[office/kmymoney/Handbook-5.2] /: First pass sections through Institutions, start on Accounts
Jack Ostroff
null at kde.org
Sat Aug 19 17:56:57 BST 2023
Git commit eba791b8dd3e97ea4b9ec83640fae3ef847303c6 by Jack Ostroff.
Committed on 19/08/2023 at 18:56.
Pushed by ostroffjh into branch 'Handbook-5.2'.
First pass sections through Institutions, start on Accounts
Minor changes elsewhere
M +85 -3 README-CONTRIBUTORS
M +1 -1 doc/credits.docbook
M +145 -29 doc/details-accounts.docbook
M +2 -2 doc/details-categories.docbook
M +9 -5 doc/details-formats.docbook
M +99 -43 doc/details-institutions.docbook
M +1 -1 doc/details-payees.docbook
M +1 -1 doc/details-schedules.docbook
M +1 -1 doc/details-search.docbook
M +233 -188 doc/firsttime.docbook
https://invent.kde.org/office/kmymoney/-/commit/eba791b8dd3e97ea4b9ec83640fae3ef847303c6
diff --git a/README-CONTRIBUTORS b/README-CONTRIBUTORS
index e3721cdce..ca1e7eafe 100644
--- a/README-CONTRIBUTORS
+++ b/README-CONTRIBUTORS
@@ -27,13 +27,17 @@ This is in the order pulled in from index.docbook, with brief note on state of u
prelim update
<!ENTITY makemostof SYSTEM "makemostof.docbook">
- prelim update
+ prelim update - possibly need a complete replacement of this
<!ENTITY firsttime SYSTEM "firsttime.docbook">
- prelim update
+ prelim update complete
<!ENTITY details-institutions SYSTEM "details-institutions.docbook">
+ prelim update complete
+
<!ENTITY details-accounts SYSTEM "details-accounts.docbook">
+ prelim update started
+
<!ENTITY details-categories SYSTEM "details-categories.docbook">
<!ENTITY details-tags SYSTEM "details-tags.docbook">
<!ENTITY details-payees SYSTEM "details-payees.docbook">
@@ -60,4 +64,82 @@ This is in the order pulled in from index.docbook, with brief note on state of u
<!ENTITY credits SYSTEM "credits.docbook">
<!-- no longer used? <!ENTITY details-hbciofx SYSTEM "details-hbciofx.docbook"> -->
-<!-- not directly included in docbook "man-kmymoney.1.docbook" -->
\ No newline at end of file
+<!-- not directly included in docbook "man-kmymoney.1.docbook" -->
+
+----------------
+
+Items which need to be addressed, but so far not sure where (or more likely in
+multiple places.
+
+- Need consistency in capitalization of Xxx View. What about View Selector?
+
+- columns which may be displayed in various Views by right clicking in header and
+ selecting. Mention for each view, but is there a general place? FAQ?
+
+- In Institutuions and Accounts Views, balance is in currency of the account, total
+ value is in base currency. Need to confirm, and see how/if this affects roll-up.
+
+- In Categories View, Balance and Total Value - which get rolled up under what
+ circumstances?
+
+- I'd really like to avoid use of the word account when talking about tags.
+
+- most view selectors are "all of your..." why are Payees different? Also need to
+ use payee/payor earlier. The definition should not be in this description.
+
+- Add a section on platform specific known issues, and reference it in the makemost
+ of section.
+
+- Need an early mention of region/country differences. VAT, for example.
+
+- Firstuse says KMM keeps all your data in a file. Need to add note about where else
+ any info id kept (.local/.config for settings, rc file for checkprinting, ... and
+ others?) Also not sure where to mention that sql storage is treated as another
+ type of file.
+
+- is there a "man file" equivalent on Mac and Windows? (referenced in Launching
+ section of Firsttime.
+
+- running 'kmymoney path-to-file' says can import a gnucash file. Import or open
+ into kmm format?
+
+- Where are config files located? Handbook currently says $KDEHOME/share/config, but
+ I find it $KDEHOME/kmymoney where $KDEHOME is ~/.config) and other stuff in
+ ~/.local/share/kmymoney.
+
+- why is account type column not shown in Institutions View?
+
+- Confirm IBAN, Bank Code, SWIFT/BIC only apply to accounts, not institutions, and
+ explain only to the bank where the account is.
+
+- Deleting an Institution orphans any accounts without warning, and they do not appear
+ under the "Institution for accounts with no institution" until after a reboot.
+
+- "...all the..." or "...all your..."
+
+- In Accounts View, the type of "Favorite" is "Asset" instead of "Favorite" or blank.
+
+
+
+----------------
+
+This is a list of potential enhancements I came up with while reviewing the handbook,
+but have not yet posted either as wishlist bugs, entries to any Issue on invent, or
+elsewhere.
+
+- In the Institutions View, configure the ability to allow not showing an institution
+ with no open accounts
+
+- In Views with selectable columns, allow reordering of those columns, and make it
+ easier to add/remove more than one column at a time when right clicking in thr
+ header row.
+
+- Do we want to allow selecting right v left justification of any columns? (mainly
+ thinking of date in Schedule T View.
+
+- In multi column views, allow not forcing use of full width, i.e., don't force
+ rightmost column to right edge of window.
+
+- Consider reordering the View Selector. Categories right after Accounts, move
+ Schedules down directly above Ledgers? Payees above Tags
+
diff --git a/doc/credits.docbook b/doc/credits.docbook
index d6bcbb4e6..8cd775e56 100644
--- a/doc/credits.docbook
+++ b/doc/credits.docbook
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@
<listitem>
<formalpara>
<title>Robert Wadley &Robert.Wadley.mail;</title>
- <para>Artist. Icons, splash screen, home view.</para>
+ <para>Artist. Icons, splash screen, Home View.</para>
</formalpara>
</listitem>
diff --git a/doc/details-accounts.docbook b/doc/details-accounts.docbook
index 7f530adb5..03ca4a487 100644
--- a/doc/details-accounts.docbook
+++ b/doc/details-accounts.docbook
@@ -6,33 +6,46 @@
<author> &Roger.Lum; &Roger.Lum.mail; </author>
<author> &Jack.H.Ostroff; &Jack.H.Ostroff.mail; </author>
</authorgroup>
- <date>2018-02-01</date>
- <releaseinfo>5.0.0</releaseinfo>
+ <date>2023-08-20</date>
+ <releaseinfo>5.2.0</releaseinfo>
</chapterinfo>
<title>Accounts</title>
-<sect1 id="details.accounts.view">
-<title>The Accounts View</title>
+<para>
+ Your &kmymoney; file contains one or more accounts. All your money is in one of
+ these accounts. There are several different types of accounts. Typical
+ <quote>Asset</quote> accounts include bank accounts, cash, and investments.
+ Typical <quote>Liability</quote> accounts include credit cards and loans.
