Include balances in register transaction report?

SVanDee

I would like to export a range of banking account transactions including the account balances to a text/csv file. I don't see Balance in the column customization list for any of the Transaction reports. Is there some other type of report that shows basically the same information as a Transaction report but includes the account balances?

NotACPA

The Balance column, in both QMac and QWin is a calculated figure ... not a stored figure, which is why you can't export it.

If you change the sort order in the account, the apparent balance for any given transaction will change.

In your spreadsheet program you can easily re-create it.

jacobs

I'm only saying that in Quicken Mac, if you export from a transaction register, the Balance column is exported along with all the other visible columns. It's just a number, not a formula, of course. So in most cases, the Balance column in an export is probably extraneous, because you're likely to manipulate the data and the exported balance values are static numbers.

The original post asked this:

SVanDee said:

I would like to export a range of banking account transactions including the account balances to a text/csv file. I don't see Balance in the column customization list for any of the Transaction reports. Is there some other type of report that shows basically the same information as a Transaction report but includes the account balances?

The answer is that yes, you can do this. But not via a Transaction Report; reports are generally going to be subtotaled by Category or Tag or Payee, so a running balance doesn't make any sense in such a report. But exporting a register, or portion thereof, will export the balance column, for whatever value that may or may not provide.

NotACPA

The Balance column, in both QMac and QWin is a calculated figure ... not a stored figure, which is why you can't export it.

If you change the sort order in the account, the apparent balance for any given transaction will change.

In your spreadsheet program you can easily re-create it.

SVanDee

Oh, of course. I just never noticed what happens to the Balances when I sort a transaction register but I see now it has to work that way. Thanks for the fast response.

jacobs

NotACPA said:

The Balance column, in both QMac and QWin is a calculated figure ... not a stored figure, which is why you can't export it. 

Actually, that's not correct: in Quicken Mac, the Balance column definitely does export. If it's visible on the screen, it will export when you do File > Export > Register Transactions to CSV File.

NotACPA

jacobs said:

NotACPA said:

The Balance column, in both QMac and QWin is a calculated figure ... not a stored figure, which is why you can't export it. 

Actually, that's not correct: in Quicken Mac, the Balance column definitely does export. If it's visible on the screen, it will export when you do File > Export > Register Transactions to CSV File.

But is that Balance figure, for any given transaction, "sticky"?  Or, like in QWin, can it change when the sort order for the account is changed?

If so, that seems like a significantly misleading figure.

jacobs

I'm only saying that in Quicken Mac, if you export from a transaction register, the Balance column is exported along with all the other visible columns. It's just a number, not a formula, of course. So in most cases, the Balance column in an export is probably extraneous, because you're likely to manipulate the data and the exported balance values are static numbers.

The original post asked this:

SVanDee said:

I would like to export a range of banking account transactions including the account balances to a text/csv file. I don't see Balance in the column customization list for any of the Transaction reports. Is there some other type of report that shows basically the same information as a Transaction report but includes the account balances?

The answer is that yes, you can do this. But not via a Transaction Report; reports are generally going to be subtotaled by Category or Tag or Payee, so a running balance doesn't make any sense in such a report. But exporting a register, or portion thereof, will export the balance column, for whatever value that may or may not provide.

SVanDee

The Balances do change depending on how the transactions are sorted but, when sorted by date, File -> Export Register Transactions to CSV File -> Selected Transactions Only does exactly what I needed. Thank you both.