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Chapter 4  Opening screen

Translators Note: Until the other chapters are translated many of the cross references lead to dead-ends at the moment.

When the application starts, Grisbi displays this opening screen page. This opening screen can be accessed at any time by clicking on the Accounts tab.

You can view the Grisbi window in full screen mode using the function key <F11>, and toggle between full screen and normal mode with the same key.

Figure 4.1: Accounts summary page

All Grisbi screens have the same general appearance. It displays a menu bar that gives access to most of Grisbi’s important features, and three main areas:

These three zones, specific to Grisbi, are outlined in different colors in the figure to identify them .

4.1  Information bar

The information bar displays the name of the current tab displayed, and can display, to the far right, the current balance if one of the accounts is selected for display in the main screen area.

To select one of the tabs displayed in the navigation panel click one or more times on one of the two small triangles on the top left of the panel. The items displayed are : Accounts, Scheduler, Payees, Credits simulator, Categories, Budgetary lines and Reports. If the Accounts and Reports items have been expanded to display their sub categories these will also be displayed one by one.

Note : These triangle symbols can be replaced, depending on the theme of the desktop environment or window manager you are using, by other characters such as +, -,>, <, and so on.

The content of the selection is displayed in the main screen area.

These features can be used instead of clicking directly in the navigation panel when the Information Bar window width is reduced to zero and you can not access it directly.

4.2  Navigation panel

The navigation pane displays in bold the list of tabs: Accounts, Scheduler, Payees, Credits simulator, Categories, Budgetary lines and Reports. By clicking on the small black triangle to the left of the Accounts or Reports tabs, you can scroll or roll up the list of their sub-tabs. You can change the order of tabs and sub-tabs by clicking on one of them and dragging it up or down the list.

Note : These triangles can be replaced, depending on the theme of the desktop environment or window manager you are using, by other characters such as +, -,>, <, and so on.

You can select one of these tabs or sub-tabs by clicking on its name. You can also move the selection in this list of tabs and sub-tabs with the <Up Arrow>, <Down Arrow>, <Page Up> ou <Page Down> keys, or with the mouse wheel.

The content of the selection is displayed in the main screen area.

You can reduce or enlarge the width of the navigation panel by clicking on the thin vertical bar between this panel and the main screen area, and moving it. If the width of the window has been reduced to zero, or enlarged to the maximum of the width of the Grisbi window, the thin vertical bar may be to the left or to the right of the window. Locate this and slide it back to the desired location.

The context menus, accessible by a right-click of the mouse, are available on the elements of this panel and offer the following functions::

4.3  Details window

The main screen area displays all the details on the tabs or sub-tab selected by the Information Bar or Navigation Panel. This is the main work area of Grisbi. You can reduce or enlarge its width by clicking on the thin vertical bar between this window and the navigation panel, and dragging it. If the width of the this panel has been reduced to zero or enlarged to the maximum of the width of the Grisbi window, the thin vertical bar may be to the left or to the right of the window. Locate this and slide it back to the desired location.

4.3.1  The summary screen

To return to the opening screen which provides an overview of the entire accounts file, select the Accounts tab; the main screen area then displays, from top to bottom:

Translators Note: This section needs revision as the user interface is slightly different from this translation of the original French.

Note : For definitions of Minimum Allowable Balance and Desired minimum balance, see the 7.3, Account Properties section.

The account labels are displayed in black ; as the mouse cursor moves over the line of one of these, its colour changes to gray . A balance greater than the desired Minimum Balance is displayed in dark green ; as the cursor moves over the line, its colour changes to light green .

A balance less than the Minimum Balance Required and greater than the Minimum Balance authorized is displayed in orange ; as the pointer passes on its line, this color changes to light orange. A balance less than the Minimum Authorized Balance is displayed in red ; as the pointer passes over its line, this color changes to light red.

When you move the mouse pointer over the line of an account, any color change indicates that if you click (right or left) with the mouse, the records contained in the highlighted account is displayed, as if the account had been selected with the information bar or navigation panel.

A partial balance can be specified for a group of accounts If defined this is displayed in black.If it is negative, it may appear in dark red, (see 22.1.8, Partial balances for a list of accounts). A partial balance line does not change color when the mouse pointer is over it, because you can not view the individual entries for of an group of accounts.

You can configure certain aspects of the display of this home page in the Edit - Preferences - Main - Main Page on the Menu Bar or in the Properties tab of each account :

In particular, if you find a spelling error in this page, you can correct it: see the paragraph 22.1.8, ?? Pluriel de final ?? !

4.4  Menu bar

As in many graphics applications, most of Grisbi’s important features are accessible through the menus in the Menu Bar. The features are detailed below.

4.4.1  File menu

This menu includes the following functions :

4.4.2  Edit menu

This menu includes the following functions :

4.4.3  View menu

This menu includes the following functions :

4.4.4  Help menu

Most of the choices in this menu give links to websites. In order for these links to work, you must have specified to Grisbi the navigation software (or browser) that you wish to use, in the Edit - Preferences (see 22.1.5, Programmes). The Help menu includes the following choices1 :

4.5  Shortcut keys

Keyboard shortcuts make it easy to enter data and navigate through Grisbi’s windows, avoiding the need to move and click. By using the ones corresponding to the most common manipulations for you, you improve your ergonomics by limiting the important movements of your arms.

Grisbi has a number of keyboard shortcuts, presented here according to different themes (see also 2.8.2, Typographical conventions in this manual). .

4.5.1  Application and files

4.5.2  Navigation panel

4.5.3  List of transactions and scheduled transactions

4.5.4  Entry form

4.5.5  Drop down lists

4.5.6  Dates entered on the calendar

4.5.7  Dates entered on keyboard

4.5.8  Payees, categories, budget allocations, credit simulator, historical data and forecasts

4.5.9  States and Configuration

4.5.10  Help

1
Translators Note: A "help us with translation" menu item is mentioned in the French version of the manual but does note appear in the English version of Grisbi at release 1.0
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