+</para>
+
+<para>
+ There are two other account types: <quote>Income</quote> and
+ <quote>Expense</quote>. These accounts are <quote>Categories,</quote> and are a way
+ to organize your transactions. They are treated internally by &kmymoney; as
+ accounts, and are described in more detail in the section on <link
+ linkend="details.categories">Categories</link>. Income and Expense accounts are
+ always displayed in the Categories View, but it is possible to <link
+ linkend="details.settings">configure &kmymoney;</link> to also display them on the
+ Accounts View.
+</para>
<para>
- The Accounts view provides a summary of all the accounts. It is similar to the
- Institutions view, except accounts are grouped under the Asset and Liability
- asset categories. Typical asset accounts include bank accounts, cash, and
- investments, while typical liability accounts include credit cards and loans.
+ You may also see <quote>Equity</quote> as an account type. Any account of this
+ type is a special account in &kmymoney;, used to hold the opening balance
+ transactions of all other accounts.
</para>
<para>
- There are actually two other account categories: Income and
- Expense. Categories are a way to organize your transaction; they are grouped
- under either the Income or Expense account category and are treated
- internally by &kmymoney; as accounts. They are described in more detail in
- the chapter on <link linkend="details.categories">Categories</link>. The
- Income and Expense account categories are always displayed in the Categories
- view, but it is possible to <link linkend="details.settings">configure
- &kmymoney;</link> to also display them on the Accounts view.
+ The final type, although it is displayed first on the list, is
+ <quote>Favorite</quote>. These are accounts of any other type which you have
+ indicated are <quote>favorite</quote> accounts in the details when creating or
+ editing that account.
</para>
+<sect1 id="details.accounts.view">
+<title>The Accounts View</title>
+
<para>
<screenshot>
<screeninfo>account view</screeninfo>
@@ -48,14 +61,117 @@
</para>
<para>
- Similar to the Institutions view, the Accounts view displays several columns
- with descriptive and summary information about each account. The rest of this
- chapter will focus on Asset and Liability account functionality. Income and
- Expense accounts, &ie;, Categories, are described in the chapter on <link
- linkend="details.categories">Categories</link>.
+ The Accounts View provides a summary of all the accounts. It is similar to the
+ Institutions View, except accounts are grouped by the type of account. The list of
+ accounts under any account type can be expanded or collapsed by clicking on the
+ arrow to the left of the type.
</para>
+<para>
+ Similar to the Institutions View, the Accounts View displays several columns with
+ descriptive and summary information about each account. As with the Institutions
+ View, you can select which columns are shown by right clicking on any column
+ heading and selecting or unselecting the checkbox next to the name of the column.
+</para>
+
+<para>
+ The rest of this chapter will focus on Asset and Liability account functionality.
+ Income and Expense accounts, &ie;, Categories, are described in the chapter on
+ <link linkend="details.categories">Categories</link>.
+</para>
+
+<variablelist>
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>Name</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ The name of the account. This columns is always displayed.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>Type</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ The type of account, ⪚, Savings, Checking, Credit Card, Stock, &etc;
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>Online</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ An indication whether this account has been configured for online access.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>Tax</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ An indication whether this account has been configured as important for tax
+ purposes.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>VAT</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ An indication whether this account has been configured to apply a VAT on
+ transactions.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>Balance</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ The current balance of the account, shown in the currency chosen when the
+ account was created.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>Total Value</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ This is the same value as the balance, but always in the base currenct as
+ chosen for the data file. These values are summed for the row for the
+ overall account type.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>Number</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ The account number, if one was entered.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>IBAN</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ The <acronym><ulink
+ url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Bank_Account_Number">IBAN</ulink></acronym>
+ (International Bank Account Number) is shown if there is a value entered in
+ the appropriate field on the account information dialog.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+</variablelist>
</sect1>
+<!--- done to here! -->
<sect1 id="details.accounts.create">
<title>Creating an Account</title>
@@ -72,7 +188,7 @@
menu item or choose the <guiicon><inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata
fileref="newacct.png" format="PNG"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject>
</guiicon> new account icon from the toolbar. You can also create an account
- from the Accounts view; click on the Accounts icon in the view selector and
+ from the Accounts View; click on the Accounts icon in the view selector and
then right click on the Asset or Liability tree icon and select <guimenuitem>New
account...</guimenuitem> from the popup menu.
</para>
@@ -247,7 +363,7 @@
</para>
<para>
- Selecting the <emphasis>Preferred Account</emphasis> check box will allow
+ Selecting the <emphasis>Preferred Account</emphasis> checkbox will allow
preferred access in some dialogs and views of &kmymoney;.
</para>
@@ -280,7 +396,7 @@
</para>
<para>
- If you want such a transaction generated, make sure the check box is selected
+ If you want such a transaction generated, make sure the checkbox is selected
and enter the required information.
</para>
@@ -579,13 +695,13 @@
<para>
If you re-financed an existing Loan, check the <guilabel>Refinance existing
- loan</guilabel> check box, select the Loan account and &kmymoney; will create
+ loan</guilabel> checkbox, select the Loan account and &kmymoney; will create
a transfer transaction paying off the existing loan.
</para>
<para>
If you don't want to create the payout transaction, check the <guilabel>Do
- not create payout transaction</guilabel> check box.
+ not create payout transaction</guilabel> checkbox.
</para>
</sect2>
@@ -660,12 +776,12 @@
<title>Opening / viewing accounts</title>
<para>
- To open an account in the Ledger view you can either click on the link to the
- account from the Home view, or click on the <guiicon><inlinemediaobject>
+ To open an account in the Ledger View you can either click on the link to the
+ account from the Home View, or click on the <guiicon><inlinemediaobject>
<imageobject><imagedata fileref="ledgers_view.png" format="PNG"/></imageobject>
</inlinemediaobject></guiicon> ledgers icon in the view selector and select the
account in the drop down box at the top of the view. Alternatively, in the
- <guiicon>Account</guiicon> view, either double-click the account entry or
+ <guiicon>Account</guiicon> View, either double-click the account entry or
right click and select <guimenuitem>Open ledger</guimenuitem>.
</para>
</sect1>
diff --git a/doc/details-categories.docbook b/doc/details-categories.docbook
index 57480ec78..476121b22 100644
--- a/doc/details-categories.docbook
+++ b/doc/details-categories.docbook
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
<title>Categories</title>
<para>
- The Categories view provides a summary of all the existing categories in your
+ The Categories View provides a summary of all the existing categories in your
current database. The categories are split into income and expense, sorted
alphabetically, and shown along with the respective balance for each.
