[Fwd: Praise and Suggestions]

[Michael Edwardes]

Hi David,

I have forwarded your email to the developers mailing list where your
suggestions can be reviewed by the current developers.

Thanks,
Michael

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Praise and Suggestions
Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2008 01:47:03 -0400
From: David Stocker <dstocker@...>
Organization: TheNotesetter.com
To: mte@...



Dear Mr. Edwardes,

First, let me say "thank you" to you and the other developers for making
such an accessible personal finance application that is open-source and
freely available for GNU/Linux. I'm so pleased to have found it and am
now actually excited about keeping my books and ledgers up to date (I'm
a worker and not much of a business/accounting mind).

In the past, before I switched to GNU/Linux for most of my computing, I
was a regular user of Quicken and Microsoft Money personal finance
applications. Since switching to GNU/Linux and KMyMoney, I've noticed a
few instances where I feel the others got something right and where
KMyMoney can improve its interface to better serve the average user.

First, let me say that I'm living/working in the US and so my
preferences are informed by the banking practices that are common to my
area. This chiefly affects my first suggestion (I assume. I have no
direct experience with banking in other areas of the globe and am aware
they may differ from one region to the next). Also, for your
information, I'm writing this based on my experience working in KMyMoney
0.8.8.

1. My first suggestion pertains to the reconcile wizard in KMyMoney:
Since bank statements usually list transactions by category, it makes
sense that KMyMoney would do the same when reconciling the account.
Since bank statements list deposits first, then checks, then "other
withdrawals," it would be convenient if when reconciling, KMyMoney
listed transactions by category in this order (or at least provided the
option to do so). That way, when balancing, say, a checking account, one
would not have to peruse the entire ledger to clear all the deposit
transactions, and then do so again for all of the checks and yet again
for other withdrawals.

2. My second suggestions concerns using alt+ key to avoid using the
mouse as much as possible when entering transactions.

It would simplify the task of entering transactions if, when I have to
enter 2 checks in a row, I needed only to press alt+c. Currently, if
I've just entered a check, I need t use the mouse to click "new" to
enter a new, blank transaction form under the "check" tab. If simply
typing "alt+c" could accomplish this, there would be no need to go to
the mouse at all. Likewise for all the other tabs (like if pressing
"alt+m" entered a new transaction form under the "ATM" tab, even if I
just entered an "ATM" transaction).

[In case you can't tell, I have a general aversion to using the mouse
unless I absolutely have to. I suspect others who use a computer for
hours a day suffer from the same pathology ;-)]

3. When I choose Settings=>Configure KMyMoney and click on Register on
the left pane, I'm given several boxes to check or uncheck according to
my preferences. This suggestion refers to three of the available
checkboxes: "Always show a _N_o. field for new transactions," _I_nsert
transaction type into No. field for new transactions," and "Auto
incr_e_ment check number."

When the first two boxes are checked, entering a transaction under the
ATM tab always results in "ATM" being automatically entered in the No.
field. However, entering a transaction under the Check tab results in
"Check" being automatically entered in the No. field (making it
necessary for the user to manually change "Check" to the next check
number). Now, if I uncheck the first box and check the third box, then
whenever I click the "Check" tab to enter a new transaction, the No.
field automatically defaults to the next unused check number
(excellent). However, if I now want to enter an ATM transaction, I have
to manually type "ATM" (over the next check number) in the number field
in order for it to be displayed that way in the register. What's more,
when I tab out of the number field or click "enter," I get a warning
that "The number *ATM* has already been used..." and I'm asked if I want
to replace it with the next available number. This results in a lot of
clicking in and out of dialogs and slows down the process quite a bit.
It would be fantastic if one could have it both ways: clicking the ATM
tab automatically enters "ATM" in the No. field and clicking the Check
tab automatically enters the next check number in the No. field.
(Incidentally, MS Money has never had this functionality. I was always
required to enter "ATM" in the number field if I wanted to see that a
transaction was made using the ATM or check card).

Thank you for taking the time to consider these suggestions for future
releases of KMyMoney, and thanks again to you and the other developers
of this great program. Also, please know that I will most likely
continue to use KMyMoney whether or not you decide to implement the
suggestions I have made. Additionally, if you have any questions about
my suggestions or about my experience using KMyMoney, feel free to
contact me.

Thank you all again,

David B. Stocker
TheNotesetter.com
http://thenotesetter.com
4048 Fox Rest Ter.
Powhatan, VA 23139
[phone]
dstocker@...





No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com 
Version: 8.0.138 / Virus Database: 270.5.2/1561 - Release Date: 18/07/2008 18:35





-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge
Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win great prizes
Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world
http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/
_______________________________________________
KMyMoney2-developer mailing list
KMyMoney2-developer@...
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/kmymoney2-developer

[Thomas Baumgart]

Hi all,
hi David,

on Sunday 20 July 2008 13:46, Michael Edwardes wrote:

> Hi David,
>
> I have forwarded your email to the developers mailing list where your
> suggestions can be reviewed by the current developers.
>
> Thanks,
> Michael
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Praise and Suggestions
> Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2008 01:47:03 -0400
> From: David Stocker <dstocker@...>
> Organization: TheNotesetter.com
> To: mte@...
>
>
>
> Dear Mr. Edwardes,
>
> First, let me say "thank you" to you and the other developers for making
> such an accessible personal finance application that is open-source and
> freely available for GNU/Linux. I'm so pleased to have found it and am
> now actually excited about keeping my books and ledgers up to date (I'm
> a worker and not much of a business/accounting mind).
>
> In the past, before I switched to GNU/Linux for most of my computing, I
> was a regular user of Quicken and Microsoft Money personal finance
> applications. Since switching to GNU/Linux and KMyMoney, I've noticed a
> few instances where I feel the others got something right and where
> KMyMoney can improve its interface to better serve the average user.
>
> First, let me say that I'm living/working in the US and so my
> preferences are informed by the banking practices that are common to my
> area. This chiefly affects my first suggestion (I assume. I have no
> direct experience with banking in other areas of the globe and am aware
> they may differ from one region to the next). Also, for your
> information, I'm writing this based on my experience working in KMyMoney
> 0.8.8.

