> On Sep 12, 2018, at 11:19 AM, Geert Janssens <[email protected]> > wrote: > > Op woensdag 12 september 2018 16:38:42 CEST schreef David T. via gnucash- > devel: >> Hello, >> >> As I begin the process of migrating text from the Help to the Guide (cf. Bug >> 796855), I am working on the Help information regarding the New Account >> Hierarchy Setup (NAHS) assistant, and I have a couple of questions about >> the second screen of the assistant, the “New Book Options” screen. >> >> First off, while I respect the intent to allow users the option to set these >> preferences from the creation of their file, I wonder whether this is >> misguided. To wit: all of these options are quite technical in nature, and >> all of them can be set at a later point by opening the appropriate >> preferences. Adding these options here adds complexity that can easily be >> deferred to a later point. While it is true that this assistant runs >> whenever a user chooses File->New (meaning that an experienced user might >> wish to add these settings from the assistant), I am willing to hazard a >> guess that most users will invoke this assistant *only* when they first >> start using GnuCash, and *only* when their heads are already swimming with >> the overwhelming experience that is GnuCash. Asking a new user to choose >> whether to use Trading Accounts or to Use Split Action Field for Number is >> IMHO pointless. They aren’t going to be able to make an informed decision. >> >> <aside>I’ll note that this becomes an obvious issue when I attempt to write >> the help section for the screen. I am left either with writing a huge >> explanatory section on the details of each of these settings, which >> detracts from the flow of the NAHS narrative, or with adding a generic note >> that advises users to accept the defaults and read about the details in >> other sections of the Guide.</aside> > > So now the challenge of writing documentation will be shaping the functioning > of the application ? ;p > > More seriously, your point is well taken, though I don't know the best answer.
I am sure you understand that my observations are meant as supporting elements for my proposal, not edicts from the docs writer. > >> >> So, for the new user, the only real effect of this screen is to introduce >> confusion and questions. Can it be removed from the assistant? >> >> Related to this screen, my second question has to do with the “Use Trading >> Accounts” setting. Can it be turned off once it has been enabled in a given >> GnuCash file? >> >> ISTR that this option is a one-way street—i.e., that, once turned on, it can >> not be turned off again. Is this still the case? If it is still true, then >> I would strongly suggest that this option shouldn’t be placed on the NAHS >> Assistant, since a new user won’t be aware of this. > > My memory is failing me. I remember these options got introduced in the new > book dialog for a specific reason. Something had to be decided at the start > of > a new book. But for the life of me I don't remember what that was. Perhaps it > was exactly the trading accounts ? But the question remains: does a new user (who won’t know what this means or signifies) need to make this decision at this point? Or, to put it another way, if a user accepts the default setting, will they be unable to change it at a later point*? > > As for num-for-action I think you can indeed switch this on an existing book. > However I'm not sure a user would want to do this: if the num field had been > used for transaction numbers (for example copied from a bank statement) > switching the number would suddenly move all of these to the split action > field and hide them from the register. This is usually not what the user > wants. So again this is an option that's better defined upfront to save the > user lots of corrections afterwards. But the same question holds: does a new user need to make this decision at this point? Again, if a user accepts the default setting, will they be unable to change it at a later point*? * Understand that the issue of _changing these settings back and forth_ should be discussed in the Guide at the spot where they are discussed in full—that is, in the proposed “Configuring GnuCash” chapter. David > > Geert > > _______________________________________________ gnucash-devel mailing list [email protected] https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-devel