</para>
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
There are 3 ways to create a new category: either select the
<menuchoice><guimenu>Category</guimenu><guimenuitem>New
category</guimenuitem></menuchoice> menu item; select a parent in the tree
- in the Categories view, right-click and select the <guimenuitem>New
+ in the Categories View, right-click and select the <guimenuitem>New
Category</guimenuitem> option, or directly type the name of the new category
when adding or editing a transaction in the Ledger. Doing any of these steps
will direct you to the <guilabel>Create new Category</guilabel> dialog. The
diff --git a/doc/details-formats.docbook b/doc/details-formats.docbook
index d1dde5ab4..8affaf8c9 100644
--- a/doc/details-formats.docbook
+++ b/doc/details-formats.docbook
@@ -10,13 +10,17 @@
<title>File Formats</title>
+<!-- FIXME: be sure to have a better explanation of the Backup command, including
+ mounting the directory. Can also use OS specifics, especially about folder
+ mounting on Windows. -->
+
<para>
Unless you choose to use a <link linkend="details.database">relational
- database</link>, &kmymoney; will store all your financial information in a
- file ending in <filename class="extension">.kmy</filename>. Also, unless you use a <link
- linkend="firsttime.launch">command line option</link> that tells it not to do
- so, when you launch &kmymoney;, it will open the last file it had open.
- However, it is important to know that there is more than one type of file
+ database</link>, &kmymoney; will store all your financial information in a file
+ ending in <filename class="extension">.kmy</filename>. Also, when you launch
+ &kmymoney;, unless you use a <link linkend="firsttime.launch">command line
+ option</link> that tells it not to do so, it will open the last file it had open.
+ However, it is important to know that there is actually more than one type of file
&kmymoney; can use to hold your financial data.
</para>
diff --git a/doc/details-institutions.docbook b/doc/details-institutions.docbook
index c023681cc..f7de274d3 100644
--- a/doc/details-institutions.docbook
+++ b/doc/details-institutions.docbook
@@ -5,24 +5,36 @@
<author> &Roger.Lum; &Roger.Lum.mail; </author>
<author> &Jack.H.Ostroff; &Jack.H.Ostroff.mail; </author>
</authorgroup>
- <date>2018-02-01</date>
- <releaseinfo>5.0.0</releaseinfo>
+ <date>2018-08-20</date>
+ <releaseinfo>5.2.0</releaseinfo>
</chapterinfo>
<title>Institutions</title>
<para>
- The Institutions view provides a summary of all the accounts grouped under
- their respective institutions. The list of accounts under any institution can be
- expanded or collapsed by clicking on the arrow to the left of the institution
- name. The last listed institution is "Accounts with no institution assigned."
+ Institutions in &kmymoney; serve as a way to group accounts. They are most
+ commonly financial institutions like banks and brokerage firms, but they can be
+ anything you want, such as <quote>Self</quote>, to hold accounts for the cash in
+ your pocket and any other assets not actually help by a financial institution, or
+ <quote>Stores</quote>, to group all your credit card and other accounts with retail
+ stores.
+</para>
+
+<sect1 id="details.institutions.view">
+<title>Institutions View</title>
+
+<para>
+ The Institutions View provides a summary of all the accounts grouped under their
+ respective institutions. The list of accounts under any institution can be
+ expanded or collapsed by clicking on the arrow to the left of the institution name.
+ The last listed institution is "Accounts with no institution assigned."
</para>
<para>
- The Institutions view displays several columns, showing information about the
- account. It also shows the total value of all accounts in each institution.
- You can select which columns are shown by right clicking on any column heading
- and selecting or unselecting the checkbox next to the name of the column.
+ The Institutions View displays several columns, showing information about the
+ account. It also shows the total value of all accounts in each institution. You
+ can select which columns are shown by right clicking on any column heading and
+ selecting or unselecting the checkbox next to the name of the column.
</para>
<para>
@@ -39,20 +51,17 @@
</screenshot>
</para>
-<para>
- The following columns are available in the Institutions view.
-</para>
-
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
- <term>Account</term>
+ <term>Name</term>
<listitem>
<para>
- The name of the institution or account.
+ The name of the institution or account. This column is always displayed.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
+<!-- not in Institutions View
<varlistentry>
<term>Type</term>
<listitem>
@@ -61,7 +70,9 @@
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
+-->
+<!-- not in Institutions View
<varlistentry>
<term>Tax</term>
<listitem>
@@ -71,7 +82,9 @@
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
+-->
+<!-- not in Institutions View
<varlistentry>
<term>VAT</term>
<listitem>
@@ -81,7 +94,9 @@
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
+-->
+<!-- not in Institutions View
<varlistentry>
<term>CC (Cost Center)</term>
<listitem>
@@ -92,17 +107,19 @@
used.
</para>
</listitem>
- </varlistentry>
+ </varlistentry>
+-->
<varlistentry>
- <term>Total Balance</term>
+ <term>Balance</term>
<listitem>
<para>
- Another new feature, not yet implemented.
+ The current balance of the account. No value is displayed for institutions.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
+<!-- not in Institutions View
<varlistentry>
<term>Posted Value</term>
<listitem>
@@ -111,17 +128,19 @@
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
+-->
<varlistentry>
<term>Total Value</term>
<listitem>
<para>
- The balance of the account in &kmymoney;. Note that for Institutions,
- this is the total of the balances for all accounts in that institution.
+ For accounts, this is the same value as the balance. For Institutions, this
+ is the total of the balances for all accounts in that institution.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
+<!-- not in Institutions View
<varlistentry>
<term>Number</term>
<listitem>
@@ -129,45 +148,72 @@
The account number, if one was entered.
</para>
</listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+-->
+
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>IBAN</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ The <acronym><ulink
+ url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Bank_Account_Number">IBAN</ulink></acronym>
+ (International Bank Account Number) is shown if there is a value entered in
+ the appropriate field on the account information dialog.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
- <term>Sort Code</term>
+ <term>Bank Code</term>
<listitem>
<para>
- This shows the IBAN number, if there is a value entered in the
- appropriate field on the Account information dialog.
+ The <ulink url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_code">Bank Code</ulink>.
+ This is known as the routing number in the US and the sort code in the UK.
+ <!-- FIXME: this and next - link to further explanation of where used and
+ where needed. -->
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>SWIFT/BIC</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ The <acronym><ulink
+ url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_9362">SWIFT/BIC</ulink></acronym>
+ (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication/Bank Identifier
+ Code)
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
+<!-- FIXME: confirm no longer true.
<para>
Note that many of these same columns are also available in other views, such
- as the Accounts view. When you select or unselect a checkbox to display or
+ as the Accounts View. When you select or unselect a checkbox to display or
remove a column, you will see a popup asking if you want to show or remove
that column from all other views where it is present. If you check "No," you
will only change the display of that column in the current view.
</para>
+-->
+</sect1>
<sect1 id="details.institutions.institution">
<title>Institution Options</title>
<para>
- Right-clicking an institution name brings up an Institution Options sub-menu,
- providing you with several choices. Selecting <guimenuitem>New
- Institution...</guimenuitem> opens the New Institution Dialog, where you can
- enter all the necessary information to create a new institution. Selecting
- <guimenuitem>Edit Institution...</guimenuitem> brings up an editable window
- with institution details such as name and address. Selecting
- <guimenuitem>Delete Institution</guimenuitem> removes the entire institution
- and all its associated accounts. Keep in mind that you will only be able to
- delete an institution if you can delete all of its accounts, and you will only
- be able to delete each associated account if it has no transactions and no
- schedules refers to it. Selecting <guimenuitem>New account...</guimenuitem>
- steps you through the new account process, which is described in more detail
- in the next section.
