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;doc: journal: clarify account type auto detection, again

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Simon Michael 2021-09-02 09:04:55 -10:00
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@ -2799,12 +2799,11 @@ but typically not investments or receivables.)
To make the [balancesheet]/[balancesheetequity]/[cashflow]/[incomestatement] reports work, To make the [balancesheet]/[balancesheetequity]/[cashflow]/[incomestatement] reports work,
generally you should declare your top-level accounts, and their types. generally you should declare your top-level accounts, and their types.
For each top-level account, write an [account directive](#declaring-accounts), For each top-level account, write an [account directive](#declaring-accounts),
with a `type:` [tags](#tags). The tag's value can be any of with a `type:` [tag](#tags). The tag's value can be any of
`Asset`, `Liability`, `Equity`, `Revenue`, `Expense`, `Cash`, `Asset`, `Liability`, `Equity`, `Revenue`, `Expense`, `Cash`,
or (for short) `A`, `L`, `E`, `R`, `X`, `C`, all case insensitive. or (for short) `A`, `L`, `E`, `R`, `X`, `C` (case insensitive).
The account's type is inherited by all subaccounts, unless they declare a different type. An account's type is inherited by its subaccounts, unless they declare a different type.
Here's an example, declaring all six account types:
An example:
```journal ```journal
account assets ; type: Asset account assets ; type: Asset
@ -2816,10 +2815,24 @@ account revenues ; type: Revenue
account expenses ; type: Expense account expenses ; type: Expense
``` ```
There is also an older syntax, which is deprecated and will be dropped soon
(A, L, E, R or X separated from the account name by two or more spaces):
```journal
account assets A
account liabilities L
account equity E
account revenues R
account expenses X
```
#### Auto-detected account types #### Auto-detected account types
As a fallback, when account types are not declared, hledger guesses them hledger tries to find at least one top level account in each of the
by looking for some common english top-level account names: six account types (Asset, Liability, Equity, Revenue, Expense, Cash).
When no accounts have been declared for a particular type,
hledger tries to auto-detect some accounts by name,
using [regular expressions](#regular-expressions):
<!-- monospace to work around https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/1573 --> <!-- monospace to work around https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/1573 -->
``` ```
@ -2834,43 +2847,32 @@ by looking for some common english top-level account names:
^expenses?(:|$) | Expense ^expenses?(:|$) | Expense
``` ```
For each type, any declaration of an account as that type will disable auto-detection of that type. For people using standard english account names,
this feature helps hledger's [high-level reports](#declaring-account-types) work out of the box with minimal configuration.
This feature helps hledger's high-level reports work out of the box, for new users using english account names. If you use non-english account names,
However, explicit account declarations are usually better in the long run, you should [declare account types](#declaring-account-types) to make these reports work.
for clarity, predictability, and the other features described here. And more generally, declaring accounts and types is usually a good idea,
for increased clarity and predictability
(and for the other benefits of account directives: error checking, display order, etc).
#### Interference from auto-detected account types Notes:
If you assign any account type, it's a good idea to assign all of - When any account is declared as some type, this disables auto-detection for that particular type.
them, to prevent any confusion from mixing declared and auto-detected - If you declare any account's type, it's a good idea to declare
types. Although it's unlikely to happen in real life, here's an an account for all six types, since a mix of declared and auto-detected
example: with the following journal, `balancesheetequity` shows types can cause confusion.
"liabilities" in both Liabilities and Equity sections. Declaring another For example, here liabilities is declared to be Equity, but would also
account as `type:Liability` would fix it: be auto-detected as Liability, since no Liability account is declared:
```journal
account liabilities ; type:Equity
```journal 2020-01-01
account liabilities ; type:Equity assets 1
liabilities 1
2020-01-01 equity -2
assets 1 ```
liabilities 1
equity -2
```
#### Old account type syntax
In some hledger journals you might instead see this old syntax (the
letters ALERX, separated from the account name by two or more spaces);
this is deprecated and may be removed soon:
```journal
account assets A
account liabilities L
account equity E
account revenues R
account expenses X
```
### Account display order ### Account display order