Splasm Software Discussions

Newbie here. I have two accounts, each with the 2 standard Smart Folders ("this year" & "last year"). Also, account #1, (call it Melissa) has 3 Folders, and account #2 (call it Joe) has 2 Folders, each representing an distinct account at a different institution.

The Problem:
In Melissa's account, the balances inside each of the Folders does not equal the amount of the transactions in that folder. Instead it equals the amount of the [parent] Account itself. However, In Joe's account, the first Folder's balance equals only the transactions in that Folder, while the second Folder's balance equals the total of the [parent] Account itself, like all 3 Folders in Melissa's account.

I all 5 Folders, though, the shown balance in the Accounts Drawer is the correct balance of each individual Folder. So, that means that the Drawer balance does not match the Balance column inside the folders (except the one odd one is Joe's account)

First question: what is going on with that one Folder, being different than the rest. They were all created and treated at the same time and in the same way.

Second, can you help to understand why the individual Folders would not be like subfolders, where the information in each is accurate for just the transactions inside? I am finding myself having to use the Description column, alongside the Balance column, to manually enter the accurate balance for that each Folder (except the one that is acting differently). I'm hoping you could help me to understand why there is a purpose to that. I am finding it useless, and causing extra work calculating the correct balance after each transaction myself, then manually adding it to the description, so that I have a real register balance in each folder.
Thanks.
K

It sounds as though you're trying to manage multiple Accounts under a parent Account, in a tree or hierarchical fashion. The issue is CheckBook Pro's Folders aren't meant to contain unique Accounts. Instead, they're for subgroups of Entries from a single, parent Account. That's why the Balance column figures appear off - they're subtotaled as if all of the Entries in each of your Accounts' Folders were originally contained within a common parent Account. A better way to manage your Accounts, and get most of the results you're expecting, is to create three Accounts for Melissa and two Accounts for Joe. That will get you the correct Balance column figures because you'll have truly distinct Accounts as far as CheckBook Pro is concerned, though it will leave you without the sum of all of Melissa's or Joe's Accounts. For those totals we would have to implement an Account grouping feature, something we're looking into for a future release.

Hope that helps answer your questions, K. Let us know if you need us to help out with additional details.

_________________
Keith Gugliotto
Primordial Sea Captain
Splasm Software
https://www.splasm.com

Keith,

Thank you for the clarification. I guess I will have to separate in to 5 accounts Grouping the accounts would be a very useful and enhancing feature, i.e. multiple IRAs, credit cards, etc.

I am still wondering why 1 of the five Folders did not follow the Balance rules the way the other 4 did. Isn't that a problem?

Perhaps I can find some benefit using Folders in the way in which they i were intended to be. I can't come up with one, so I was wondering if you, someone else out there, can give me an example of what it could be used for.

I just bought the application, so I'm still setting it up and am finding it very nice working in Checkbook Pro. I have tried others, and like yours best.

K