+ Right-clicking an institution name brings up an Institution Options menu, providing
+ you with several choices. Selecting <guimenuitem>New Institution...</guimenuitem>
+ opens the New Institution Dialog, where you can enter all the necessary information
+ to create a new institution. Selecting <guimenuitem>Edit
+ Institution...</guimenuitem> brings up an editable window where you can change the
+ institution details. Selecting <guimenuitem>Delete Institution</guimenuitem>
+ completely removes the institution from the data file. Any accounts associated
+ with that institution will remain, but without being associated with any
+ institution. Selecting <guimenuitem>New account...</guimenuitem> steps you through
+ the new account process, which is described in more detail in the next section.
</para>
<para>
@@ -208,12 +254,13 @@
<para>
Only the name is required in the New Institution Dialog, all other fields are
- optional. As with the personal information dialog, this data is not currently
- used by &kmymoney;, but will be required by future releases for certain
+ optional. As with the personal information dialog, this data is not currently used
+ by &kmymoney;, but some items may be required by future releases for certain
features. In particular, the <ulink
url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_code">Bank Code</ulink> and the <acronym>
<ulink url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_9362">BIC (Bank Identifier
- Code)</ulink></acronym> will be required for online banking.
+ Code)</ulink></acronym> will be required for online banking, although this may
+ depend on the country your bank is in.
</para>
</sect2>
</sect1>
@@ -222,10 +269,18 @@
<title>Account Options</title>
<para>
- Right-clicking an account name brings up an Account Options sub-menu.
+ The options just discussed refer to the institutions listed in the Institutions
+ View. Most of the rows in this viw are accounts. Right-clicking an account name
+ brings up an Account Options menu. The entries and details for this menu will be
+ discussed in the following <link linkend="details.accounts">Accounts</link>
+ section.
+</para>
+
+<!-- FIXME: remove the rest when confirmed covered OK in next nextion -->
+<para>
Selecting <guimenuitem>New account...</guimenuitem> steps you through the new
account process. Selecting <guimenuitem>Open Ledger</guimenuitem> brings you
- directly to the Ledgers view or Investments view, depending on the account
+ directly to the Ledgers View or Investments View, depending on the account
type. Simply double-clicking an account name also opens the account. Selecting
<guimenuitem>Edit account</guimenuitem> brings up a window allowing you to
change an account's name, start date, associated banking institution, and
@@ -251,5 +306,6 @@
</mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</para>
+
</sect1>
</chapter>
diff --git a/doc/details-payees.docbook b/doc/details-payees.docbook
index cd418ff0e..a020a4016 100644
--- a/doc/details-payees.docbook
+++ b/doc/details-payees.docbook
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
To remove a payee or payer, right-click the name and select
<guimenuitem>Delete payee</guimenuitem>. If the payee has any transactions,
you will be presented with a dialog that allows you to reassign them to a
- different payee, and also a check box to enable the deleted name to be added
+ different payee, and also a checkbox to enable the deleted name to be added
to the new payee's matching list. Another option for deleting an existing
payee is to select the payee or payer by left clicking it and then left
clicking <guibutton>Del</guibutton>.
diff --git a/doc/details-schedules.docbook b/doc/details-schedules.docbook
index c32f59b7e..81b024170 100644
--- a/doc/details-schedules.docbook
+++ b/doc/details-schedules.docbook
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@
Schedules View, and other displays. Specify how often the schedule should
occur, using the Frequency field and drop down list. For example "every 6
weeks" or "every 3 months." If the amount varies transaction to transaction
- make sure to check the <guilabel>Estimate</guilabel> check box and you will be
+ make sure to check the <guilabel>Estimate</guilabel> checkbox and you will be
prompted for the correct amount when it is entered into the ledger. The other
required fields in the Payment information section include the Account and
Category. The remaining fields in this section are optional.
diff --git a/doc/details-search.docbook b/doc/details-search.docbook
index 9bae35dc8..422a8993c 100644
--- a/doc/details-search.docbook
+++ b/doc/details-search.docbook
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@
<para>
Accounts are displayed in a tree format. Accounts that are marked for search
- are indicated with a check box. If you click the <guibutton>All</guibutton>
+ are indicated with a checkbox. If you click the <guibutton>All</guibutton>
button, all accounts are marked for searching. If you click the
<guibutton>None</guibutton> button, no accounts will be marked for
searching. Individual accounts can be marked or unmarked by clicking on the
diff --git a/doc/firsttime.docbook b/doc/firsttime.docbook
index 60704e6a3..84abb06c5 100644
--- a/doc/firsttime.docbook
+++ b/doc/firsttime.docbook
@@ -56,8 +56,10 @@
<para>
The menu and toolbars provide access to the features of &kmymoney; and allow you to
- <link linkend="firsttime.3">Create a new data file</link> or configure how
- &kmymoney; operates.
+ <link linkend="firsttime.3">Create a new data file,</link> open an existing data
+ file, or configure how &kmymoney; operates. The toolbar can be configured to show
+ icons for the operations you use most frequently. <!-- FIXME: pointer to wherever
+ this is described. -->
</para>
<para>
@@ -120,7 +122,7 @@
</textobject>
</inlinemediaobject>
</guiicon>
- Accounts: All of your accounts displayed in a hierarchy.
+ Accounts: all of your accounts displayed in a hierarchy.
</para>
</listitem>
@@ -136,7 +138,7 @@
</textobject>
</inlinemediaobject>
</guiicon>
- Scheduled Transactions: your recurring bills and deposits.
+ Scheduled Transactions: your recurring payments, income, and transfers.
</para>
</listitem>
@@ -186,7 +188,7 @@
</textobject>
</inlinemediaobject>
</guiicon>
- Payees: these are all the people or organizations you pay money to or receive
+ Payees: all your payees, the people and organizations you pay money to or receive
money from.
</para>
</listitem>
@@ -203,7 +205,7 @@
</textobject>
</inlinemediaobject>
</guiicon>
- Ledgers: your account transactions.
+ Ledgers: your transactions in each account.
</para>
</listitem>
@@ -219,7 +221,7 @@
</textobject>
</inlinemediaobject>
</guiicon>
- Investments: your portfolio summary.
+ Investments: your portfolio summary
</para>
</listitem>
@@ -235,8 +237,7 @@
</textobject>
</inlinemediaobject>
</guiicon>
- Reports: a collection of reports, providing alternate, customizable views of
- your financial data.
+ Reports: a collection of various, customizable displays of your financial data.
