diff --git a/npo-ledger-cli-tutorial.md b/npo-ledger-cli-tutorial.md index 3787f374f4580f981fa37f550f3de388c6ae1581..47af519d26e8641d1a634d9d9a1eb2cc5aeb9c50 100644 --- a/npo-ledger-cli-tutorial.md +++ b/npo-ledger-cli-tutorial.md @@ -141,14 +141,39 @@ run `ledger` commands against it, separately and without access to the other `.ledger` files of the NPO. -Proper Documentation For Accounts ---------------------------------- +Proper Documentation For All Transactions +----------------------------------------- Ledger CLI offers a flexible structure of tagging any entry, including separate tags for parts of a split transaction. This system uses those tags to ensure proper documentation is included for each financial transaction that occurs for the organization. +Note that since Ledger CLI is a complete double-entry accounting system, each +transaction can correspond to multiple entries in the general ledger. The +data entry format of Ledger CLI lists each double-entry accounting +transaction in a text file. + +Documentation may in fact differ for entries within the transaction. Ledger +CLI's tagging structure is flexible in this regard: each portion of a +double-entry transaction can carry the same tag or a different tag. For +example, in this entry: + + 2012-05-03 Sir Moneybags + ;Entity: Sir-Moneybags + ;Invoice: accounts/documentation/org/invoices/2012-05-30_moneybags-invoice_as-sent.txt + Accrued:Accounts Receivable:Conservancy $100,000.00 + Income:Main Org:Donations $-100,000.00 + ;IncomeType: Donations + +The portion of the transaction that credits the `Income:Main Org:Donations` +has three tags: [`Entity`](#entity-tag), [`Invoice`](#invoice-tag) and +[`IncomeType`](#income-type). The `Entity` and `Invoice` tags, since they're +listed at the top of the transaction, propagate through and apply to both +sides. But, the `IncomeType` tag, which has no meaning for `Accrued:` +accounts, so it is applied only to the `Income:Main Org:Donations` part of +the transaction. + ### Tags Used In This System A list of tags can be found in the file `accounts/config/config-tags.ledger`