The current stable version is 0.8.9 which has some minor improvements over
the version you're using. We are currently working on the 0.9 version
which as a lot of major enhancements over the (old) 0.8.  In general, in
one way or another all of your suggestions have been addressed in this new
code base. More details/answers below. They are all based on 0.9.

> 1. My first suggestion pertains to the reconcile wizard in KMyMoney:
> Since bank statements usually list transactions by category, it makes
> sense that KMyMoney would do the same when reconciling the account.
> Since bank statements list deposits first, then checks, then "other
> withdrawals," it would be convenient if when reconciling, KMyMoney
> listed transactions by category in this order (or at least provided the
> option to do so). That way, when balancing, say, a checking account, one
> would not have to peruse the entire ledger to clear all the deposit
> transactions, and then do so again for all of the checks and yet again
> for other withdrawals.

The sort order for reconciliation mode is distinct from the one in normal
view and can be modified with a variety of parameters, one of them being
the type (payment or deposit) of the transaction.

> 2. My second suggestions concerns using alt+ key to avoid using the
> mouse as much as possible when entering transactions.
>
> It would simplify the task of entering transactions if, when I have to
> enter 2 checks in a row, I needed only to press alt+c. Currently, if
> I've just entered a check, I need t use the mouse to click "new" to
> enter a new, blank transaction form under the "check" tab. If simply
> typing "alt+c" could accomplish this, there would be no need to go to
> the mouse at all. Likewise for all the other tabs (like if pressing
> "alt+m" entered a new transaction form under the "ATM" tab, even if I
> just entered an "ATM" transaction).

Those tabs have been reduced to deposit/transfer/withdrawal. Throughout the
application we have made a lot of improvements for the keyboard user.

> [In case you can't tell, I have a general aversion to using the mouse
> unless I absolutely have to. I suspect others who use a computer for
> hours a day suffer from the same pathology ;-)]
>
> 3. When I choose Settings=>Configure KMyMoney and click on Register on
> the left pane, I'm given several boxes to check or uncheck according to
> my preferences. This suggestion refers to three of the available
> checkboxes: "Always show a _N_o. field for new transactions," _I_nsert
> transaction type into No. field for new transactions," and "Auto
> incr_e_ment check number."
>
> When the first two boxes are checked, entering a transaction under the
> ATM tab always results in "ATM" being automatically entered in the No.
> field. However, entering a transaction under the Check tab results in
> "Check" being automatically entered in the No. field (making it
> necessary for the user to manually change "Check" to the next check
> number). Now, if I uncheck the first box and check the third box, then
> whenever I click the "Check" tab to enter a new transaction, the No.
> field automatically defaults to the next unused check number
> (excellent). However, if I now want to enter an ATM transaction, I have
> to manually type "ATM" (over the next check number) in the number field
> in order for it to be displayed that way in the register. What's more,
> when I tab out of the number field or click "enter," I get a warning
> that "The number *ATM* has already been used..." and I'm asked if I want
> to replace it with the next available number. This results in a lot of
> clicking in and out of dialogs and slows down the process quite a bit.
> It would be fantastic if one could have it both ways: clicking the ATM
> tab automatically enters "ATM" in the No. field and clicking the Check
> tab automatically enters the next check number in the No. field.
> (Incidentally, MS Money has never had this functionality. I was always
> required to enter "ATM" in the number field if I wanted to see that a
> transaction was made using the ATM or check card).

As mentioned, the ATM and check tab are gone, nevertheless those options
are still available. Assigning the next check number logic has been
changed, I am not sure about the details of the others. The logic in
general though still exists.

> Thank you for taking the time to consider these suggestions for future
> releases of KMyMoney, and thanks again to you and the other developers
> of this great program. Also, please know that I will most likely
> continue to use KMyMoney whether or not you decide to implement the
> suggestions I have made. Additionally, if you have any questions about
> my suggestions or about my experience using KMyMoney, feel free to
> contact me.

Thank you for your detailed report. This is exactly what we need to further
improve the project. It might be a good idea to subscribe to the user
mailing list of the project to stay informed about upcoming releases as
well as suggestions made by other users.

--

Regards

Thomas Baumgart

GPG-FP: E55E D592 F45F 116B 8429   4F99 9C59 DB40 B75D D3BA
-------------------------------------------------------------
As soon as there is an optimist who discovers a light that does not exist
there is a pessimist who blows it out. (Giovanni Guareschi)
-------------------------------------------------------------


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge
Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win great prizes
Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world
http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/
_______________________________________________
KMyMoney2-developer mailing list
KMyMoney2-developer@...
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/kmymoney2-developer