</para>
</listitem>
@@ -284,12 +285,15 @@
</textobject>
</inlinemediaobject>
</guiicon>
- Outbox: used by the online banking module to provide feedback on running
- processes. This view is provided by the KBanking plugin and may not be present
- on your system.
+ Outbox: a display provided by the KBanking plugin to provide feedback on
+ running processes.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
+<para>
+ Remember that some of these may not be present on your system; it depends on how
+ your copy of &kmymoney; was configured and built.
+</para>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="firsttime.3">
@@ -305,6 +309,13 @@
&kmymoney;'s data files.
</para>
+<para>
+ In addition to that data file with all the financial data for that set of accounts,
+ &kmymoney; uses additional files to store data regarding configuration and display
+ preferences. The exact location of these files depends on your specific Operating
+ System or Distribution. <!-- FIXME: we need a section on OS specific issues. -->
+</para>
+
<para>
To create a new file you can either select
<menuchoice><guimenu>File</guimenu><guimenuitem>New</guimenuitem></menuchoice>
@@ -334,16 +345,15 @@
</para>
<para>
- Since all fields are optional, you can use &kmymoney; without entering any
- information now. Any information entered here is used only to personalize
- your file. In the future, it may be used in some reports and for online
- banking. If &kmymoney; requires any personal information in future releases
- and finds none, you will be prompted to enter the relevant data then.
+ Any information entered here is used only to personalize your file. All these
+ fields are optional, so you can use &kmymoney; without entering any information
+ now. In the future, this information may be used in some reports and for online
+ banking. If &kmymoney; requires any personal information in future releases and
+ finds none, you will be prompted to enter the relevant data then.
</para>
<para>
- Please enter your name and address or nothing and press
- <guibutton>Next</guibutton>.
+ Once you have completed entering data, press <guibutton>Next</guibutton>.
</para>
<para>
@@ -353,15 +363,17 @@
</para>
<para>
- &kmymoney; supports multiple currencies. To set your base currency (the
- currency you use day to day and which will be used for your reports), select
- the appropriate entry from the list provided and press
- <guibutton>Next</guibutton>. A default will be selected from &kmymoney; based
- upon your locale settings.
+ If you need to change any of this information in the future, you can access this
+ form with the <menuchoice><guimenu>File</guimenu><guimenuitem>Personal
+ Data...</guimenuitem></menuchoice> menu item.
</para>
<para>
- In the following example, US Dollar has been selected as the base currency.
+ &kmymoney; supports multiple currencies. To set your base currency (the currency
+ you use day to day and which will be used for your reports,) select the appropriate
+ entry from the list provided and press <guibutton>Next</guibutton>. A default will
+ be selected from &kmymoney; based upon your locale settings. You can choose a
+ different currency, if appropriate for you situation.
</para>
<para>
@@ -379,8 +391,13 @@
</para>
<para>
- The following page allows you to create an initial account. For the typical
- &kmymoney; user this is a checking account.
+ In this example, US Dollar has been selected as the base currency.
+</para>
+
+<para>
+ After you click <guibutton>Next</guibutton>, the following page allows you to
+ create an initial account. For the typical &kmymoney; user this is a checking
+ account.
</para>
<para>
@@ -398,20 +415,21 @@
</para>
<para>
- Enter the name of the account and a possible account or reference number
- assigned by the institution managing the account. Enter the opening date of
- the account and the opening balance of the account. For example, you want to
- use &kmymoney; to manage all your finances as of 2008-01-01, then enter the
- balance of the account at the beginning of this date. The number can possibly
- be obtained from a paper statement. You may also enter the name and the bank
- code of the institution. The latter, known as the routing number in the US or
- the sort code in the UK, is optional and only required for online banking
- purposes, but it may also be helpful when importing bank statements in some of
- the formats supported (OFX, QFX).
+ Enter the name of the account and a possible account or reference number assigned
+ by the institution managing the account. The name is arbitrary, and is simply how
+ the account will be referenced and displayd by &kmymoney;. Enter the opening date
+ and the opening balance of the account. For example, if you want to use &kmymoney;
+ to manage all your finances as of 2008-01-01, then enter the balance of the account
+ at the beginning of this date. The number can possibly be obtained from a paper
+ statement. You may also enter the name and the bank code of the institution. The
+ latter, known as the routing number in the US or the sort code in the UK, is
+ optional and only required for online banking purposes, but it may also be helpful
+ when importing bank statements in some of the formats supported (OFX, QFX.)
</para>
<para>
- In case you don't want to setup an initial account, please uncheck the check box.
+ In case you don't want to setup an initial account or odn't have a checking
+ account, just uncheck the checkbox.
</para>
<para>
@@ -434,13 +452,13 @@
<para>
- Choose the appropriate country and account template(s). Each template provides
- a different set of categories for organizing your finances. Multiple
- templates, even from different countries, can be selected using a combination
- of &Ctrl; and &Shift; together with the &LMB;. The account
- hierarchy to be setup will be shown in a preview part of the wizard. In case
- you cannot find a template that suits your needs, don't select a template at
- this time, and you can manually set up categories later.
+ Choose the appropriate country and account template(s). Each template provides a
+ different set of categories for organizing your finances. Multiple templates, even
+ from different countries, can be selected using a combination of &Ctrl; and &Shift;
+ together with the &LMB;. The account hierarchy to be setup will be shown in a
+ preview part of the wizard. In case you cannot find a template that suits your
+ needs, don't select a template at this time, and you can manually set up categories
+ later.
</para>
<para>
@@ -448,19 +466,12 @@
proceed.
</para>
-<para>
- The next page of the wizard allows you to setup user preferences. If you
- select the checkbox, the application settings dialog will be displayed after
- you have completed the account setup wizard. Press
- <guibutton>Next</guibutton> if you are done and want to proceed.
-</para>
-
<para>
<screenshot>
<screeninfo>Preference Page</screeninfo>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
- <imagedata fileref="newfile-5.png" format="PNG" />
+ <imagedata fileref="newfile-6.png" format="PNG" />
</imageobject>
<textobject>
<phrase>Preference page</phrase>
@@ -470,13 +481,15 @@
</para>
<para>
- The last page of the wizard allows you to select the location and filename
- that will be used to store your financial data. Initial values will be
- constructed out of your HOME folder and user name. In case the file exists, a
- warning will be displayed which reminds you to select a name of a non-existing
- file.
+ This page of the wizard allows you to setup user preferences. If you select the
+ checkbox, the application settings dialog will be displayed after you have
+ completed the account setup wizard. Press <guibutton>Next</guibutton> if you are
+ done and want to proceed.
</para>
+<!-- FIXME: note the above shot is 6, but should be numbered 5, and the 5 below
+ is the wrong shot. -->
+
<para>
<screenshot>
<screeninfo>Filename selection Page</screeninfo>
@@ -491,10 +504,17 @@
</screenshot>
</para>
+<para>
+ The lastfinal page of the wizard allows you to select the location and filename
+ that will be used to store your financial data. Initial values will be constructed
+ out of your HOME folder and user name. In case the file exists, a warning will be
+ displayed which reminds you to select a name of a non-existing file.
