doc: manual: reorganise the intro
Try to provide a smoother and shorter path for getting started, and expose the interesting stuff (what commands are available) early.
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Simon Michael
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doc/manual.md
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doc/manual.md
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# hledger User Manual
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# hledger User Manual
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This reference manual is for
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## Introduction and overview
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hledger 0.25.98
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and hledger-web 0.25.98.
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<!-- [hledger 0.25](http://hackage.haskell.org/package/hledger-0.25) -->
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<!-- and [hledger-web 0.25](http://hackage.haskell.org/package/hledger-web-0.25). -->
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## Introduction
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[hledger](/) is a program for tracking money, time, or any other
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commodity, using double-entry accounting and a simple, editable file
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[hledger](/) is a program for tracking money, time,
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format. It is inspired by and largely compatible with
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or any other commodity, using a simple, editable file format and
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[ledger](http://ledger-cli.org). Its basic function is to read a plain
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double-entry accounting, inspired by and largely compatible with
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text file describing financial transactions, and quickly generate
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[ledger](http://ledger-cli.org). hledger is Free Software released
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useful reports via the command line. It can also help you record
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under GPL version 3 or later.
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transactions, and there is also a web interface. You can use it to,
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eg:
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hledger's basic function is to read a plain text file describing (eg)
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financial transactions, and quickly generate useful reports via the
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command line. It can also help you record transactions, or (via add-ons)
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provide a local web interface for editing, or publish live financial data
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on the web.
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You can use it to, eg:
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- track spending and income
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- track spending and income
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- track unpaid or due invoices
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- track unpaid or due invoices
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- track time and report by day/week/month/project
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- track time and report by day/week/month/project
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- get accurate numbers for client billing and tax filing
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- get accurate numbers for client billing and tax filing
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hledger works on unix, mac and windows.
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hledger is Free Software released under GPL version 3 or later, and is
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See [Download](download.html) for installation help.
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tested on unix, mac and windows. See [Download](download.html) for
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installation help.
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This manual is the reference for every part of hledger's functionality;
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this version documents hledger 0.25.98 and hledger-web 0.25.98.
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<!-- [hledger 0.25](http://hackage.haskell.org/package/hledger-0.25) -->
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<!-- and [hledger-web 0.25](http://hackage.haskell.org/package/hledger-web-0.25). -->
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If you find anything missing or incorrect, please report it as a bug.
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Patches and feedback are always welcome.
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If you're just starting with hledger, there's no need to read all of this.
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Instead, I suggest (in addition to, or instead of, the step-by-step [tutorial](step-by-step)):
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1. read [Usage](#usage) to learn the basic UI and start a journal file
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2. and the first part of [Journal](#journal) which explains the journal file
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3. then try out the [commands](#commands)
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4. when you're ready, learn how to refine them with search [queries](#queries) and command-line [options](#options).
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Here is an overview of hledger's commands.
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**Built-in commands:**
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- [accounts](#accounts) - show account names
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- [activity](#activity) - show a histogram of transaction activity
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- [add](#add) - interactively prompt for new journal entries
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- [balance](#balance) - show accounts and their balances in one or more periods
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- [balancesheet](#balancesheet) - show asset and liability balances
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- [cashflow](#cashflow) - show changes in asset balances
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- [incomestatement](#incomestatement) - show revenues and expenses
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- [print](#print) - show journal entries
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- [register](#register) - show postings, usually to a specific account, in one or more periods
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- [stats](#stats) - show some journal summary info
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- [test](#test) - run built-in unit tests
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**Add-on commands:**
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(install the corresponding packages to make these available)
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- [autosync](#autosync) - downloads OFX data from banks, converts OFX to journal entries, and prints the new ones
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- [diff](#diff) - compare two journal files and show differing transactions
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- [interest](#interest) - generate interest transactions for various schemes
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- [irr](#irr) - calculate the internal rate of return of an account
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- [web](#web) - a web UI for browsing transactions and accounts and adding new ones
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**Experimental commands:**
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(extra scripts available in the hledger source)
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- [equity](#equity) - generate an "opening balances" entry restoring all account balances
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- [print-unique](#print-unique) - show only journal entries with unique descriptions
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- [rewrite](#rewrite) - like print, but adds custom postings to matched entries
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<!-- Unmaintained commands: -->
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<!-- - [chart](#chart) -->
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<!-- - [vty](#vty) -->
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## Usage
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## Usage
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@ -1017,39 +1058,7 @@ You can write its full name (eg `balance`), or one of the
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standard short aliases displayed in parentheses in the command list
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standard short aliases displayed in parentheses in the command list
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(eg `bs`), or any unambiguous prefix of a command (eg `inc`).
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(eg `bs`), or any unambiguous prefix of a command (eg `inc`).
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### Overview
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For an overview of commands see the [introduction and overview](#introduction-and-overview) above.
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Built-in commands:
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- [accounts](#accounts) - show account names
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- [activity](#activity) - show a histogram of transaction activity
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- [add](#add) - interactively prompt for new journal entries
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- [balance](#balance) - show accounts and their balances in one or more periods
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- [balancesheet](#balancesheet) - show asset and liability balances
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- [cashflow](#cashflow) - show changes in asset balances
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- [incomestatement](#incomestatement) - show revenues and expenses
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- [print](#print) - show journal entries
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- [register](#register) - show postings, usually to a specific account, in one or more periods
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- [stats](#stats) - show some journal summary info
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- [test](#test) - run built-in unit tests
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Add-on commands:
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- [autosync](#autosync) - downloads OFX data from banks, converts OFX to journal entries, and prints the new ones
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- [diff](#diff) - compare two journal files and show differing transactions
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- [interest](#interest) - generate interest transactions for various schemes
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- [irr](#irr) - calculate the internal rate of return of an account
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- [web](#web) - a web UI for browsing transactions and accounts and adding new ones
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Experimental commands:
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- [equity](#equity) - generate an "opening balances" entry restoring all account balances
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- [print-unique](#print-unique) - show only journal entries with unique descriptions
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- [rewrite](#rewrite) - like print, but adds custom postings to matched entries
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<!-- Unmaintained commands: -->
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<!-- - [chart](#chart) -->
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<!-- - [vty](#vty) -->
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### Built-in commands
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### Built-in commands
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