Transferring amouts from Cheque to Saving Account...

[Jack]

Hello again,

I think I had the right idea, but just used the wrong words.  Sorry for  
adding to the confusion.

On 2017.05.29 05:25, Thomas Baumgart wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> may I join you guys with my giant spider killer ;) More comments  
> inline.
> 
> On Montag, 29. Mai 2017 14:15:00 CEST zed wrote:
> 
> > Jack <ostroffjh at users.sourceforge.net> wrote:
> > > Hello Davie,
> > >
> > > On 2017.05.28 19:24, zed wrote:
> > > > KMMoney v4.6.6 on LinuxMint v18.1
> > > >
> > > > My mind has turned to mush :-(
> > > Don't worry - it happens to all of us at times.
> Confirmed.
> 
>>>> I have set up a Cheque Account and a Savings account and from time  
>>>> to time transfer amounts between the two.
>>>> I open the Ledger and click on Transfer and am presented with a  
>>>> "Pay to/From" option and a "Transfer to" option.  Right, should be  
>>>> simple, shouldn't it?  But this is where my brain refuses to  
>>>> co-operate and whatever I do, after I enter the date and amount I  
>>>> cannot save the entry.
>>> The one critical piece is that you have to tell it where to  
>>> transfer the funds.  In this case, you need to use the Transfer to  
>>> field and either select the other account, or start typing it's  
>>> name, and the list of choices should narrow to make it easier to  
>>> select.  Depending on whether you are in the sending or recieving  
>>> account, you can change the direction of transfer by the first  
>>> drop-down - startin g at "Pay to" but the other choice id "From."   
>>> What is probably the most confusing issue here is that you do not  
>>> need to put anything in that field next to "Pay to."  As with  
>>> Deposit and Withdrawal transactions, it lets you specify a  
>>> Category.  However, for transfers, I think it is rare that you need  
>>> to do that.  Categories are mostly used to track where your money  
>>> comes from and where it goes to.  A transfer is just moving money  
>>> between two of your accounts, so a category is rarely needed.  It  
>>> might be used if you wanted to track the different reasons you  
>>> transferred money between accounts - but it is up to you.
> Ooops, here we go: category is just a placeholder for 'income/expense  
> account'. So the category field is exactly where you need to enter  
> that name of the savings account, not in the payee field. Leave the  
> payee empty, as you pay to yourself.
Yes, that first field ('Pay to' or 'From') is Payee, not Category.  The  
second field ('Transfer to' or 'Transfer from') is for the other  
account.

> I wonder how we can make that more clear in the UI that a category is  
> an account or vice versa.

I think this may be getting into philosophy or metaphysics, rather than  
just a UI design question.  Although categories and accounts do show up  
in the same drop-down, I think most of the time, the user is looking  
for either one or the other, depending on the action.  For a transfer -  
it would be an account.  I think the confusion here is that both fields  
are "To" or "From" something.  I'm tempted to suggest simply disabling  
the payee field when the transaction is a transfer.  For a Deposit or  
Withdrawal transaction, the field is labelled "Category," and I don't  
think anyone would try to use an account, even though they are included  
in the drop-down.

>>>> As most of my transfer entries would be from the Cheque Account to  
>>>> the Savings Account, what options should I choose to effect the  
>>>> transfer, please?  I am in the Cheque Account Ledger.
> > > >
>>>> I have read the comprehensive KMM Manual but cannot find anything  
>>>> dealing with what one actually does with Transfers between  
>>>> accounts.
> > > >
> > > > Regards from New Zealand on a very cool and cloudy Monday  
> morning.
> > >
> > > Also cool and cloudy here in Connecticut, but still Sunday  
> evening :-)
> > >
> > > Write back if this isn't enough to clear the cobwebs.
> >
> > Thank you for a very prompt reply.  It is very much appreciated.
> >
> > Sadly, I'm still doing something wrong :-(
> >
>> (1) I am in the Cheque account and want to transfer money to the  
>> Savings Account.
> >
>> (2) I select "Transfer" and accept the default "Pay to"
> >
> (2a) put the cursor into the category field, then continue with (3)
Aha - if you have selected the "Transfer" tab, and "Pay to" then the  
second field should say "Transfer to" not "Category."  Hopefully, you  
said "category field" only because I said so, and really do mean the  
"Payee" field.  That's a mistake I should not have made.

>> (3) Start typing the name of the Saving Account but all it brings up  
>> is a list of Payees!
> A list of accounts should appear.
The list of Payees should be in the "Pay to" (first) field, not the  
"Transfer to" (second) field, which should indeed have the list of  
accounts.

>> (4) Try the other way round by entering Savings Account and then  
>> starting the name of the cheque account.  Again, just a list of  
>> Payees!
> >
>> (5) Go to Payees and enter the name of the Savings Account and the  
>> name of the Cheque Account as payees. Note: I'll try anything when  
>> I'm desperate!)
> 
> It looks like it. At least what you are trying does not make sense to  
> me.
> 
>> (6) Redo step 3 but at completion of details (date and amount)  
>> cannot save the entry.
> >
> > (7) Try the other way around with same result.
> >
>> Another thousand spiders have joined in the task of increasing the  
>> opacity of the cobebs!
> >
> > Any further hints, please?
> 
> Hope that helps.
> 
> And now closing, the weather report: hot and sunny here in Germany,  
> thunderstorms ahead :-)
> 
> 
> Regards
> 
> --
> 
> Regards
> 
> Thomas Baumgart

Jack