Splasm Software Discussions

I am a new user of CheckBook Pro.

Apparently, the program's search functions (QuickFilter and Smart Folders) do not search both discrete entries and split entries. For example, if I enter a check with the category "Charitable Donations" and enter a credit card payment using the split function to assign a portion of that payment to "Charitable Donations" I cannot search for and find all charitable donations using QuickFilter. It appears that I have to do two searches, one for "Category" and another for "Split Category" (and then to get the specific entry from the split I have to open the entry and the split. Worse, as much as I can determine, using a custom Smart Folder, I cannot search for (find, and print a report of) a category such as "Charitable Donations" as an entry in a split category (e.g., my credit card payment). Apparently the Smart Folder function doesn't search split entries except using the default summary function (and then, of course, does not itemize the entries).

Surely, I must be missing something. If this is really the way that this program works, is there a work-around? (Other than not using split entires for any items which you want to later itemize and report.)

I assume that others are somehow generating periodic reports itemizing particular expenses or income with this program. I will appreciate any advice for accomplishing that task. With my thanks, Al.

Hi Al!

Unfortunately, CheckBook's Splits are not treated as separate, standalone entities within CheckBook's user interface, which, ultimately, leads to what you've observed - it's not possible at this point to filter or use a Smart Folder to view individual Split Line Items. It's a shortcoming that we have not taken the time to address and won't be able to until after CheckBook 2.2 and CheckBook for iOS are out (when we'll look at check printing, as well).

Without the ability to display individual Split Line Items CheckBook can only show the parent Entry as a filter or Smart Folder result. Filtering for a specific Category and seeing a parent Entry with an Amount that includes other, unrelated Categories, would be pretty confusing. We chose to ask the user to choose explicitly "Split" filter criteria in an effort to hint that the results pertain to Splits in particular, though we leave it to the user to figure out that the Amounts are not exactly what they're looking for. As I said, we won't leave things in this state but we have some things to finish before we can get there.

The filters in Account Summaries are affected in a similar way. When filtering with a Split criterion you will see only parent Entries in the results. However, the Subtotals are always correct, including only the Amounts from Entries and/or Split Line Items that are explicitly marked with a given Description, Category or To/From, or the Amounts from Split Line Items that inherit those attributes from their parent Entry (which they do if those fields are left blank in the Split Line Item). If you're after a total for a given Category you can always refer to the Subtotals in an Account Summary - you won't be able to see only the Category you're looking for as you're extremely likely to get other Categories in there, but the Subtotals will all be reliable.

I hope the backstory helps, Al. We're working our way back to Splits and hope to have a better system in place before too long.

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

Keith,

Is there any general timeframe for when you will be working on splits and searches within splits? Having to search explicitly in splits and being limited to split description and category (I often want to look at the split to / from or amount) is very cumbersome. Also, as you may know the way the split category search works is not intuitive.

Thanks.