+</para>
+
<para>
Now you have entered all relevant information to create the file. Press
- <guibutton>Finish</guibutton> and &kmymoney; will create the file for you and
- open it.
+ <guibutton>Finish</guibutton> and &kmymoney; will create the file for you and open
+ it.
</para>
</sect1>
@@ -503,7 +523,7 @@
<title>Creating accounts</title>
<para>
- There are multiple ways you can create an account, which are described here:
+ There are multiple ways you can create an account:
</para>
<variablelist>
@@ -511,7 +531,7 @@
<term>Using the menu</term>
<listitem>
<para>
- To create an account using the menu select
+ To create an account using the menu select the
<menuchoice><guimenu>Accounts</guimenu><guimenuitem>New
account</guimenuitem></menuchoice> menu item.
</para>
@@ -519,19 +539,19 @@
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
- <term>Using the Accounts view</term>
+ <term>Using the Accounts View</term>
<listitem>
<para>
- To create an account using the accounts view click on the <guiicon>
+ To create an account using the Accounts View click on the <guiicon>
<inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="accounts_view.png"
- format="PNG"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject></guiicon> accounts icon
- in the view selector to display the Accounts View. Right click on the
- either the Asset tree icon or the Liability tree icon in the right hand
- view and select <guimenuitem>New account</guimenuitem> from the popup
- menu. The Asset tree holds all of your accounts that are an asset, such
- as savings and investments. Liabilities are accounts that represent
- money you owe, such as loans and credit cards. These and all the other
- account types are discussed in more detail later in this manual.
+ format="PNG"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject></guiicon> accounts icon in
+ the view selector to display the Accounts View. Right click on the either
+ the Asset tree icon or the Liability tree icon in the display and select
+ <guimenuitem>New account</guimenuitem> from the popup menu. The Asset tree
+ holds all of your accounts that are assets, such as savings and investments.
+ The Liability tree holds all of your accounts that represent money you owe,
+ such as loans and credit cards. These and all the other account types are
+ discussed in more detail later in this manual. <!-- FIXME: reference? -->
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
@@ -550,32 +570,27 @@
<tip>
<para>
- Note that &kmymoney; uses context menus a lot throughout the whole
- application. If you find yourself stuck trying to figure out how to do
- something, try right-clicking where you would expect to see a feature.
+ Note that &kmymoney; uses context menus throughout the whole application. If you
+ find yourself stuck trying to figure out how to do something, try clicking the
+ &RMB; where you would expect to see a feature.
</para>
</tip>
<para>
- Creating a new account by either method opens the <emphasis>New Account
- Wizard</emphasis>. This wizard will take you step by step through the process
- of creating an account, gathering the required information at each step. To
- navigate through the pages click on the <guibutton>Next</guibutton> and
- <guibutton>Back</guibutton> buttons.
-</para>
-
-<para>
- Create an account using any of the previously mentioned methods to continue.
- A full description of creating accounts can be found in the <link
- linkend="details.accounts">Accounts</link> section.
+ Creating a new account by any of the above methods opens the <emphasis>New Account
+ Wizard</emphasis>. This wizard will take you step by step through the process of
+ creating an account, gathering the required information at each step. To navigate
+ through the pages click on the <guibutton>Next</guibutton> and
+ <guibutton>Back</guibutton> buttons. A full description of creating accounts can
+ be found in the <link linkend="details.accounts">Accounts</link> section.
</para>
<para>
Now that one or more accounts exist in &kmymoney;, your account summary is
- shown in the Home view. You can create transactions manually in the <link
- linkend="details.ledgers">Ledgers</link> view, or set up automatic
+ shown in the Home View. You can create transactions manually in the <link
+ linkend="details.ledgers">Ledgers</link> View, or set up automatic
transactions through the <link linkend="details.schedules">Schedules</link>
- view.
+ View.
</para>
</sect1>
@@ -583,19 +598,20 @@
<title>Schedules</title>
<para>
- Sometimes called a recurring transaction, a <link
- linkend="details.schedules">Schedule</link> is a transaction that occurs one
- or more times over a certain period of time. A typical example is your pay
- check that you receive every month or week. Rather than have to enter the
- transaction details each time you get paid, you can instruct &kmymoney; to
- create a schedule that will enter a transaction for you when you get paid.
+ A <link linkend="details.schedules">schedule</link>, sometimes called a scheduled
+ transaction or a recurring transaction, is a transaction that occurs one or more
+ times at a specified interval over a certain period of time. A typical example is
+ your pay check that you receive every week or month, or a utility bill you pay
+ every month. Rather than having to enter the transaction details each time you get
+ paid, you can instruct &kmymoney; to create a schedule that will enter a
+ transaction for you when you get paid.
</para>
<para>
- To maintain <link linkend="details.schedules">schedules</link> click on the
+ To maintain your <link linkend="details.schedules">schedules</link> click on the
<guiicon><inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="schedule_view.png"
- format="PNG"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject></guiicon> schedules icon in
- the view selector.
+ format="PNG"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject></guiicon> schedules icon in the
+ view selector.
</para>
</sect1>
@@ -603,10 +619,10 @@
<title>Categories</title>
<para>
- To maintain <link linkend="details.categories">categories</link> click on the
+ To maintain your <link linkend="details.categories">categories</link> click on the
<guiicon><inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="categories_view.png"
- format="PNG"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject></guiicon> categories icon in
- the view selector.
+ format="PNG"/></imageobject></inlinemediaobject></guiicon> categories icon in the
+ view selector.
</para>
<para>
@@ -619,7 +635,7 @@
<title>Tags</title>
<para>
- To maintain <link linkend="details.tags">tags</link> click on the <guiicon>
+ To maintain your <link linkend="details.tags">tags</link> click on the <guiicon>
<inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="mail-tagged.png" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject></inlinemediaobject></guiicon> tags icon in the view selector.
</para>
@@ -634,7 +650,7 @@
<title>Payees</title>
<para>
- To maintain your list of payees click on the <guiicon><inlinemediaobject>
+ To maintain your payees click on the <guiicon><inlinemediaobject>
<imageobject><imagedata fileref="payees_view.png" format="PNG"/></imageobject>
</inlinemediaobject></guiicon> payees icon in the view selector.
</para>
@@ -649,18 +665,19 @@
<title>Quicken Interchange Format (QIF) Import</title>
<para>
- If you currently use another financial manager application, &kmymoney; can
- import an account's transactions as long as they can be exported or saved in a
- format &kmymoney; understands. The most common of these is the Quicken
- Interchange Format (QIF). Most financial programs can export this format,
- although the different applications' methods of exporting QIF is not discussed
- here for brevity.
