Whenever you launch GnuCash the Since Last Run process will run automatically and look for any transactions to be created or reminded about since the last time you started GnuCash. The Since Last Run dialog will pop up showing them. If, by chance, you cancelled it at that time because you were in a rush to get to something else, you can also launch it manually whenever you want it.
- Run the Since Last Run process using the Actions | Scheduled Transactions | Since Last Runmenu.
- The Since Last Run window will pop up showing any scheduled transactions that are to be created or reminded about, as shown in the following screenshot:
Note
If there are no scheduled transactions in the system to be created or reminded about, all you will see is a message saying, There are no Scheduled Transactions to be entered at this time. If that happens, you may have to go back and do the previous tutorial to set up at least one scheduled transaction.
- Click on the transaction selecting that row. Click on the text under the Status column and it will become a drop-down list as shown in the preceding screenshot.
- Select To-Create, tab out or click somewhere else on the window so that the focus shifts away from that field, check the Review created transactions checkbox, and click OK.
- You will be back in GnuCash with the freshly created transaction showing in a Created Transactions tab as shown in the following screenshot:
- Check and make sure that the Description, Transfer accounts and amounts are OK.
- Don't forget to save your work.
Thus GnuCash is like an eager valet ready to remind you about the transactions due, the first chance it gets, namely when it starts. However, you can deal with these transactions at that time or at a later time depending on your preference.
Some of you may recall the Easter Eggs. Oh, I am not talking about the decorated chocolate eggs or plastic eggs filled with jelly beans hidden by the Easter Bunny, for children to find on Easter morning. I am talking about the games hidden by the not-so-bunny developers in some of the early software applications. The magic sequence for launching the flight simulator game in Excel 97 went somewhat like this, "Create a new worksheet. Click on F5. In the Go To window, type X97:L97 and click on Enter. Click on the Tab key. Hold the Ctrl and Shift keys while clicking the Chart Wizard toolbar button."
GnuCash has such a neat Easter Egg hidden in it with rewards far better than just a pastime like the flight simulator game. I am referring to the Status field of the Since Last Run dialog. Too many people have struggled with it because it is neither intuitive nor easy to find. However, now that you are familiar with where it is and how to use it, you are well armed with the power tools needed to get the most out of GnuCash.
After you have set up the Scheduled Transactions, there is no mystery about which ones got created when and which ones didn't. The Since Last Run… dialog is the only way Scheduled Transactions get created. If, as we recommended, you checked the Review created transactions, you will see the created transactions as well. However, you need to be aware of three different scenarios that can happen:
- No Scheduled Transactions to create at all: You will see an information dialog as shown in the following screenshot:
- Both automatic and normal Scheduled Transactions: The Since Last Run dialog will show both automatic and normal scheduled transactions. The Create Automatically transactions will be created and the status marked as Created. The normal transactions will be presented for you to review and take action.
Accountants are cautious types. There is a reason for that. They know, perhaps from personal experience, the kind of glitches one can get into otherwise and, more importantly, what it takes to get out of it. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When doing accounting do as the accountants do, namely exercise caution.
We recommend that you don't check Create Automatically for the time being. Also, make sure you always check Review created transactions every time. This way you will be able to control what the Scheduled Transactions module does and also watch the resulting transactions. Once you have become comfortable with the results, namely either the module does what you expect it to do or you have gotten used to its quirks, you can selectively check Create Automatically.
- You want GnuCash to display the scheduled transactions created by it so that you can make sure they are OK, before saving them. What will you do?
a. In the Overview tab of Edit Scheduled Transaction window, check Notify me when created.
b. In the Frequency tab of Edit Scheduled Transaction window, check Notify me when created.
c. In the Since Last Run… window change the status to Review.
d. In the Since Last Run… window check Review created transactions.
Create a scheduled transaction from one of your existing transactions and set it to Remind in advance 7 days. Let us say that after creating the transaction, you received a notification from the bank that you won the lucky draw and that your first payment is waived. When you get the first reminder, change the Status to Ignore and OK it.