare

Type_41 = TEXT
Coords_41 = 350.0;670.0
Align_41 = right
Text_41 = __________

Type_42 = TEXT
Coords_42 = 500.0;670.0
Align_42 = right
Text_42 = __________

Type_43 = TEXT
Coords_43 = 50.0;690.0
Text_43 = Disposable Income

Type_44 = TEXT
Coords_44 = 350.0;690.0
Align_44 = right
Text_44 = __________

Type_45 = TEXT
Coords_45 = 500.0;690.0
Align_45 = right
Text_45 = __________

Type_46 = TEXT
Coords_46 = 50.0;720.0
Text_46 = not-for-profit, 1234 John Doe Road, Happyville, Heaven 12345

Type_47 = NOTES
Coords_47 = 50.0;740.0

End.

However, I am lacking a critical component.  I need Table D-4 in the concepts and tutorial guide to include an additional "Individual Check Item Type" perhaps named "ACCOUNT".   Open a checking account and select View>Transaction Journal.  Click on a transaction split so that the key at the top of the account register reads Action,Memo,Account,R,Debit,Credit (depending on your preferences it doesn't have to read Debit,Credit).  When I customize the check layout, I need the Type_n = ACCOUNT to perform the following function:  pull the account directory reference and the debit\credit amount from each split-transaction entry except the last split-transaction entry.  (By default, the last split-transaction entry is always the account that your register is currently viewing and to include this would be redundant and confusing.)  Here is a crude example of the result (this example applies to both households and businesses.  Also note, bracketed terms are for explanation, they should not show on the printout or be apart of the ACCOUNT Item type):  

[account directory reference]      [debit\credit]
Expenses/ISP/Cable                 49.99
Expenses/ISP/Internet              39.99
Expenses/ISP/Phone                 24.99
Tax/Sales                           9.84


Additionally, it would very kind and beneficent of you to include an "Individual Check Item Type" perhaps named "SPLIT-MEMO" that pulls each of the memo entries from each split-transaction entry except the last entry.  (The Individual Check Item Type "MEMO" already pulls the memo entry corresponding to the last split-transaction entry.)  However, I will not push my luck;)  But here is an example for giggles:

[split-transaction memo]   [account directory reference]        [debit\credit]
Jan-08                      Expenses/ISP/Cable                      49.99
Jan-08                      Expenses/ISP/Internet                   39.99
Jan-08                      Expenses/ISP/Phone                      24.99
                            Tax/Sales                                9.84

Many business use a check layout that I will call "one-check-per-page".  This one-check-per-page layout prints the actual check information on the top-third of the page where the actual check is located, then prints two identical check "receipts" on the middle-third and bottom-third of the page.  The page is perforated between the top-third/middle-third and the middle-third/bottom-third.  Small and medium businesses use one-check-per-page because they need the paper trail of check receipts with itemized listings on them: one for the check drawer and one for the client after the client deposits the check.  (In reality large businesses do the same thing and households would certainly enjoy this option as well, so this sort of functionality is completely scalable in terms of the operational size of an entity.)  Without the ability to itemize split-accounts and split-amounts on the check printout, the capability of the print check function extends only to household use.  Hence the need for increased functionality of check printing customization.

I use Ubuntu 8.04.  I am not savvy with computer hardware, so I do not know all the specs.
Comment 1 Thomas Troesch 2010-01-25 10:59:17 UTC
This does look very useful.  

I've recently added a voucher style check like you describe, and have since then tried printing the split information.  I found that at least three item types are needed, split memo, split accounts, and split amounts.  This way each part can be suppressed and located as needed.
Comment 2 Thomas Troesch 2010-01-28 10:37:07 UTC
Created attachment 152475 [details] [review]
proposed patch
Comment 3 Thomas Troesch 2010-01-28 10:54:06 UTC
The proposed patch does:

1.  Changes the chk file key to Blocking_Chars as described in 607522 ( this had been dropped by mistake ).

2.  Add several fields to the Custom tab in the print check dialog.

  Locations for:
  a.  split memos fields.
  b.  split accounts ( e.g.  Expenses:Auto )
  c.  split amounts ( e.g.  GBP 21.40 )
  
  The splits do not include the last split in the transaction.
  The keys in the chk format file are:
  SPLITS_AMOUNT
  SPLITS_MEMO
  SPLITS_ACCOUNTS

3.  Memo was added to the custom tab.  This is the memo from the split that matches the account from the register.
Comment 4 sam 2010-01-29 03:04:12 UTC
Review of attachment 152475 [details] [review]:

Wow.  I think this is exactly what I had asked for.  Thank you very much.  I am still not a programmer but I look forward to playing with the results in the next stable release.  I do not know if I am supposed to change the patch status, or if I should give Mr. Troesch the honors.  I think I will just change the status to reviewed for now.  I've never really done anything like this before.  Thank you again.  This patch seems to provide the check customization capability necessary for check printing in a business environment.  I really look forward to using it, and I think others who are looking for good open source accounting software will too.
Comment 5 Thomas Troesch 2010-02-07 08:27:10 UTC
Created attachment 153189 [details] [review]
doc patch to Guide for 534210.

doc patch to Guide for 534210.
Comment 6 Christian Stimming 2010-02-10 20:39:23 UTC
Comment on attachment 152475 [details] [review]
proposed patch

r18636, thanks a lot!
Comment 7 Thomas Troesch 2010-02-10 22:19:43 UTC
Thank you.  It looks like the doc changes didn't get in.  Is that on a different schedule?
Comment 8 Christian Stimming 2010-02-18 07:23:18 UTC
Comment on attachment 153189 [details] [review]
doc patch to Guide for 534210.

r18669, thanks a lot!
Comment 9 John Ralls 2018-06-29 22:04:41 UTC
GnuCash bug tracking has moved to a new Bugzilla host. This bug has been copied to https://bugs.gnucash.org/show_bug.cgi?id=534210. Please update any external references or bookmarks.