[moneytalks] Beta: suggestion for enhancing value of status line features
- From: "Steve Zielinski" <steveziel@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <moneytalks@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2006 19:21:25 -0500
Hello Rob and MT staff,
Nice job with the recurring transactions feature, and I noticed that the bong
sound when using ctrl-e has been eliminated.
I have an idea for enhancing the status column useage, based on the use of the
R key in the status column. The R key when pressed while the focus is on the
status column, causes the program to restrict the view to only those
transactions that are set for recurring. This is an easy and useful way to
quickly examine which transactions are recurring.
How about making another useful feature available in a similar user-friendly
way. Like so, the user can go to the status column, press the letter S, and
immediately all the transactions that have splits applied to them would be
restricted for quick viewing. The user than can press the F6 key to expand the
splits, still restricting the view only to these splits. Pressing the F6 key
again turns off the splits, keeps the restricted view on, and finally pressing
the escape key removes the restricted view.
Pressing the escape key at any time would remove the restricted view and close
down any expanded splits at the same time if they were expanded before the
escape is pressed.
If a person simply restricts the view in other ways other than the one
described above, then pressing escape will act like it does now, regardless of
whether or not expanded view of splits is showing.
Here's a slight enhancement of the use of the S key. That is the D key, while
pressed in the status column. In this example, the view would immediately be
restricted to split transactions, but the program would automatically open the
splits, in other words it would do the F6 key press itself. The user can then
press F6 again to close the split view, or escape to have the program close the
splits and unrestrict the view to the normal register.
I thought of this because when I bought MT from APH, I also bought another
program. I split the transaction but one of the programs was shipped something
like three weeks later, it wasn't currently available. I couldn't clear that
total transaction until both transactions cleared. I found myself having to
locate that transaction using normal restricting features.
Over time, I've increased the number of transactions with splits in them, and
have found the only quick way to look at them, is to use the shift 3 search
combo, and search for the term x-s, (that is the letter X, followed by the dash
key, followed by the s key). Then I had to press F6 to open the view of that
particular split transaction. Then repeat the search again with F3.
Alternatively, I could open the splits with F6 before doing the F3 searching,
using the appropriate search string. In any way, it's continual key strokes.
An S or D key in the status column would make things much quicker and easier.
Sometimes I've had items in split transactions clearing at different times, and
have had to look at the actual splits to make sure all have cleared before I
could clear the original full transaction.
Furthermore, logically, the use of an X key in the status column would show
cleared transactions. But that is already available with alt-v plus c.
Just an idea. What do you think?
TIA
Steve
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