+ If you currently use another financial manager application, &kmymoney; can import
+ much or all of the data from that program, as long as they can be exported or saved
+ in a format &kmymoney; understands. The most common of these is the Quicken
+ Interchange Format (QIF). Most financial programs can export this format, although
+ the different applications' methods of exporting QIF is not discussed here for
+ brevity.
</para>
<para>
A full description of this topic can be found in the <link
linkend="details.impexp.qifimp">QIF Import</link> section.
</para>
+<!-- FIXME: do we want to mention any other format here? -->
</sect1>
<sect1 id="firsttime.find">
@@ -683,26 +700,27 @@
A full description of this topic can be found in the <link
linkend="details.search">Search</link> section.
</para>
-
</sect1>
<sect1 id="firsttime.reconcile">
<title>Reconciliation</title>
<para>
- At some point you will want to reconcile the transactions you have entered
- with the transactions listed in a statement, be it a bank statement, credit
- card statement, loan statement, or any other statement. Reconciliation
- involves matching what you have entered with what the statement lists. If any
- discrepancies are found then either you or the person who created the
- statement have made a mistake.
+ At some point, you will want to reconcile your records and details of an account
+ with the actual account to assure they match. This is generally done by comparing
+ the account in &kmymoney; with a printed or electronic statement for the accout
+ issued by the institution, such as bank, credit card, loan, or any other statement.
+ Reconciliation involves matching what you have entered, specifically the
+ transactions since the previous reconciliation, with what the statement lists. If
+ any discrepancies are found, either you or the person who created the statement has
+ made a mistake.
</para>
<para>
- To reconcile an account, first select the account, either from
- <guiicon>Accounts</guiicon> view or from <guiicon>Ledgers</guiicon>
- view. Then, either click on the <guiicon>Reconcile</guiicon> icon on the
- Toolbar, or select the <menuchoice><guimenu>Account</guimenu>
+ To reconcile an account, first select the account, either from the
+ <guiicon>Accounts</guiicon> View or from the <guiicon>Ledgers</guiicon> View. Then,
+ either click on the <guiicon>Reconcile</guiicon> icon on the Toolbar, if it is
+ visible, or select the <menuchoice><guimenu>Account</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Reconcile</guimenuitem></menuchoice> menu item.
</para>
@@ -716,12 +734,13 @@
<title>Backing up</title>
<para>
- Now that you have created some accounts and entered transactions it's a good
- idea to perform a backup. Because the file used by &kmymoney; is a standard
- Unix file you can just copy the file to another location to back it up or use
- the dialog provided by &kmymoney;. Using the dialog is the preferred method
- because if &kmymoney; ever starts using other file formats, such as SQL, then
- it would be much harder to copy the file manually.
+ Now that you have created some accounts and entered transactions it's a good idea
+ to perform a backup. Because the file used by &kmymoney; is a standard &Linux; file
+ (or &macOS; or &Windows; file, depending on your operating system) you can just
+ copy the file to another location to back it up or use the dialog provided by
+ &kmymoney;. Using the dialog is the preferred method because if &kmymoney; ever
+ starts using other file formats, such as SQL, then it would be much harder to copy
+ the file manually.
</para>
<para>
@@ -737,6 +756,11 @@
The file will be saved to the folder specified with the current date appended
to the filename so it is easy to see the date the file was backed up.
</para>
+
+<para>
+ For more details about the actaul format of the data file, and the backpu process,
+ see the <link linkend="details.formats">File Formats</link>.
+</para>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="firsttime.launch">
@@ -744,9 +768,9 @@
<para>
Most commonly, you will launch &kmymoney; from an icon or a start menu of your
- window manager. In this case, the default behavior is that &kmymoney; will
- open the last file you had open. However, in some circumstances, you will
- want or need to launch &kmymoney; from the command line.
+ window manager or desktop environment. In this case, the default behavior is that
+ &kmymoney; will open the last file you had open. However, in some circumstances,
+ you will want or need to launch &kmymoney; from the command line.
</para>
<para>
@@ -782,7 +806,7 @@
<para>
If you get a new computer, it's very easy to move your data. In fact, all you
have to do is to copy your &kmymoney; data file. The name of the file is
- shown in the title bar when &kmymoney; is running, it usually ends in <filename
+ shown in the title bar when &kmymoney; is running; it usually ends in <filename
class="extension">.kmy</filename>. The first time you run the application on the
new computer you will have to tell it where you have put the data file, either
by running from the command line, or from the
@@ -811,17 +835,19 @@
<sect2 id="firsttime.newpc.settings">
<title>Moving your settings</title>
+<!-- Need to clarify location of config data. Some in ~/.config/kmymoney, some in
+ ~/.local/share/kmymoney -->
<para>
- If you only move your data file to the new machine, as described in the
- previous section, &kmymoney; will work correctly, but you will have lost any
- settings you changed from the default on your old machine. To maintain these
- settings, you also need to copy your configuration file. This file is called
+ If you only move your data file to the new machine, as described in the previous
+ section, &kmymoney; will work correctly, but you will have lost any settings you
+ changed from the default on your old machine. To maintain these settings, you also
+ need to copy your configuration file. This file is called
<filename>kmymoneyrc</filename>. This file will be in a folder with other &kde;
- application configuration files. On a &Linux; system, this will be in
- <filename class="directory">$KDEHOME/share/config</filename> where <envar>$KDEHOME</envar> is usually
- <quote>.config</quote> within your home folder. If you are migrating from
- a version of &kmymoney; prior to 5.0 or later, the old location
- of <envar>$KDEHOME</envar> was <filename class="directory">.kde4</filename>.
+ application configuration files. On a &Linux; system, this will be in <filename
+ class="directory">$KDEHOME/share/config</filename> where <envar>$KDEHOME</envar> is
+ usually <quote>.config</quote> within your home folder. If you are migrating from a
+ version of &kmymoney; prior to 5.0 or later, the old location of
+ <envar>$KDEHOME</envar> was <filename class="directory">.kde4</filename>.
</para>
<sect3 id="firsttime.newpc.settings.plugins">
@@ -830,15 +856,16 @@
<para>
If you have run any &kmymoney; plugin, such as the csv importer or exporter,
it may also have created a configuration file in that same folder, such as
- <filename>csvimporterrc</filename> or <filename>csvexporterrc</filename>.
- These should also be copied to the new computer.
+ <filename>csvimporterrc</filename> or <filename>csvexporterrc</filename>. These
+ files should also be copied to the new computer.
</para>
<para>
- As with the main data file, this assumes the same version of the plugin on
- both computers. Upgrades are generally safe, but if the functionality of the
- plugin has changed greatly, it is advisable to carefully test using the old
- configuration file, to be sure the plugin behaves as you expect.
+ As with the main data file, this assumes the same version of the plugin on both
+ computers. Upgrades are generally safe, but if the functionality of the plugin has
+ changed greatly, it is advisable to carefully test using the old configuration
+ file, to be sure the plugin behaves as you expect. Of course this applies even
+ when upgrading the version of &kmymoney; on a single PC.
</para>
<para>
@@ -862,24 +889,42 @@
</sect1>
<sect1 id="firsttime.contact">
-<title>Contacting the Developers / Reporting Bugs</title>
+ <title>Getting Help / Contacting the Developers / Reporting Bugs</title>
+
+<para>
+ Since support channnels change over time, you can refer to the <ulink
+ url="https://kmymoney.org/support.html">Support page</ulink> at the <ulink
+ url="https://kmymoney.org/">&kmymoney; web site</ulink> for the most up-to-date
+ information on where to get help with &kmymoney;.
+</para>
+
+<para>
+ If you simply have questions about using &kmymoney;, you want to confirm you
+ understanding of how the application works, or need assistance finguring out the
+ best way to handle a particular financial situation, please consider using one of
+ the information sources, forums, mailing lists, or chat channels listed at the
+ above link.
+</para>
<sect2>
<title>Contacting the developers</title>
<para>
- For general questions or comments about &kmymoney;, there is a users' mailing
- list &userlist;. (<ulink
- url="https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kmymoney">more details
- here</ulink>.) In addition, you can contact the developers through their
- mailing list &devlist;. (<ulink
- url="https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kmymoney-devel">more details
- here</ulink>.) Since replies are often sent only to the list, you may not get
- any response unless you subscribe to one of the lists before sending to it.
+ For general questions or comments about &kmymoney;, there is a users' mailing list
+ &userlist; with more details <ulink
+ url="https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kmymoney">here</ulink>. This list is
+ suitable for general questions and discussion. There is also a developers' mailing
+ list &devlist; with more details <ulink
+ url="https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kmymoney-devel">here</ulink>. This list
+ is intended for more technical discussions. Since replies are often sent only to
+ the list, you may not get any response unless you subscribe to the list you send
+ to.
</para>
<para>
- We're happy to hear about your experiences using &kmymoney;.
+ Note that the developers generally monitor the various contact channels mentioned
+ above, so direct email contact is rarelly necessary. However, we're happy to hear
+ about your experiences using &kmymoney; over whatever channel you prefer.
</para>
</sect2>
@@ -898,8 +943,12 @@
<para>
In any case, before reporting a bug, please read through the guidelines below.
- Following them will make it more likely that the developers will be able to
- quickly identify the problem without having to ask you for more information.
+ Following them will make it more likely that the developers will be able to quickly
+ identify the problem without having to ask you for more information. Also try to
+ be sure that what you are reporting really is a bug (or wishilst/enhancement
+ request.) If things are just not working they way you expect, or you need help
+ using some feature of &kmymoney;, please use one of the alternate support channels
+ listed above.
</para>
<sect3 id="firsttime.bugs.quality">
@@ -915,53 +964,55 @@
<para>
Eli Goldberg wrote the canonical Bug-Writing Guideline, available at <ulink
url="https://issues.apache.org/bugwritinghelp.html">https://issues.apache.org/bugwritinghelp.html</ulink>.
- Generally, you'll be well-served by following these guidelines:
+ Generally, you'll be well-served by following the guidelines and advice from that
+ page. Some of those points are repeated below:
</para>
<formalpara><title>Include your system information</title>
<para>
The <menuchoice><guimenu>Help</guimenu><guimenuitem>Report
- Bug</guimenuitem></menuchoice> menu item will fill this in automatically,
- but if you would prefer not to use this interface, there are several items
- you need to include in the report. We will need to know what operating
- system you are using (&Linux;, &MacOS;, or &Windows;), the version of &kde;,
- and the version of &kmymoney; you're running, and either the version of
- &MacOS; or &Windows; or the name and version of your &Linux; distribution
- and the version of your kernel.
+ Bug</guimenuitem></menuchoice> menu item will fill this in automatically, but if
+ you would prefer not to use this interface, there are several items you need to
+ include in the report. We will need to know what operating system you are using
+ (&Linux;, &MacOS;, or &Windows;), the version of &kde;, and the version of
+ &kmymoney; you're running, and either the version of &MacOS; or &Windows; or the
+ name and version of your &Linux; distribution and the version of your kernel.
+ This information is extremely important, as many bugs (as well as behaviors
+ mis-identified as bugs) depend on the Operating System.
</para>
</formalpara>
<formalpara><title>Include a backtrace for crashes</title>
<para>
- The backtrace is often the single most useful piece of information in
- solving crashes.
+ The backtrace is often the single most useful piece of information in solving
+ crashes.
</para>
</formalpara>
<formalpara><title>Try to reproduce it</title>
<para>
- Let us know if you were able to do so. It's useful to know whether the bug
- only happened once and you couldn't get it to happen again or happens every
- time or happens sometimes but not others.
+ Let us know if you were able to do so. It's useful to know whether the bug only
+ happened once and you couldn't get it to happen again or if it happens every time
+ or if it happens sometimes but not others.
</para>
</formalpara>
<formalpara><title>Include specific steps</title>
<para>
This is a bad bug report: <quote>I entered a transaction, and &kmymoney;
- crashed.</quote> A much better bug report is: <quote>Using the transaction
- form, I entered a new transaction in my Credit Card account. I selected the
- Transfer tab, entered in an amount, then changed to the Deposit tab, and
- back to the Transfer tab. When I returned to the Transfer tab, &kmymoney;
- crashed. This bug is fully reproducible for me.</quote>
+ crashed.</quote> A much better bug report is: <quote>Using the transaction form,
+ I entered a new transaction in my Credit Card account. I selected the Transfer
+ tab, entered an amount, then changed to the Deposit tab, and back to the Transfer
+ tab. When I returned to the Transfer tab, &kmymoney; crashed. This bug is fully
+ reproducible for me.</quote>
</para>
</formalpara>
<formalpara><title>Tell us what you expected to happen</title>
<para>
- In some cases, this is obvious, but in more subtle bugs, sometimes you'll
- see a bug report where it is not obvious what the reporter expected to
- happen. Always tell us what you think should have happened.
+ In some cases, this is obvious, but in more subtle bugs, sometimes you'll see a
+ bug report where it is not obvious what the reporter expected to happen. Always
+ tell us what you think should have happened, as well as what did happen.
</para>
</formalpara>
@@ -974,13 +1025,7 @@
</para>
</formalpara>
-<para>
- Running this way is a bit more difficult, so we don't expect all users to do
- this. However, if you're interested in helping &kmymoney; become as stable as
- possible, this is the best way to do it short of finding the bug in the code
- and sending in a patch.
-</para>
-</sect3>
-</sect2>
-</sect1>
-</chapter>
+<para> Running this way is a bit more difficult, so we don't expect all users to do
+this. However, if you're interested in helping &kmymoney; become as stable as
+possible, this is the best way to do it short of finding the bug in the code and
+sending in a patch. </para> </sect3> </sect2> </sect1> </chapter>
More information about the kde-doc-english
mailing list